So you’ve seen or heard about Nested Bean products and you want to know if they really work and if they’re safe? Keeping reading for an honest Nested Bean review.
In today’s post I’m going to share the best nighttime routine that works for us and a completely sincere Nested Bean Review of one of their popular sleepwear products.
Why Did You Purchase the Nested Bean Zen Sack?
As a first time mom with a young baby (she’s 5 months at the time I’m writing this), I’ve been up a lot of late nights now.
Before my baby could differentiate between night and day, I spent a lot of sleepless nights on my phone searching for a magical cure to make her sleep.
Therefore, this resulted in a lot of late night purchases (Hello, Amazon Prime!) and sleep deprived decisions.
One night I was scrolling through the forums on BabyCenter and reading a sleep related thread about what other moms were doing to try and get their babies to sleep.
A lot of products were mentioned, the Nested Bean Zen Sack being one of them. There was mom who said her baby slept for several hours straight once she put her baby in it the first night. Anything over 2 hours straight sounded like music to my ears at that point.
I checked out the website, reading Nested Bean review after review to see what other moms were saying. They were saying a lot of good things! So, one late night in December when Rhyan was just 10 weeks old I purchased the Zen Sack from Nested Bean.
After submitting my order, I eagerly awaited its arrival. To their credit, Nested Bean gets their orders out fast. I got my Zen Sleep sack the same week. When you’re waiting on something that helps your baby sleep, you want it pronto!
To Swaddle or Not To Swaddle?
A little bit about Rhyan, I don’t think she was a fan of swaddling. Not sure if its my technique or she just doesn’t enjoy being wrapped tightly like a baby burrito.
We got mixed results, swaddling didn’t really impact the length of time she was able to sleep in my opinion.
The bright side to this is we never had to transition her out of swaddle! This is why I went straight to the sleep sack.
She did seem to enjoy touch and having me near her to sleep so the Zen Sleep Sack was looking like a good option.
Nighttime Routine: Why You Need One
Remember I mentioned that I was perusing the internet and baby forums late night trying to get info on how to get your baby to sleep?
The one thing most tips had in common was to start a nighttime routine. The benefits of a nighttime routine for babies are great and you can start one as early as 6-8 weeks!
- A calming routine helps signal bedtime to your baby
- A predictable pattern helps your baby calm down for sleep
- Nighttime routines are good for bonding with your baby after a long day
Notice, I didn’t say a schedule. There’s no use in putting a newborn on a strict schedule.
Every baby is different, so there’s actually no one size fits all schedule. Learning your babies sleep tendencies is key for determining when to start your baby’s night time routine.
Starting a Nighttime Routine for Baby
Keeping the routine simple is important because you don’t have all night to put your baby to sleep.
Also, you’ll be doing this daily so make it easier on yourself! 2-3 calming activities right before bedtime are enough for baby to settle down for the night.
For instance, some examples include:
- A warm bath
- Feeding
- Changing into pajamas
- Reading a bedtime story
- Singing a lullaby
- Playing soothing music
Related: 11 Hacks For Stree Free Bath Time With Baby
Nested Bean Review
The night time routine that works for us is first feeding, then bath or wipe down and finally bedtime story.
Obviously, after getting out of the bath or getting the wipe down, I change Rhyan into pajamas.
What pajamas consist of is a onesie and the Nest Bean sleep sack. We live in Texas and this is a pretty comfortable combo for the baby year round.
If you’re wondering what you need to dress your baby in under the sleep sack, I’ll help you out with that! Check out my complete nighttime sleepwear guide if you want to know what to dress baby in at night for sleep.
What is the Nested Bean Sleep Sack?
It’s a gently weighted sleep sack with a weighted center to mimic your touch. Sleep sacks are essential for young babies because you don’t want them laying on loose sheets or bedding to reduce the risks of suffocation. A sleep sack is essentially a wearable blanket!
The Zen Sleep sack also has a two way zipper and two adjustable shoulder tabs. Perfect for my baby who is taller than average. Diaper changes are easy to do in this sleep sack.
The material is great, and high quality. The cotton is great for all seasons, I don’t feel like my baby overheats in this sleep sack.
I’ve washed this sack multiple times per week and it does not pill or get rough. In addition, the sack still feels as soft and comfy as day one.
Honest Nested Bean Review Question: Does It Work?
So the million dollar question is does this sleep sack really work? My answer is yes…in conjunction with a solid predictable night time routine. The sleep sack alone is NOT going to put your baby to sleep.
My baby was one of those babies who initially would not sleep unless I was holding her. This was frustrating and unsafe for my own sleep.
I loved holding my baby but I was terrified that I would fall asleep while holding her and drop her!
A huge draw to this sleep sack that others don’t have? The weighted center is designed to feel as light as your hand on your baby’s chest.
One of the things I do when putting Rhyan to sleep for the night is to rub those beans in the weighted center lightly in a circular motion. This soothes her and when I remove my hand the sensation of touch is still there all night.
Since I’ve been using this sleep sack nightly since she was just 10 weeks old, she knows that putting it on is a signal for bedtime.
I’ve seen her calm down when I place her into the sack and zip the bottom up. It’s a part of a nightly routine that means we are winding down for the night.
How Fast Does It Work?
This is honestly going to vary because as I said earlier, every baby is different. I did not notice a difference in one to three days.
As my baby learns to sleep longer stretches, I depend on the nighttime routine to help her sleep better and longer.
Is the Nested Bean Zen Sack Safe?
Using your sleep sack can help with creating a safe sleeping environment. We don’t need to use loose blankets or bedding since the baby can wear her blanket. I don’t have to worry about loose objects causing suffocation.
The weighted center does not concern me either. Nested Bean did their research:
As per physiotherapy standards, the application of weight equivalent to 10% of one’s body weight is considered to add positive or therapeutic pressure to relieve stress and induce calm. The weight of the center area of our products is calibrated at 2 ounces. For babies 7 lbs. and over, 2 ounces of weight is less than 10% of their chest weight. This weight is simply meant to mimic the gentle sensation of your palm on your baby’s chest, which at times can be more than 2 ounces.
Nested Bean, https://www.nestedbean.com/pages/faq
My baby has never seemed uncomfortable while wearing this sleep sack due to the weighted center.
Final Thoughts on Nested Bean Review
Who should use the Nested Bean Zen Sleep Sack? This is a good sleep sack for all babies, but especially if your baby:
- Doesn’t like being swaddled
- Needs to be held to sleep
- Needs help with settling or self-soothing
In conclusion, paired with a consistent, soothing nighttime routine, the Zen Sleep sack really is a wonderful positive sleep association.
What do you think? Have you used any of the Nested Bean products? How’d you like them? I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment or shoot me an email.
Are you ready to purchase Nested Bean Sleepwear? Head on over here to check out all the sleepwear options!
Did you like this post? Be sure to check out all things Mom Life and baby girl chronicles on my blog.
