Have you ever wondered why wool is used for making baby blankets, sleep sacs or sleepers? What is the magic of wool?
“Babies are amazing…they begin each day all warm and sleepy, smelling of promise.”- Julia Roberts
Blankets, Sleep Sacs and Sleepers for Babies and Toddlers
Baby blankets, sleepers and sleep sacs are some of the most used baby items and when they are made out of wool they are just magic. Wool is natural, hypoallergenic, insulating, temperature regulating, moisture wicking and repellant, odour resistant, stain-resistant, self-cleaning, and biodegradable.
You might be asking, but won't wool irritate my baby’s skin? Scratchiness in wool depends on the type of wool and the length of the strands of the wool. Our companies create their items with the highest quality soft merino wool. Scientists have researched and stated that a wool allergy is actually quite rare and that if someone seems to be having a reaction to wool, it is more likely a chemical used on the wool. Using organic or eco wool will usually solve the problem.
Follow this link to find out the science behind wool, and what makes it magic.
Temperature Regulation
Until around 18 months, baby's ability to regulate their own temperature has not yet matured, especially if they are premature or have a low birth weight. This is due to the size of the surface area of their skin compared to their body weight. Little ones, especially if they are sick or were born prematurely can lose body heat quickly if they are not kept wrapped up. In fact, they need to be kept a little warmer than your average adult. Feel your baby behind the nape of the neck and on the stomach to determine whether they are too hot. You can also check to see that the heat is making it all the way to tiny fingers and toes.
In cold weather, wool creates an insulating barrier by trapping warm air next to the skin and creating the perfect microclimate to retain heat. Wool is wonderful at blocking wind while outside.
Wool acts as a cooling barrier by wicking perspiration away in hot conditions. It may seem strange to us to use wool in the summer, but many cultures use wool to keep the heat out. This is why sheepskins are such a great choice for strollers and car seats, keeping your baby comfortable.
Supportive to Sleep
By far, one of wool’s most amazing features is that it makes sleep more restful as the body does not need to spend energy to regulate the body's temperature.
According to this study, premature infants who nursed and slept on lambswool gained weight more rapidly than ones who used conventional cotton sheets. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the texture of wool has a soothing effect on infants, which leads to lower metabolic activities. Swaddling in a wool blanket that keeps baby's body thermo-regulated at a comfortable temperature, might even afford you a precious few extra hours’ sleep.
Self-cleaning, Hypoallergenic and Easy to Wash
The lanolin (wool fat) content in wool is naturally antibacterial. When wool gets wet, some of the lanolin converts to lanolin-soap, which helps keep the fabric clean hygienically. Combining this with it's self-cleaning properties, wool doesn't get smelly.
Wool also repels dirt and is resistant to stains, making it perfect for messy children. Just wipe off, again, magic. Due to wool's natural waxy film, liquid sits on top of the material instead of absorbing into it. If it does stink, it is fully machine washable- just make sure to use an approved wool wash detergent, wash on with a wool wash cycle, and lay it flat to dry.
Eco-friendly:
Wool is the perfect material for the environment, it is naturally biodegradable and sustainable and when it decomposes, the wool breaks down and turns into soil. Furthermore, wool is naturally produced and is available in abundance.
Wonderful Wool:
Wool fibres can be bent and twisted over 30,000 times without breaking and cotton can bend 3,000 times. Wool is fire-resistant. It's harder to ignite than synthetic fibres and cotton. It has a low rate of flame spread, it doesn't melt, or drip, and if it does burn it creates a "char" that self-extinguishes. Wool is "bouncy" - the springiness of the fibres gives it good elasticity - it stretches well and returns to its original shape making it is easy to put on your baby - and to take off of course too.
Sleep and Warmth by Pam Hale
"What if your child, in spite of your best sleep and peace-inducing efforts, still can’t get to sleep at night? It is important that your child is warm enough in bed, as sleep seldom visits a cold body. Especially check your child’s feet and make sure they are warm. An older child may need a not-too-hot hot water bottle in order to entice warmth right down into the feet. Toasty warm feet calms the mind and invites sleep. Modern folk don’t realize how important it is to generally care for their body’s warmth. An article from the University Hospital of North Tees (also published in The Lancet, Sept. 2001) had researched how to help pre-operative patients. They found that warming patients up for at least half an hour before their operation led to speedier healing and fewer post-operative infections.
In my own work as a masseur, it is the patient’s warmth “picture” that tells me the most about their state of physical and soul (ie the INNER person) health. Warmth is a vehicle of healing. Look after your child’s warmth now and you will be giving them basic foundations for good health in adult life.