With parents wishing to return to environmentally friendly ways, the age-old idea of placing babies on sheepskins or natural fiber long hair rugs is one that has been revived.
Are long hair sheepskins safe places for baby to sleep and play?
Here are some benefits to consider:
1. for newborn babies, it’s best to choose a shorn sheepskin rug that’s about an inch or 28 centimeters long if the baby is to rest directly on the rug for sleeping. Unshorn longhair rugs and sheepskins usually have hair that’s about 2 inches and can be used for older babies and also to pad or cushion a newborn baby cradle, crib or stroller.
2. overheating is not a concern when placing a baby on a sheepskin or hair rug because they are regulators of temperature; ideal all year round. Baby shouldn’t experience overheating or extreme cold.
3. if moisture is an issue in the nursery, a sheepskin or long hair carpet or crib pad will help to absorb it and slowly release it into the air, allowing baby to remain dry.
4. babies who sleep on sheepskins and natural hair carpets or pads will experience fewer skin irritations. This is not true when it comes to using wool as a padding or for play areas where babies may lay on their backs directly. The popular round wool rugs that are cute and designed for nurseries are fine for sitting and playing, but sheepskins or long hair natural fibers are much better and healthier for babies delicate skin to sleep on.
5. in general New Zealand and Australian natural long hair sheep rugs will be sanitized and hygienic. Items like the Cozy Mate long hair rugs designed specifically for babies are sterile yet easy to maintain by washing once a month in a regular washing machine.
6. sheepskins and 100% wool rugs in general are naturally non-flammable and therefore safe for children and babies to sleep on and play on. Round wool rugs for play areas in nurseries are ideal, but the best place for baby to sleep both summer and winter is on a shorn sheepskin, lambskin or the long hair rugs designed for cribs.