Sleep Products

There are many things out there that claim to help with sleep; however, there are only 5 main things that I recommend to provide baby with the best opportunity for restful and restorative sleep.

1. Safe sleeping environment - crib or bassinet with only a fitted sheet inside

2. Dark as possible room - Black out curtains or window panel to keep light from sneaking in

3. Continuous white noise - white noise helps mimic the womb and also it drowns out outside noise to help your little one keep sleeping soundly.

   In the past, I have always had great luck with the Hatch white noise machine. Some people, including myself, have experienced issues with it such as turning off intermittently or not charging properly. I have also used the Nanit white noise and like it very much. Either one is a great option.

4. Swaddle or sleepsack - Swaddles also help mimic the womb and help most babies sleep better. The more snug the swaddle is, the better. I always had a hard time getting blanket swaddles tight. I always preferred, and recommend velcro swaddles. For newborns, I really like the Swaddle Me swaddles. As baby gets a bit bigger, I also love the Ollie swaddle.

   Once baby reaches about 4 months, or when they show signs of rolling over, they need to be transitioned out of the swaddle. Since blankets are not recommended in the crib until after 12 months, a sleep sack is perfect to transition to after a swaddle. My favorite sleep sack is Woolino. They are great quality and have 1 size for 2 months - 24 months and then another size for 2 years-4 years. You will want to get at least 2 of these so you can wear one and wash one as needed.

5. Camera or monitor - When baby is sleeping in another room, it’s always good to have a monitor to keep an eye on them. There are many baby monitors out there, and they all work just fine to monitor baby. The monitor you get depends on what you are looking for. For me, and my children, we got the Owlet sock and Owlet camera. I loved having the reassurance that the owlet sock provides. It is not a medical device so it is just for informational purposes. It provides sleep tracking and also tracks baby’s oxygen (O2) level and heart rate. I didn’t LOVE the Owlet camera, but I liked to have both details available in the same app. Once my baby grew out of the Owlet sock, we got the Nanit camera, and really LOVE it!

6. Lovey - My son and daughter both loved (and still love) sleeping with their lovies. I introduced a lovey to my son at 12 months old and we used the Angel Dear lovey. They have tons of super cute characters and they are super soft. For my daughter, I introduced a lovey when we sleep trained, at 3 months. When she was that young, it was important for me to have a lovey that was thin and breathable. She sleeps with this cute muslin material bunny. Make sure you buy multiple loveys (think 5-6) so that they can be washed. My son liked to suck on his lovey to soothe, so they would get very wet! We ended up washing those daily!

7. Travel sleep - When traveling, a portable crib such as pack n play with a fitted sheet is great and compact. A SlumberPod is an amazing way to create a dark environment for baby. The Slumberpod as a special pocket in it for a baby camera monitor. I use the Wyze camera for travel and it works great. When on the go, this white noise machine is my favorite - Yogasleep Hushh . These work great to bring in the car or clip onto the carseat or stroller when out and about. For older kids, an inflatable air mattress with bumpers works great. I bring crib sheets, and a small pillow and my 7 year old fits perfectly. Slumberpod also makes an awesome air mattress with bumpers that fits inside the slumberpod.