Must-Have Baby Sleep Products To Help Your Little One Sleep
SNOO
There’s a reason why the SNOO is considered a miraculous, sleep-saving product that not only helps babies but also parents.
It doesn’t only rock your baby to sleep, it will automatically do that without being prompted!
When it hears your baby crying or fussing, it will instantly sway and play white sounds to calm down your baby.
It’s like having a night nurse, but one where you can also track your baby’s sleep!
It also comes with a safety swaddle, to make sure that your baby stays on their back.
Vibrating Mattress Pad
It’s not as popular as an automatic rocking bassinet, but if the budget is tight and you desperately want to help your baby sleep, then a vibrating mattress pad might do the trick!
It will make your newborn feel like they’re in the womb, being calmed down by the vibrating sensations, at a fraction of a cost.
Bedside Bassinets
Some don’t vibrate and most won’t automatically play some sounds or rock your baby to sleep, like the SNOO.
But bedside bassinets can greatly help in making your little one sleep better as they are placed right beside your bed.
Your little one can quickly be comforted by your presence, with just a nearby shush from you or a gentle touch of your hand.
Unlike the SNOO, bedside bassinets can go right up to your side of the bed, making it easy to check up and hold your baby without having to get up from your comfy position!
It’s a helpful sleeping item for C-section moms or those who are breastfeeding and would prefer an easier way to access their baby, without having to bend over and get up multiple times in a day.
Swaddles
Babies have a “Moro” or startle reflex.
It’s an involuntary response to stimulation and though it’s one of the usual indications of a healthy child.
Unfortunately, this reflux though tends to wake the little ones up and disrupts their sleep.
It will usually go away in a few months but if you want to prevent their reflux from waking up, swaddle up your baby!
There are modern swaddles that make it easy to wrap up your baby, reducing their startle reflux, such as velcro or zippered swaddles.
These types of swaddles are much more convenient, especially at night and it doesn’t have any learning curve, unlike a traditional receiving blanket or muslin swaddle.
White Noise Machine
I’ve used ours every night, for at least a year!
I started with lullabies which I had to change to a train white noise.
It was loud for me but my baby seemed perfectly relaxed hearing the “train” noise.
It was the only sound that can drown out all the ruckus of the construction in the morning and the noises that the neighbors are making!
I highly recommend a white noise machine even if you don’t need to drown out some outside noise, as some can come with a heartbeat setting.
This can make babies, especially newborns, feel comforted, making them fall asleep better and faster.
Blackout Curtains
Aside from making the room dark, which helps promote the release of melatonin, blackout curtains can also help in reducing the noise level from the outside!
It can also offer insulation against the heat and the cold and can also aid in saving energy. Blackout curtains can keep out the heat during the summer and trap it during the winter, which can reduce your utility bills!
So not only does it help your little one sleep, it saves you money as well!
Loveys
If your baby is older and can independently move their head and roll around, it’s already safe to add some toys to their crib. Like a lovey.
A lovey is a sleep-aid toy that can calm your baby or toddler and can make them feel comforted.
If included daily in their sleeping routines, a lovey can also be used to signal to your child that it’s time to sleep.
Pacifiers
The use of pacifiers can quiet down fussy and cranky babies, which hopefully, will lead them to better sleep.
A newborn has a strong sucking reflex and the act of sucking on a pacifier is calming for them, making them self-soothe and eventually putting themselves to sleep.
Stroller
Yes, they can also turn into a must-have baby sleep product!
You don’t just use them for traveling, you use them on a baby that won’t sleep anywhere that’s not moving!
You might not be comfortable leaving your baby in a baby swing, and you might not have the budget for a rocking bassinet, so the best next thing you can use is a newborn essential anyway – a stroller.
I’ve used this for naps before when my baby just won’t sleep in her crib.
We had a few months of sleep regression and the only thing that helped her take longer naps were being moved around in her stroller.
FAQ on Baby Sleep Products
What can I give my 1-year-old to help him sleep?
You can give your 1-year-old a solid, bedtime routine, plus a comfortable, dark room with some white noise and a swaddle.
You can also assure your baby that you’ll always go to her when she needs you.
What can I put in my baby’s crib to help her sleep?
You can make your newborn take in a pacifier and wrap them in a swaddle, but other than that, they only need a firm, comfortable surface to sleep on.
Wrapping Up: Must-Have Baby Sleep Products To Help Your Little One Sleep
Just remember that you don’t need to buy everything on this list.
For all you know, there’s some physical or medical reason why your little one is not sleeping as expected.
Maybe they’re gassy, they have colic, they prefer to sleep on their stomach, and a whole lot of other reasons that don’t involve purchasing a new item.
So find out ways first to help your baby sleep with what you’ve got and if nothing seems to work, then get one item on this list, and hopefully, that will do the job!
