You are tired! NO…you are more than tired! In fact, you’re experiencing a level of exhaustion no one but a new parent can understand! As a mom of 4 (formally up-at-all-hours) kids, I relate to how badly you want to help your baby sleep better. This list of my best products to help your baby sleep is full of tips and items designed to get you, and your baby, some well-deserved shut-eye.
Learning how to help your baby sleep is one of the most pressing questions new parents have. I know what you’re going through….I’ve put in my fair share of hours desperately Googling the subject. Here is what I’ve learned from raising 4 healthy daughters…every baby is unique when it comes to soothing and sleep habits. That being said, there are some great products that can help your baby learn to be the best sleeper possible.
As a first-time new mom, I was obsessed with following all the so-called rules of good baby sleep. However, I quickly learned with my next 3 babies that a relaxed approach led to better sleep for everyone. Along with an easier-going attitude, here are my top tips that helped my babies become great sleepers…and eventually sleep through the night.
They can help your baby sleep better too!
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Tips & Products That Help Babies Sleep Better
1. Blackout Curtains
In my opinion, blackout curtains are an absolute must if you want your baby to be a great sleeper. We had them up in the nursery before we even brought baby home from the hospital. In the early days, newborns can conk-out in any bright and noisy room, but soon enough, your baby will be ready to learn that a dark room means that it is time to go to sleep.
Try an affordable, insulated curtain, such as the Deconovo Blackout Curtains to block out most of the light in your baby’s nursery. They come in a wide range of colours and patterns, so you can still get something cute to match the room’s design.
Read: How To Save Money For Maternity Leave
2. White Noise Sound Machine
A white noise sound machine is the one must-have baby item I personally couldn’t survive without. Each one of my girls slept with one in their rooms as babies. In fact, my two-year-old still sleeps listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean from her sound machine.
Having white noise in baby’s room serves two purposes. First, it helps to mask any other noises from outside or inside the house. I don’t need to “shhh” my older kids constantly while the baby is napping or cringe when the garbage truck stops at our curb. Second, it helps to cue my baby that it’s time for sleep.
Finding the right noise machine took me some time. Maybe I just had bad luck, but the first few models I tried broke after a couple of months. The one I use now is the Dreamegg Sound Machine and it’s lasted almost 3 years with no issues.
3. Sleep Sheep Portable Sound Machine
Suitable for newborns, this Sleep Sheep Sound Machine was my on-the-go travel solution to help my children sleep. I never left home without placing it in my baby’s car seat, stroller, or pack’n play. Sometimes, I just strapped it to my body when my daughters were napping in my arms so they slept longer.
You can choose from 4 different nature sounds to help your baby sleep including gentle stream, spring showers, ocean waves, and whale songs. There is a Velcro strap for attaching the sheep to car seats, strollers, and cribs. As well as volume control and two sleep timer options (23 and 45 minutes).
4. Swaddle Wraps
Another one of my top tips to help a newborn baby sleep is to use a swaddle. All four of my girls loved to be swaddled! By keeping her arms close to the body, a swaddle helps your baby feel cozy and comfortable, while also preventing little arms from flying around and disturbing her rest.
I recommend the ease and convenience of velcro SwaddleMe Wraps. They come in 3 separate stages, perfect for newborns to babies up to 6-months of age. The velcro closures are easy to fasten in the middle of the night, when you want baby to remain drowsy after a diaper change and not be disturbed re-swaddling with a receiving blanket.
The above being said, I did still use receiving blankets daily to swaddle my babies. Once my girls had more control over their arm movements and enjoyed sleeping with one or two arms loose, I switched to swaddling them for naps and bedtime in Carter’s flannel receiving blankets. Receiving blankets serve many other purposes, such as a burping cloth, an extra layer of warmth in the stroller, a nursing cover, a surface for tummy-time, or a sun shade in the car seat.
Read: 15 Items Your Child Needs For Daycare (Babies & Toddlers)
5. Pacifiers
A pacifier, or soother, is my next must-have item to help your baby fall asleep, and stay asleep for longer. While some lactation consultants will say that using a pacifier can interfere with breastfeeding, I saw no evidence of this with any of my children!
I breastfed all 4 of my girls until they were anywhere from 14 months to 2 1/2 years old, without any pacifier-nursing confusion. Many babies just love to suck, and offering a pacifier helps to comfort a sleepy or upset baby.
Having several soothers on hand is a definite life-saver. My favorite pacifiers are the NUK Orthodontic Pacifier 0 – 6 months. I love that they have the tiny handle and are easier for baby to grab onto, and the design of the nipple fit my babies’ mouths the best.
6. Co-Sleeping Crib
One of the most valuable, hard-learned tips to help a baby sleep better at night, is to bring them into your bed (or into your bedroom). With my firstborn, I foolishly tried to insist she do all her sleeping in her crib. What a disaster that was! It wasn’t until we went on vacation when she was 5-months-old, and slept in the same room, that I discovered how comforting sleeping next to each other is for mommy and baby. Sloan slept longer next to me than she ever had, and it was soooo much easier to nurse her and get her back to sleep in the middle of the night.
With my next 3 babies, I didn’t even hesitate to co-sleep with them from day 1. The result were better nights and happier days for me and my little ones.
Now, I’m a pretty still sleeper, so I was confident that having my newborns lying in bed with me was safe. If you want to try co-sleeping and need some extra reassurance that you won’t bump into baby during the night, try a portable co-sleeping crib designed for bed-sharing. Or, you can opt for a bedside crib that allows you and baby to each have your own space while still lying side-by-side.
7. Baby Swing
My final product to help your baby nap, or sleep at night, is a baby swing. This item is on my list because rocking in her swing was my daughter, Odette’s, favourite place to sleep. Ditto for 2 of my nieces, who used to spend the entire night sleeping in one!
Now, I know most sleep “experts” recommend teaching your newborn to sleep in a crib or bassinet. But, when you are a sleep-deprived mom trying desperately to get some shut-eye, relying on a baby swing can be a temporary solution. In fact, one sympathetic health nurse once told me that “you can’t spoil a baby under 6 months of age, so just do what works best for your family”. Great advice!
We used the Fisher Price Dual Motion baby swing.
Read: Childcare Centre vs Home Daycare – How To Choose
The best Products to Help Your Baby Sleep: Conclusion
No matter how exhausted you are right now, I promise you that you and your baby will one day be getting a full-nights sleep. This list of products to help your baby sleep better consists of the 7 items that worked best for my little girls. My last piece of advice, is to try and just go-with-the-flow. While you can certainly help a newborn or older baby learn to sleep better, each child will sleep through the night when they are ready.
Try and enjoy this time in their lives and find a routine that works best for your family. Sweet dreams are on their way soon.
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