My favorite sleep products

[cs_content][cs_section parallax="false" separator_top_type="none" separator_top_height="50px" separator_top_angle_point="50" separator_bottom_type="none" separator_bottom_height="50px" separator_bottom_angle_point="50" style="margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;"][cs_row inner_container="true" marginless_columns="false" style="margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;"][cs_column fade="false" fade_animation="in" fade_animation_offset="45px" fade_duration="750" type="1/1" style="padding: 0px;"][cs_text]As you might imagine, I get a lot of questions about baby gear. Specifically, questions like, “Do magical products exist that will ensure my child will sleep til 9am every morning?! Where do I buy them!?”While nothing can guarantee great sleep, there are definitely some products make it more conducive for your little one to get some ZZZs. Below are my favorites, all of which I’ve personally used (unless otherwise noted).[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h4" looks_like="h4" accent="true"]Books[/x_custom_headline]I’m certainly not the only authority on sleep and it always pays to be prepared before your baby is born (or afterwards if you run into trouble). Hands-down, my favorite sleep “bible” is Marc Weissbluth’s Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. It’s not the easiest read but the content is gold. Also useful are Richard Ferber’s Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems and Alexis Dubief's Precious Little Sleep.If you're looking for general help with your child, I'm a big fan of Baby 411 and Toddler 411. They offer clear, concise and neutral advice for pretty much anything you can think of!Lastly, if you are befuddled by all the choices for ALL the baby gear available, Baby Bargains is my go-to book when needing to purchase new gear. They release a new edition each year and provide reviews of all the major brands.[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h4" looks_like="h4" accent="true"]Setting up the nursery [/x_custom_headline]- White noise: I’m a huge fan of white noise--it will help kids (and parents!) sleep better. I’ve tried a few different options, including a free app for my smartphone, but my favorite is the Marpac Dohm All-Natural Sound Machine. We currently have one in my preschooler’s room and in our room. #bettersleepforall- Humidifier: I’m not sure why, but many “baby” humidifiers either have super bright glowing lights or a million buttons that light up, all of which will interfere with your little one's sleep. Instead, try to find the dimmest, quietest humidifer of all. We use this one and love it.- Nightlight: Newborns and babies DO NOT need nighlights -- they're used to sleeping in the dark and will sleep best without one. However, in the early days, mom and dad may need some dim light during diaper changes or breast/bottle feeding. We used this nightlight while our baby was room-sharing with us -- it offers a dim and bright option and also offers yellow light, which is the least disruptive on everyone's sleep.[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h6" looks_like="h6"]For newborns[/x_custom_headline]- Bassinet: Most newborns like to sleep in cozy places; big cribs can seem intimidating when you’re used to being in your mama’s belly for nine months. We've had great success with the Baby Bjorn Bassinet. While it’s not inexpensive, I loved that the sides are mesh and it sways slightly with the baby’s movements but not enough that she becomes dependent on motion in order to sleep. (I’ve also heard good things from clients about the SNOO and the Halo Bassinet, though I haven’t used them myself).- Crib: Honestly, any crib that meets the current safety standards will do. Some people love high-end, designer cribs while others rave about the basic IKEA model. When choosing our crib, I used Baby Bargains to research and narrow down my options.- Swaddles: I highly recommend swaddling your newborn. We love the idiot-proof Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle, which comes in micro fleece, 100% cotton, and cotton-muslin. I’m also a fan of MORI’s newborn swaddle bag.- Baby monitors: I recommend using a baby monitor, even if you live in a small apartment. Why? As your baby gets older and learns to sleep more independently, it's helpful to be able to see what's going on in the crib. (Is he awake but cool hanging out? Awesome! Is his leg stuck through the crib rail? Better go adjust him). I asked on Instagram for people's favorite monitor and, hands down, the response was Nest Security Camera. I've also heard good things about the recently released Nanit.[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h6" looks_like="h6"]For babies[/x_custom_headline]If you’ve been swaddling your baby but he’s beginning to be too big for it, I’m a huge fan of Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. (Silly name, genius product). I recommend it to almost every client with babies around 4-6 months who can no longer safely be swaddled but aren’t quite ready for a proper sleep sack. While your baby may look a little funny sleeping in it, he’ll be sleeping.For older babies who have outgrown both the swaddle and the Merlin suit, my loyalty remains with the Halo Sleep Sacks. They can be used well into toddlerdom and are a safe and easy replacement for blankets.[x_custom_headline type="left" level="h6" looks_like="h6"]For toddlers and preschoolers[/x_custom_headline]Around 2.5-3 years of age, many kids begin to feel afraid of dark. Totally normal! Using a very dim night light can help them to feel a little less afraid. We’ve had good success with the Vava Nighlight--just be sure that you use it on the dimmest and orange-white settings.Around the same time, you might consider using an “ok to wake” clock to begin to teach them that the day starts when you say it does… not at 4:30am. There are loads of options depending on what you prefer. We landed on this one, which depicts a rabbit sleeping or awake and it’s worked well![x_custom_headline type="left" level="h4" looks_like="h4" accent="true"]Travel[/x_custom_headline]If you’re ready to invest in a travel bed, hands-down I recommend the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib. I’ve tried other similar travel cots but found this one to be the perfect hybrid between lightweight and easy to set up (key after a long journey!). If you’re traveling with a smaller baby who is used to sleeping in a bassinet/Moses basket, the BRICA Fold N’ Go Travel Bassinet is awesome. (Bonus: You can also use it for outings to the park, etc. when you want to contain your baby!)If your child is accustomed to sleeping in a dark room but your Airbnb apartment is super bright, consider The Gro Company Gro-Anywhere Blinds. And if you use white noise at home, Marpac makes a great travel white noise machine that’s tiny but powerful.Do you have favorite sleep products? I'd love to know more.Some of the above links are Amazon affiliate links. I promise that I've personally used each and every one of these products (except the Snoo, I haven't used the Snoo!) and 100% recommend them. [/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

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