My Favorite Newborn Sleep Products for Safe, Restful(ish) Nights
If you read my previous blog about our experience with newborn sleep, you probably already realize that there isn’t a magic recipe for ‘good’ sleep during the newborn period. There are some products, however, that may make life a little easier (and sleeps safer). Below I share a few of the items that have helped us get through this challenging period safely.
*The links below are amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a commission from qualifying sales. Please trust that I will never link products that I have not used and loved myself.
These items make great shower gifts- start an Amazon Baby Registry here.
Safe sleep space: The most important item you need for safe, restful nights is a safe sleep space. This can be a bassinet (we started with a bedside bassinet- I am not enthusiastic about the one we have so will not link it), a crib (no medical or safety reason NOT to use a crib for a newborn, although most choose a small bassinet for ease of access and easier room sharing), or a pack-and-play (multi-purpose for later use!) are great options. Do not put baby to sleep in a car seat, lounger, swing, bouncer, etc. Do not put pillows, blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals, or any other loose textile in the sleep space. All of these things put baby at risk for sudden unexplained infant death syndrome (SUIDS). Your sleep space does not need to be expensive to be safe and effective!
Halo Velcro Swaddles- I wanted so badly to use the mom that used stylish muslin blankets for swaddling, but our son started breaking out of them early despite our best efforts. We love this halo swaddle for cool weather and this halo swaddle for extra cold weather. These make swaddling easy and safe, even when you’re sleep deprived. Pay close attention to the TOG rating on your swaddles, as you want to be careful not to overhead your little one.
Yogasleep Portable Sound Machine- This portable sound machine is battery powered and great while you are still working out the perfect sleep location for baby. Sound machines drown out noises that may wake baby up, create a soothing environment for baby that sounds similar to the noisy womb, and (saving the best for last) are associated with lower risks of SUIDS.
Night light- OK, I will admit it- I was influenced by a social media influencer to buy this nightlight and I stand by this decision. It is dimmable, battery powered (have only charged it twice in 2 months despite nightly use), and so easy to find then silently turn on overnight. I am willing to admit that I harbor an extreme amount of enthusiasm for this nightlight. This nightlight is a beacon of hope during sleepless nights and is one of my favorite baby products I’ve purchased.
Heating pad- Imagine being warm and cozy in your dad’s arms then being abruptly placed on a cold, hard sleep surface- jarring, right? We warm the crib surface with a heating pad (I won’t link here because we use one we’ve had for years) prior to placing him in. Important: The heating pad and any associated cords need to be completely clear of the crib and out of reach when baby is in the crib!!
Pajamas for easy diaper changes- I love these affordable two-way zip footie pajamas and these pricier magnetic closure pajamas for easy, low stimulation diaper changes in the middle of the night. For safe sleep, pajamas should be snug without extra fabric hanging around baby.
Baby monitor- If baby is sleeping unattended, you should have a baby monitor set up so that you can at least hear them cry out. I am surprised that, even in our small 2-bedroom apartment, I cannot hear our son cry from some rooms. We have this basic video monitor because we did not want to rely on wifi or our phones to watch our baby. I like that this monitor also monitors the room temperature- overheating is associated with higher SUIDS risk.
Honorable Mentions:
Swaddle blankets- In the brief period where our son was not hulking out of his swaddle, we loved these muslin blankets that a friend gifted us. Now that we don’t use them as swaddles, we can still use them when we need a light, cozy blanket.
Kindle- Ok, this is for mom. It is vital for an infant’s safety that caregivers stay awake during those late night awakenings. My best strategy is to sit up straight and keep my mind occupied, usually with a book on my Kindle e-reader. Ohers report sitting on a hard surface or the floor to keep themselves awake, some watch tv, and some scroll social media (I do plenty of this, too). Some people prefer audiobooks to keep them awake- follow this link to try Audible premium plus free for 30 days and get two free audiobooks!
There you have it!! Connect with me on social media and let me know what products you love that I may be missing!
