6 Of The Most Important Baby Sleep Products

Smart moms know baby sleep doesn’t come easily (usually).  We rely heavily on these baby sleep products to help everyone get a better night of sleep!

There’s nothing better than a sleeping baby.  At least, not in my mind.  Having high needs babies made it more important for me to get them to sleep and stay asleep as long as possible.

A sleeping baby is a tired mommy’s break.  With baby asleep, mom can catch up on housework, meal planning, or even a nap herself.

But getting baby to sleep isn’t always an easy feat.  It takes a good bit of work, understanding a baby’s natural sleep and awake schedules, and having some amazing baby sleep helpers.

Must-Have Baby Sleep Products

So, if you’re ready to help baby have a better night of sleep, you’ve got to consider these baby sleep products, PRONTO!

Bassinet

For the first few months, getting a baby to sleep alone in their crib is next to impossible.  Well, unless you’re lucky.  Very often I found my infants napped or slept better either in my arms or in a much more snuggled fashion in a bassinet of some sort.

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My daughter preferred her [easyazon_link identifier=”B016XS2NES” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″ cart=”n” cloak=”n” localize=”y” popups=”n”]Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper[/easyazon_link] while my son was more of one to be held, or swaddled and propped on his side.

Both were, honestly, better as tummy sleepers, so finding ways to get them to sleep that wasn’t on their tummies was a bit of a feat.

[easyazon_link identifier=”B0716KN18Z” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″ cart=”n” cloak=”n” localize=”y” popups=”n”]SNOO Smart Sleeper by Happiest Baby[/easyazon_link]

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Now, I know the Snoo is way out of budget for many, it is worth suggesting because it appears to be an all in one type of deal that many have rated well.  Because it automatically delivers white noise and gentle rocking when a baby fusses, it boasts that it increases sleep by 1-2 hours.

You’ll use a mobile app to adjust settings for newborns or weaning options when you’re ready to transition baby to sleep in a crib.

The SNOO comes with 3 hip-safe SNOO sacks, mattress, and crib sheets.

While it’s a hefty price, there are many nights in my past I would have given anything for the extra one or two hours a night of sleep!  This electronic nanny will alert parents if more attention is needed.

Baby Crib

If you’ve ever gotten roped into bed-sharing with your baby, you’ll eventually want your bed and personal space back.  Either way, eventually it’ll be time to send baby off to his own room.  Don’t forget a nice crib and comfortable crib mattress!

White Noise Machine

My son is 2.5 years old and we’re still using white noise for naps and bedtime.  Plus, hubby and I run a bedside fan at night, simply to have a little white noise to drown out little noises while we sleep.

We all seem to sleep more soundly this way (and hubby really needed it after being trained in the military to wake to everything).  Because of which, I highly recommend a [easyazon_link keywords=”white noise machine” cloak=”n” locale=”US” localize=”y” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″]white noise machine[/easyazon_link] because it’s more than a baby sleep product since you can continue using it through toddler years and beyond!

Swaddle

I’m a huge fan of the swaddle.  After watching the [easyazon_link identifier=”B007R0PWPY” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″ cart=”n” cloak=”n” localize=”y” popups=”n”]Happiest Baby on the Block[/easyazon_link], I knew swaddling was something I had to give attention to.  And, it became one of my favorite baby sleep products for the very early months.

Though swaddling wasn’t easy to do, both my babies did well in a swaddle.  My second did much better in a swaddle, but he was also very particular about how he slept in a swaddle and I had to get creative about meeting his needs.  Generally, he preferred a tight swaddle but slightly propped on his side.  You know, because swaddling wasn’t hard enough.

So, I cheated with those awesome [easyazon_link keywords=”SwaddleMe originals” cloak=”n” locale=”US” localize=”y” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″]SwaddleMe originals[/easyazon_link].  These cheater swaddles are purchased for your baby’s size.  You just tuck their legs in the pouch and then wrap their arms up tightly and secure the wrap with the attached velcro.

A post shared by Ivy | SAHM Parenting Blogger (@sahmplus) on Jan 8, 2016 at 8:52am PST

Well, things got a whole lot better in the baby swaddling world since my babies were babies!  Nested Bean introduced the Zen Swaddle and I really wish I’d had these during those sleepless nights.

The Zen Swaddle is the ultimate cheater swaddle.  You see, it’s a fool-proof swaddle but it also has this lightly-weighted pad that rests on your baby’s chest, simulating the feeling of your palm.  It’s aim is to help your baby settle and sleep more easily.

Because of this, it’s supposed to improve your baby’s ability to put themselves to sleep and settle more easily if they wake through the night.  Many mothers claim their baby’s are sleeping a few more hours through the night than they had been previously.

They currently offer the Zen Swaddle Classic in 100% cotton and Zen Swaddle Premier in 70% bamboo and 30& cotton with moisture wicking abilities.

Baby Monitor

There’s nothing worse than waking up a sleeping baby because you “had to check on them.”  I can tell you, from experience, some babies are easy to wake up, no matter how quiet you think you are.

My son has always been on high-alert and I swear he could sense my presence just a few feet from him, despite my stealthy ninja skills.

Yeah, a baby monitor is a must have!

Now, you can get a standard sound only monitor or a night-vision, two-way talk monitor.  We’ve used both and there are pros and cons to each.  I personally prefer a [easyazon_link keywords=”video monitor” cloak=”n” locale=”US” localize=”y” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″]video monitor[/easyazon_link] so I can see my babies.

Still, if you’re really experiencing anxiety about your baby’s safety while sleeping in another room, it can affect your own sleep.

In this case, you might consider a much more technologically advanced monitor like the [easyazon_link identifier=”B06ZZXYD6S” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″ cart=”n” cloak=”n” localize=”y” popups=”n”]Owlet[/easyazon_link].

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The Owlet 2 is a sock device that will monitor baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels.  If either of these are detected outside of their pre-set ranges, your parent monitor will have lights and sounds and you’ll receive app notifications.

Of course, you can still have a video monitor, because what mama doesn’t love looking in on their sleeping baby without the worry of waking them up?!

Blackout Curtains

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Experiencing the 4 or 5 a.m. wake up?  One of the best things we invested in for this issue was a set of [easyazon_link keywords=”blackout curtains baby” cloak=”n” locale=”US” localize=”y” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″]blackout curtains[/easyazon_link].

The best part about this is that it blocked enough light in one of the windows that baby’s naps were easier to come by too!

Of course, don’t forget to keep your lights low (or off) during those 4 a.m. wake-ups, lest they become parties and baby doesn’t go back to sleep.

We used [easyazon_link identifier=”B010G15V6U” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”ivsvabasaan0a-20″ cart=”n” cloak=”n” localize=”y” popups=”n”]these[/easyazon_link]because there were two in the set and relatively portable for getting a baby to sleep while on travel.

Tell me: what are some of your must have baby sleep products?

I’d love to know what you found most useful in getting your baby to sleep.  Your recommendations can help other moms struggling to get through the first year with some sanity!

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