Top Products to Help Your Newborn Sleep at Night
The one comment you get over and over when you are pregnant is, “Enjoy your sleep now!” or “You better rest while you still can.” It is common knowledge that babies don’t actually “sleep like a baby” (whoever came up with that one was quite wrong in fact), so how do you manage to get a few hours sleep? The best way is to mimic the womb to create a peaceful environment for your newborn as they have come into this loud, scary and cold world when they felt safe inside their mother for 9 months. Here are my favourite products to help your newborn sleep at night:
Owlet– The Owlet is a little device that doesn’t help your newborn sleep but helps give you piece of mind so you can get some sleep and actually relax. The Owlet is a little monitor that you can put on baby’s foot while they are sleeping that notifies you if something is wrong with your newborn’s heart rate or breathing. It beeps loudly to wake you up in the night. I used the Owlet for my first born and it certainly helped me sleep better knowing that every time she was breathing rapidly it was just a different stage of sleep (newborns are notorious for breathing rapidly in the REM stage of sleep). I’ve read many reviews on this great product that have said that the Owlet has saved their baby’s life so while it isn’t a cheap product, it is certainly worth its weight in gold.
Cot– There are so many cots out there but how do you choose one? The best thing to do is research safety and practice safe sleeping. The Lullaby Trust has great information on safe sleeping to prevent SIDs like having baby in the same room as you until at least 6 months old and in a safe bedside cot. When going to my homes I’ve found the most popular cots to be the Snoo and the Snuzpod. The Snoo is created to replicate the womb with it’s built in swaddle and rocking motion that can be set via an app on your phone. It truly is the latest technology in baby sleep so it is on the pricier end but my clients rave about it. The Snuzpod is a simpler bedside cot that is built to attach to your bed and can also rock (although in the old-fashioned way, with your hands). However, it’s something that can be reused for all your children as you can ensure it will last.
Swaddle– I highly recommend a swaddle to help replicate the cosy feeling of the womb for your newborn in the 4th trimester. Baby was used to feeling quite confined in close quarters in the womb and when they are first born they have a strong startle reflex called the “Moro” reflex where everything startles them awake and they throw their hands up in the air. Swaddling helps soothe baby by making them feel like they are still in the womb and helps stop the Moro reflex so they aren’t startled awake. Safe swaddles are the Tommy Tippee, the Woombie and the Love to Dream. A swaddle is a very basic product that will help immensely with getting your newborn to sleep at night.
White Noise– The womb is quite noisy as baby can hear your heartbeat and the outside surroundings. White noise replicates this sound and helps to relax baby and cover any loud noise going on in the background when baby is sleeping. There are plenty of great apps for white noise on your phone that you can use on the go.
Black Out Blinds– Black out blinds are great for creating a proper sleep environment for your newborn so they get their day and night coordinated. Newborns often have their day and night mixed up so black out blinds help get them into a proper routine and help with the creation of melatonin which is a hormone required for sleep.
Dummy– Using a dummy has been proven to prevent SIDs (as explained on the Lullaby Trust) as baby never goes into a deep sleep while sucking. A dummy helps to soothe baby so they fall asleep quicker by calming them and releasing endorphins.