Some babies don’t fall asleep easily and even when they do, they wake up in the middle of the night and find it hard to fall asleep again.
Having your baby cry every few hours can be exhausting, especially if you spent the entire day taking care of them or are juggling parenthood with your career.
If your newborn baby has you craving for a restful night’s sleep, you may soon rest easy. There are items and tools you can use that can soothe your baby into falling asleep faster and remain sleeping for longer. Let us share some of them with you. Perhaps one of these products will get you that long night of sleep you so richly deserve.
Sleep Aids for Your Baby
1. Marpac Hushh Portable White Noise Machine for Baby – Best White Noise Solution
Marpac’s portable white noise machine not only covers up noise that might disrupt babies’ sleep but can also improve the quality of their sleep. You get to choose from three serenity-inducing sounds: bright white noise, gentle surf, and deep white noise.
You can manually set the audio to the right volume. It also comes with a child lock feature so you don’t need to worry about your toddler messing with the settings. You can recharge it with the USB cable that it comes with. A single charge will last you the entire night.
White noise machines have long been used by people who have sleep problems so there’s a good chance that it will have the same effect on your little one.
- Easy to store and carry around
- Comes with three types of white noise and an adjustable volume
- Easy to charge with a battery that lasts the night
- Has a white indicator light which some may find annoying
- Not that durable
2. Hudson Baby Unisex Baby Cotton Muslin Swaddle Blankets – Best Swaddling Solution
These muslin blankets are made of 100% breathable cotton that is perfect for your baby’s delicate skin. The blankets have beautiful designs and can be ordered as a set of either two or three. Since the fabric is thin and breathable, you can use them in the summertime but they may not be ideal for winter use.
Swaddling can help calm your baby because it recreates the feeling of being in the womb and reminds them of the feeling of your touch. It can also teach babies to self-soothe and prevent them from scratching their faces.
- Lightweight, versatile, durable, and easy to use
- Soft and breathable material
- Value for money
- Poor stitching quality in some products
- Fabric shrinks if not washed carefully
3. 4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing – Best Innovative Product
The mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing soothes babies by imitating the feeling of being in their parents’ arms. Once placed in the swing, you can use the Bluetooth feature to control it and choose between five different motions and speeds. It recreates different motions like the side to side and up and down motion of parents when soothing their babies. It can also imitate the movements of a car ride.
You can pair the different motions with the sounds that it comes with or use your own music. Its interactive toy balls provide babies with interactive and colorful stimulation.
The angle of the seat is adjustable and you can easily remove and machine wash the fabric part of the swing.
- Easy to assemble and use
- Quality sound
- Breaks easily
- Movements can be too strong for some parents
4. Baby Shusher The Sleep Miracle – Best For Putting Baby to Sleep
As its name suggests, the Baby Shusher is a sleep miracle. It uses a rhythmic shushing sound to put your baby to sleep. You can adjust the volume but it is generally loud to recreate the noises your baby experienced while in the womb. The manufacturers assure that though the sound may be unpleasant for parents, it is very calming for babies who have become accustomed to the same level of sound while in utero.
It also has a removable wrist strap you can wear while putting your baby to sleep.
- Portable, easy to use, and clean with adjustable volume
- BPA-free
- Makes a great gift
- Effective
- Flimsy design
- Battery doesn’t last long
5. Moredig Kids Night Light – Best Product That Even Parents Can Enjoy
Moredig’s product can be used as an ordinary night light or as a calming 360-degree rotating projector that beautifully projects light shows around your baby’s room. There are eight different light shows to choose from including the Star Wars and Sea World themes. You and your baby can enjoy watching sea creatures like jellyfish, dolphins, sea horses, clownfish, algae, and shells. The projected images come in eye-catching colors such as blue, red, green, and a combination of colors.
You can power it up with a USB cable, an adapter (not included), or batteries. The Moredig brand specializes in creating projectors for babies. The Moredig Kids Night Light is perfect for getting your baby to drift off to sleep, makes a great companion for feeding, and arousing a child’s curiosity. It also makes a great gift.
- Easy to use and control
- Value for money
- Projects vibrant shapes and colors
- Lifetime warranty
- Responsive after-sales support
- Lights can be too bright for some parents
- No timer or dimming function
6. Portable Baby-Kids Travel Window Blackout Curtain Shade – Best Quick Fix Product
Is the brightness pouring in from outside the reason your baby can’t get to sleep? You may want to consider the Portable Baby-Kids Travel Window Blackout Curtain Shade.
This blackout curtain shade from Amazon Basics makes sure that the sun and lights from outside won’t bother you or your baby. It also filters out noise, UV rays, and can be used as insulation from cold and hot weather.
The polyester curtain shade comes in five designs from plain black to whimsical prints. Its velcro edges and suction cups ensure that you can take this anywhere and easily attach it to any window. The fabric is machine washable for easy maintenance.
- Easy to install and lightweight
- Value for money
- Effectively blocks out light and noise
- Suction cups don’t work on some windows
- Works better on larger windows
Buying Guide
How to Choose the Best Items to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night?
If you’re wondering how to choose items that can help put your baby to sleep and keep them asleep, here are a few points to consider.
Safety
Utmost in our minds as parents is our baby’s safety. We want to make sure that the products we use on our children are safe and don’t pose any danger. To know if a product is safe for your child, you can read reviews from other consumers, check consumer protection agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Kids in Danger (KID) which focuses on product safety for kids.
Function
There are many reasons why our babies may not be sleeping through the night but it’s important to consider what kind of challenges we encounter. Does it take a long time to put them to sleep or get them back to sleep? If they wake up every so often, what causes it? The more specific we can be about the challenges we face in our babies’ sleeping, the better we’ll be at picking a product that specifically addresses our babies’ sleep habits.
However, it’s important to note that newborns will wake up every few hours particularly for feeding. Since their tummies are still small, they will get hungry during the night and will cry out. But don’t worry, as they grow, they will soon settle into a sleeping pattern, and pretty soon they and you will be sleeping through the night again.
Price and Durability
Budgets can be tight once your baby arrives so it’s important to factor in the price and durability of products that you intend to use. A product’s durability not only ensures that you get your money’s worth but can also mean that a product is safer for your young one.
A great way to screen products is to join online discussion boards like kidsinthehouse where parents like us discuss products and other parenthood-related issues. You can also consider downloading an app like Baby Center which has thousands of forums that tackle everything from baby products to getting your baby to sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Than Products, What Else Can I Do To Get My Baby to Sleep Through the Night?
During the first few months, it’s natural for babies to wake up every so often, but here are some things you can try to give your baby a deeper and longer sleep.
- Create and follow a nighttime routine.
- Teach your baby to self-soothe.
- Slowly reduce nighttime feedings.
- Ensure your baby doesn’t sleep too much during the day.
- Check that the room where your baby sleeps is dim enough and has a comfortable temperature.
How Much Sleep Should My Child Be Getting?
This depends on your child’s age:
- Newborn babies to 3 months: 14 to 17 hours
- 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours of sleep
- 1 year and older: 9 to 12 hours
Is Too Much Sleep Bad For My Baby?
If your newborn spends too much time sleeping, it may be necessary to wake him or her up for feeding. During the first 2 to 3 weeks, breastfeeding babies need to eat every 2 to 4 hours while babies on formula should be fed every 3 to 4 hours.
After What Age Should My Baby Start Sleeping Throughout the Night?
Most babies start sleeping through the night at 3 months. For some babies, it can take up to 6 months.
Conclusion
It may not feel like it now, but time flies. In the meantime, why not look into sleep aids and tools that can help you and your baby get some much-needed reset?
Soon, you’ll be back to having a full night’s sleep and you’ll look back at this precious time with nostalgia.
