“Brown paper packages tied up with strings…”
There are many “miracle” sleep products on the market. Several claim to lull your child to sleep within minutes. Honestly, don’t waste your money. If these products were really miraculous, no one would ever need my help! There are, however, a few items that can help set your child up for a restful night of sleep.
These are a few of my favorite things
Bitta Kidda Sleep Sack
– This product really is genius, and my favorite sleep sack. Sleep sacks provide a great, safe alternative to a blanket. Additionally, “lovies” make a great transition object for a sleepy infant. Safe sleep guidelines, however, recommend that parents put nothing in a crib with a baby until age one. The creators of Bitta Kidda Sleep Sacks combine the sleep sack WITH a lovie–and safe sleep guidelines in mind. The lovie on the Bitta Kidda is a piece of fabric securely attached to the sleep sack to prevent any risk of suffocation. Genius! And safe.
Marpac Dohm for Baby
– White noise promotes sleep for a number of reasons; it masks any outside noises and helps create a quiet environment in which your baby (and you!) can sleep. The Dohm is my favorite white noise machine because it runs continuously and is super portable for travel.
Blackoutez – Our exposure to light and dark largely determine our Circadian rhythms. Create a DARK environment to ensure your infant, toddler, or child will sleep well. Blackoutez are one of my favorite ways to black out a room. You can apply them directly to the window for full blackout effect. Sure, they aren’t pretty, but neither is a sleep deprived tot (or parent)! Which would you prefer?
Redi Shades – Yes, another blackout product. No need to panic when on vacation or traveling. Redi Shades give you the perfect solution and are my favorite for travel! These paper blackout shades literally peel and stick, and you can easily cut to them size. RediShades always accompany my family on vacation so we can avoid wake-ups with the sunrise. Definitely worth the (minimal) investment.
Ooly – This new product is an advanced version of an “okay to wake” clock. Designed for children ages 2 and up, Ooly’s parameters can be set by parents through an app. Ooly incorporates children’s favorite colors to signal when they should be sleeping and when it’s okay to get out of bed. You can use Ooly for bedtime, nap time, quiet time, and more! Toddlers and children typically do well with clear rules and boundaries, and Ooly helps parents implement them when it comes to sleep and quiet time.
