Building Your Registry - Sleep

Sleep is the most talked about thing when it comes to new babies and because of this there is an entire market of goods promising a better nights sleep for new parents. Some of these things can be helpful, but a lot of them prey on desperate, overtired parents with false promises. These are the few things I do actually recommend for better sleep for you and your baby.

Swaddles & Sleep Sacks

There are two main types of swaddle, arms down and arms up. Arms down is what you typically think of as a swaddled baby, their arms at their sides and the fabric wrapped tightly across their chest to keep them there. Some babies thrive in this, some babies despise it. For those babies, I often suggest an arms up option, which allows them to have their hands by their face, but contained so it's not overstimulating. It's possible to do both of these positions with a muslin blanket, but the learning curve of getting a tight swaddle can be steep, and frustrating in the middle of the night. Because of this the market for Velcro swaddles has boomed. My favourite arms down option is the Halo Sleep Sack because it so easily converts to one or both arms out, and the most popular arms up option is the Love to Dream Swaddle Up.

What to Buy & When

Similar to bottles, not all babies like all swaddles. Something that works great for one baby, is not going to be tolerated by another. It's best to have a few options on hand to try out in the first few weeks, then invest in duplicates (for the inevitable blowouts) once you figure out your baby's preference.

Sound Machines

The most popular sound machine on the market is the Hatch. Parents like it because it can be controlled from your phone, has a variety of white noise and light options, and the ability to load pre-sets. It also grows well with your baby, turning into a 'stay in bed' light for toddlers. However, it does have a lot of features that rarely get used, and a simple white noise machine is just as good. If you're going to use white noise, I do also recommend getting a portable one for naps on the go and making travel easier.

Monitors

Having some way to monitor your baby in their sleep space while you are in another room is helpful, but actually not as required as people think. Depending on the size and layout of your house, it is fairly easy to simply listen for the baby to start crying when they wake up. That being said, having an eye on their baby when they're sleeping gives a lot of parents peace of mind. The Nanit is the fanciest option with the most features (or gimmicks). It connects to your phone via an app so you can check in on your baby anywhere, has a breathing band so you can watch their breathing rate, temperature and humidity sensors, as well as a white noise option. Personally, I find this to be excessive and an everyday camera monitor with a monitor screen is just as good. If you have a lot of people helping out, this can actually be better than a wifi camera, because you don't need a dedicated device for other people to watch the baby on.

Bassinets

When looking for a bassinet there are some features families find helpful. One of the most popular features is to have the sides zip down, like here, so that you don't have to lift the baby over the top rail when you're in bed. This can be especially helpful if you've had a c-section. Having one where the legs tuck under the bed is also very useful, especially if you're in a tighter space. What's important to look at when considering bassinets is your existing bed. Make sure to measure carefully to ensure that there is enough space underneath the bed and that the mattress is at the right height for the bassinet to actually sit where you want it to sit.

Moving Bassinets

'Smart' bassinets that rock or move your baby (such as the Snoo or Cradlewise) are a newer option in the market and one that I don't recommend. First off because they are very expensive and there is no guarantee that your baby will like them, but second and more importantly is they build a very strong sleep association with movement. If your baby is accustomed to being rocked all night, it's going to be very difficult to get them used to sleeping in a normal crib or bed where there is no motion.

Cribs

Cribs are all largely the same, though it is important to consider how easy or difficult it will be for your toddler to climb out of them once they reach that age. Take a look at the lowest possible setting for the mattress and how high the top rail is in relation to that. Some cribs now also have flat backs as backboards rather than rails all the way around (such as this). This can be helpful once your child starts climbing to keep them in their crib longer because you can spin it around and the flat surface is often taller and harder to climb over than the rails.

What to Buy & When

I do suggest that families have their cribs set up and on deck for their baby to move in to. Often, babies outgrow their bassinets very suddenly, or earlier than parents expect. When babies hit a growth spurt, or start becoming very active in their sleep, they no longer have room to comfortably sleep in the bassinet and sleep quality and drop drastically. It's also never a bad idea to get your baby used to being in their crib, even from day 1.

Some links may be affiliate and may earn me a small commission. I am not being paid for my opinions on any product.