Top Must-Haves to Help Your Baby Sleep Well
On February 16, 2021 by Megan FolsomSLEEP. Debatably the biggest struggle about being a new parent. After having a new baby, we start to wonder if we’ll EVER sleep through the night again.
It’s also the cause of a LOT of stress as a parent. Where should my baby sleep? What if they roll over and get stuck? What if they stop breathing? What if I make a loud noise and wake them up? How can I help them to sleep longer?
As parents, we do the best we can to provide a safe sleep space for our babies and a secure attachment and then we hope for the best. All babies sleep differently and hit milestones at different places. However, we can set them up for success with an amazing sleep environment.
Our Favorite Things for Sleeping Babies:
Breathable Mattress:
I’ve said it before and I will say it again. This one is 100% worth the money and I’ve talked all about it in another blog post. Save your sanity, your anxiety and your baby’s safety and just buy the dang mattress!
Soft, Organic Sheets:
Your baby spends so much time sleeping and laying on them, you definitely want to make sure that they’re as comfy and non-toxic as possible!
Shusher:
This one will also save your sanity and help calm your baby down, for a very affordable price. Watch me demonstrate how it works and why you’ll love it!
Sound Machine / Night Light:
After a lot of research, we decided on this sound machine, because it’s practical and useful in SO many different stages. During the newborn stage, you can use it as a dim nightlight during night feeds or diaper changes. When they’re in regular beds, you can use the time-to-rise feature to let them know when it’s okay to get out of bed or leave their room.
I love that I can control it from my phone, so I can turn the sound machine up a little if we have friends over while he’s asleep. Controlling it from my phone also means that I can have it set up across the room and adjust the light brightness without getting up during a nighttime feed.
Sleep Sacks:
There are so many benefits to these. I loved these ones that zip for easy nighttime, diaper changes. We hated the velcro ones, because they were so startling to our son as a baby. As a newborn, they help with warmth and swaddling. As an older baby, they still help with warmth and also with preventing them from climbing out of their crib.
Binky:
We loved these specific ones, because they were very functional, but also so cute for pictures. However, we only used pacifiers for sleep times and completely weaned him off the binky by about 8 months!
Cool-Mist Humidifier:
Honestly, we really only used ours in the nursery when he was sounding congested or had a dry cough, or when his skin was really dry. It made a HUGE difference though and really helped him breathe, and therefore, sleep better.
*Just be sure to only have cool-mist humidifiers around your house with babies to avoid burns. For more tips, check out my post on helping dry baby skin.
Black-Out Curtains:
As brand new newborns, they really won’t NEED these and will be able to sleep pretty much anywhere. However, as they figure out day and night, these work wonders in preventing early morning waking and really help naps last longer too.
I know, I know, you may be worried about causing them to “need” a totally black room to sleep. In my opinion, it’s so worth the extra sleep. Plus, even I have black-out curtains in my room as an adult and I can tell that my quality of sleep is way better with them.
Camera Monitor:
We tried both Wifi-based and one that doesn’t use WiFi. They both have pros and cons, and we liked both for different reasons.
Non-WiFi Baby Monitor
Overall, the baby monitor that doesn’t use WiFi has definitely been more reliable. If doesn’t take 15 seconds to turn on, reconnect and load the image. If our WiFi is down, we can still check on the baby.
BUT, it only works within a certain range, so I couldn’t check it while I was out gardening or working out in the shop. I also always have to carry the monitor with me and make sure it’s charged.
WiFi-Based Monitor
The main reason that we have really loved this one is that we can check in on the nursery, even when we’re not at home. Similarly, I love that I only need my phone to check on the baby; I don’t need to carry around a monitor or worry about keeping another device charged.
Pajamas
Our two favorite kinds of pajamas for newborns and young babies are definitely knotted gowns and zipper pajamas. The best zipper pajamas are the ones that zip from the bottom up (or even 2-way), so that you can just unzip their legs for diaper changes at night.
Night-Time Books
You’ll definitely want to start having a set night-time routine with your baby by 4 months old at the latest. One of the key steps in our routine is reading a bedtime book together after his bedtime feeding session. Check out some of our favorite night-time books by clicking on the picture below.
See all of our newborn must-haves and be sure to add them to your registry!
*Disclaimer: Some of the links on my website are affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
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