The Best Newborn Sleep Products – For Safer, Happier, and Better Sleep!

Looking for tips and tricks for newborn sleep? Here are our top products to help!

Although both of my boys are well past the newborn sleep stage (and are, more or less, sleeping through the night), I have fond (and not so fond) memories of that time.

One thing that I’ve learned about newborn sleeping is that it’s unpredictable and tiring. There’s really know way around that.

However, there are ways to make it easier for everyone – as well as safer. I know all too well how easy it can be to bring your baby into your bed with you when they are waking up every hour or so! So I hope that some of these tips and products will be helpful to you.

First off, I just wanted to share a few guidelines from the AAP regarding infant sleep:

• It is recommended to keep your baby in your bedroom for the first year – but at least for the first six months.
• Baby should be placed to sleep on their back.
• Baby should sleep on a firm surface with a tight fitting sheet.
• Avoid the use of soft bedding – including bumper pads on the crib. You should also avoid having blankets or stuffed animals in the baby’s sleep space.
• Avoid baby having exposure to smoke.

Click here for more information on the AAP Guidelines for safe sleep. 

From my personal experience, if you are feeling sick or otherwise impaired, make sure you have a little bit of extra help during the night!

Because I know there are a lot of questions about the best bassinets or co-sleeper baskets for baby, sleepwear, and sleep environment, today I’m excited to be partnering with HALO to share a few of my favorite tips and products that will make those newborn sleeping days a little easier.

HALO Bassinest Sleep Glider

I love sleep products that allow you to be very close to your baby but still keeps them in their own sleep environment. I’ve heard rave reviews of different bassinets that HALO has that allow for this – and their latest is the HALO Bassinest glide sleeper.

This is a lightweight glide sleeper that features a retractable wall that glides to and away from the bed. It makes it easier than ever to sleep next to your baby – but it keeps you in your separate sleeping spaces.

Not gonna lie – I want to have another baby just so I can use this! I think it would have made our sleepless nights a little easier. I love that it has a firm mattress and breathable sides, making it the perfect place for baby to sleep. It also includes:

• Ability to glide on any floor surface (including carpet!)
• Base easily tucks under bed, making it so it doesn’t take up lots of space.
• Easily wipes clean with a damp cloth
• Storage pocket to keep baby’s essentials close by (this is so important! No one wants to get up in the middle of the night!)
• Can be used for babies up to 20 pounds.

The Halo Bassinest starts at $159. Here is a great video that shows it in action:

Buy on Amazon or on their website

Newborn Swaddle

Swaddling can be very soothing for infants, especially soon after they are born. However, swaddling can be really tricky, and if not done right, it can result in loose blankets that aren’t safe for baby.

I’m a huge fan of swaddle blankets and wearable blankets that don’t require any “fancy” swaddling skills – especially in the middle of the night.

There are a lot of different brands and kinds out there. HALO has some great options – their Sleep Sack swaddles is super popular, and I even see it being used at hospitals more frequently now! I definitely want to try it with our next baby.

Blackout curtains

I’m a huge fan of blackout curtains. We use them to help keep our rooms nice and dark. It helps keep the rooms more temperature regulated as well.

Newborns often are born with their nights and days mixed up, so the sooner you can correct that – the better! I feel like blackout curtains helps you to set the stage for a dark room that you can associate with sleep. This are especially helpful when the sun rises earlier but you don’t want your baby to wake up.

White Noise

I often say that white noise is our “secret” to success with our boys – if anything, it was a big sleep association for them once we started using white noise. There are a lot of different white noise machines and apps out there – but for newborns, they may find ones like a heartbeat, fan, or vacuum cleaner soothing.

Despite what some people say, a baby doesn’t need a completely silent environment to sleep. When they are in the womb, they are constantly surrounded by noise. So newborns may find it more soothing to have some kind of background noise.

We have used the Dohm, as well as the Hatch Baby Rest. I really like both of them, and I think they are pretty solid choices. The Hatch Baby is a little more feature-rich though, and it’s less expensive. I’ve also used the White Noise app on my phone quite frequently – they have a free version, but I opted for the paid one since you can exit out of the app, and it will still run.

Nighty Night Nursing Light

This was recommended to me by a friend after I fell asleep while nursing Oliver one night. Not only does it have a little light on it that can help you keep you awake, you can set a timer to go off after 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes that gently vibrates. It’s a great product!

Sleep/Baby Monitor

I think most parents get some kind of baby monitor – which can be helpful if baby isn’t in the same room as you. However, in recent years, sleep monitors have gained a lot of popularity. We have shared our story and thoughts on the Owlet Baby Monitor in the past (click here to read that), and that is the one we typically recommend. It helps monitor baby’s vital signs throughout the night, and it notifies you if those number fall outside of the preset ranges.

However, it can be a bit pricey at $299 (though entirely worth it), so fortunately there are some less expensive options. The only other one I’ve tried and can personally endorse is the Snuza Hero. They recently release the Pico, but I honestly haven’t used it.

Some people think these types of monitors are overkill, but they have helped a lot of parents sleep more soundly and keep their baby a little safer.

So there are some of my favorite newborn sleep products (though many of them can be used well beyond the newborn age!). Hopefully these products and tips will help you keep your little one safe, sound and happy throughout the night.

No Cry Sleep Solution

As I’ve talked about in the past, I’m not a fan of crying it out. There are a lot of infant sleep books out there, but I can’t recommend most of them. However, this is a book I think EVERYONE should read. It has some great tips for encouraging healthy sleep habits.

OTHER POSTS YOU  MAY ENJOY:

• The Ultimate Guide to Infant Sleep
• Gentle Ways To Help Your Child Sleep Through the Night (Without Crying it Out)
• Using White Noise to Help a Child Sleep