Night time routines differ for every baby. But no matter how you put your baby to bed, there’s one thing that all parents have in common – we appreciate a good nights sleep. Whether you’re constantly resettling or rocking baby to sleep in your arms, sleep aids can help transform your night time routine for the better.
For those parents struggling to get their little ones to sleep there are some amazing sleep aids out there that work with lights, sounds, white noise and cuddly things to gently soothe little ones to sleep and put them back to sleep should they wake too soon.
Best Projector
Cloud B Twilight Turtle Projector
As cute as it is comforting, the Twilight Turtle nightlight projects a complete starry night sky onto the walls and ceiling of any room, making night-time a lot less scary and a lot more fun. Choose from three soothing color options to create a magical, tranquil environment that helps children ease peacefully into the sweetest slumber.
The winner of several industry awards, including the Editor’s Choice blue ribbon from Baby Talk, each Twilight Turtle is individually hand painted for a unique, artful look that complements any nursery or children’s room. For extra, interactive bedtime fun, parents can sit with their children and identify eight major constellations, including the Big Dipper and the Big Bear, with the help of the beautifully illustrated Star Guide. The Twilight Turtle also includes a warm-hearted story about how Twilight Turtle, separated from his father, uses the constellations to find his way home.
Best Cuddly Toy with Sound
Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter
The Fisher-Price® Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter is a unique plush soother that helps comfort your baby just like you do. Its soft belly moves up and down in a rhythmic motion that mimics breathing to help soothe your baby naturally, along with up to 30 minutes of calming music, sound effects, and soft lights. With its sweet face, super snuggly fabrics, and satiny tail, the Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter is a perfect cuddle friend for your baby.
Otter is known for its unique ‘breathing’ tummy, which testers praised for settling their babies off to sleep. Although it doesn’t have a cry sensor, its impressive features make it a great-value buy.
Best Gadget
Halo Snoozypod Vibrating Bedtime Soother
The HALO SnoozyPod vibrating bedtime soother is the first device to combine gentle vibration, soothing sounds, and an amber glow nightlight to lull infants and toddlers to their best sleep.
Designed to fit most cribs, toddler and twin beds, SnoozyPod’s calming vibration, comforting sounds and soft amber glow nightlight create the perfect environment to help your child fall asleep and stay asleep. The nightlight uses a soft amber LED bulb because the latest research on sleep environments shows that amber light does not interrupt our body’s circadian rhythm.
The nightlight has two levels of brightness and runs for 30 minutes. There are two levels of soothing vibration to calm babies and children to sleep. Vibration can be set to play for 30 minutes or all-night long. On the 30-minute setting, vibration fades gently after the 30-minute timer expires, so that children don’t startle awake when vibration stops.
There are four soothing sounds: heartbeat, white noise, soothing stream, and rainforest. Soothing sounds can be set to play for 30 minutes or all night long to help quiet household noises that may disrupt sleep.
In addition, SnoozyPod is Bluetooth enabled, so caretakers can operate the device from the app, without entering baby’s room. Within the SnoozyPod app, parents can choose to lock the button functions so infants cannot change the settings of SnoozyPod. An AC adaptor allows for continuous use, with a backup battery option convenient for traveling or power outages.
SnoozyPod fits snuggly under the mattress leaving a safe, flat, firm surface for your child to comfortably sleep. And most important to HALO’s safe sleep mission: when a baby is happy and comfortable in his crib, he’s most likely to stay in the safest place for him, his own bed.