Want more sleep?
Getting more sleep seems to be the biggest worry of new parents.
Before I had my daughter this was definitely my biggest worry. I am a woman who thrives on a solid 9-10 hours. I barely survive if I am getting less than 8. So while I was so excited to meet my little one I was pretty apprehensive about what my sleeping was going to be like with a newborn.
I actually started out as one of the lucky ones. My daughter slept great from day one. We even had to wake her up to feed her at night. That girl loved her sleep! But unfortunately, at around 3 1/2 months something happened. Something bad! She got her first cold, started cutting her first two teeth, and began the four-month sleep regression.
These three things led to several sleepless nights, lots of frustration but ultimately it brought along some good. I was finally able to test out all the baby sleep products I had bought!
If you have a baby I am sure you have seen all the different sleep products available. It can be frustrating and expensive trying to decide which one is right for you and your baby. I spent wayyyy too much money buying different baby sleep products! Below I have reviewed some different options and outlined the pros and cons of each one.
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Basic Swaddle Blankets
In my opinion, nothing beats a basic baby swaddle blanket in the early newborn days. Our daughter slept wonderfully wrapped up tight and cozy in a variety of different muslin blankets.
The Pros
- The benefits of using a basic swaddle blanket include that you can swaddle your baby tightly regardless of his or her size. Many of the other baby sleep products are designed to fit a larger weight range which can make it tricky to get your baby as snuggly and cozy as he or she wants to be.
- You can also have the ability to change how you swaddle your baby. My daughter preferred to be swaddled with her arms at her chest in the early days. Around 2 months she started breaking out of the swaddle too easily and we began swaddling her with her arms by her side instead.
- Swaddle Blankets are relatively inexpensive compared to other baby sleep products which means you can have multiple blankets. This comes in handy if your baby frequently spits up and you are needing to do multiple changes at night.
- These blankets are extremely versatile. You can use it as a burp cloth, on the floor for tummy time, and even as a nursing cover
The Cons
- This type of product is not ideal if you are not good at swaddling your baby. With practice, anyone can get good at swaddling but some parents complain that they never get the hang of it.
- Your baby might quickly outgrow the size of the swaddle blankets. Most cotton muslin swaddle blankets are 47″x47″. My daughter started outgrowing these around 3 months of age. She still really loved being swaddled but it forced us to find another swaddle alternative.
Summary
A basic cotton muslin swaddle blanket can be an inexpensive sleep solution with many versatile uses, however, Baby might outgrow her swaddle blankets before she is ready to stop being swaddled.
Check out the ones we love here and here!
Nested Bean Zen Swaddle
This baby sleep solution is one step up from a basic swaddle blanket. It is a cross between a sleep sack and a swaddle. The swaddle also has a slightly weighted chest to mimic mom’s touch.
Pros
- There is only one size that should fit a baby from months 0-6. This means the product will last longer for Baby and make it more worth your money.
- It is easier for parent’s who have had trouble using a regular swaddle to use. It has two already formed pouches for Baby’s legs and feet. There are also Velcro straps which makes swaddling a breeze!
- You can choose to swaddle baby’s arms in or out which makes it very versatile.
- Since it has the slightly weighted chest many parents claim a baby sleeps better after 4 consecutive nights using this product.
Cons
- The material is extremely stretchy and my daughter was often able to break her arms out.
- The bottom sack portion didn’t hold my daughter’s feet in very well. Most nights she was able to completely kick her feet out.
Summary
This is a cost-effective sleep solution as the Nested Bean Zen Sleep Swaddler will grow along with your baby and makes swaddling extremely easy. However, if you have a baby that is extremely active at night your baby might be able to break her arms or feet out.
Check out the Nested Bean Zen Swaddler here!
Love to Dream Swaddle Up
This is a sleep sack swaddle combination. Its designed with the intent to let babies sleep comfortably on their back with their arms and hands up by their faces.
Pros
- If your baby prefers to have his hands up by his mouth this is a great option as it is roomy enough that baby can get hands up by the face instead of being strapped down at his sides.
- It is a simple design which makes getting baby in and out incredibly easy! Easy for the swaddle challenged mom or dad!
- Zippers instead of velcro make nighttime changes much quieter and less disruptive.
Cons
- If your baby’s startle reflex is still strong it might not be tight enough to keep Baby from startling awake.
- Some users complain about the different sizing and that it might not work well for especially small babies. I did not try this product when my baby was a newborn so I can’t attest to that specific complaint.
Summary
The Love To Dream Swaddle Up is a good choice for you if you have trouble swaddling your baby and or if your baby likes to have his hands up by his face. However, if your baby is easily startled this swaddle might be too roomy to prevent your child from startling awake.
Check out the Love to Dream Swaddle Up here!
Halo SleepSack Swaddle
This is another sleepsack swaddle combination. Their website claims that this is the #1 recommended swaddle choice for sleep safety education. Note I did not personally use this product with my daughter but I spoke with a few friends and read over the reviews on Amazon and here is a summary of my findings.
Pros
- This is incredibly easy if you have trouble wrapping your baby up in a regular swaddle blanket.
- It’s versatile as you can choose to swaddle your baby with arms in, out, or one arm out.
- The sack part zips all the way up so baby can’t kick feet out like she can with the Nested Bean Zen Swaddle
Cons
- The main complain I found was that people were not always satisfied with the quality of the material and craftsmanship.
Summary
Overall this seems to be a highly recommended swaddle sack as it has versatility in the way you swaddle your baby and is very easy to use however some complain that the quality of the material is lacking.
You can buy the lighter weight cotton Halo SleepSack Swaddle here or the heavier weight microfleece option here.