Getting a child to go to sleep, stay asleep and not annoy you while asleep is a pretty tricky task. Most of us can’t do it without a bit of assistance.
The good news is that there are heaps of different sleeping aids and products out there that promise to cure all your children’s sleeping dramas.
Whether you’ve got an unsettled infant, a wandering toddler or a scared pre-schooler, here are a few sleeping products to add to your wish list.
1. This self rocking bassinet
Snoo made headlines a couple of years ago for being a new mum’s best friend. Why? Because this bassinet rocks your baby for you. Put bub in the bassinet, press a button and the cot gently moves back and forth, back and forth, lulling bub to sleep.
2. This shushing device
You know that weird shushing sound you make when you are trying to calm bub? Well someone decided to make a device that emits a similar sound to this. Except like eight gazillion times louder.
The Baby Shusher makes this weird slushy, shushing sound that is supposed to mimic the rythmic sounds in the womb and help put new babies to sleep. It’s not designed for adult ears though, so, while bub may be sleeping like a baby, you will probably be wide awake beside him, cursing the device.
3. This heartbeat doll
Lulla is a friend to all, especially children who need to be thisclose to you in order to sleep. The brilliance behind Lulla is she comes with a heartbeat that beats for a whole eight hours, meaning you can trick your baby, toddler, even preschooler into thinking he’s resting beside a real human with a heartbeat. All the while you blissfully snooze in your own bed with no one draped across your chest (or head).
Hooray for trickery!
4. This dummy-holding bunny
Many mums discover early on that the secret to soothing infants is to shove a dummy in their mouths. But dummies tend to get lost at night.
Not anymore!
This cuddly bunny known as Sleepytot is also a dummy holder, so bub can cuddle and suck at the same time. The genuis of this product is that the Dummy Bunny is big enough for bub to find in their sleep too. They can simply reach out, find the soft bunny and the dummy will be close by.
Don’t like the idea of putting sleep aids in the cot? How about just a bucket load of dummies, like this clever mum did?
5. This pram-pushing pocket Rockit
Another item that’s rocking mums’ worlds is the Rockit. If your little one likes to fall asleep to movement or when out and about, then prepare to be amazed!
Simply attach it to the pram and the Rockit will keep your stroller rocking for you, even after you’ve stopped pushing it.
6. This weird rabbit book
A bedtime book that actually causes your kids to fall asleep rather than ask 800 questions and request another three books? Yep, it’s a thing.
Called The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep, this children’s book is sending kids to sleep faster than ever. It is developed by a Swedish behavioural scientist and basically tricks kids into going to sleep. Suitable for tots of all ages, it’s a best-seller on Amazon and comes with rave reviews from tired mums around the world.
7. This pop up tent bed
It’s a bed. It’s a tent. It’s a dome of sweet dreams for kids and parents! Because, according to heaps of happy, well-rested mums, this tent has the power to keep kids sleeping in their own beds.Â
Parents with kids of all ages have screamed success and confirmed that this simple tent stops kids from making the late-night walk into their parents’ beds.  It has something to do with the security of having your own private personal fort that little ones find so appealing.
Plus, it’s great for blocking out daylight, which works well for little nappers and early risers.
8. This monster spray
Another one for the older kiddies, monster spray may keep the bad dreams away. You can make your own with a label and a spray bottle filled with water. But we like this Etsy one because it’s pretty and contains lavender which is also supposed to promote sleep.
From newborns to school-aged kids, we hope this eight sleep products help solve your bedtime dilemmas. If not, you can always look into this Hello Kitty nap tent, which lets tired parents nap pretty much anywhere.
Because even if your kids don’t sleep, you still should be allowed to, even if it’s during the day. And at work.
