All too often, I see products marketed as “the one” product your little one needs to sleep. If you just get this one special product, all of your sleep troubles will be solved.
And that could not be more misleading!
Yes, use a sound machine so your babe won’t wake up to every sound in your house. Yes, black out your little one’s room so the sunlight doesn’t wake them up at 5 am. Those are “must-haves” in my book!
But there is not one magical product that will simply make your child sleep. If there was, baby and child sleep would be a no-brainer, my job wouldn’t exist, and parents everywhere would feel well-rested!
There are, however, some specific baby sleep products that I really don’t recommend, and I’ll be sharing them in this blog post. Those products include:
- DockATots
- Crib Bumpers
- Merlin Magic Sleepsuits
- Nested Bean Sleep Sacks
- Dreamland Weighted Sleep Sacks
I will also give my opinion on the SNOO.
Our “Safe Sleep” Story
I want to start by reminding you that I’m a real person; I’m a parent who has been sleep-deprived, and I get it!
For the first 5ish months of Olivia’s life, she slept in a Rock ‘n Play beside our bed. We loved it!
But guess what was recalled a few years ago when we were pregnant with our second? Because it was being used all too often as a sleep space, although it was not advertised as such and wasn’t actually safe???
You guessed it…the Rock ‘n Play.
We had heard raving reviews about it when we were pregnant, were told it doubled as a bassinet, and were given one as a hand-me-down. I didn’t research it at all, I just went with others’ reviews about it, and quite honestly, it was great!
And to be even more honest, it took us a few months to actually get rid of our Rock ‘n Play once it was recalled. We were pregnant again and were tempted by the “survivorship bias”- we used it and were fine, I’m sure it’ll be fine with our next baby, right?
We thankfully snapped out of that and kicked it to the curb, because it is not worth it to risk a baby’s safety for a longer nap or a few extra hours of sleep!
All that to say, I’m a real human being and am not sharing this blog post as a judgment, but as helpful information for you to know.
Five Popular Baby Sleep Products I Don’t Recommend
The DockATot
I know, I’m starting with a big one!
DockATots are advertised as a lounging option for babies to lay on their backs, enjoy tummy time, get a diaper change, etc. They are supposed to mimic a womb-like environment for babies as the sides help them feel cuddled.
I have no problems with DockATots being used how they’re advertised, however they are all too often used for sleep! Whether that’s using the DockATot in the crib, or placing it in bed with parents, it’s not a safe sleep option.
In fact, right on the DockATot website, it says:
“‘Bare is best’ means that there should be no blankets, pillows, or other objects in the baby’s resting space. This includes keeping DockATot docks out of the crib, bassinet, or play yard and keeping loose blankets out of the dock.”
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, safe sleep looks like a flat, solid, and bare sleep space – nothing squishy, no stuffies or blankets until at least 12 months, and it should totally flat – and that includes the sides all around the DockATot! And the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns against using DockATots, specifically.
I’m not going to tag on a whole section about it, but this means Snuggle Me loungers aren’t safe for sleep, either.
If you’re just looking for a great space for your little one to hang out, try something like a bouncy chair – our favorite was the Bjorn Bouncer, as it works for newborns and older babies! Just note that again, the Bjorn bouncer is also just that, a bouncy chair – it’s not meant to be used for sleep! Or do you know another great place your babe can hang out?? Just use a good old blanket on the floor!
If this is new to you and you’re currently using the DockATot for sleep, the great thing about babies is they’re super flexible! I know it seems daunting, but simply take it out of your baby’s crib. It may take a few days to adjust, but help your little one by patting their belly, shushing, jiggling the mattress a bit, picking them up, etc., and they’ll adjust!
It’s 1000% worth it for their safety.
Crib Bumpers
The next product that we don’t recommend, again due to safety, is crib bumpers. What’s interesting is a lot of people know crib bumpers are technically unsafe, but so many people still use them! Or they use the mesh crib bumpers because then they’re breathable.
But crib bumpers are not safe! They are still an object tied to the crib that could get loose and be a breathing hazard. And although mesh crib bumpers are more breathable, they are still an object tied to the crib that could get loose and that’s a safety hazard.
Two common questions or kickbacks I get about bumpers are:
1. But what if my baby gets their leg or arm stuck?
The way cribs are designed, your baby can’t actually get stuck in those slats.
Could they feel stuck? Yes! They may not have the coordination to know how to pull their arm or leg out of the slats yet – but they will get there! No need for bumpers.
2. My baby is totally mobile, so surely mesh crib bumpers are safe, right? He moves so much I don’t want him to knock his head on the sides of the crib.
Not only are crib bumpers a breathing hazard, but older babies and toddlers can also use them as a launch pad out of the crib! So say no to crib bumpers.
So those first two products, the Dock a Tot and Crib bumpers, are big nos for me because of safety. These next three products aren’t so much of a safety issue, but moreso just unhelpful or unnecessary.
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit
I know the transition out of the swaddle is scary. I’ve been there, three times now! I know many people love the Merlin Sleepsuit as a transitional sleep sack because it helps prevent the startle reflex yet is a safe option for babies who can roll over.
The problem is, however, a huge piece of learning to self-soothe is movement! It’s important for babies to learn to move around, use their arms and legs, get comfortable, and then fall asleep.
And the Merlin Sleepsuit doesn’t give babies the ability to move. I always loved seeing where my girls ended up in their cribs after they went to bed, especially in those first few months after the swaddle transition. They would do full 180s in their cribs, sleep with their bum in the air, scoot up to a side, or find a corner that they loved.
That movement is all a part of self-soothing and just getting comfortable!
Not to mention the fact that you’ll have to transition your baby out of the Merlin at some point, so you’re spending a good amount of money on a super temporary product. I’m a fan of just making the swaddle-to-sleep sack transition, and that’s that!
Two hesitations I get with this one are:
1. But if we don’t use the Merlin Sleepsuit, they’ll knock the pacifier out of their mouth!
Yeah, he might!
Which is why I work with families to teach their babies to sleep without a pacifier! Because what if the pacifier falls out while they’re wearing the Merlin Sleepsuit? There’s absolutely no way for baby to get it back.
2. But what if they roll onto their stomach – they hate it!
If your baby is able to roll front to back and back to front on their own, they are safe to sleep on their belly if they choose. And at first, they probably won’t love it, but they’ll either roll back over and find another comfy spot, or they’ll learn to love sleeping on their stomach.
I find that most babies are belly sleepers by 6 months old or so.
If your baby is currently using the Merlin Sleepsuit, I suggest switching to a different sleep sack (or no sleep sack) and helping your little one learn independent sleep skills! Check out our favorite sleep sacks here.
Nested Bean Sleep Sacks
Don’t get me wrong, I love sleep sacks! I just don’t love these ones…
Someone actually gifted us a Nested Bean sleep sack at our first baby shower and they’re really cute. And sounds like a brilliant idea!
The “magic” behind these sleep sacks is the small weighted shape on your little one’s chest; it’s supposed to make your baby feel as though your hand is still on her chest so you can all sleep soundly.
Well, when Olivia’s sleep was all over the place, we had nothing to lose. We stuck that Nested Bean on Olivia and waited to see the magic happen and guess what…no change! She didn’t know how to sleep and a little weighted animal on her chest wasn’t going to change that.
When we work with families, the goal is independent sleep – for your child to be confident sleeping on their own, without needing your hand on their chest throughout the night.
Not to mention if your baby chooses to be a belly sleeper, those beans wouldn’t be comfortable to sleep on!
So small hack: if you already have a Nested Bean sleep sack, rather than getting rid of it, simply empty the beans from the front shape so your baby can sleep comfortably on both their back or belly, and you don’t need to buy another sleep sack!)
Dreamland Weighted Sleep Sack
Dreamland Weigthed Sleep Sacks have become really popular in the last year or so and I don’t love the idea for two reasons.
The first reason is similar to the Nested Bean.
The idea that your baby needs weight on them in order to sleep well just isn’t true! They can absolutely sleep in a weightless sleep sack, or no sleep sack at all, just fine.
The second reason is safety. As far as I understand, there isn’t clear evidence that weighted sleep sacks are unsafe, but there isn’t enough evidence that they are safe. So the American Academy of Pediatrics and Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend against the use of weight products for sleep, and there are some companies who no longer sell them because of the potential safety risks.
And there are so many sleep sacks that are totally safe, so why risk it?
The final product I want to talk about is the SNOO. This is not a “don’t buy this product,” but it’s my honest opinion of the SNOO, as a pediatric sleep consultant.
The SNOO
*Gasp.* I know, I’m going here.
In case you don’t know, the SNOO is a smart bassinet that automatically responds to a fussing baby with motion and sound. Magical, right? The website also suggests that the SNOO “naturally sleep trains.”
I know people who love the SNOO and swear by it! And I’m so thankful when it works well for families – I really don’t have a problem. I also know families who have the SNOO and it really doesn’t seem to help their babe at all – and that juts feels like a waste! And I also know families who loved it but then had a really difficult time transitioning their baby out of it, so they never used it for their next babies.
While the SNOO may save you from some sleepless nights early on, your baby eventually has to transition out! And for many babies, this proves to be quite the challenge as they are used to constant motion when falling asleep and getting back to sleep, and now all of a sudden they have to sleep without that.
Not to mention it’s quite the rude awakening to mom and dad to all of a sudden have to help their baby back to sleep all night long because they were used to the SNOO doing that for them before.
That doesn’t sound like “natural sleep training” to me, it sounds like a temporary bandaid that could bring up other challenges down the road.
There is a “wean mode” on the SNOO and directions as to how you can help wean your child off needing the swaddle and motion, however I find that because the motion and swaddle are working so well for families, they hesitate to start using that mode.
So if you are set on using the SNOO, make sure you take advantage of wean mode in time to transition out of it!
I also just think it’s super pricey for a piece of baby furniture that is very temporary. If you’re really set on the SNOO, see if you can borrow a friend’s, or look into renting one! Or instead of the SNOO, I recommend using something like the Halo bassinet. – which again, I’d totally borrow from someone as it’s only used for a few months!
If you are reading this and you’re currently using the SNOO and now you’re worried your baby will never sleep without it, guess what?! Your baby can absolutely learn to sleep without it! This is not at all intended to scare you.
We’ve worked with families in your shoes and their little ones are now rock star sleepers. You can start “wean mode” now, you can simply turn off the sound and motion take out the swaddle and use it like a standard bassinet, or you can go ahead and transition your little one to a pack ‘n play or crib.
And if you are reading this and have the SNOO and love it? That’s totally fine, I’m so so glad you’ve found something that works for you!
Conclusion
I feel like I could go on and on with random products out there that say they’ll solve all of your child’s sleep challenges, but these are the heavy hitters. Remember that there is not one product that’s all of a sudden going to make your little one sleep! It doesn’t work that way.
Remember, my intention here is not to make you feel bad or guilty for having one of the above products. You’re not “wrong” for having them. My goal is to educate you about safe sleep and to teach you how to best support your little one’s sleep so you can make the best decisions for your family and approach bedtime and naps with confidence!
If you’re curious about what products we do recommend? Check those out here.
And if you don’t know how to do that or where to even begin, remember that’s what we’re here for. Learn more about how we can help your child and family get the best sleep possible!
With Grace,
Lauren
