5 Must Have Sleep Items For Baby

I’ll knock on wood before I make this statement… We have been extremely blessed with two great sleeping babies. Our first baby, Brooke, started sleeping through the night (6-7 hours) at 6 weeks old and our son, Kevin, started sleeping through the night at 4 weeks old.  I mentioned this a few times on Instagram and Facebook, which prompted so many questions about our “secret”. How do you get a baby to sleep so well?! While I do agree that some babies just don’t sleep well, I also HIGHLY believe in our method and I do call it our “secret” to getting sleep with a newborn. Here are 5 MUST HAVE Sleep Items for Baby:

The Ollie Swaddle

Aka… our SECRET!!!! New moms always ask, “what are your must haves?” and this is the first thing I tell them. Run, don’t walk, and buy an Ollie Swaddle. With the Ollie Swaddle, our daughter started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old and our son started sleeping through the night at only 4 weeks old. To say that we love our Ollie is an understatement, it is invaluable!! I’ll put it this way, we used the Ollie with Brooke for the first time at 6 weeks and that was the first night we got sleep. Because of the immediate response, we knew we had something special. And, with Kevin, we started using the Ollie at 4 weeks and that is when he started sleeping through the night as well. With both babies, it was not a gradual process, we started using the Ollie and immediately saw results which equalled more sleep and sanity for us.

I know that there are tons of swaddles on the market, but there is only ONE OLLIE! The Ollie has patented moisture wicking fabric to reduce the risk of overheating. The design was made to be so functional that it custom fits your baby as they grow, promotes arms in or arms out, and has an open bottom for easy diaper changes.

I cannot sing their praises enough. Especially as a mom of a toddler and newborn, sleep is my most important commodity (and caffeine), and the Ollie makes that a reality. So, go buy one now (you should get 10% off if you use this link)!! While I did receive Baby Kev Kev’s free from them, I paid for Brooke’s original Ollie and I would pay triple for one of them.

Playard

Another must have sleep item for baby is a playard or pack n play. I know a lot of people recommend a bassinet, but I am all about simplicity and saving money where you can. Playard’s are perfect for those first few weeks when baby is in your room. My favorite aspect of this is not only saving money on a baby item that has a dual purpose for travel, but the changing station. Being able to have the baby sleep in the lounge area or even the top part and then have the changing station right there is so convenient for those late night feeds.

Sleeper

This might be obvious, but you need comfortable jammies. I prefer ones with footies, so I know my babes feet won’t get cold in the middle of the night. I recommend Kickee Pants, Nordstrom Brand, and L’ovedbaby. All of these brands are very soft and stylish. We have a few other brands that I get from Nordstrom Rack that I love but thats about it! 

Owlet

Just last week I wrote a post about How To Sleep Better As A New Mom where I talked about how Owlet has changed the way I sleep in terms of monitoring my baby. There is enough worry with becoming a new mom and worrying about them sleeping in their own room doesn’t have to be one of them. Owlet tracks your baby’s oxygen levels and heart rate. This information is then transmitted to your phone via a base station that is designed to notify you with lights and sounds if these numbers fall outside of preset zones.

Diaper/Feeding Supplies

I lumped these all into one to keep it simple. You will want to have diaper and feeding supplies close to where your baby sleeps. We kept a stock of diapers and wipes in the side of the playard the first few weeks, now they are on our changing table. I also recommend a burp cloth. Brooke spit up a lot so burp cloths were a MUST and Kev Kev does occasionally so its always good to have one near.

I hope this post really helps you prepare for your new baby or if you are already a mom, I hope our experience helps you!!