Baby Won’t Sleep? Try These 8 Must-Have Baby Sleep Products Today

Baby won’t sleep?

Either you have a baby who isn’t sleeping or you are a soon to be mom preparing for a baby that won’t sleep.

Whatever the case may be, babies are known to be bad sleepers, but it doesn’t have to stay this way!

Back when our mom’s were raising us, there wasn’t as much focus on baby sleep.  Parents everywhere just accepted the fact that their little ones didn’t want to go to bed.

But you’re a modern mom, and you know there are things out there to help your baby get some much needed ZZZs, because let’s face it, if baby won’t sleep, baby is scary.  Even worse, if baby won’t sleep, mom is exhausted.

Modern moms also understand how important baby sleep is to our child’s overall brain development.  Come on, you know we’re all raising the next Ivy League student, right?

Problem is, babies don’t just sleep with a sprinkle of magic fairy dust.  They need your help, and, in order to help your baby, you need the right products and tools to do so!

Unfortunately, there are about a million products on the market promising to help your baby sleep and thriving off your desperation.

So, how can you set yourself up for success without going bankrupt in the process?

Through much trial and error, there are 8 mom-approved products that are worth trying out today.

Baby won’t sleep? Here are my go-to essential items for helping that baby get some shut eye:

1. An Exercise Ball (Used During 0-3 Month Period)

Getting a crying newborn into sleep mode seemed near impossible for me.  I knew bouncing and rocking a baby to sleep was an old trick used by moms for centuries.  Unfortunately, making these convulsive motions on a regular basis makes you feel like your limbs are going to fall off.

It wasn’t until my friend gave me one of the best gifts I’ve ever received, an exercise ball, that I realized I had been working way too hard for a baby that wouldn’t sleep.

Bouncing him while on the exercise ball calmed him down immediately and eventually lulled him off to dreamland.  It also gave this tired mama a break!

After I started a sleep routine with my son, I had to cut the bouncing out, as to avoid a sleep association later.

If you are interested in the awesome routine I use to get my baby to sleep without all the fussing and fighting, check out my post here.

2. A Pacifier (Used During 0-3 Month Period Or Until Baby Can Self-Soothe)

Baby won’t sleep? A pacifier is a great tool to try out if you haven’t yet.

The pacifier really helped to calm our child before he learned how to self-soothe.  Of course, he only liked the pacifier from the hospital, which was a Philips Notched Newborn Soothie Pacifier made specifically for newborns.

Around 3 months, he found his hands and no longer needs the Soothie for comfort.

3. Different Places Your Baby Will Sleep (All Ages)

Unfortunately, your baby may be a picky sleeper.  Although you bought this great co-sleeper bassinet for them, they may refuse it!  In fact, they might not respond to many of the different places you thought your baby would sleep.

Good thing there are tons of different sleeping venues to choose from.  I can relate, my baby did not like sleeping in the bed I had originally bought.  If he did fall asleep, he didn’t stay asleep.

We ended up using various types of baby beds before finding the perfect fit.

We loved our Graco DreamGlider Gliding Seat & Sleeper, and the Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Cradle ‘n Swing.  Both provided a warm, tight space for our newborn equipped with rocking and swaying motions that put him to sleep.

Whether it’s a bassinet, a swing, or a rock and play, check out my more specific list and picks of the best places your baby can sleep here.  This post is paired with pictures of my baby actually sleeping in them for proof!

4. White Noise Machine & Nightlight (All Ages)

You NEED a white noise machine if your baby won’t sleep.  The constant sound will help with your baby’s transition to the world outside your noisy womb and drown out other things going on around the house!

We received the Munchkin Nursery Projector and Sound System as a gift.  This has been a great addition to our more rested lives, and here’s why:

• The noise is continuous/doesn’t shut off in the middle of the night
• Has a built-in nightlight for diaper changing and feeding
• Easy to take with you for travel

Another popular one used by many moms is the Marpac Dohm-DS All Natural Sound Machine, White.  Although I do not have personal experience with this product, previously tired parents swear by it!

5. Black Out Curtains (All Ages)

My baby is super sensitive to light, as most babies are.  That morning sun can be the difference between a 6 AM wake up versus a 7:45 AM wake up.  In other words, blackout curtains are a must if you want more sleep.

There are tons out there, and, after purchasing several different brands, I went with curtain made by Eclipse (for our room) and Pottery Barn (for baby’s room).  I would suggest starting with the Eclipse curtains first, sold at Target, Amazon, and Kohls.

Why Eclipse?

• They come in a variety of colors and patterns
• are very affordable
• highly effective

So why did I end up paying top dollar for Pottery Barn Kids blackout curtains?  I needed white ones, and, unfortunately, finding a quality set of white blackout curtains is like finding an average sized shoe at the Tory Burch outlet store…. near impossible!  Although expensive, I am happy with my purchase!

Quick Tip:

Whichever brand you choose, stick with curtains that have the metal grommets, they are much easier to open and close.

6. Swaddle Blanket (Used Until Baby Can Roll)

If your baby won’t sleep, they need a swaddle! Swaddles are great to calm your child, as they learn to control their reflexes.  Wrapping their body parts up tight in a blanket, makes them feel like they are back in the snuggly space in mommy’s belly. Although they may fight it at first, swaddling has been around for centuries, and it works!

We tried out several different swaddle products and always seemed to go back to the old-fashioned swaddle blanket.

Yes, there is a major learning curve for parents and your baby will become a wonderful escape artist, but after some issues with the expensive Halo Sleep Sack, my husband and I determined the old-fashioned swaddle blankets were our thing!

These are my favorite swaddle blankets made by SwaddleMe, and here’s why:

•  They have a little stretch to them, making them easier for the new parent learning curve
• They are super cute and stylish!
• Price is great for the quality you receive

7. Zipadee-Zip (Swaddle Transition and Beyond)

My baby loved to be swaddled, then one day, decided he was going to roll over.  People told me it would take 3 days for him to get used to his flailing body parts, but this ish lasted for a week.  I was exhausted from constant wake-ups.

Then, I read about a Shark Tank invention called the Zipadee-Zip and am sooooo happy I ordered it.

Basically, the Zipadee-Zip is designed to keep your baby’s arms and legs close to their body, like a swaddle, but gives them enough room to use their arms if they happen to roll on their belly while sleeping.  The first night our baby wore this, he slept the longest he had in weeks!

Zipadee Zips are slightly expensive, but they worked for our baby!  The expense makes me sad, as they are made of a pretty thin fabric and produced in China- how much can it cost to make!? However, they worked and my baby slept, and, at a certain point, sleep becomes priceless.

The company finally just started selling the Zipadee-Zip on Amazon, so they are a little less expensive due to free shipping if you have Prime (which you should have Prime!).

Check out a further review of this product here.

8. Monitors (All Ages)

The monitors are more for you, rather than your baby!  If you can easily see and hear your child, you are less likely to check on them, and, therefore, less likely to wake them up! It’s also easier to let them cry for a little in their crib when you can see them and know they’re safe.

I have an audio monitor and video monitor, in case one of them isn’t working during the night.  Although there are things I love about each of these, they aren’t perfect.

Which Monitors Do I Use?

The Infant Optics DXR-8 Video Baby Monitor with Interchangeable Optical Lens provides great sound and visuals of your baby.  The camera can be moved, and it has a two-way speaker.  The unfortunate part of this video monitor is that the visual is disrupted at times.  This is a problem I have heard from several owners of the monitor.  It is mainly disrupted by searches I’m doing on the internet or running the microwave!  Because of this issue, I also wanted a somewhat low tech audio monitor as my back-up at night.

The audio monitor I use is the Philips Avent DECT Baby Monitor with Temperature Sensor and Night Mode.  This device is awesome!  The temperature reader is highly accurate and has a long battery life.  The one issue I have with this item is that your baby may be hard to hear over the white noise machine.  Therefore, your baby may be crying by the time you go to check on them.

For me, a combination of these two monitors is perfect!

Try These Baby Sleep Products Today!

If your baby won’t sleep, it’s stressful, overwhelming, and downright tiring.  Although there are many products on the market that promise new parents sleep, these crucial items are a great place to begin.

The sooner you start, the better off you will be in the long run.

For more on which baby bed is best for newborn rest, check out this post here.

Comment below with other essential sleep items that work for your baby, and share this article to help other tired parents whose baby won’t sleep!

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