Rockabye Baby

Babies crave the warmth and comfort of the womb, which is why they often sleep better in mom or dad’s arms. But most of us cannot realistically hold our babies for every hour they sleep.

Many products claim to help babies sleep better, learn to self soothe or transition from swaddling to sleeping in their own cribs.

If your baby is a newborn, a back sleeper, a belly sleeper or an older child in need of some self-soothing, here are some products we tested.

Woombie Air

Swaddling is a skill most parents learn about in childbirth class. The Woombie Air is like a blanket that does the swaddling without all the corner tucking and folding.

It is stretchy to allow some movement but secure enough to keep baby feeling safe and held. The zipper makes it easy to get on and off a wiggly baby and the vented design keeps air flowing so the baby won’t overheat. Plus, your baby can’t accidentally kick it off like a regular blanket causing a SIDS hazard in the crib.

The Woombie Air is for babies who cannot roll over.

Zipadee Zip

These sleep sacks come in adorable patterns and also have a unique star-fish design that gives more comfort to a baby than open, loose pajamas. The arms and feet are closed to envelope the baby and give slight resistance, while still allowing for freedom of movement as they grow.

The shape of the Zipadee Zip helps stifle the startle reflex by recreating the “edges” babies are used to. Babies are startled because they wake up and can’t feel their edges like they could in the womb. The covered hands also keep a baby from accidentally scratching himself. Another plus side is that baby is still free to roll over, push up and wiggle around as they wish.

The Ziapdee Zip is for babies 3 months and older who can roll over.

Swanling Slumber Sleeper

The Slumber Sleeper is a waterproof mattress protector, a fitted sheet and a sleep sack all in one.  The sheet has a built-in vest to keep baby warm and centered in the crib to sleep on his back. The fabric is super stretchy, so while a first glance it may seem like the sleeper is confining it actually moves quite well with your baby.

This sleeper is ideal for a baby who can roll onto his belly while sleeping but then would be stuck and wake up unhappy. Baby gets the support to stay put but can still roll to the side if they are more comfortable that way. Older children who like to be cuddled to sleep will get that effect from the Slumber Sleeper.

The Slumber Sleeper has a Swaddle attachment for newborns, and is sold in crib and twin sized sheets.

Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit

This sleep suit is a puffy footless sleeper that makes your baby look like an adorable Sumo wrestler. The sleep suit seems very thick, but comes in cotton as well as fleece so it won’t overheat your baby.

That thick layer of material creates a sensation for your baby that they are enveloped, so they don’t startle as easily and wake themselves up. The Sleep Suit muffles all the twitches and startled movements that can wake a baby in the night, especially if they are moving from a smaller sleep environment, like a Rock N Play or bassinet, into a larger crib.

The Merlin Magic Sleep Suit is for back sleeping only.