Let’s talk about smart sleepers, those high-tech baby beds that are designed to help babies — and parents — get more sleep. As we know,,a good night’s sleep for the baby is important for the entire family, and during those early months, I’d have given an arm and a leg for more of it.
Or at least I would have, if that arm and leg weren’t busy holding and bouncing a newborn 24 hours a day. Sigh.
That’s where these smart sleepers come in! They’re worth checking out should you be looking for a great baby shower gift soon, or possibly planning out your own registry. In which case, mazel tov.
(And we won’t tell you, “sleep when the baby sleeps” because everyone else will.)
From rockers that do the job during naptime to full-on smart sleepers meant for overnight use, we hope you find the perfect one for you.
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Related: The 5 biggest sleep training mistakes that parents make and how to fix them.
The top-of-the-line smart sleeper that’s thought of everything
SNOO (also shown above) is the original smart sleeper, designed by baby sleep guru Dr. Harvey Karp and lauded by the National Sleep Foundation as “Innovation of the Year,” and I think it remains the best-looking and smartest smart sleeper of the bunch. Rather than relying on parents to play around with the rocking mechanism, the SNOO uses real-time feedback from your baby to self-adjust. Is baby wiggling or crying? The SNOO responds with gradually louder white noise and gentle rocking.
A lot of parents report that the SNOO has saved them sleep and sanity in the first six weeks, and in fact the company is currently analyzing over 7,000 babies in a massive sleep study, and are reporting that it reduces SIDS risk as well as helps alleviate postpartum depression (whoa), and it even helps babies sleep over 9 hours by the time they hit 2-3 months. Just…wow.
Unfortunately these benefits come with a hefty price tag. A SNOO on Amazon will run new parents about $1295, which is a lot for gear with a limited usage period.
That said, we just learned that you can now rent a SNOO for under $5 a day, with the first month just $58 and it includes $100 worth of free accessories you can keep. That is one amazing deal.
Related: 4 of the most gorgeous baby bassinets you’ll actually want in your bedroom.
The original high-tech smart baby bouncer and naptime godsend
My husband and I broke down and bought a 4moms mamaRoo online after a particularly sleepless night during my son’s newborn phase. And, surprise, it turned out to be one of our best investments ever. (The mamaRoo on Amazon is about $249.) Technically, babies shouldn’t sleep overnight in the mamaRoo — it’s designed as a bouncer and swing — but it’s a real game changer for those many many many naps.
You’re going to get 5 different motion settings, all controlled via Bluetooth connection to your smartphone or tablet app. There are multiple sound options, plus an MP3 plug in so you can use your own favorite lullaby music. And you can use it up to about 25 lbs, or when your baby starts sitting up.
It’s so helpful if you have a baby who wants to be rocked to sleep (every single freaking time) since you can let the mamaRoo take care of it. In case you want to, you know, take a shower or eat once in a while. You are allowed to do that.
