With 6 little ones in our family, sleep has been a constant conversation in our house for many years. This week as part of ‘Safer Sleep Week’ we have invited the lovely folk at myHummy to share their advice for Safe Sleeping.
You’ve done it! You had a baby and now it’s time to bring the little star home. While it is an exciting time, it can also be very overwhelming, especially for the first-time parents. Perhaps baby’s nursery was ready for what felt like forever but now that you are home, you are having doubts. It could be due to different stories you have heard, conflicting advices everyone is giving you or even midwife’s tips. All this information can really cause chaos in your head and it can be hard to distinguish the “right” information.
Safety is paramount when it comes to a good night's sleep. The Lullaby Trust has made such incredible progress educating new parents to the dangers of a cluttered sleep environment.
Hearing about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) can terrify anyone. However, it can be avoided by following few simple tips that dramatically reduce the risk of SIDS and your baby can sleep soundly.
You should start by limiting items in your baby’s cot. Ideally, there shouldn’t be any loose bedding but a blanket that is tucked in at the bottom of the mattress and on the sides. Pillows are not recommended due to the suffocation risk and although cot bumpers might look cute, they are also pose danger to your baby. Basically, the emptier the cot/Moses basket, the safer it is for your little one.
While the sleeping position advice has been changing a lot over the years, the research shows that the safest sleeping position for the baby is on their back unless medically advised otherwise.
Your little one should sleep in your room for the first 6 months but in their own bed. You should never let the baby sleep with you on the sofa or armchair. Sharing your bed with the baby is also dangerous for many reasons. Adults’ blankets tend to be too warm for babies and they can easily overheat. You might cover your baby without knowing or worse - roll over onto them when tired and asleep. There is also a risk that the baby might get trapped between the mattress and the bed frame.
The most optimal temperature of your baby’s room should be between 16-20 Degrees Celsius. If the baby feels too hot or/and sweaty, you should remove some layers of clothing.
Some parents decide to swaddle the baby for sleep. It is important to do it safely and follow the swaddling instructions. It is vital to remember not to put the swaddled baby to sleep on their front and not to swaddle them too tight.
When it comes to sleep, unfortunately not every baby sleeps like a baby. The biggest mistake new parents make is assume that babies will sleep better in complete silence. On the contrary! The environment your baby has just spent 9 months in – your womb - is a very noisy place. Just imagine the sound of your blood running through your blood vessels, the movements of your stomach and intestines. Many doctors, like a renowned American paediatrician, Dr Harvey Karp, recommend recreating conditions similar to those newborn babies experienced in their prenatal life. Babies feel safe when surrounded by the right amount of white and pink noise as they simulate that environment perfectly. White noise can also have a soothing effect on babies suffering from colic.
At myHummy, we have sleep at heart. Our award winning white and pink noise toys have been created by a Polish mum, based on her experience with getting her little ones to sleep. myHummy toys are not only your sleep saviours but also your baby’s friends for life.
Packed with clever tech solutions, myHummy toys produce 5 types of sound that play for 60 mins to soothe your little one to sleep. What’s better, the Sleep Sensor technology will automatically restart your chosen sound whenever any background noise is detected, sending your little one back to the Land of Nod. For the more stubborn sleepers, myHummy toys have a 12 hours non-stop mode. The latest myHummy models feature Bluetooth connectivity and you can now control your myHummy’s functions from the warmth of your own bed via the mobile app (within Bluetooth range).
Want to help your baby sleep like a dream? Visit shop.myhummy.co.uk.
Why not join the myHummy community on Facebook and Instagram @myhummyuk.
Sleep tight!
competition time
To celebrate Baby Sleep Week we're giving one lucky follower the chance to WIN an amazing Leon myHummy from the brand new Sweetheart range (worth a whopping £79.99). The Leon comes with a Bluetooth Sleep Sensor so he reacts to your baby waking, playing your chosen sound. You can also operate Leon from your mobile phone!
For your chance to win this amazing prize, please visit our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram .
