Smart Co-Sleepers: Cribs and Bassinets that Rock your Baby to Sleep, do they really work?
Smart-Cosleeper from Halo
What is Smart Co-Sleeper? And how can a smart co-sleeper help my baby fall asleep?
Smart bassinets that rock, vibrate, sing, and claim to help your baby fall asleep: are they worth the money? The AAP recommends that children should share a room with a parent(s) for up to six months, and often families are left hopeless when their new baby isn’t able to fall asleep without their assistance (rocking, feeding, co-sleeping, etc.) Enter the Smart Co-Sleeper: a crib-like area that does the rocking FOR YOU. Pinterest Moms around the world heard the news, causing searches for smart co-sleepers and smart cribs to increase by over 800% on the popular “pinning” website. But how do they help your baby to sleep like they claim? Here’s how they work, using the sleep science of a Newborn baby to break down exactly why you might need to consider one for yourself, and our favorite picks from some top brands.
Let’s jump into “Smart Co-Sleepers: Cribs and Bassinets that rock your baby to sleep, do they really work?”
HOW THEY WORK
The above photo is an example of an Infant Sleep cycle. The idea behind these smart bassinets: to vibrate, sing, or rock your baby completely to sleep at put-down, or in between sleep cycles (which occur every 30-45 minutes for a Newborn) when a child has a partial awakening. A partial awakening is a brief arousal period where an Infant briefly may open their eyes, stir slightly, or snuggle into a more comfortable position, similar to how an adult would roll over at night (yes, we have partial awakenings, too!). However, when these brief wakings happen, a Newborn baby often needs a little help falling back to sleep. These smart co-sleepers help your baby not only fall asleep in the first place, but continue to soothe them using smart features like a vibration to help connect sleep cycles, thus leading to a longer and more restful nap. Here are some of the recommended ones we are seeing out there, beginning with our favorite:
OUR FAVORITE SMART BASSINETS AND SMART CO-SLEEPERS
Our personal favorite, especially for Mothers who have had a cesarean delivery and aren’t able to twist/bend quite as well at first: Halo Smart Bassinest (seen above). Complete with a feeding timer (genius), vibration, sleep sounds/music, a tiny nightlight for late night feeds, and a mesh side to easily see baby at night, the Halo tops our list for smart co-sleepers, especially due to the swivel feature and ventilating sides. When all you have to do is sit up and swivel your bassinet to reach your baby, it makes feeding sessions a whole lot easier on Mom! The Halo Smart Bassinest comes in three different price ranges, Premiere, Luxe and Luxe Plus.
Photo provided by pottery barn baby
The latest craze in the smart bassinet category is the SNOO Smart Sleeper by Happiest Baby on the Block, which was designed by Dr. Harvey Karp, a nationally recognized pediatrician, child development specialist, and author of the best-selling Happiest Baby and Happiest Toddler parenting guides. This smart bassinet won the first ever National Sleep Foundation SleepTech award for the “Most Innovative Product” in 2017 and is the only sleeper that prevents rolling and provides safe swaddling for 6 months, a breakthrough advance in infant safety. It features womb-like rocking and a design that is said to naturally sleep train babies, helping them self-soothe and sleep better and longer. This cutting-edge smart bassinet detects your baby’s cries and automatically responds by rocking them gently to the same white noise and motion they loved in the womb. Simply download the app for easy, hands-free control. Made of hypoallergenic and chemical-free materials, your baby will be given optimal comfort, support and safety each time they drift off to sleep. Most importantly, it’ll help everyone – including parents – get a little more sleep.
Baby Bjorn Gentle Rocking Cradle is an innovative smart cradle with gentle and soothing rocking to help your Newborn drift off to sleep (and stay asleep). The baby cradle’s gentle springy rocking is similar to the soothing motion of a stroller, and is the perfect place to sleep in the early months when your baby takes short, frequent naps. The cradle’s low height and transparent mesh fabric also give you a reassuring degree of supervision over your baby, and is lightweight to easily move around the house into different rooms for supervised sleep. This smart cradle also turns your baby’s own movements into gentle rocking. Suitable for babies from approx. 0–6 months.
From soothing sways, music and sounds to calming vibrations, light projection and more, the Fisher Price Soothing Motions Bassinet has everything to help little ones drift off to dreamland! This smart bassinet is our most budget-friendly option for families as well. As babies relax on the comfy sleeping pad, they can look up at the mesmerizing overhead mobile with stars while they gently sway. This smart bassinet also has a convenient night light setting for late night feeds or diaper changes. For extra coziness, turn on the calming vibrations and calming music for baby to listen to. Soft padding, calming vibrations, and gentle swaying help soothe baby and become part of the nap and bedtime routine, giving baby a sense of security.
Graco Dream Suite Smart Bassinet is a reversible bassinet and changer, all-in-one, giving families a dedicated sleep and changing space for baby conveniently located in their room. The smart bassinet soothes baby with 2-speed vibration, allows air flow and visibility with mesh sides, blocks light with the canopy, and entertains with soft toys when baby is briefly set down during the day. The changer features easy to wipe clean fabric and can be used up to 30 lbs. - even after baby no longer sleeps in the bassinet. The large storage basket keeps baby's essentials close by and the wheels make the bassinet easy to move to keep baby close by. *Description provided by the Graco website. I love the tiny ditsy floral print on this one!
DOES BABY WAKE UP MORE IF THEY SEE YOU AT NIGHT IN THE CO-SLEEPER? omie mirror to save the day!
It’s the middle of the night and you hear your baby stir……have you ever peeked over the side of your co-sleeper to only be met eye-to-eye with your baby who then immediately wakes up at the first sight of you? I have been here SO. MANY. TIMES. We used to joke in my family to never make eye contact when we would hear our new baby begin to stir at night in between sleep cycles. Enter the Omie View Mirror: a convex, tilted mirror that simply attaches/clips onto the side of any bassinet, pack and play, or crib, to easily check on baby without looking over the side. This mirror is extremely easy to use, comes already built with a remote control and has a tiny nightlight as well! The creators of the Omie View mirror originally came up with the idea when their newborn baby was so quiet at night and was often found pressing her face up against the side of the bassinet, and they knew they needed a solution. Click here to learn more about the mirror giving parents WAY more peace of mind at night and to order yours!