Sleep Products I Love for an Optimal Sleep Environment

Brooke
Feb 27
3 min read

Everything that I have linked on this blog post are items that I have in my nursery or home. As of right now, none of these are affiliate links. I am NOT suggesting that you need all of this. Please use this as a general guide to identify what tools you may be missing that could benefit your child and not a specific guide of everything you need. Honestly, it's best to have as few items as possible to keep your child sleeping as introducing more sleep tools than your child needs can result in your child needing more than what they originally would have needed.

Truly, all a baby needs is: a safe surface to sleep on (crib or bassinet approved for sleep), layers that are not too loose, a way to stay dark, and ideally a sound machine. Everything else is either nice to have or helpful depending on how sensitive your child is to their environment.

Core Sleep Environment

Safe Sleep Space

Crib (we like this convertible one, but you do have to buy the toddler bed attachment separately)
Crib mattress (firm, breathable)
Waterproof mattress protector (2+): I recommend layering mattress protector, sheet, mattress protector, sheet for quick changes
Fitted crib sheets (we like 3–4 total) ideally cotton
Bedside bassinet (I love one with a lowering side)
Crib bumpers: these are not considered safe. In some instances, a pediatrician may recommend a mesh, breathable one for toddlers, but I generally don't recommend them. You may see in some photos even here on this site that we have used them before, though that was only for about 2 months through the guidance of our doctor when our son kept getting injured by getting his limbs caught while sleeping. Once he regained control, we promptly removed them.

Light Control

Blackout curtains / window covers (true blackout)
Door draft stopper/light blocker: we use blackout fabric with an under door foam stopper
Tape or stickers for LED lights

Sound Environment

White noise machine (continuous, non-looping preferred): Ours is also portable, and discontinued ... so I found what appears to be the closest thing!

Temperature Regulation

Room thermometer (I love this one because it connects to an app on my phone)
Sleep sacks! If you can get them second hand or from a friend, I highly recommend doing so! Kids can be particular about which ones they like, and sometimes they want a specific one for only a couple of weeks. You can also swaddle with a swaddle blanket, but we found this harder for night time feeds and diaper changes because we were too tired to properly re-wrap. Remember, once a baby can roll, swaddles are no longer safe - their arms should be free! I also highly recommend using just cotton ones if possible.
- Swaddle Sleep Sack
- Halo Sleep Sack
- Basic Sleep Sack
- Sleep Sack with arms up
- Kaiya Baby Sleep Sack
- Kaiya Baby Sleep Sack with leg holes
  - We love Kaia Baby ones because they have arm covers, extra room in the arm pits so baby doesn't overheat, hand and foot covers, and a temperature checking strip inside. These are expensive, so we only bought on sale! It looks like now they even have a 3-in-1 version of their sleep sack that converts into a walker.
Sleepers: honestly, we get all of ours second hand. I just make sure they are 100% pure cotton, have foot and hand covers for the infant stage, and ideally have a 2 zipper system for quick diaper changes
Sleep dress: ideal for the newborn stage!

Monitor, Routine Support & Safety Layer

Wake/Sleep Light: I like ours because it was much cheaper than a Hatch.
Sound monitor (we don't do video, but you could!)
Outlet covers / cord management: I really like this cover that has a power strip attached.
Humidifier (if climate calls for it)
Air purifier (great when sick)
Pacifiers are totally optional, and honestly I think we won't continue with them for future kids. We preferred the MAM brand because of the flat shape that is supposed to be helpful for developing teeth. I also like how little the plastic area is so there was less touching my son's skin. We got the ones that glow in the dark so we could easily find them at night.