Fix the room before you fix the baby
Aim for 16–20°C / 61–68°F, dark enough that you cannot read, and one steady sound. A cheap room thermometer tells you more in a week than any sleep app.
White noise works because it masks the door, the dog and the street — not because it is soothing. Keep it continuous, at conversational volume, and on all night rather than on a timer.
Swaddle, then transition
Swaddling calms the startle reflex in the first months. Stop the moment your baby shows any sign of rolling — that is a firm safety line, not a preference.
A transition suit or a sleeveless sleep sack keeps the cue of being tucked in without restricting the arms, which is usually the step that goes wrong.
Pick one routine and never vary it
Bath or wipe-down, feed, dim lights, same two songs, into the cot awake. Twenty minutes, same order, every night. The predictability is the whole mechanism.
A sunrise-style night light that changes colour later becomes the same cue for toddlers, so the routine survives the cot-to-bed move.
What to expect from sleep tracking
Sock and camera trackers show trends: how long the longest stretch is, when the wakes cluster. That is useful for spotting a regression early.
They are wellness devices, not medical monitors. If the data is making you check more rather than sleep more, turn the alerts off and keep the camera.
Safe sleep, every single night
Firm flat mattress, baby on their back, nothing loose in the cot — no bumpers, pillows, positioners or blankets.
Room-share for the first six months where you can. It is the single best-evidenced thing on this list and it costs nothing.
Dreamegg
Dreamegg D11 White Noise Machine
Why parents love it: Pocket-sized, battery powered, and the reason naps survive hotel rooms and grandparents' houses.
- 21 soothing sounds
- Rechargeable battery
- Night light
- Timer
$25–$40typical range
HALO
HALO SleepSack Swaddle
Why parents love it: Safe-sleep wearable blanket with an adjustable swaddle — buy two, wash one.
- Adjustable swaddle wings
- Hip-healthy design
- Bottom zip for changes
- Machine washable
$22–$38typical range
Hatch
Hatch Rest 2nd Gen Sound Machine & OK-to-Wake Clock
Why parents love it: The green light tells a toddler it is finally morning, which buys you back an hour in bed.
- OK-to-wake colour cue
- Sound machine
- App and voice control
- Toddler-lock
$60–$90typical range
Owlet
Owlet Dream Sock
Why parents love it: A wearable that tracks pulse rate and oxygen so anxious first nights feel a little softer.
- Pulse rate & oxygen
- Sleep quality insights
- Base station glow
- 0–18 months
$199–$299typical range
Get the next guide by email
One calm email when we publish a new parent-tested guide. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.