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Original poster

Would you, do you, use a sleepyhead at night?

78 replies

DieHardISaChristmasFilm · 26/12/2019 11:07

DS is 5 weeks old. Until now the sleepyhead has been for daytime naps only, however his night time sleep has completely gone to pot.
Last night, after hours of no sleep I cracked and put him in it, and had a lovely 4 hours of sleep. I was starting to fall asleep while feeding him so was more worried about that being a danger. After this DH is suggesting we use it at night, I've read the lullaby trust warnings and am worried, help!

OP posts:
MynameisJune · 26/12/2019 16:53

Used one for both DD’s because they would only sleep on me, not next to me, on me. So I was sat up with them on my chest as that’s the only way they’d sleep. Then I’d doze, to me that was much more dangerous and terrifying than a sleepyhead.

They are tested and rated for overnight sleeping in Sweden where they are made. The reasons they aren’t here is because they haven’t been through our testing.

Sleepyheads aren’t sleep portioners though.

Emelene · 26/12/2019 16:54

No, I didn't because of the lullaby guidelines. It didn't feel safe.

MynameisJune · 26/12/2019 16:56

@TheClausSeason really? When a babies death was attributed to the BedNest it was publicised in the mainstream media. I doubt deaths attributed to the sleepyhead would be hidden. Stop scare mongering.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

0-3 months old Babies & sleep Children's sleep Families
jeremypaxo · 26/12/2019 16:57

Yes. My 1-year-old has slept in one overnight since birth. The Deluxe to start with and then the Grand.

Tw1nset · 26/12/2019 16:59

We did, he slept in a cot attached to our bed or a co sleeping crib in one.

We did lots of research and took advice on co sleeping.

Inthebleakmidwinterz · 26/12/2019 17:01

I had my first baby in September and we used the sleepyhead in the Chico next to me bedside crib from 3 weeks overnight as the baby would only sleep in it or on me, and I kept falling asleep with her on the couch. I stopped using it at around 2 months because she started looking too big for it and was worried about her turning over and getting trapped, by that time she had started sleeping better thankfully. The lullaby trust pretty much bans everything, it’s quite extreme, you’d never get any sleep if you followed it to the T.

recreationalcalpol · 26/12/2019 17:02

If this happened, I imagine that Sleepyhead would settle out of court with a non-disclosure agreement into the bargain
Why on earth do you imagine sleepyhead would be liable in these circumstances?

TheClausSeason · 26/12/2019 17:41

Why on earth do you imagine sleepyhead would be liable in these circumstances?

They wouldn't be. But I still think they wouldn't want the story coming out, so they'd still settle.

NeverGotMyPuppy · 26/12/2019 17:50

For heavens sake, not everything in the world is a conspiracy.

squigglybook · 26/12/2019 18:13

And you think if a child died due to a Sleepyhead the parent’s priority would be money?

Ridiculous conspiracy theories aside I used one and my daughter slept incredibly well. At the time I wrote to Sleepyhead and asked about safety and they sent me a very detailed response linking to all their safety verification. There have never been any deaths associated with it.

Sleepyquest · 26/12/2019 18:13

You know your baby. Mine sleeps fine it in during the day and doesn't go anywhere near the sides so I would not worry about night time. Do you think your baby would go up close? I read on their website that no deaths had been linked to sleepyheads.

TheClausSeason · 26/12/2019 18:13

For heavens sake, not everything in the world is a conspiracy.

Never said it was. It's a fairly well-known fact that companies will pay to silence those who would damage their reputation. Why on Earth wouldn't they?

TheClausSeason · 26/12/2019 18:14

And you think if a child died due to a Sleepyhead the parent’s priority would be money?

No. But their lawyers would, rightly, counsel them that they'd not got a leg to stand on if it went to court so would be fairly likely to take a settlement if offered.

NeverGotMyPuppy · 26/12/2019 18:14

Do you seriously think any parent would be willing to be silenced? Just.. think... for a minute...

NeverGotMyPuppy · 26/12/2019 18:15

Of course they would have a leg to stand on. How could you prove the sleepyhead caused death? Its flat and its breathable.

meow1989 · 26/12/2019 18:17

No, lullaby trust guidance is clear : firm flat mattress. I believe even the sleepy head says not to use unsupervised

NeverGotMyPuppy · 26/12/2019 18:19

So in which case they have covered themselves. There Iwould be no case to answer.

Napssavelives · 26/12/2019 18:23

I used up until 5 months.. then baby decided he wasn’t going to sleep in there anymore and that he wanted to Sleep with me. Also not technically recommend. I guess it’s about making things as safe Possible.. if you are at risk of falling asleep when feeding surely it’s better to plan to co sleep... if baby wants to be held whilst sleeping but will settle in the sleepyhead surely sleepyhead is safer 🤷‍♀️ It’s all a judgement call

BertieBotts · 26/12/2019 18:26

It's called dockatot in the US and there have been two deaths:

www.mother.ly/news/co-sleeper-products-safety-consumer-reports-investigates

BTW, for daytime sleeps this needs to be supervised ie with you in the same room, awake and in view. You can obviously pop in and out, but using it for nap times in a separate room isn't safe. This is because it's vital you notice within a few minutes if the baby has wiggled and got their face pressed against the padded edge or if placed partially on the sleepyhead, slipped into a chin on chest position.

BertieBotts · 26/12/2019 18:30

"Breathable" is not a legally protected term and therefore means nothing. It doesn't mean a product is not a suffocation risk, particularly, which is what they seem to be implying. Sports shoes are often marketed as breathable, but you wouldn't try to breathe through an insole, would you?

PurpleVioletLilac · 26/12/2019 18:43

I used one from birth with dd, who was born in early 2016. She slept very well in it and it felt like a godsend! But I'm not sure I'd use one if I had another baby. There seems to be more info about them available now and it seems too risky.

missjaysays · 26/12/2019 18:51

This is why we don't recommend them... your little one is used to sleeping in it in the day time, so now won't settle at night without it. Of course for your baby it is cosier than an empty cot with a firm, flat mattress. But your baby doesn't know about the SIDS risk like you do, and it's your job to keep your baby safe and make the safest decisions for them.

Get rid of it and get your baby used to sleeping safely. Sleepyheads are not recommended.

What would you do if your baby rebreathed the carbon dioxide they had just exhaled due to the sleepyhead and died? 'Breathable' does not mean that you can breathe effectively through the fabric, it just means that air can pass through it. Or if your baby overheated? What would you say when you knew beforehand that they are not recommended by the NHS or the Lullaby trust?

blackcat86 · 26/12/2019 18:55

We had a myhummy at the top edge of the moses basket with an angelcare breathing mat. I did start with myhummy on my bedside table next to the basket but I couldn't stand it so close to my head.

blackcat86 · 26/12/2019 18:57

Ignore me. I've realised you're talking about a different type of sleepy head. It's been a long day...

AxeOfKindness · 26/12/2019 19:02

If I've learnt anything since becoming a parent, it's that risk is spectacularly poorly understood by most people and that guidelines not only cater to the lowest common denominator but is often somewhat cherry-picking when it comes to the research.

For example, research suggests that giving a baby a dummy at the beginning of sleep send to have a strong correlation with lowered risk of SIDS (though noone is sure why) yet nobody bangs on about doing this to protect your child. Partly because the reasoning is not clear but partly, one suspects, because there is a bizarre snobbishness surrounding dummy use in some quarters.

I'm certainly not saying to take all guidance with a pinch of salt but bear in mind that it is not written on tablets of stone and doesn't cover everything - it is aimed at the population at large, it does change and the advice given to mitigate certain risks has to be weighed against the risks that following that advice brings.

It's possible that based on your own particular situation, a clued up person would give you slightly different advice based on a different weighting of the risks. You'll make your own assessments as you go along based on your best estimate of what's safest for your particular child in your particular situation.