Sleepyhead/Sleeping pods

[penguin7]

Hi
I'm just thinking of sleeping options for when baby arrives. This is our first baby so a bit clueless tbh. I've seen a few friends posts on social media and they use the Sleepyhead or sleeping pods for their newborns. However, I read on The Lullaby Trust that they're not recommended?
Any advice/info would be appreciated.

They were all the rage 5 years ago. I think it depends on the baby, so I'd wait. My first couldn't be put down (well after 4th trimester) and it was a choice of falling asleep upright with her on me or using a sleepyhead, so we used the latter.

For our second we re used it but only for supervised daytime napping as it was less bulky than a moses.

So overall if I were you I wouldn't bother, try to keep the cot as clear as possible, no bumpers, no cushions, no toys. If your baby sleeps in that great, if not then you may need to think of other options. But babies tend not to sleep so be prepared there is no magic bullet

I think they're now rebranded as Dockatot. They're only for supervised daytime sleeping and need to be on a firm surface so shouldn't be put in a cot. I haven't had my baby yet so haven't got experience to go on but they seem quite expensive for what they are. We're considering using the pram for downstairs naps or moving the bassinet downstairs during the daytime.

They are ridiculously expensive at £100 each?! . My twins were in NICU/SCBU for 3 weeks - the hospital uses rolled up towels with a sheet over to create the same effect - and if it's good enough for intensive care I wouldn't waste your money on a snuzpod/sleeping pod

I swear by the sleepyhead. I used 0-9 and the bought the grande that can be used up to 36months. I felt it impacted massively on my babies sleeping. My youngest is 22months and we couldnt do without it x

we used one for our first, now 26 months old. She slept in it for naps and overnight in the snuzpod. at the time they were safe for overnight sleeping. Not sure if I will use it for overnight this time around though as weaning her out of it was quite hard

We used one but only after I had tried and failed to get my DD to sleep in her cot for 2 weeks. I was sitting up holding her all night. It was one of those 4am desperate purchases!

It worked out well for us although I was paranoid about using it at night. She slept well it in and I removed it about 4-5 months when there was a hint of her starting to roll. She slept fine in the cot after that.

I would follow Lullaby Trust guidelines. We were told this on our NCT course that they were now not recommended following research from the USA

I'd say wait until you get to know your baby a little. I spent so much money on things I thought we'd need (especially for sleep) only to sell it on for half the price after a couple of months as baby hated them.

What worked for us in the end (until the 4 months regression hit) was a Chico Next2Me crib with Purflo pod inside it. It does say not to use unsupervised etc but I did a lot of research and numerous midwives suggested it to be a good sleeping solution for overnight use. It was a godsend! As I said, get to know your baby a bit and then make a decision :) Good luck x

I have one that I use for daytime naps, particularly in the evening before we all go up to bed. It’s a handy spot for baby to sleep in on the sofa. Midwives never made a comment about it, just said not to put it in next to me cot overnight.

I used one for dc1 because he wouldn't sleep other than on me. I bought it when I woke up on the sofa with him, I thought it was less dangerous than that. Didn't use it for dc2 because I didn't need too.

I wouldn't buy one in advance as you can get one delivered quickly if you feel you need it.

I'm looking at these and I'm torn too. Those that swear by them, what is it that about them that makes babies sleep better vs something like a Moses basket?

@Luckyelephant1

I'm looking at these and I'm torn too. Those that swear by them, what is it that about them that makes babies sleep better vs something like a Moses basket?

My DS snuggly put his hand against his face, so the back of his hand was against the side of the Purflo. Exactly the same position as we saw in his scan pictures towards the end of pregnancy so I guess it was a comfort thing for him and babies enjoy the snugness that they got used to in the womb. He still only sleeps with his hand under his little face and he's 1 🥰

Also, the base is a little softer than some of the mattresses which come with the bedside cots.

@rosegold33

I swear by the sleepyhead. I used 0-9 and the bought the grande that can be used up to 36months. I felt it impacted massively on my babies sleeping. My youngest is 22months and we couldnt do without it x

This is quite a good example of one of the problems - it's really hard to wean your baby / toddler off them if they become dependent on them and the grands are very expensive.

We used the purflo sleep tight baby bed as it has passed the relevant safety testing for overnight sleeping. It has a firm base and breathable sides. It’s been really wonderful and made a huge difference to her sleep. It says in the product description it’s the only one approved for overnight sleeping.

They didn't exist when dc1 was born 10years ago, they were out of my budget for dc2 6 years ago, but we had one for dc3 3 years ago. DC1 slept fine without one, but would only nap on the move, so it might have been useful to test.

Dc2 was a terrible sleeper and woke multiple times a night until age 2.10, wish I'd have been able to afford one as was desperate enough to try anything.

Bought one for #3 with experience of #2 in mind. Slept the best of the lot. I was amazed at the difference. She didn't like the Moses basket as much, or the pram, she was much cosier in the sleepyhead. We bought the next size up but she didn't actually need it so we sold it on after a week

They've since been classified as not for overnight, so I've no idea what we'd doing we had another. I think I'd be happy to risk it if we had another one like #2, as I was a zombie and had one through severe sleep deprivation. See what your baby is like when they arrive, you can get one pretty quickly if you need it.

Would definitely consider a purflo one now having seen PP mention it! Not that I'm having another... 3 is plenty!

We had one which was a baby shower gift, I wouldnt pay for one in hindsight. It was really handy for supervised sofa naps though.

I bought an aldi version in this years event just for day time napping in the living room when I can keep an eye on things. I don't think i oculd've spent that much money on one.

@ThanksItHasPockets Not in our case. Our DD wasn't bothered when we removed it at 4-5 months at all.

[quote Whichnamepls]@ThanksItHasPockets Not in our case. Our DD wasn't bothered when we removed it at 4-5 months at all. [/quote]
Same here! DS actively protested against it once he was able to roll at 4 months. He just turned himself on his tummy as soon as I put him down on his back. Obvs was unable to do it in the Purflow so started to get very unsettled.

We found it useful for daytime naps on the sofa for the first 4-5 months but they are expensive

I paid heed to all the official advice and didn’t get one for my newborn. All my NCT group got one and their babies all settled well and mine would only sleep on me for the first few months. Ended up getting a second hand one when I visited family for a night (staying on an air bed so didn’t want to co-sleep) and he slept through for the first time, so I decided to keep it. I have one of the bigger sizes now which will also perhaps come in useful for travelling and overnight stays in the future, if such things are possible.

It was a miracle for me. It was a standard no sleep purchase but it was amazing. My DD took to it amazingly which meant she could sleep in it on the sofa during the day, then at night we would carry it (and her) upstairs when we were ready for bed and put it in the next to me.

I did purchase the Sleepyhead Grand secondhand, which we used for a short weekend trip in the summer and then for about a week transition in the cot.

When she started wriggling and squirming more we took it out of her cot and she instantly took to the extra space.

I think we have been very lucky that overall she is a fantastic sleeper though (touch wood).

That's great, @Giraffaelina and @Whichnamepls. Sounds like you both had good sleepers who had outgrown their biologically normal newborn sleep.