Is a musical mobile above a cot considered a sleep prop?

[moreandmore]

Exactly that. lucky that my DS mostly self-settles and hasn't needed any 'props'. But he does get grizzly at evening sleep if he's lacked the late afternoon sleep. DH suggested mobiles ("everyone has them") and I bought a Tiny Love one but can't decide whether it's a good idea to introduce it, or not.

Do mobiles actually work to send babies to sleep? I have one but it seems to keep 4 month ds awake if I put it on!

I wouldn't worry about it being a prop as it's no hassle is it?

I have a v-tech muscial cot toy thingy that comes on and plays gentle luulabies or nature sounds when the baby cries. I never used it with my first 2 lo's but left it on by accident with DD2 the other day and it sent her straight back to sleep when it came on!! Since then I have used it a few times, usually after a 5am feed when its touch and go whether she'll drop off or be ready to start the day, and so far (touches wood) it seems to do the trick and help her drop off for another hour so until its properly morning (ie after 6am!). HTH.

so what if it's a prop! If it works use it! It worked for my DS for a while but he hit 8 months and it stopped working unfortunately.

We use a Tomy Dreamlight show by the cot to aid sleeping. The Tiny Love musical mobile is fantastic my DD loves it, hope your DS does too, but would be too much stimulation for our baby at nap / bedtime.

We have the tiny love one. Until 4 months it just excited her so we just used the music box function. Then the mobile worked for a while. Then DD could reach it so we are just using the music box bit again now. It really works, I don't use it for night wakings though. I did the same with DS and it meant he slept wherever we were if we had it with us (so great for going away for the weekend etc) DDS had it for ages and would out it on himslef in the end. If it gets to the point DD can't sleep without it I will just wean her off it by moving it further and further away each night.

Have you been reading the baby whisperer? I do hate the term "sleep props". We all have our little bedtime rituals which technically could be deemed a prop. Babies need them more, why deny them? I don't know any adults who need a cot mobile to get to sleep.

If he gets grizzly, can you make sure he does get an afternoon nap instead of spending money on something that might not work? Are the grizzles that bad?

Thanks all. Very helpful. I'll give it a whirl.

And yes Iggly, of course we try every day to get DS to take late afternoon nap, and I'm sure you didn't mean to come across as patronising

That late afternoon nap is a bitch isn't it, I try every day too... maybe if we just tried harder

No OP I didn't - I had trouble with that nap with DS, it was awful. Ended up dropping it at 8 months and having early bedtime instead. Sorry about the tone of my post.

No problem Iggly