Top 3 Tech Items To Help New Parents to Get More Sleep

Technology has made most aspects of life better, so why not parenting? I didn’t put a lot of thought into how I could make being a dad easier until I was knee deep in it.  Now that it’s been a couple weeks since my second kid was born, I thought I could help some other parents about to find themselves in the same situation. The initial first year as a new parent can feel daunting, and these devices helped me through it. 

As a parent, and especially a new parent, the most useful devices for me were the ones that allowed me to get more sleep.  Before my first kid, getting enough rest was something I took for granted.  It was only after my first child that I realized just how amazing a full nights rest was.  So, with that in mind, I’m concentrating on the tech that can help new parents nearly get back to a normal nights sleep.

Nest Cam – $158

This is one of the most used devices I’ve used since having our first son.  In short, it’s a WiFi enabled camera that is super easy to set up and use. We didn’t use it a lot until he was sleeping in his own room, but now, we use it all the time. 

The conversation used to go like this. “Did you hear that noise in his room? What was that? Can you go check on him?” which would be followed by me having to get up out of bed and walk to his room only to find him peacefully sleeping – something I wished I was still doing.

What we use it for

Keeping an eye on him while he naps at home or at hotels

Real-Life Specs

1. It has a 1080p camera that’s much clearer than other options.
2. It has infrared LED’s mean you can see clearly in complete darkness
3. You can watch it from your phone or computer from anywhere you have internet access
4. We can bring it with us on trips if the hotel has WiFi – which most do these days.
5. Quick and easy to set up
6. If you want to record it, you can pay a subscription fee and they’ll record a rolling 10 or 30 days of footage.

The Snoo – $1,160

The Snoo is pretty new, so I haven’t had as much time to use it, but the time I have had with it has already made me a believer! How the Snoo works is when it’s time for the baby to sleep, you put the baby in it’s tight fitting sleep sack and press a button. It then plays white noise and starts gently moving the baby. If the baby starts crying, it then detects it and can change to multiple different movements and noises to get the baby to calm back down. It continues to detect the baby’s noise level and movement throughout the night and adjusts its movement to keep them happy.

When my son was born a couple years ago, he would regularly whine and fuss throughout the night between his feedings, so I would normally pick him up and walk him around the room in a sleep deprived stupor. He didn’t want any attention, he just wanted to be moved around. Now with the Snoo, I haven’t had to wake up once for my daughter unless she was hungry.

As a new parent, any sleep is precious, and this has given me a lot more of that sweet, sweet sleep.

What we use it for

Helping our baby stay asleep when it’s time to sleep.

Real-Life Specs

1. It detects the level of movement and whining of the baby and adjusts to 4 different levels of movement and noise to calm the baby down.
2. If the baby continues loudly fussing even after the Snoo adjusts its levels to calm them, it will “time out” after a few minutes, indicating that your baby likely needs your attention for a diaper or a feeding.
3. Good for babies 0-6 months
4. It’s lined with a breathable mesh, so you don’t have to worry about SIDS
5. It has an app that lets you adjust the settings for your baby and shows how calm your baby currently is.
6. Can be put into “Weaning Mode” which will help when your baby needs to transition away from the Snoo as they get older.
7. It’s MUCH more expensive than anything else I’m recommending, but I think it pays for itself in the amount of sleep it gives back. If you’re on a tight budget, keep in mind that you could likely sell this after you use it for at least $600.
8. Either we have a fantastic baby, or this thing WORKS.  I can see the price as difficult to justify, but they have 30 no-risk return policy, so regardless if you plan on keeping it, I would try it out with your baby to see how they respond.  If they’re the type of baby who likes to fuss all night and rob you of your sleep, this may fix it.  My wife received the Snoo as a gift from the company, but after seeing how well it’s worked, I would gladly pay full price for the extra sleep it’s given us.

Mamaroo – $220

The Mamaroo is similar to the Snoo, but doesn’t have the ability to sense what you’re baby is doing and adjust to it.  Because of that, I like to use it for babies naps as opposed to when they sleep at night. In the day, I’m awake, and using their app, I can change the settings as the baby needs it.  It has a variety of noises and types of movements that you can play with to see which works best for your baby. I find it works best while I’m working from home and the baby is napping, so I can get some solid, uninterrupted work in.

What we use it for

Calming the baby down and helping them sleep through their naps during the day.

Real-Life Specs

1. It can move in 5 different motions to mimic the different types of rocking motions babies like.
2. It has 5 different motion speeds.
3. 4 different noises it can play
4. Good for babies 0-6 months
5. Smartphone app lets you change all movements, speeds and sound settings without having to get up.

Know any other tech that can help new dad’s get more sleep? I always love hearing real world advice, so let me know in the comments below!