My toddler recently went through a challenging sleep regression, during which I conducted an experiment to see how his sleep scores compared with mine. But despite the unpredictable disruptions of the toddler phase, I try my best to keep his sleep routine consistent. This includes his room setup.
It’s important to me to make sure my son has his own space and is comfortable, whether he’s playing or sleeping in it. Especially when it comes to the latter, as a wellness tech expert, I use certain devices to make sure his room is set up for sleep success — even if he does get up once or twice during the night.
1. SmartWings Smart Shades
The SmartWings Smart Shades are key to keeping my toddler’s bedroom dark and sleep-friendly.
I learned that in order for my son to get a good night’s sleep, we need blackout shades. My son’s window coverings needed replacing recently, and we suspected they were contributing to some of his wake-ups during naps and at bedtime since light was still seeping into the room.
We installed the SmartWings blackout smart shades, and his sleep improved drastically. These smart shades are one of CNET’s top smart blind picks and come in different fabrics, but I opted for linen. It doesn’t have unsightly cords or plugs because it uses a battery-powered motor with a Li-ion (lithium-ion) rechargeable battery. This is important for safety when you have a toddler who is tempted to pull wires and push buttons.
You can also choose additional light blockers for even more coverage in the room at an extra cost. For easy managing, these blinds come with a remote control, so I can lower or raise the shades during naps or bedtime
2. Nanit Pro Baby Monitor
The Nanit Pro smart baby monitor has grown with my child since infancy.
The Nanit is my toddler’s smart baby monitor that lets me keep an eye on him during naps, bedtime and even during playtime. I have two Nanit baby monitors set up in his room: one above his bed, while the other gives me a full view of the room.
This monitor is CNET’s favorite Wi-Fi-powered baby monitor and can be viewed on your phone through the Nanit app. Nanit offers a detailed analysis of your child’s sleep and more, which I appreciate, especially since I recently learned it can also generate a sleep score for them. Knowing your child’s sleep habits can help determine which areas of sleep need improvement.
I also like that I can use this monitor to keep an eye on my son when he’s playing by himself in his room and I’m working or in a separate location.
3. Hatch Baby
The Hatch Baby serves as a nightlight and sound machine that also shares stories and music for your baby or toddler.
The Hatch has been my go-to night light and sound machine since my son was an infant. I use the Hatch Restore in my bedroom and recently the Hatch Baby in my son’s room, which is Hatch’s newest device that offers more features for parents with babies and toddlers.
You can control the Hatch Baby device manually or through the app on your phone. The app lets you access the different night light colors and sounds, as well as stories, songs and tuck-ins, which are messages you can record in your voice to play during bedtime.
I usually default to the white noise function since it works like a charm. However, I have used its bedtime stories and lullabies to get bedtime started.
If you need assistance with your baby’s sleep, you can also chat with sleep consultants in the app. This feature is part of the free six-month Hatch Plus subscription, which gives you access to sleep guides and a library filled with premium songs and stories. After that, it’s $5 per month or $50 per year.
4. Moonlite Storytime Projector
The Moonlite Storytime lets your kids view their favorite stories through a phone projector.
Reading stories at bedtime became more fun with the Moonlite Storytime Projector. It’s a small device you attach to your phone with a slot for compatible Moonlite stories to project onto your ceiling or wall. You can read along, and each story includes music and sound effects. Some selections you can choose from include single stories or packs from classic books, such as The Hungry Caterpillar and even Disney and Pixar stories based on children’s movies.
In my household, we’re fans of the Toy Story and Cars Moonlite stories. It’s a different way to read your kids’ favorite stories while keeping them bedtime-friendly.
