These are the best baby sleep aids, according to the GHI
A good night’s sleep can feel like a distant dream for new parents. According to research by Silentnight, new mums and dads get just four hours and forty-four minutes of sleep in an average night during the first year of their baby’s life – that's 59% less than the recommended eight hours!
In the fog of those first few months, when neither you nor your baby are getting much shuteye, let’s face it, you’ll try anything to create the perfect sleep-inducing environment. But, some products can promise a lot and don't deliver.
That’s why our parenting expert at the Good Housekeeping Institute has been hard at work trialling a selection of the best baby sleep aids. We also sent them out to some sleep-deprived mums and dads to get their feedback on design, ease of use and, most importantly, whether it helped their little ones drift off.
These are our top picks at a glance but read on for full reviews plus everything you need to know about these clever gadgets.
What is a baby sleep aid?
It’s no wonder your newborn is struggling to sleep when you consider the environment they’ve just left behind.
Inside the womb, they’ve been surrounded by the sounds and rhythms of rushing blood, your beating heart and grumbling tummy. Then, when they’re born, they’re suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar, ultra-quiet environment. It’s bound to be disconcerting!
Thankfully, there are a host of gadgets and gizmos – including white noise machines, soothing night lights, cuddly toys and projectors – that can help recreate the cosy womb environment, comfort your baby and help them get the hang of sleep. Some are suitable for toddlers and older children, too.
Looking for something that can help you sleep, too? Check out our round-up of the best sleep gadgets for grown-ups, which includes a spa-like electric diffuser, an eye-massager and a temperature-regulating mattress topper.
What can help my baby sleep?
Babies respond well to lots of different stimuli. Here are some of the most popular that can help settle them – it’s worth trying a few to find out which your baby responds best to.
White noise: White noise machines (which sound a bit like vacuum cleaners) are popular for a reason. They’re comforting for babies because they replicate the sound of rushing blood they recognise from the womb.
Heartbeats: Often these are incorporated into cuddly toys, because the familiar rhythm of your heart beating is calming and comforting for your baby.
Pink noise: This is white noise plus heart beats, so it fully replicates the sounds your baby was accustomed to before they were born. Some are even recorded directly from real wombs.
Vibrations: If the motion of a moving car helps lull your baby to sleep, a sleep aid that uses vibrations may be a good choice. You can attach these clever units to bouncy chairs, prams or cots to help calm them.
Coloured lights: Red and pink light support the production of melatonin, the sleepy hormone, while green light helps them wake up.
Music: Gentle tunes and lullabies have been used to soothe babies for centuries and are proven to be effective. Many sleep aid devices have a selection of lullabies and songs you can play as they drift off.
Speech: Your little one is used to listening to you, so some devices speak to them in a soothing voice and allow you to record your own bedtime messages.
Shusher: As the name suggests, these devices emit gentle shushing sounds to mimic life in the womb and help put them to sleep.
What features should I look for in a baby sleep aid?
Here are some key features to consider when choosing a gadget that’s right for you and your baby.
Power: Does it plug in to the mains, offer fast USB-charging, or will you need to keep buying batteries? Be careful of trailing cords, which could be a trip hazard, and make sure to keep them away from your baby to avoid the risk of strangulation.
Volume and sound quality: If you’re purchasing some sort of sound or lullaby machine, check if there’s a limiter to avoid damage to your baby’s delicate ears. It’s also worth checking the quality of the speech or music, making sure it’s not tinny or distorted.
Portability: Ideally, you want something that’s travel-friendly, so your baby has something familiar when staying away from home. There are also some handy devices, such as the Rockit Rocker, which you can easily bring along when you’re popping to the shops or strolling around the park.
Longevity: Lots of sleep aids are great for the first few months, but do you want something that can be used as your baby gets older? There are now plenty of products that cater to a range of ages, such as the Infantino 3-in-1 Sounds & Lights Soothing Pal.
Sleep training: Beyond light and noise, some sleep aids also have functionality to support a consistent sleep routine. These may be pricier, though.
For more tried and tested parenting products, check out the results of the GHI's very first Parenting Awards where you'll find our experts' top-rated pushchairs, baby sleep aids, cot beds and more.
How we test
In our search for the best baby sleep aids, our expert put a range of gadgets from popular brands through their paces. Each product is tested in both light and dark settings to assess the various functions and see how easy they are to use with the lights off. We analyse everything from instructions and ease of use to design and performance. We check how easy they are to set up and use, whether the sound and light functions are high quality and effective and if they have longevity beyond your child’s early months. We consider additional features such as volume limiters to protect little ears, too.
We then send them out to parents to use over a few weeks and ask them to provide feedback on design, performance and ease of use. We’ve included some of their thoughts in the write ups below.
Ewan Deluxe
Score: 96/100
This top-scoring toy – which was invented by a mum of six to help her own little ones rest easier – has won numerous awards and, after testing it, we can see why. "This has really helped get our baby into a routine," said one happy at-home tester.
With large, cute eyes and soft floppy ears, it’s not just an effective sleep aid, it looks extremely cute, too. Inside Ewan, you’ll find a control panel that activates the various functions, including white noise, rainfall, lullabies, shushing sounds and pink noise recorded directly from the womb so it sounds authentic to babies. It also glows with a soft red light to promote sleepiness.
The soothing sounds automatically switch off after 20 minutes, so you don’t have to worry about having to do it manually. Best of all, there’s a smart sensor that continues to listen for four hours and if it senses your baby stirring, it will start the sounds up again.
With a handy Velcro tail, you can easily attach Ewan to your car seat, travel cot or pram and he won’t get lost. To keep him clean, the interior working pod can be removed and you can bung the cover in the washing machine.
Dreammaker™ Light and Sound Baby Sleep Aid
Score: 94/100
This is a great value sleep aid that may only have a few features, but boasts all the essentials you need to help your baby sleep and get into a routine. Developed in collaboration with sleep scientists at Northumbria University, it uses pink noise to soothe newborns (and replicate the sounds of the womb), as well as a soft red glowing light to stimulate the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and three levels of brightness to suit your bedroom. In the centre of the unit is a red light projector that pulses on and off – the idea is that your baby's breathing patterns will fall into the same rhythm, helping them stay calm and sleepy.
Our tester particularly liked the CrySensor function, which turns the device back on if your baby cries or stirs during the night, helping to soothe them back to sleep. It's responsive and didn't take very loud noise to activate it, so it's a good option for restless tots. The control buttons are on the bottom of the gadget, so we suggest setting it up how you want it before your baby goes to sleep, and the good news is that it's super intuitive to use. Overall, this is a simple device (without any bells, whistles or apps) but sometimes that's exactly what you need at 2am!
Note, you can also purchase this sleep aid as part of a bundle alongside the Tommee Tippee Dreamsense Smart Baby Monitor, which scored 87/100 in our baby monitor tests.
Sleep Easy
Score: 93/100
Combining an ultrasonic humidifier, pink noise and red light, this smart sleep aid scores highly for versatility.
How does it work? You place the sturdy base on a hard surface, making sure it’s at your baby’s eye level, then choose your preferred settings – these can be controlled on the device itself or via the user-friendly app. We liked the customised settings designed for different ages and sleep issues including waking in the middle of the night and early rising.
In terms of functions, there’s a calming red light to encourage the production of melatonin and a cool mist humidifier to sooth dry nasal passages, ease breathing and reduce congestion. You can even add in one of three essential oils: Glow Lullaby (with sleep-inducing lavender and orange), Glow Breathe Easy (featuring rosemary and coriander) and Glow Defence (with vetiver, vanilla and orange) to create an ultra-calming environment. Additionally, there’s pink noise functionality that’s reminiscent of the womb to help your baby nod off peacefully. In the morning, you can switch on the green LED light to help with sleep training and wake your baby up gently. Our testers were a big fan of this feature.
The device itself is a pleasure to use, with testers saying it was a cinch to set up and control. There's even auto-off settings and a clever child lock so little ones can’t fiddle around with it. We also liked that there are a variety of patterned sleeves to choose from, so you’re bound to find one that matches your interior style.
Rocker
Score: 92/100
If your baby needs the consistent motion of a moving pram to staying snoozing when you’re out and about, the Rockit Rocker could come in extremely handy. Created by a parent who just so happened to be a sound and vibration engineer, the nifty rocket-shaped device is designed to replace the sensations of bumping and vibrating while your pram is static.
"It was good for keeping my baby asleep in the pram for longer," one parent told us, adding that it worked a treat when they stopped for lunch or a chat.
The movement is pretty strong, so it will rock even larger prams and will signal to your baby that it’s still in motion. It can be attached to a crib or car seat and comes with a neat bracket that’s quick and easy to attach to the handle, side or bumper bar of a pram. Our tester said the attachment felt ultra secure and they loved how lightweight and travel-friendly it was.
Each rock cycle lasts 60 minutes, but you can easily turn it off if you start moving via the responsive button on the top of the unit. There’s a wheel that allows you to adjust the strength and the Baby Rocker is shower-resistant, so there won’t be any issues if it starts raining. It has an internal lithium-ion battery and comes with a neat USB cord for quick, easy charging. Simple to use, compact and effective, it’s a top buy for parents and babies on the go.
Sunrise Echo Sound Machine
Score: 90/100
Sunrise alarm clocks, which gently wake you up by simulating a sunrise, are popular among adults but now there’s a baby-friendly version that will help both you and your little one to wake up feeling refreshed and soothed.
The Momcozy Sunrise Echo gently wakes you up with a yellow light to replicate the rising sun, without the harsh shock of a bright lightbulb, and offers five gentle sounds to choose from for a calming wake-up call. As the light gradually grows brighter, it plays soothing melodies to rouse you and your baby from sleep. Using light and sound in this way can help with sleep training, encouraging them to wake up at the same time each day and get into a good routine. It can also be used when they’re older to let them know when it’s okay to wake up mum or dad!
Come bedtime, there are all sorts of sleepy sounds to pick from, including white, pink and brown noise and nature sounds such as the sea, a train chugging along on the tracks and even a vacuum cleaner. We were impressed with the sheer choice and thought the sound quality was decent. They can be used in conjunction with red light to encourage melatonin production, and there are one-, three- and six-hour timers to set when it’s time to drift off.
Soothe Light & Sound
Score: 90/100
This smart-looking sleep aid (which is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant) can be used for newborns and older babies alike. It has a nightlight at the top, which emits a soft glow in a selection of different colours, along with a plain white light that’s ideal for middle-of-the-night nappy changes. It also offers soothing sounds and lullabies to help them settle – we rated the sound quality and liked that there’s a volume limiter to protect little ears.
As they transition from newborn to toddler, there are ‘time-to-rise' programmes, allowing you to select wake-up tunes and colours to help them learn when it’s the right time to get up. The device can be controlled via an accompanying app, so you can adjust the music, light colour and brightness to create the perfect sleep environment.
"It definitely soothed my son to sleep," said one panel member, adding that they liked the option to control it remotely. They also liked the variety of settings to choose from, allowing you to find what works best for your little one. They did have a little trouble connecting to Bluetooth, though.
This sleep aid is part of the brand’s Connected Home range, which includes a humidifier, baby monitor and clever under-the-cot light bar and can be connected so they all work together. The attractive design will look sleek in the corner of the nursery – just be sure to place it out of reach of your little one.
3-in-1 White Noise Machine
Score: 88/100
This adorable battery-operated cloud toy is another excellent option for when you’re on the go with your newborn. It’s small, lightweight and features a Velcro strap so you can easily attach it to the car seat, pram or crib and take it around with you.
It offers a good range of soothing sounds, including pink noise (white noise plus heartbeats), gushing waterfalls and a lullaby to help soothe them when in unfamiliar environments. It also emits a comforting pink or white glow, which can be adjusted depending on preference.
It proved popular with our at-home testers, with one saying, "My baby is using it for every nap but also at night; it soothes him to sleep every time." Another lavished praise on the "pretty design".
Your chosen soundscape will automatically turn off after 20 minutes to preserve the battery and, for the price, it’s great value for money.
V Hush Pro Soothing Sleep Trainer
Score: 87/100
This versatile sleep aid is brimming with useful functions to help with bedtime, including 40 bedtime stories, 100 classical music pieces, 10 lullabies, 10 nature sounds and no less than 250 (!) coloured lights. We particularly liked the option to record and play your own voice, stories or songs to comfort your baby.
Sound and light aside, it boasts a temperature sensor so you can ensure your baby’s room isn’t too hot or not cold, along with a nap timer, ceiling projector and a variety of sleep training programmes. Everything can be controlled and tweaked via an intuitive app on your phone.
"I honestly have nothing negative to say about this product," one tester told us, adding: "It has made transitioning my toddler into his own room incredibly smooth." They raved about the variety of features and found it a doddle to use, too.
The device is rechargeable and super portable, so you can pop it in your suitcase for easier bedtimes when you’re travelling. For some, the choice may be a little overwhelming, but it’s an excellent pick for value and variety.
Ollie the Owl
Score: 86/100
This soft, cuddly owl toy from the experts at Tommee Tippee is one to pop in your bag for naps on the go. It’s made from plush fabric that little fingers can touch and explore and it’s machine washable, so you can keep it in pristine condition.
The toy provides six sounds to flit between, including three gentle lullabies and three natural sounds: rainfall, heartbeats and white noise, with three volume settings to suit your needs. To get going, simply push the furry tummy to cycle through the settings and find the one that works best for your baby. Testers confirmed it's simple to get to grips with and they liked the simple design.
Best of all, there’s an intelligent smart sensor, which picks up when your baby is crying and automatically turns the soothing sounds back on for 20 minutes to try and coax them back to sleep.
"I tried the heartbeat sounds, which seemed to settle my baby," said one pleased at-home tester. They also rated the range of sounds and the overall sound quality.
Ollie boasts a long-lasting battery life of up to 10 hours and is simple to charge with a USB cable, so you don’t need to keep replacing the batteries. With a Velcro tail that can be attached to your pram, car seat or crib, it scored highly for portability and is unlikely to get lost.
My Little Morphée
3-in-1 Sounds & Lights Soothing Pal
Score: 81/100
This two-in-one baby sleep aid combines a cute cuddly toy and a clever sleep gadget. The snuggly seal is perfect for newborns, with a host of sounds to soothe and lull them to sleep, including classic white noise, raindrops, ocean waves, heartbeats and lullabies. It also functions as a nightlight, emitting a calming glow from the seal’s belly to complement the soundscapes.
To activate it, push the seal’s tummy and keep pressing until you find a sound that works for your tot – once on, it will run for 20 minutes before automatically turning off. There are also two different volume settings.
The toy can also be used when little ones get older, helping them adapt to a new sleep routine and nod off independently, without feeling frightened. They can hang it by their bed or even carry it with them when they start potty training.
Testers found the sound was a tad tinny but, on the whole, gentle and pleasant, and we loved the soothing soft yellow nightlight. The petite toy is perfect for travel and the outer layer is machine washable.
GroEgg
Score: 81/100
Another Tommee Tippee offering, this one is an innovative colour-changing room thermometer and nightlight in one, so you can give them the confidence to sleep independently and keep an eye on the temperature of their nursery.
It changes colour depending on the temperature of the room, glowing yellow when it’s between an optimal 16-20C, changing to orange if it’s warm (20-24C), red if it’s too hot (above 24C) and blue when it’s too cold (below 16C).
This immediate visual signal lets you know how hot or cold the room is and whether you need to adjust your baby's bedding, giving you peace of mind that they won't overhead or get too chilly overnight.
It proved extremely popular with our panel, who praised the clarity of instructions, attractive design and effective performance. “The temperature was very accurate and gave me confidence when dressing my baby before one,” said one tester, while another appreciated its portability credentials.
Panellists would have preferred a wireless device, and some thought the changing colours were a tad unsetting for their little one. Still, at under £30, it offers excellent value for money.
Turtle Aqua Dreams
Score: 80/100
There’s nothing like falling asleep to the rhythmic sounds of gently lapping waves on holiday, which is what this turtle-shaped toy replicates.
To help your little one relax, it plays a selection of soothing sounds including crashing waves, heartbeats and white noise, and projects a mesmerising light show of waves and little fish onto the wall or ceiling. This will encourage them to concentrate on the shapes and sounds, without getting distracted by other things around them.
"The baby absolutely loved this and even their older sister was interested!" exclaimed one tester. They liked the projections, saying that they "helped calm and entertain baby".
You can activate the sounds and lights independently of each other or play them together – it's about finding out which combination works best for your baby. Handily, there are four volume controls so you can set it to suit the size of your room.
The lights and projections will play for 25 minutes before switching off automatically, but if it senses your baby crying, it will turn on again. It offers fast charging via a USB cable (no need to replace batteries or trailing wires) and the exterior can be popped in the washing machine to keep it clean.
We would have appreciated a battery indicator, letting us know when the device needed a charge, and we thought the projections could have been a little stronger, but those were our only quibbles.
Cloudbox Story Telling Night Light Projector Soother
Score: 75/100
If you want to keep your kids away from blue light, screens and WiFi, this retro-inspired CloudBox could the perfect solution. It looks a bit like an old-fashioned radio and plays a plethora of stories, music and white noise to keep little ones aged up to eight years soothed and entertained. "The design was simple and looked lovely in my child's room," one parent told us.
With 38 stories to choose from and engaging recurring characters, rest assured they won’t get bored. As they listen, they can watch a light display on the top of the unit, which changes depending on their choice of story or song.
There’s an accompanying storybook (in two languages) so they can read along while they listen, plus the option to record and play your own stories – or even have your child record their own. You can plug in headphones, so they can use it when travelling, and it charges via a neat USB cable.
The only downside? The light projections weren't the strongest, but that wouldn't stop us from using it time and time again.
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