All You Need to Know About Baby Sleep Nests

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Having a good night sleep is very important for babies’ health for a lot of reasons. In fact, research has shown that a good night sleep helps for faster mental development in babies since it improves the learning process and memory. On the other hand, not having enough sleep can lead to developing high blood pressure, obesity and mental conditions such as anxiety and depression when your little one becomes an adult.

For this purpose, a lot of mothers try to establish bedtime routines and sleeping ambience by dimming the lights or reading some bedtime stories to their little ones. But know that all your efforts would be in vain if you don’t provide a good sleeping surface for your baby since its first days.

When it comes to providing your baby with a high-quality sleeping space, a lot of mothers recommend providing your little one with a baby nest bed.

Why You Should Get a Sleeping Nest for Your Baby?

Source: newbabywish.com

Baby nests are cozy, portable bed look-alike sleep surfaces for infants that feature soft padded sides and are beneficial for both, you and your little bundle of joy. So first of all, one of the many reasons to get a quality infant sleep nest for your little one is that they’re also highly recommended by doctors and healthcare professionals.

This is due to the fact that putting your baby to sleep on its back reduces the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). Also, by putting your baby in an infant sleep nest you eliminate the chances of your baby turning over to its stomach while you’re sleeping during the night.

Also, a lot of parents prefer co-sleeping with their little one, but they’re concerned about their baby’s safety when putting it between them. Have in mind that putting your little one in a baby sleep nest eliminates the chances of rolling over your baby and harming it while you’re sleeping. This way, you will always have your baby close to you for the night breastfeeding sessions too.

Not only these nests will keep you ensured about your baby’s safety, but they also provide a familiar space for your baby, giving it the safe feeling from the comfort of its first habitat- the womb. 

Finally, by getting a little snuggle nest for your baby, you can feel free to plan your next travelling trip with your baby, since these nests are completely portable and you won’t struggle to put your baby to sleep wherever you are.

How to Choose a Baby Nest?     

Source: babymatters.com

We all want only the best for our little ones, and that’s why there’re a couple of things you need to consider when choosing a baby snuggle nest for your little bundle of joy.

Material

Truth be told, some materials used for manufacturing baby nests are better than the other ones. If you want to make sure you’re choosing only the best for your baby, it’s best to choose only OSC certified materials. The most important is the outer fabric of the nest since it’s the surface that gets in touch with your baby, and you might want to choose safe and soft materials such as organic cotton is. 

But choosing safe materials for your baby doesn’t stop by the nest’s "upholstery", since all the nests are filled inside. For instance, the mattress’s filling should always be made of organic foams such as polyurethane foam is. Not only this foam is 100% safe for your baby, but it provides the most comfortable sleeping experience of all the mattress foams too.

Sizes

The baby nests usually come in 3 sizes- newborn size, medium size and toddler size. And as much as you and your baby are going to love it, have in mind that your baby develops and grows fast. This means that choosing one of the smaller sizes won’t serve you for a longer period, since your baby will outgrow it.

Luckily, nowadays you can easily find extendable and 100% adjustable baby sleeping nests. These nests usually have an open end, which allows you to adjust the nest’s size by simply pulling strings and tying a bow or folding out extension pieces with a belt mechanism. This way you’ll make sure that you’re making a great investment that will serve you for all the time you’re co-sleeping with your baby.

Safety

Your baby’s new sleeping nest’s safety is also one of the prior and most important things to consider. This means always choosing baby nests that are safety tested. Like we mentioned before, you should always opt for OSC certified fabrics, as well as CE tested mattress foams. 

Also, make sure that the nest is free from harmful substances, phthalates, fire retardants and heavy metals that will harm your baby during sleeping.

To make sure your baby's new nest is safe, you should always look for nests that are tested for ignition, hardness and air-flow through their pillow, and mattress firmness. Not only these nests are safest for your baby, but they're known to promote its physical health development too.

Some Additional Tips

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When we’re talking about your baby’s safety while co-sleeping, there’re some tips that experts recommend. For example, it’s always safest your baby’s head to be at the same height as yours, to prevent covering its head with your blankets. Also, make sure that you clear the nest space and don’t put any bumpers, pillows and toys inside to eliminate the risk of your baby suffocating or overheating by rolling into or getting covered with these soft objects.

If your baby is napping into its nest through the day, make sure you place it on a flat surface, to ensure that your baby’s comfortable enough.

On the other hand, when it comes to maintaining and keeping the baby sleep snuggle nest clean, their covers are completely machine washing safe, as long as you’re washing it on maximum 30°C delicate wash settings and use only mild detergents. Also, it’s always recommended not to mix it with other clothes in the machine, or at least put a small wash load to ensure proper washing. After you take it out from the washing machine, make sure you leave it to dry naturally, instead of putting it in a drying machine which can destroy the fabric.

When it comes to washing the mattress, always hand wash it with mild soaps or detergents and soft cloths by squeezing the soiled areas and air dry it in shade. Make sure the wet areas are well dried before you place it back in the nest since getting your baby to sleep on wet surfaces is harmful to its health.