I’ve been asked countless times by parents, friends, and fellow consultants: What baby sleep products actually help? And while there’s no single magic item that guarantees a full night’s sleep, I’ve found that the right tools combined with a solid sleep schedule and calming environment can make a world of difference.
Through my training with the Family Sleep Institute, I learned that baby sleep isn’t just about luck – it’s rooted in science. And often, it’s the smallest changes that make all the difference. Whether it’s adding one new step to your bedtime routine or introducing a thoughtfully chosen product into your baby’s sleep environment, these shifts can help your little one fall asleep more easily and stay asleep longer.
In this article, I’m sharing my top five baby sleep essentials to consider buying – products I used with my own kids and continue to recommend to families today – plus a few tips to keep in mind when deciding what’s worth the purchase.
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Top 5 Best Baby Sleep Products
1. The right overnight diaper: Pampers Swaddlers
There are plenty of reasons babies wake up at night – hunger, discomfort, shifting sleep cycle – but a leaky diaper doesn’t have to be one of them. While choosing the right overnight diaper might not seem like a critical part of your baby’s sleep setup, they actually play a bigger role than most may realize. Choosing one that’s absorbent and comfortable can make a real difference in how well your baby sleeps.
Even before I created the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers App, Swaddlers were my both daytime and nighttime diaper of choice. Over the years, and after supporting thousands of tired parents, I’ve only grown more confident in their ability to help reduce disruptions from leaks or skin irritation. Just like keeping the room dark and cool helps support melatonin (the sleepy hormone) production, keeping your baby dry helps support uninterrupted, restorative sleep. Think about how you like to fall asleep: cozy, comfortable – and definitely not damp.
From their secure waistband and leak barriers to the breathable liner that keeps moisture away from delicate skin, Swaddlers diapers’ soft, flexible fit adapts as your baby grows, and the materials are hypoallergenic and gentle. Since babies spend nearly all day and night in a diaper, it’s worth choosing one with thoughtful features and ingredients.
If you’re looking for a toddler nighttime diaper or a pants-style diaper or pull-up, most brands make sizes up to 46+ pounds (20+ kilograms). Remember, it’s developmentally normal for potty trained children to pee at night until between five and seven years old. Also, if your baby is continuously waking up wet, try sizing up in Swaddlers at night or look for specifically Swaddlers overnight diapers as a simple intervention to see an almost instant difference.
If you want to save while stocking up, Download the Pampers Club app to start earning rewards to get free diapers, too!
2. The best baby mattress: Newton Crib Mattress
A breathable, not-too-soft mattress is very important for babies of all ages – from newborn up until toddlerhood and beyond. As a mom and longtime advocate for healthy and safe baby sleep, I can confidently say the Newton Crib Mattress is a great investment.
Its breathable design gives real peace of mind during those early months when your baby is sleeping a lot – and once they start to move in their sleep, too. It's firm enough to support healthy development – back sleepers and tummy sleepers (when they can roll over independently) – yet comfortable enough that little ones (and their parents!) can rest easier.
Another favorite feature is it's completely washable – something I never knew I needed until the inevitable newborn nighttime blowout or spit-up happened. It's clear the team behind Newton has thought of everything, from safety to sustainability to sleep science. It’s not just a mattress – it’s an investment in safer sleep.
3. The best travel gear: SlumberPod
We talk a lot about how circadian rhythm and light exposure affects sleep in the Smart Sleep Coach app and SlumberPod makes it easier to maintain that rhythm even outside the nursery.
Your Smart Sleep Coach personalized plan includes guidance on how to set up your baby’s bedroom to promote healthy sleep habits and restorative rest. A big part of that is making sure their room is pitch black.
Just like how blackout shades block out sun from your baby’s room, the SlumberPod acts as a portable blackout tent that creates cozy, safe, and completely dark space – wherever you are. So, if you ever travel with your baby, share a room with them, or are out and about during naptime, a SlumberPod is your next best bet for keeping on schedule.
What I love most is how seamlessly it supports everything we encourage at Smart Sleep Coach: consistency, comfort, and independent sleep skills. Whether your baby is on a great sleep schedule, you’re in the middle of sleep training, or you need a temporary blackout shade solution, SlumberPod is a game-changer.
4. The best sound machine / the best night light: Hatch
I mentioned the importance of light in helping your baby sleep – it helps regulate melatonin and cue that it's time for sleep. The same goes for reducing unnecessary noise during sleep time – which is why I also recommend a baby sound machine to help soothe them during wind down times and block out any outside noises from unnecessarily waking them up.
This is why I love the 2-in-1 Hatch Rest+ nightlight which includes both a smart nightlight and gentle sounds. The light and noise for the Hatch are simple yet powerful inclusions in the bedtime routine – something we know helps babies get comfortable falling asleep on their own.
What I especially love is how Hatch grows with your family. From red light settings that protect melatonin production during middle-of-the-night feeds to toddler-friendly “time-to-rise” cues, it supports independent sleep at every stage. When paired with an optimized sleep schedule and guidance, Hatch becomes more than a nightlight – it’s a reliable part of your child’s sleep toolkit, helping build confidence, calm, and better nights.
5. The best developmental toy: Curious Baby Cards
You may think a game or toy on this list is odd, but actually the Curious Baby Cards help stimulate your baby during wake windows, which ultimately builds sleep pressure and helps your baby wind down for the night – not to mention it’s a great screen-free activity to introduce before your last feed and bedtime routine.
A big part of my work as a sleep consultant is underscoring the importance of a calm, consistent wind-down routine. Curious Baby Cards are the perfect way to ease into that rhythm, helping babies shift from play to rest while also supporting their healthy development and connection with you.
Other Tips for Better Baby Sleep
These baby sleep products are part of a holistic approach to better sleep. When navigating sleep throughout your baby’s first few years, there are so many other factors to consider – wake windows, feeding schedules, growth spurts, teething. It is overwhelming – for both of you.
This is the main reason why I created the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers App. To take the guesswork out of everything baby sleep!
Here are some other small but meaningful changes you can make that I swear by:
- Implement a soothing bedtime routine that does not involve feeding: Your baby needs to eat before bed – but do that first, before starting your routine, so that your baby does not associate feeding with sleep. Then do things like books, a song, and a diaper change, in the same order each night. Stick to this routine even if your baby is going through a sleep regression – I explain why here.
- Follow a smart, personalized schedule: To help your baby fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer, your routine should align with their circadian rhythm. You can use the Smart Schedule in the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers app to track your baby’s sleep patterns and set your ideal schedule. Take this free sleep quiz to get a personalized plan to take the guesswork out of everything baby sleep – including a sleep schedule that updates in real-time, depending on how your baby’s sleep goes that day.
- Set up a sleep-friendly space: Think about your own bedtime; you likely have preferences for the kind of blankets you use or whether or not you have a fan on, right? Your baby also wants the ideal sleeping zone. We talked about the importance of making the room dark as you can – also try to keep the room an ideal temperature (about 68-72 °F or 20-22 °C) and make sure they are properly dressed for sleep.
- Create a support system: Baby sleep is complicated and getting it right takes time and patience. It also takes support! In addition to your support team at home, a subscription to Smart Sleep Coach comes with access to me with questions unique to your little one.
- Try sleep training (optional): If sleep training feels right for your family, or you want to learn more, many parents have had success with one of the many methods that are out there – here’s my explanation of a variety of possible methods.
Final Thoughts
In addition to being a certified sleep consultant, I’ve been helping develop products and solutions to help parents care for their babies for more than a decade. There are lots of products to support sleep – but they all must go hand-in-hand with a consistent bedtime routine, consistent feeding schedules, and a safe, comfy, and stable sleep space (I go over those guidelines in this reel).
There is a lot of noise out there and my hope is this article helps you narrow down your search for the best baby sleep products. ls remember that all babies are different and what works for one may not work for another.
Remember: any sleep struggles are normal and temporary. Often though, even the smallest tweaks – like switching to a different diaper – can make all the difference.
- Desperately seeking zzz’s? The right baby products may help, but there’s plenty more you can do. Take this free, three-minute sleep quiz to get personalized support.
- You’re on your way to no wakeups. Download the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers for sleep solutions that are powered by science, backed by experts, and personalized for you – plus free access to me and my tea of sleep consultants!
