This review is well overdue, because the Sleepyhead is, I think, my most-used piece of baby equipment so far. I have used it multiple times a day, almost every day since we came home from the hospital. And never has something been recommended to me so many times, by so many different people. And so here we are, better late than never – the wondrousness that is the Sleepyhead. The Sleepyhead Deluxe is a fabric-covered “pod” marketed as a “deluxe portable baby bed”. It has a flattish bottom section with a firm bumper around the edge that cocoons the baby. The whole thing is completely breathable, the filling has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties and the cover is 100% cotton and machine-washable. Those are the practicals, but what does the Sleepyhead actually do? If you listen to the thousands of rave reviewing parents online then it’s the one-stop-sleep-shop for newborn babies, who seem to feel more snug inside the Sleepyhead rather than being all little and lost in the expanse of their crib or basket.
It’s a convenient sleep solution because it’s totally portable, and you can put the baby down in it safely whether it’s on the living room floor as you catch up on some work or next to you on the (firm) bed as you catch up on some sleep! So many people have said that their babies will sleep when they’re in their arms, but they are tetchy and restless in the crib – the Sleepyhead seems to have solved that problem for quite a few people I know, and the online reviews (check out the ones on Amazon and John Lewis) say much the same thing. I have to admit that before I had Angelica I honestly couldn’t see what all the fuss was about when it came to the Sleepyhead – I had my Snuzpod bedside crib and couldn’t imagine that I would need anything else. But after a few sleepless nights (two in the hospital and one back home) I decided that I’d put the Sleepyhead into the bedside crib, just to make everything a bit more snug. Now it could have been that the baby would have started to be more settled anyway, but the difference in sleep was almost instant.
Four or five hour stretches and no problems with placing her down – it felt much more natural popping her into a little pod-like thing than straight into the cot and I loved that the bumper around her made a comfy rest for my arm so that I could hold her hand and stroke her if she stirred. I’ve taken the Sleepyhead with me to hotels and used it inside the large cots that they give you – kind of a “bed away from home” – and I also used it for a month at my Mum’s, again putting it inside a large cot, so that I didn’t have to try and transport my Snuzpod in the already jam-packed car. I’ve used the Sleepyhead as a playtime area in the daytime, I’ve used it as a makeshift changing station when I’ve been “on the go” and I’ve plonked it beside me in the bed (pillows and duvet well away) when I’ve been exhausted and have just needed to be able to nap safely with Angelica nearby. (Below you can see the Sleepyhead placed inside the Snuzpod bedside crib with its side down.)
I do get very frustrated with many of the baby things on the market that we are enticed into buying, especially when they appear to be supplementary to the traditional equipment (in this case a simple cot/crib and mattress!); but I can’t ignore the fact that I have used the Sleepyhead non-stop since June. There have been a few days that we have gone without, and Angelica has been absolutely fine – random nights sleeping in the Uppababy Vista (which has been approved for overnight sleeping) and others in larger cots – but we always seem to return to the Sleepyhead and its cocooning charms. Even if she didn’t sleep in it all the time, and we had just used it for travel and for daytime play and naps, it would still have been our most-used baby thing so far. So, the pros (and I’m gathering comments from other people I know who have used it, too, here):I’ve had to think very, very hard about the cons, because I am a total Sleepyhead convert. To me, they’re not truly cons, but it will depend on your point of view…
Has anyone else used the Sleepyhead? What did you think? At what baby age did you stop using it? And who has gone on to use the larger one? You can find the Sleepyhead on Amazon here – free next-day delivery if you have Prime. The Sleepyhead website is here – I’ve linked to the info page with some tips on safe use and so on. *UPDATE: we tried a night sans Sleepyhead after I drafted this post. After an hour I came into the bedroom and the baby had rolled backwards into a ball in the corner of the cot and was crying! I was so paranoid about her new rolling/curling-up abilities that I thought I’d never get to sleep for worrying so back into the Sleepyhead she went! I’ll email my questions about sizing and shoulder-squishing to the brand tomorrow and get back to you with some answers. Gro to Bed: for when your toddler is ready for a big bed From the experts in safer sleep, the Gro to Bed is the unique zip in bedding set that stays fixed. Ideal for toddlers making the transition from cot to bed, or Grobag to bedding.
Our Gro to Bed range is an all–in–one duvet cover, bottom sheet and pillow case set that has been cleverly designed to keep the duvet in place and help to prevent little children from rolling out of bed. A unique zip-in system keeps the duvet secure on the bed with the toddler safe underneath it. It makes it impossible to kick the duvet off and makes it almost as hard to fall out. The pillow is fixed in place and the whole thing secured to the bed with a clever elastic holder. The Gro to Bed bedding set is ideal for toddlers making the transition from cot to bed or Grobag to bedding. Available in cot bed and single bed size Cot bed size fits beds up to 70cm x 140cm. Single bed size fits beds up to 90cm x 190cm. A warm and secure toddler is much more likely to sleep well. With Gro to Bed nothing goes bump in the night! Recommended from 2yrs + Has poppers that work with Gro Duvet popper system to prevent the duvet slipping down inside the duvet cover.
Complies with all British and European fabric and durability standards. Includes secure bottom fitted sheet with integral pillow case, and attachable duvet cover. Use with standard Cot Bed Duvets. Suitable for use all year round. Spare additional fitted bottom sheet available separately. Quick and Easy Instructions Start with the duvet cover inside-out and separate from the fitted bottom sheet/pillow case. Secure the bottom sheet to the mattress, starting at the pillow case end first, as this is the end with the big elasticated pocket that helps keep the bottom sheet firmly in place. Insert a pillow into the attached pillow case. Reach down inside the inside-out duvet cover to the two corners, and grab the two end corners of the duvet through the cover fabric Shake vigorously 2 or 3 times to allow the duvet cover to fall down around the duvet. (You will now find that the duvet cover is now the right side out, with the duvet properly in place inside the cover!)
Popper the ends of the duvet cover, and zip onto the bottom sheet. Never use a duvet/pillow for a child under one year old Do not exceed 4.0 togs for children in cot beds and 10.0 togs for children in single beds Do not use in conjunction with a baby sleep bag Going to the Zoo Wheels on the Bus Cot Bed and Single Bed Duvets are now available to complement our Gro to Bed bedding sets. The cot bed size is available in a 4 tog option, which is the maximum tog rating for this size of bed. The Single Bed size is available in a 4 tog or 8 tog option. Contains poppers on the top which conveniently attach to internal poppers on the Gro to Bed covers to prevent the duvet slipping down inside the cover. Washable at 60ºC to remove dust mite allergens Suitable from age 2 years plus Cot Bed size, 120cm x 150cm Single Bed size, 135cm x 200cm Sheets often need washing more regularly than duvets, for that reason The Gro Company have produced an additional fitted bottom sheet to use with our Gro to Bed range.
The sheets have all the features of our Gro to Bed range namely the attached pillowcase in plain white to complement all designs, zips to attach to the duvet, and the secure under bed fitting system. Cot bed size fits beds up to 70cm x 140cm Single bed size fits beds up to 90cm x 190cm Available in white in cot bed or single bed size Our popular Gro to Bed designs Wheels on the Bus Gro to Bed Have a great time on the Big... Mary Mary Gro to Bed A pretty garden full of shells and... Going to the Zoo Gro to Bed Have fun with all the animals at... Jolly Jungle Gro to Bed A fresh vibrant all over jungle animal... Daisy Dreams Gro to Bed If your little girl loves to be... Racing Ahead Gro to Bed With a new take on the chevron,... Counting Sleep Gro to Bed Forget about counting sheep, this Gro-to-bed is... Gro to Bed Duvet Cot Bed and Single Bed Duvets are... Sheets often need washing more regularly than...