Those dark circles under your eyes can only mean one thing: you're in the process of helping your sweet little one transition to sleep in their room. You're certain that all of those long nights spent practicing patience and consistency will pay off soon. A full night of sleep (for everyone) is right around the corner.
There is no tiredness like "new parent tired"! If only there were some magic object that you could put in a baby's room to make everything easier.
Generations of parents once stood in your bleary-eyed shoes, but you're lucky. You're sleep training your precious baby during the 21st century, at a time when first-class materials and technologies like the Pixsee smart baby monitor exist. Today, there are so many small but significant baby room essentials that will make your life easier if you keep them on hand.
What are you missing?
Keep reading to discover the nine essential items on our baby room checklist. All of these items will help you do your job even better on a full night of sleep... or no sleep at all.
Should My Baby Be Sleeping in Their Room?
Before we get to the essentials, we know you have questions. Do you know when to move a baby to their room? Here are a few of the baby room FAQs that new parents ask during the first year.
How Long Before a Baby Needs Their Room?
Most pediatricians recommend transitioning your baby to their room between four months and one year of age. The safest time to move your child is around their first birthday. Parenting with a Pixsee smart baby camera makes the transition much less worrisome at any age.
How Long Does a Baby Need to Sleep in Their Room?
A baby's sleep cycle is about two hours long. In the beginning, your sweet baby might wake up every two hours or so. As a baby get better at self-soothing, they will slowly but surely learn to sleep through the night - that means six to eight hours at a time.
What Do Baby Rooms Need?
While sleep training, you'll want a crib with a firm mattress. Avoid stuffed toys, bumpers, or blankets. Some parents also like to have a convenient changing area in the baby room itself, but that is a personal preference.
Read more in Ultimate Checklist for the Perfect Baby's Nursery
The Baby Room Essentials Checklist
Now that you know what a baby room needs, it's time to figure out what you're missing! The nine essentials below are easy to forget, but having them on hand makes sleep training easier.
Essential #1: Blackout Curtains
If your sleepy baby begins to associate darkness with sleeping, they'll naturally drift off to sleep in a darkened room. If your nursery has windows, a set of blackout curtains can transform it into the ideal environment for sleep. These come in handy during the summer when the sun is still blazing at bedtime.
Essential #2: Extra Batteries
Nobody thinks about batteries until the moment they need them, and so many baby devices and doodahs run on battery power! Keeping a few packs in a safe place in your nursery is a great way to ensure you never have to go without them.
Essential #3: A Digital Clock
Mastering sleep training means paying careful attention to your baby's trends and patterns. How many times is your baby waking up each night, and for how long each time? Having a digital clock on hand that you can read in the dark will help you stay oriented during those long nights.
Essential #4: An Ultrasonic Humidifier
Babies sleep much better when they're comfortable, especially during the dry summer months. While the Pixsee smart baby monitor includes temperature and humidity detection, you'll need to provide the humidifier yourself! It will keep your little one from waking up due to congestion, so you'll both sleep more soundly.
Essential #5: Outlet Covers
Just because your baby isn't mobile today doesn't mean they won't meet that milestone tomorrow! Baby proof your space in advance so you don't wake up to a curious future scientist exploring the concept of electricity! Outlet covers are an easy baby-proofing tool that will give you some additional peace of mind if your little one is active.
Essential #6: Hand Sanitizer
Every parent knows that babies are messy little creatures. When you wake up for a late-night feeding and touch something slimy in the dark, you'll be grateful to have hand sanitizer on hand! It's perfect for a changing area, but keeping some in every room in the house can't hurt.
Essential #7: A Nightlight or Nursing Light
Your Pixsee smart baby monitor can provide you with clear footage of your baby, even in perfect darkness. If you wake up to look in on them, however, you'll be grateful for a little source of unobtrusive light. A nightlight or nursing light is soft enough to keep a baby from waking - and it has prevented many stubbed toes over the years.
Essential #8: A Source of White Noise
If you have a Pixsee smart baby monitor in the nursery then you already have this one covered! A source of white noise can help a baby sleep soundly, even if mom and dad (or other siblings) are up and about at bedtime. Babies begin associating the white noise with sleep, and they may drift off as soon as that soothing sound fills the space.
Essential #9: Swaddlers
If you can't be there to snuggle your sweet baby all night long, you need something to do the job for you! A sleep sack or swaddle is a great tool that can make your baby feel safe and secure in their crib.
It keeps their limbs contained, replicating their safe, womb-like position. They're also much safer than blankets on cold nights. A great sleep sack can help your little love feel warm and secure enough to drift off and start dreaming.
Not sure how to swaddle or what the benefits are for a baby? Visit our How to Swaddle Baby guide.
A Well-Stocked Baby Room Means Happy Parents
Every job requires a few essential tools, and parenting is no different. If you keep these items in your baby's room, you'll have almost everything you need to get the job done. With a parenting companion like the Pixsee smart baby monitor by your side, you'll become an unstoppable sleep-training professional in no time.
The Pixsee smart baby monitor fits perfectly in any space to meet your discerning taste and style, offering peace of mind with industry-leading privacy protection.
Visit our Pixsee Shop and Amazon online store to learn more about how to capture your baby's growth journey with the best baby monitor on the market.
