How to Help Your Baby Sleep Better & Longer: Our Favourite Sleepwear and Nighttime Essentials
- Oct 22, 2025
- 7 min read
Introduction
The baby looks up at you with that sweet, heart-melting smile… full of love and energy... the exact energy you NO LONGER have at 2 a.m. 😅
You smile back (kind of), silently screaming in your head, “Sleep, baby, sleeeep…” as if you could magically convince her to close those eyes...
Sleep feels like an unreachable dream during those early months, but over time, I found a few things that actually helped my girls (and me!) get calmer, longer nights.
This is my real mom's guide on how to help your baby sleep better and longer. From baby sleeping bags to white noise machines, night lights, and our cosy bedtime story routine, here’s what worked for us. The tools and tricks that turned chaos into calm (well… maybe not 100%, but at least 90% 😉).
How We Finally Made Bedtime Less of a Battle (and More of a Hug)
Creating a Bedtime Routine That Helps Babies Sleep Better and Longer!
I used to think bedtime was just about putting the baby down at the “right” time, like 7 p.m. sharp.
But… nope!
It’s really about creating the right vibe, cosy, calm, and familiar. Not just for us adults, but for our little ones too. The bedtime routine gives kids a clear signal: “Okay, toys away, sleeping bag on, no loud voices, no bright lights… It’s time to slow down.”
Our routine takes about 30 minutes. Once we started doing the same steps every night, like brushing teeth, closing the door, zipping up the sleep bag, switching on the white noise and night light, and then storytime. The bedtime got so much easier. My girls quickly learned: “Ah, it’s time to bed.”
Baby Sleeping Bag Guide: A Key to Helping Babies Sleep Better and Longer
When my first daughter was born, I went through so many swaddles and baby sleeping bags trying to find the perfect one. Some were too thick, some too tight, and some were just impossible to zip up in the night after changing a diaper.. (Baby poops in the night... It happened!)
For the early months, I learned that arms-in swaddles (like Love to Dream, etc.) didn’t work for either of my daughters. Even though the brands promised they’d help babies feel snug and safe, like being held.
What’s Best for 0–6 Months and Beyond?
For 0–6 Months
After a few nights of baby ninja escapes and late-night swaddle battles, I realised swaddles just weren’t for us. Both my girls preferred their arms free, so I switched to baby sleeping bags that gave them space to stretch and wave. Honestly? Best decision ever. 🙌
Since they both hated having their arms “locked,” I just let them go full freestyle, waving their little arms in the air like they just didn’t care. 🙃
That’s when I found my favourite brand: Molis&Co. Their sleeping bags were perfect for my babies before six months old, super soft fabric, three different thickness options, and a smart two-way zipper (a total lifesaver for those 2 a.m. diaper changes).
No full undressing, no cold wakeups, just quick zip, change, and back to sleep.
And don’t forget to check the TOG rating to match the season and room temperature:
TOG Rating | Best For | Room Temperature |
0.2–0.5 TOG | Warm summer nights | 24°C+ |
1.0 TOG | Mild weather | 21–23°C |
2.5 TOG | Cooler rooms | 16–20°C |
I used a 1.0 TOG most of the time, not too hot, not too cold. Once I figured out TOG properly, sleep improved almost overnight (and I stopped worrying about them freezing in the night).
For 6 Months and After
Once babies start rolling, it’s time to switch to sleeping bags with legs instead of a sack.
My older daughter loved her sleep suit with legs. She could crawl, pull herself up, and still stay warm. When babies start rolling and turning, they really need that freedom to move. A sleeping bag with legs can make flipping tricky.
We now use one from Molis&Co, and I love their design that includes attached socks! It sounds small, but it’s genius! No more hunting for missing socks lost somewhere in the duvet (you know that pain). Their winter design connects the socks securely, so they stay on all night. 10/10 for warm toes and peaceful mornings!
These Kinds of Swaddles Didn’t Work for Us (and Why)
Big swaddle blankets:
Never underestimate a baby’s power!!
They might look tiny, but they have serious escape skills! Swaddling worked for a couple of weeks, but then my daughter started fighting it every night. I tried everything, bigger blankets, tighter wraps, even practising my “better wrapping technique” (a.k.a. becoming a professional burrito roller at 1 a.m.), but she always managed to wiggle her arms free.
Love to Dream swaddle:
This one sounded perfect at first, but my older daughter started sucking her fingers around three months old and absolutely hated having fabric between her thumb and mouth.
The White Noise Magic Trick — Our Easiest Sleep Win Yet
If there’s one baby gadget that truly changed my nights, the white noise machine is the one.
I’d never heard of white noise until I was pregnant. I downloaded a free app on my old phone, and to my surprise! It worked! It really helped calm my baby down at night.
But soon, I realised the downsides:
My phone battery died fast
The screen light was too bright
The app kept turning off.
So I finally bought a proper white noise machine - The Dreamegg White Noise Machine! It’s light, portable, and has multiple sound options. We’ve used it every single night since, and it’s now a must-have part of our bedtime setup for both girls.
🌟 Mom’s thought:
Avoid using your phone for white noise. The battery won’t last all night, the blue light is distracting, and some apps stop when the screen locks. A proper white noise machine is worth every cent.
🌟 Mom’s tip (for iPhone users):
Your iPhone has a built-in Background Sounds feature. No app needed!
Go to Settings → Accessibility → Audio/Visual → Background Sounds → turn it on → pick your favourite sound (like Rain or White Noise).
It’s perfect for travel or naps outside!
How a Good Baby Monitor Saved My Sleep (and My Steps)
I used to peek into my daughters’ room every few minutes, terrified of missing a cry. Then I realised… that’s why I couldn’t sleep. 😅
A good baby monitor changed everything. Clear sound, night vision, and peace of mind. I could finally go to bed without sneaking down the hall ten times.
Don’t overthink the fancy features. You don’t need Wi-Fi alerts or built-in lullabies. Just something reliable with a clear screen and good range.
“Once I could actually see she was okay, I finally stopped hovering like a ninja outside the door.”
You can read more about my favourite monitor in my Top 10 Baby Essentials article.
Night Lights for kids: Cosy, Calm, and Totally Practical
The right baby night light is a total game-changer.
Too bright, and the baby thinks it’s playtime. Too dark, and… you’ll definitely stub your toe (been there!). 😅
We use a simple, portable night light. USB rechargeable, three light levels, and super practical, like this one. It can sit on a shelf or hang on the wall... and be placed everywhere.
After trying a few, this kind of night wall light is the one we stuck with. It’s USB rechargeable, has adjustable brightness, and creates such a cosy, calming glow, perfect for those middle-of-the-night feeds. Warm tones like amber or soft yellow are best. They’re gentle on baby’s eyes and help signal that it’s time to wind down.
Bonus: it’s light and small, so we always pack it for travel!
Bedtime Stories for Kids: Simple, Sweet, and Surprisingly Peaceful
The last stage before those little eyes finally close.
We always end the day with a book. It’s one of my favourite parts of our bedtime routine. Lights dim, baby in her cosy sleeping bag, that soft night light glowing nearby.
Nothing special. Just us sitting together, reading a short story before sleep. My girls love it (even if it’s the same book every single night). It makes the room feel calm and warm, and I can see them slowly relaxing as I read.
Sometimes my older one yells, “One more! One more!” and of course, we always do.
That’s real life, right? Even with the chaos, those moments are gold.
If you’re looking for ideas, you can check out my post on our Top 3 Bedtime Stories for Kids. They’re the books my girls ask for again and again.
If your kids aren’t in the mood for a book one night, that’s okay; just lying down together quietly works wonders, too.
The Little Things That Made Our Nights Calmer (and Our Mornings Brighter 💛)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned after two babies and way too many sleepless nights. It’s that there’s no magic formula. Every baby is different, every night is different, and sometimes “calm” just means waking up twice instead of five times.
But honestly, these little things, a cosy sleeping bag, a soft night light, and that gentle white noise hum really made a difference for us. They don’t make your baby sleep through the night (let’s be real), but they do make bedtime smoother, and that alone feels like a small win.
Some nights still go off-script. Baby needs a feed to settle again, random giggles, or those 2 a.m. (or 4 a.m.!) “wide awake” moments that last for hours... and then somehow she’s up again at 5, ready to start her day. 😵💫
BUT it does get easier!
When my older daughter turned three, her nights finally stretched longer, and those middle-of-the-night wakeups became rare. The calm moments do come, and when they do, they feel like pure magic. ✨
You’re doing amazing, mama! Even on the nights that don’t feel like it. And one day soon, you’ll wake up and realise… You actually slept. 😴
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