Best baby sleep aids of 2024 tried and tested by parents

A baby sleep aid can help make bedtime calmer and easier - here's how to choose the best one

A collage featuring a selection of the items reviewed in this guide to the best baby sleep aid
(Image credit: Future)

A baby sleep aid is one of those items that parents eye suspiciously - will it really help your little one drift off more easily? We put some to the test to find out.

You might have already discovered the best cot bed or best bedside cribs for your little sleeping (or not sleeping) beauty but have you considered investing in a baby sleep aid? Whether you choose a white noise machine or a cuddly sleep soother, these clever little devices can help little ones drift off to sleep more easily. 

Of course, it's important to note that a baby sleep aid that works for one baby might not necessarily work for another. That's why we asked a panel of our parent testers to put a selection of baby sleep aid gadgets to the test, assessing each product on things like design quality, how useful its features are, and — most importantly — how effective they are at helping the babies in question settle to sleep. 

To help you choose the best baby sleep aid for you and your baby, here's our pick of the ones worth buying, based on real reviews from our panel of parents. 

Best baby sleep aids 2024 - our top pick

The best baby sleep aid, based on our independent parent reviews and Consumer Editor's assessment, is the myHummy White Noise Teddy Bear. As well as being soft, cuddly, and shaped like a teddy bear, it plays five different types of white and pink noise to help soothe little ones to sleep, and possibly help babies sleep through the night.

Best baby sleep aids 2024 - tried and tested

The MyHummy White Noise Sleep Aid

(Image credit: MyHummy)

1. myHummy White Noise Teddy Bear

A cuddly comforter that offers five types of white and pink noise

Specifications

Type: Comforter
White noise: Yes
Night light: No
Portable: Yes
RRP: £65.95

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful design
+
Five types of noise

Reasons to avoid

-
High price
-
Not loud enough
-
Complicated to change settings

Tried and tested by: Aryana Lindley with her 10-month-old baby, Liberty

Most babies are obsessed with a comforter of some kind, and the myCuddly Sleep Aid is a comforter with a difference. This teddy bear-shaped sleep aid plays five different types of white and pink noise to help soothe little ones to sleep. 

The device can either play for an hour or for 12 hours. It also has a clever sleep sensor, so it restarts if your baby starts to stir or cry. Aryana Lindley, mum to Liberty, 10 months, tested the myCuddly Sleep Aid to see if it is as effective as it is cute. She instantly loved the product when she saw it for the first time, saying it looks 'really cute' and feels 'super soft'.

The myCuddly helped her daughter to fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer. Aryana used the device when taking her daughter out and about in her pram, and also at her nursery, and found it helped Liberty stay asleep longer in a variety of locations. Aryana says the portability of the product is a top selling point. 

As well as the design, Aryana also appreciated the variety of sound options on the myCuddly. 'The five different sound features are great as you can choose one to best suit your baby and what they’re used to,' she says. 'I like the option of having it play non-stop for 12 hours, or for 60 minutes to a gradual fade out. There is also an inbuilt sleep sensor!'


The MyBaby SoundSpa On‐The‐Go Baby Soother Sleep Aid, featured in our guide to the best baby sleep aids

(Image credit: MyBaby SoundSpa)

2. MyBaby SoundSpa On-The-Go Portable Baby White Noise Machine

An affordable, portable, and fuss-free white noise machine for parents on the move

Specifications

Type: Sound machine
White noise: Yes
Night light: No
Portable: Yes
RRP: £16.99

Reasons to buy

+
Value for money   
+
Multiple sound options
+
Compact and portable

Reasons to avoid

-
Makes a rattly noise 
-
No light feature
-
Less stylish than other devices

Tried and tested by: Eugenie and her four-and-a-half-month-old daughter Darcey

If you’re looking for an affordable noise machine that’s simple to use, incredibly portable and that offers numerous sound and volume options, the MyBaby SoundSpa On-The-Go Portable Baby White Noise Machine is brilliant value for money. The device offers four soothing sounds (heartbeat, white noise, ocean, and lullaby), and comes with a clip so you can attach it to your baby’s pram, cot, or car seat. It also has a flat base so you can leave it freestanding. The sound machine allows the user to select between 15, 30, or 45-minute noise sessions, or to choose continuous play for babies having a longer snooze. 

Our tester Eugenie Freeman found the machine worked a treat with her daughter Darcey, four and a half months. Having tried a variety of white noise machines in the past, she found that this one was particularly easy to use and more portable than the others she has used.

'The product is very simple and intuitive to use, which I like because I have used other white noise machines in the past and have found that finding the right setting can be a bit complicated,' Eugenie says. 'This one is nice and easy - clear buttons, obvious symbols, and no confusion. It’s also small enough to travel anywhere with.'

The MyBaby SoundSpa costs significantly less than other noise machines our tester has tried, but has better functionality such as volume options, more sounds, and buttons that are easier to use.


The SnuzCloud 3-in-1 Baby Sleep Aid

(Image credit: Snuz)

3. SnuzCloud Baby Sleep Aid

A cute, cuddly cloud-shaped sleep aid offering four sounds and two light options

Specifications

Type: White noise comforter
White noise: Yes
Night light: Yes
Portable: Yes
RRP: £29.95

Reasons to buy

+
Cute appearance
+
Light and sound features
+
Easy to attach

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive  
-
Switches off after 20 minutes
-
Doesn't play continuously

Tried and tested by: Suzy Selwyn, who is mum to Reuben, 25 weeks

Adorable to look at, playing an array of soothing sounds, and offering two light options too, the SnuzCloud Baby Sleep Aid is a fantastic all-rounder that your baby will love - and you will too. Its soft plush fabric and sweet cloud-shaped appearance will make it a staple of your nursery, while its lightweight design and handy velcro strap mean you can cart it around with you wherever you go.

We asked Suzy Selwyn, who is mum to Reuben, 25 weeks, to see how she got on with the SnuzCloud. Suzy praised the sleep aid’s aesthetics and soft feel and said it worked really well not just to put her son to sleep, but also to distract him during nappy changes or winding.

'I like the gentle lights and sometimes I use the cloud as a distraction if he has wind,' she tells us. 'I love that it has multiple functions with sound - the white noise soothes him when he’s crying and the rainforest distracts him when I am changing his nappy. It helps soothe the baby in multiple ways and he likes to play with it and use it as a teether.

Suzy also highlighted how easy the SnuzCloud is to carry around and affix to her baby’s car seat and pram, making it ideal for frazzled parents who need things to be fast, easy, and efficient.


Tommee Tippee Dreammaker Baby Sleep Aid

(Image credit: Tommee Tippee)

4. Tommee Tippee Dreammaker™ Light and Sound Baby Sleep Aid

A sound and light sleep aid developed by sleep scientists for deeper, longer sleep

Specifications

Type: Light and noise machine
White noise: Yes
Night light: Yes
Portable: No
RRP: £29.99

Reasons to buy

+
Cry sensor 
+
Light and sound features
+
Pulsing glow

Reasons to avoid

-
Needs connection to the mains 
-
Doesn't come with a plug 
-
Not portable

Tried and tested by: Jasmine Harris tried the device with her daughter Sophia, six months 

The Tommee Tippee Dreammaker™ Light and Sound Baby Sleep Aid has plenty of aces up its sleeve when it comes to inducing and prolonging baby sleep. It offers pink noise to mimic the familiar sound of the womb, produces red light to soothe the baby and make him or her sleepy, and also offers a rhythmic, pulsing glow to help your little one relax before bed. Most cleverly, it also boasts CrySensor technology, which will listen out for your baby’s cries and automatically switch on, meaning you don’t need to creep out of bed in the middle of the night to activate it. The device has been developed in conjunction with a renowned sleep laboratory and sleep scientists.

Our tester Jasmine Harris tried the device with her daughter Sophia, six months, who, she says, 'struggles with sleep'. Jasmine found the device instantly helpful when it came to prolonging Sophia’s naps, saying the Dreammaker allows her daughter to get into a 'much deeper sleep'. 

She also says that having tried other, more expensive sleep products on the market, the Dreammaker offers brilliant value for money: 'It is extremely affordable for the price compared to some other sleep aids.'

The CrySensor, pulsing glow, and light appealed to Jasmine, and she found this made it stand out from other similar devices. It provides ongoing pink noise unlike other sleep aids, and it doubles up as a night light that is calming rather than a distraction,' she adds. 


The Zed: Baby Sleep aid with Calming Vibration, featured in our guide to the best baby sleep aids

(Image credit: Rockit)

5. Zed Vibration Sleep Soother By Rockit

A vibrating sleep soother to mimic the sensation of a car journey

Specifications

Type: Vibrating sleep soother
White Noise: No
Night Light: Yes
Portable: No
RRP: £29.99

Reasons to buy

+
Vibrations and night light 
+
Ideal for babies who love movement
+
Multiple modes

Reasons to avoid

-
Easy to move by accident as it's so light 
-
May encourage reliance on vibration to sleep
-
Children could easily mistake it for a toy

Tried and tested by: Mary Eleini with her son Lucian, seven months

If your baby loves movement and is happiest in the car, the Zed Vibration Sleep Soother By Rockit is the sleep aid for you. The Zed works by emitting gentle vibrations and mimicking the sensation of being in the car, a place where babies famously love to fall asleep. As well as offering six different calming vibration modes, the Zed also has three different night light options in the form of a relaxing red glow. It’s simple to operate, too, with large buttons and a big snooze button to press.

Our tester, Mary Eleini, found the Zed worked brilliantly with her son Lucian, seven months. She enjoyed how easy the device was to get the hang of, and also appreciated the night light’s gentle glow, which she found better than other harsher night lights she’d tried.

Mary said this product would work best for 'babies who are used to movement at nap times', as well as saying it would be a great tool to use from birth. 'It’s a really useful tool to keep a baby who is good at sleeping in the pram or in the car - basically, a baby who is used to movement - asleep in their crib,' she says.

She also found that the product wasn’t just useful at soothing Lucian to sleep and prolonging his sleep, but was also handy during nighttime nappy changes. 'I liked the multi-functionality of the night light, and the vibrations are useful when changing or feeding the baby in the middle of the night.' 


The My Little Morphee baby sleep aid

Credit: Morphee
(Image credit: My Little Morphee)

6. My Little Morphee

A beautifully designed, non-digital, storytelling sleep aid for older children

Specifications

Type: Non-digital sleep aid
White noise: No
Night light: No
Portable: Yes
RRP: £74.99

Reasons to buy

+
Creates a relaxing bedtime environment 
+
Fun for children to use
+
Lovely design

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Less effective on younger babies
-
No white noise

Tried and tested by: Tara Joseph with her daughter, Noa, three and a half,

Marketed at older children, the My Little Morphée is a non-digital, screen-free sleeping aid aimed at children between three and eight years old. It works differently from your typical white noise machine or night light, instead offering 192 'meditative journeys' to help children wind down before bed. 

Children can choose an animal and destination of their choice to hear visualisations, breathing and relaxation exercises, and guided meditations. The sessions have been created by sleep experts, and there are also soft music tracks and nature sounds if your child prefers this to a meditative journey. 

Our tester Tara Joseph tried out My Little Morphée alongside her daughter, Noa, three and a half, who loved playing with the device and carrying it around the house. Tara was impressed by the product’s elegant design, saying it 'looks great' and would fit in with modern nursery decor. She also praised how easy it was for Noa to get the hang of, and said it is really fun for children to use by themselves. 'Within a few days, my daughter was able to use it herself to choose an animal and setting to create different stories,' she adds.

Tara also appreciated the calm bedtime environment My Little Morphée helped to create in her home, praising the stories themselves and the narration too. 'There are multiple options to choose from - each animal can have a story based in a different environment,' she explains. 'The stories are calming and are read in a soft tone.'


The Sweet Dreamers, Ewan the Dream Sheep baby sleep aid

Credit: Sweet Dreamers
(Image credit: Sweet Dreamers)

7. Ewan Deluxe Baby Shushing Sleep Sheep

An adorable sheep-shaped sleep aid that features five soothing sounds and a red glow

Specifications

Type: Light and noise machine
White noise: Yes
Night light: Yes
Portable: Yes
RRP: £29.99

Reasons to buy

+
Smart cry sensor 
+
Cute appearance
+
Truly relaxing sounds

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey 
-
Tricky to the hang of
-
Turns itself off after four hours

Tried and tested by: Gina Osen and her son Nathan, four months,

One of the best-known sleep aids on the market, Ewan Deluxe Baby Shushing Sleep Sheep is extremely popular - and for good reason. Not only is he incredibly cute to look at and cuddly for babies to hold, but he offers a red night glow to calm babies and a smart cry sensor that listens out for your baby stirring or crying and reactivates him so you don’t need to get out of bed.

Ewan offers five different sounds to put your baby to sleep, all accompanied by the sound of a genuine, not computer-generated heartbeat in the background: a vacuum cleaner and heartbeat sound, a rainfall and heartbeat sound, a harp melody and heartbeat sound, a womb and heartbeat sound and a shush and heartbeat sound.

Ewan was tested both by Gina Osen and her son Nathan, four months, and also by me and my daughter Mia, one year. Gina found Ewan’s noises and lights to be 'calming' and 'multifunctional' and appreciated Ewan’s 'cute' design. I found Ewan’s sounds to be incredibly relaxing both for myself and for Mia after months of testing different sleep aids to no avail. The sound of the heartbeat is really soothing and makes you feel grounded after stressful days or nights with a young baby. I also appreciated the wide variety of noises available, knowing that though one baby may enjoy the sound of rainfall, another may be soothed by shushing. 

The biggest selling point for me, other than Ewan’s adorable appearance, is his crying sensor, which means you can nod off without worrying about having to go in and turn on a white noise machine or night light in the middle of the night: if he hears your baby stir in the night, he simply switches back on and the trusty heartbeat resumes. 


What sleep aid is safe for babies?

For newborn babies, a noisemaker (like a white noise machine) outside of their crib is your best bet for helping your baby get to sleep in a safe manner. While older babies may favour a blankie or stuffed toy, The Lullaby Trust says. 

All baby sleep aids listed in this guide are safe for your newborn and have been tested by manufactures to make sure they meet the correct standards. Plus, our parent-testers have tried and tested all products featured in this guide. 

How can I get my baby to sleep longer at night?

'Parents, especially those of newborns, can be so overwhelmed with choice when it comes to buying the right sleep aid for their child,' explains Daniella Lewis, co-founder of baby sleep consultancy Settled Sleepers.

'The truth is, whilst there is no magic sleep solution, the correct sleep aids can help to settle and calm a restless or overtired baby and soothe them to sleep. We love white noise machines that can play continuously throughout the night and that are durable as well as portable, and we also love a blackout canopy that’s breathable and easy to use.'

Sleep consultant Sarah Patel from Teach to Sleep is a big fan of sleep aids. 'Most infants find falling asleep difficult so if you can find something which makes this process easier for your little one, you are on for a win,' she says. 'If you are worried about your little one becoming reliant on something for sleep, know that it is normal to need support to fall asleep - and you can gently wean them off things like white noise if it becomes a problem for you.'

Our Family Editor, Stephanie Lowe, agrees. 'I remember feeling at a complete loss to get my newborn, Ted, to sleep,' she says. 'When I was there ‘shhhhing’ him he would drift off, but then he’d wake and freak out that I wasn’t there. So I turned to Ewan the Sleep Sheep. It would instantly settle him and stay on for 25 minutes at a time. Ewan fast became a firm favourite, always in the cot. Not all my mum-friends used sleep aides though. You know your baby and their needs and it’s your choice to make.'

How to choose the best baby sleep aid

Lynda Harding, the founder of Sweet Dreamers, says when doing your research about the best sleep aids, try to find products that combine multiple benefits, such as a white noise machine that also offers light. Some of the best baby monitors also come with baby sleep aid features like this so you can sometimes combine two and save money.

'When looking to purchase a sleep aid, parents should look for authentic features that will truly comfort their baby, so certainly look for a product that is based on lots of research,' she says. 'Something that has an integrated cry sensor is a must also, as this ensures that when your baby stirs, it automatically activates to soothe them and settle them back to sleep without parents having to get out of bed. It’s also important to look for a product that gives all the extras, so look for a sleep aid with light and sound options too.'

How we tested each baby sleep aid

To help you make this very important decision, we asked parents with babies aged between nine months and almost two years old to put a range of the top baby sleep aids to the test. As part of our testing process, they tried out the sleep aids with their babies for a number of weeks, and we used their in-depth feedback and insights to compile this buying guide to help you choose the best sleep aid for your baby.

While you're looking for the best baby sleep aids, you might also be interested in the best Moses baskets, the best baby sleeping bags and our expert-approved guide to baby sleep training

Curated by
Profile picture of Goodto Consumer Editor Heidi Scrimgeour
Curated by
Heidi Scrimgeour

Heidi Scrimgeour joined GoodTo after a 16-year freelance career as a parenting and lifestyle journalist. She has written features for various publications including The Guardian, Telegraph, Daily Mail, Red, Psychologies and Stylist. She was a parenting columnist for AOL’s Parentdish and baby gear editor of Mother & Baby magazine for six years. Heidi has taken part in various parenting debates on This Morning, The One Show and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. She has a degree in English & Media Arts and gained a Masters with Distinction from the University of Westminster. 
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Deborah Cicurel
Contributor

Deborah Cicurel is a London-based freelance journalist specialising in parenting, reviews, lifestyle, travel, interiors and more.


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