Safe T' Sleep

This is one of those products that you will initially look at and think, what on earth is that and do I really need one ? Then you think about it and can see how it would work and how it could come in handy at certain times but ultimately can also see how you could do perfectly well without one. Then you'll talk to other mums and dads going through a specific problem and they'll open your eyes to a whole load of advantages that you'd never have even dreamed of.

That's what happened here. The Safe T' Sleep is basically a velcro wrap that you incorporate into a baby's or toddler's bedding to keep them in the position you want overnight or at naptime. The advantages are obvious - it would be very handy if you have a particularly wriggly baby who refuses to stay in the recommended anti-cot death sleeping position (on their back, but if you're reading this review several years from now, check that the guidelines haven't changed - 8 years ago when Sophie was a baby, it was on their side that was the recommended position !). If you have a toddler who has progressed onto a "grown up bed", it's a softer alternative to a bed barrier to stop them falling out of bed.

For us, the huge bonus is that it takes up a small amount of space in the luggage and can be used to transform a normal single bed into a baby-safe bed in place of a much heavier and bulkier travel cot. For our trips over to the grandparents, it's a real spacesaver (and is also so much easier to use than travel cots, which always seem to fight back whenever we try to assemble them, usually after arriving tired and in a rush to get the kids to bed !).



For us, it was a useful but not indispensible gadget, an alternative solution to something already on the market (namely a travel cot). Then we got talking to some friends who have a son one month older than Pierre, who has "flat head syndrome" and who has to keep sleeping in different positions to try to even out his head shape. "Easier said than done", said the Mum, who is tearing her hair out because whatever she does, he just goes back to his usual sleeping position on his flat bit. I lent her the Safe T' Sleep and she was blown away at how easily it overcame the problem, because she could strap him in however she wanted and try as he might, he couldn't wriggle out of that position. She said she'd mention the product to her doctor because she saw it as an absolute Godsend.

The Safe T' Sleep has in fact been tested and used in hospitals. The website describes it as "an innovative product promoting a more restful and safe sleep in babies (suitable from 0-36 months)" and suggesting its use for babies with reflux, colds and colic. As well as keeping baby in the correct sleeping position, another safety aspect is that it prevents overheating and keeps baby's face and head clear.

The only downside I can see is that, although it is aimed at children up to 36 months, I would think that by then, they would be quite able to open the velcro fastening and get out if they are so minded. Until then, it is a great piece of kit for parents who want or need some peace of mind while baby sleeps.

RRP : £47.60

star rating : 4/5

for more information and to buy online : http://www.safetsleep.com/