One of the most stressful parts of being a mom is the chronic sleep deprivation. There have been some mornings when I was so bone-weary and stressed, I literally sobbed before I even left my bed, afraid to face the day! With a newborn, it’s an unfortunate given, but by the toddler stage, things can improve if the right steps are used. (No, it will never just happen magically.)

Certainly, establishing a set time frame for bed, usually a 1-2 hour window, is a great place to start. Some children are able to adapt quickly, while others seem to struggle for years. (All of mine have been terrible sleepers, probably because insomnia runs in the family.) We always read stories before bed and give baths, so there was a routine in place, but it still wasn’t enough.

I needed something relaxing, that would help the kids not only fall asleep on time, but also sleep through the whole night. After doing some research online and talking to some of my mom friends, I heard about SleepBuddy.

The complete SleepBuddy system contains everything needed to make bedtime and naptime easier:

• Glowing Light
• Children’s Book
• Rewards Chart
• Stickers
• Parent’s Guide

I started by reading the Parent’s Guide to familiarize myself with how the system works. It contains lots of great info about how much sleep a child actually requires, based on age, which I found very helpful. Once I understood it, I then read the Children’s version aloud.

Basically, all that’s required is plug it in, set the desired time, and it will glow bright blue when in use. (If you can program an alarm clock, you can use SleepBuddy.) For little ones who don’t understand the concept of time but do understand colors, it was very simple for me to explain and for my kids to catch on.

Both naptime and bedtime can be pre-set and the progress is recorded with the incentive chart and smiley face stickers. Every time a sleep goal is reached, they are rewarded with a sticker plus another goodie. I use M&M’s and teeny stuffed animals as prizes. Since every child has different interests, by customizing the reward, this can be a huge incentive to make the system work!

As a bonus, it doubles as a nightlight (which we were already using) so that cuts down on things to buy. Since most kids have some fear of the dark, you probably have a nightlight anyway, and it won’t be tough to introduce it. If complaints about brightness occur, there are 7 different settings to control it.

SleepBuddy is available for sale on their website and Amazon. Check out my video review to see it in action.