How to create the best nursery to help your baby sleep as snug as a bug

You’re pregnant! Congratulations!

Not only is setting up your baby’s room or nursery an exciting rite of passage during pregnancy, creating a comfortable and calming environment where your baby will sleep can help ensure you all get as many sweet Zzzzzzzzs as possible. It’s also somewhere you’ll likely spend a lot of time feeding there, so it needs to be a space that makes you feel good too.

From choosing the layout of the room and big ticket items like the cot, change table and nursing chair, to swaddles and wraps, nightlights and baby monitors, here’s how to create the best nursery with stylish and hard-to-find products from Metro Baby to help your baby to sleep as snug as a bug.

Nursery furniture for your new baby

There are must-haves and nice-to-haves, so work with your budget and your priorities to create a room that makes you happy!

• Cot, mattress and mattress protector, fitted sheets, cot bumper alternatives (breathable mesh liners or vertical cot liners), cot rail covers, baby mobile
• Change table, change mat, nappy bin. If your change table will be in a nearby bathroom, it may be less disruptive to keep a change pad and nappy bag in nursery for night-time changes.
• Feeding chair and ottoman. Babies feed every few hours in the early weeks, and you’ll want to be comfortable.
• Monitor 
• Night light

Bassinet, cradle or cot

A bassinet or cradle is the ideal bed for the first few months of a baby’s life, with the cosy cocoon making them feel safe. Options are many and varied and you might choose to sleep your baby in a bassinet in your room, or in a co-sleeper, or popping Bub straight into their cot, and some parents put a bassinet in the cot – so the surroundings remain the same as they become more alert.

Whatever option works for you, take inspiration from the gorgeous Kumi Cradle from Charlie Crane (pictured below), which is a pretty mix of modern and traditional design with a gentle swing to help lull Baby to sleep.

If you’re looking for something that will see our baby through to preschool, the Scandinavian-style Troll Sun Cot (pictured above) comes in three colours and has two base positions for newborn and toddler, and a junior conversion kit can add several years to the life of the stunning bed.

Sleeping bags and swaddles

Swaddling a newborn baby makes them feel safe and secure, meaning they’re more likely to sleep well, which is the aim of the game! There are several types of swaddling options available, including using a large thin blanket made of cotton or muslin that you wrap around the baby, or a togged sleeping bag with zips or snaps for older babies.

Wrapping or swaddling a baby is knack and you’ll get better at it as you get more confident in handling your baby. Another option is to look for fitted wraps, which come in different sizes/ages and make things a bit simpler.

Babies sleep better when they’re not too hot and not too cold – just right! In warmer months or milder climates, look for lighter fabrics like cotton or muslin, moving through merino wool and bamboo through to flannelette and microfleece as things cool down.

Baby monitors

Even in a fairly small home, many parents find a baby monitor extremely reassuring in the first few years of life. And in a bid to keep your baby sleeping well, they mean you can act quickly if it’s necessary to soothe your little one before they become too upset and wide awake.

Metro Baby stocks a host of trusted baby monitor brands and the range includes traditional audio monitors, wi-fi monitors and video monitors that connect to a base unit or phone. As mobile phone use has increased so too has the popularity of wi-fi and video monitors that let parents connect to their phone and see their infant as well as hear them – even if they are out of the house.

Top-of-the-range baby monitors may feature a room temperature checker – another way to ensure your baby sleeps well – motion sensors, night vision and a night light, and benefits are many.

Baby monitors not only reduce anxiety for parents but also help keep sleeping babies safe. Checking your phone to see that your baby is happily awake and resettling themselves can mean better sleep for everyone.

Lights and sounds

Night lights serve a few purposes in your baby’s nursery. One is that it can make a soothing environment with the light creating a gentle transition from day time to night time. They also mean you’re not going to trip and stumble (or tread on a squeaky toy!) when you go to do a night feed, and similarly the light won’t over-stimulate your baby when they wake to feed.

These cute lights come in all shapes and sizes and as well as being practical, are neutral in style so they’ll look great in any baby room.

Born in 2013, the Baby Shusher has been something of a game changer for many families! This clever yet simple battery-powered gadget uses a human voice to ‘shusssssshh’ as your baby falls asleep. The timer means you can set it for 15 to 30 minutes, which is generally plenty of time to lull your bub into their sweet dreams.

Brought to you by Metro Baby.