Our girls are fantastic sleepers.
There, I said it.
I don’t know why, but I always feel guilty when I admit that my children are good sleepers. I guess because when the topic of sleep comes up with other parents, they’re usually looking for someone to commiserate with.
Don’t get me wrong, we definitely put in our time. When I think about our first year with twins (especially the first few months), it’s pretty much a sleep-deprived blur. At one point, during a particularly rough bout of teething, we were up about 10 times a night with EACH baby.
But these days, it’s rare if we’re up at all during the night. We put our kids to bed around 7pm and usually don’t see them again until 7am the next morning.
It. Is. Amazing. And not something I take for granted.
Anyway, like every other parent out there, we tried many different combinations of sleeping aids and arrangements in order to figure out the best “sleep solution” for our kids.
One item we tried – and ended up using for months – was Sleeping Baby’s Zipadee-Zip, a baby sleep sack that worked wonders for our girls. In fact, we used our Zipadee-Zips so much that I included them as one of our top 10 must-have items for surviving the first year with twins.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Any purchases made through my affiliate links may result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost to you). However, all opinions and endorsements are my own and I’ve only recommended items that I’ve personally used and loved!
We swaddled the girls when they were really little, but when they started to resist being swaddled, we were at a loss. They couldn’t seem to settle on their own, but if we did try to swaddle them, they just fussed and tried to “break free.” Sleep was nonexistent at the time.
My best friend recommended trying the Zipadee-Zip, and out of sheer desperation, we decided to give it a try. To our surprise (and ultimate delight) it worked wonders; our girls both put in a solid 6-hour stretch the first night we used it.
The Zipadee-Zip
Basically, the Zipadee-Zip is a wearable blanket with star-shaped pointed sleeves. The design of the sleeves allows babies to move around more freely, but still gives them the enclosed, cozy sensation they’re used to in the womb. This was helpful when our girls started to roll, as they both preferred to sleep on their bellies. The design of the Zipadee-Zip also helps to soothe babies if they jolt awake due to the startle reflex.
We used the Zipadee-Zip every day, for naps and bedtime, from the time the girls were about three months old until they were over a year. In fact, when the girls finally started to outgrow them, we cut the sleeves off to make them more like a traditional sleep sack. We were afraid to stop using the Zipadee-Zips as the girls had come to associate them with sleep.
About a month ago, I finally decided to start the transition away from using sleep sacks. I put the girls down for their nap like usual (sans Zipadee-Zips) and a half hour later, they still hadn’t settled. I went up to check on them, and when I opened the door, I found one of the girls standing in her crib, naked from the waist down.
Yup… she had figured out how to take off her pants (and her diaper) on her own. Luckily there wasn’t an accident waiting for me, so I hastily got her dressed and hoped it was just a one time thing. Well, it happened twice more until I caved and decided we’d have to go back to using a sleep sack. Maybe until the girls were potty trained, at least?
Enter: the Flying Squirrel PJ.
The Flying Squirrel PJ is from the same company behind the Zipadee-Zip. It’s a one-piece pajama/wearable blanket designed for toddlers. So essentially, a step up from the Zipadee-Zip, designed for children aged 1-5 years. They’re meant to fit loosely and can be worn over regular pajamas or on their own. They also have optional hand and foot covers which help keep little feet warm during the night.
The girls have been sleeping in their Flying Squirrel PJs for a couple of weeks now and I can already tell we’re going to get a lot of use out of them. They help keep them warm and cozy, without having to worry about them kicking off loose blankets, and still gives them a full range of movement. Importantly, the girls don’t resist putting them on. In fact, they usually don’t want to take them off in the morning.
Added bonus? The girls haven’t figured out zippers yet, which means I don’t have to worry about finding any more surprises at bed time.
You can shop both the Zipadee-Zip and the Flying Squirrel PJ by clicking the link below!
