Sleep Training and Traveling With the Slumber Pod

Hey, Mama! Have you ever struggled with sleep training? If not, consider yourself the luckiest mama in the universe. If you have, stick with me. You know the point in which all hope is lost. How about the sleep deprivation hits you so hard that you actually consider running away just long enough to actually take a nap? Adjusting to a baby’s sleep schedule that is so unlike your own, is definitely difficult enough to have you pulling your hair out!

What if there was something you could do about a baby that refuses to sleep soundly? If you anticipate this could be an issue after month four of baby’s life, go ahead and invest in the Slumber pod. It is a proven lifesaver!

Let’s play the “what if?” game for one more turn. It’s worth your play, guaranteed. So, when the family wants to get away for a well-deserved vacation, you already just assume that kids are going to be way too excited to lay down for any kind of rest. Whether you have eleven children, or just the one little one, it’s going to get real- really quick upon the very mention of sleep. Especially, in the multi children household, a hotel room is not going to facilitate the various needs of each child. Well, that is unless, you get and bring along enough slumber pods to set up for the little ones.

The Slumber Pod blackout tent, may potentially save your vacations and your baby from the throes of sleep training. So what is a Slumber Pod? I’m so glad you asked!

What Is the Slumber Pod?

The Slumber Pod portable privacy pod is a completely blacked out canopy you place over baby’s crib or pack n’ play to help the baby sleep soundly no matter the circumstances around you. You can be in the same room as baby without fear, as you are watching television, listening to the newest Lauren Daigle album, or whatever you are doing. Baby has a cozy, dark, cool space to fall into a deep slumber- and more quickly if you have a baby shusher. Any safe, dark, and enclosed spaces are going to be where your sleepy little one won’t resist sleep! This Slumber Pod is not only magical to baby, it is also a dream for your toddler as well! Older babies can benefit from the magic it brings as long as they can safely sleep in a crib or travel crib.

How to Set Up the Perfect Sleep Environment for Baby

The greatest thing about this thing is that it can be used at home and on vacation! The second greatest part is that it is PORTABLE. So, essentially, you don’t have to choose! This dream come true pod is 5 minutes from being ready to use wherever you stay- or don’t stay. Either way, you have to know how to set it up, right? Well, good news is that the instructions are simple and securely attached to the bag in which it comes. Anytime you have to pack or unpack the Slumber Pod, it should take a parent a whole 3 to 5 minutes. The incredible pod just got more incredible!

A parent sets the Slumber Pod up over an existing full-size crib, mini-crib, or playard. The black out tent is bottomless allowing for the cribs or playard to fit inside of the put together Slumber Pod. The two metal tent poles are to be fed through holes that should resemble a tent. That is what you are doing, setting up a little sleep tent for baby! Once you have the poles set correctly, the pod should glide easily over the sleep space. Finally, you secure the canopy with the pole clips and store the bag out of any children’s reach. Easy peasy.

Safety and Slumber Pods

You may be wondering how safe the Slumber Pods are. Well, let’s take a moment to look at the homework. The thoughtful creators, the mother daughter duo, has gone above and beyond to assure the safety standard is not only met but incredibly safe for a baby or toddler. The Consumer Product Safety Commission deems them at least compliant, and the young ladies have passed various voluntary tests to confirm that the pod is totally safe. The blackout tent is tested in a third-party lab for breathability. This ensures quality control that every parent deserves with a good nap or night sleep for baby- or toddler- so that they can dream easily. This also ensures that parents can breathe easy, too! The Slumber Pod is created from an 85% polyester/15% spandex fabric that permits air to permeate the inside of the sleep space yet blocks light. The black out tent is outfitted with ventilation panels, or windows of sorts. All the work done to ensure baby’s safety is surely not done in vain. These Slumber Pods are certified to meet or exceed the highest safety and health standards for each little one.

Slumber Pod 2.0- The Upgrade to Safe Sleep

When the experts were called in to see how the Slumber Pod could get any better, surprisingly, there was some wiggle room to perfect the product. So, the creators got together with some guys and gals over in Georgia at the ATDC. The ATDC of Georgia Institute of Technology airflow experts designed a better fan pouch for the blackout tent that sits a bit higher than in the original little room for baby. In fact, the Slumber Pod has designed a USB powered fan you can purchase in a bundle with the Slumber Pod, or you can buy the fan by itself. If you don’t feel the need for a fan, you can put the baby shusher machine in the fan pocket so the white noise will be like surround sound for the little one sleeping in the little room. The fan is only necessary if you are in a place in which there is no centralized air circulation.

Furthermore, the Slumber Pod is not designed for outdoor use. It could survive an outdoor adventure, but most people don’t want to replace it at the high price point. What else is new is a newly designed ventilation panel they call a “fly” design for maximum airflow. Then, Lou and Katy- and Barbara-, the inventors of the Slumber Pod, decided to move the pouch for a baby monitor higher in the nook. The higher and horizontal position of the baby monitor allows a parent to see the whole inside of the makeshift baby room. This change means that parents can see every bit of the toddler cot or travel crib inside. The outside is also more delightful with the new navy-blue color of the fabric and the embroidered stars that surround the hidden poles inside. 

Dimensions of the Portable Playard- Will your Crib fit?

The Slumber Pod measures 50″ L x 36″ W x 56″ H when assembled. The privacy pod can slide over a play yard 44″ L* 30″ W *36″ H or a bit smaller. The Slumber Pod website has a complete list of any pack n’ play that is compatible with it. Here are a few popular travel crib or play yard models to get you started.

• 1. Fisher Price Ultra -Lite Day n’ Night Play Yard
• 2. Safety 1st Happy Space Play Yard
• 3. Graco: Pack n’ Play and the Travel Lite Crib
• 4. KidCO Travel Pod Portable Playard
• 5. Even Flo Foldable Deluxe Playard
• 6. 4Moms Breeze Playard
• 7. Cost way Foldable Travel Baby Playpen Crib Infant Bassinet Bed
• 8. BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light
• 9. Dream On Me has two compatible travel cribs: Travel Light Play Yard and the Portable Playard

The Slumber Pod will even be compatible with certain mini-cribs like the Delta Children 4 in 1 portable crib and the LA Baby Original Bedside Manor mini-crib. Remember to check the Slumber Pod website for the complete list of compatible mini crib, travel crib and full-size cribs, play yard, toddler cot, and standard play yard. Also, you could measure the baby’s bed and compare the sizes to the dimensions above. If they are a bit smaller than the size of the baby pod, it’s a good chance it will fit nicely.

Recommendations on Age for the Slumber Pods

When you see age restriction on a package, it may make you stop and think of possible reasons for the exclusion. Well in all actuality the Slumber Pod would be one more thing that a newborn or 2- or 4-month-old would have to breathe in. From newborn to 4 months old, the caregiver of baby should be closely caring for the little one. In fact, if you’ve ever decided on sleep training for a baby, all of the methods are very clear that any baby younger than at least 4-months-old is not old enough to participate in it.

On the other hand the Slumber Pod company recommends to stop using the product at the age of 5 years. It is safe to assume that the Slumber Pod cuts it off at the age it does because it is past toddler years. Also, the weight limits on most cribs or play yards is about 50 to 60 pounds, typically a couple of 5-year-olds match the weight for the weight cut off. Slumber Pod is all about safety for our little ones.

Slumber Pod New Favorite Family Travel Tip

Assume your family is planning a great vacation and you went ahead and bought a Slumber Pod- or however many you would need to buy- to have the best family road trip. Well, the beta testers, and real customers have all agreed on the best way to prepare for the trip ahead, is to slowly introduce the canopy to any child who will be using one. Here is the tried-and-true tested introduction to the Slumber Pod for a baby or toddler.

First, set the pod up at home before the planned trip. Maybe set the canopy up in your living room to make a fun introduction. Let the kids explore the new pod getting more comfortable with it. Some sleep consultants advise using the first time sleeping with it set up be a night sleep rather than a nap. The night sleep works better because kids will be more exhausted at nighttime. If your baby is leery about the zipper, then allow the baby to fall asleep with it open. You can zip them closed after they fall asleep.

5 Fast Facts About the Slumber Pod You Have to Know

1. The creators of this gift to all parents are actually a mother-daughter duo! Yes! That is right! The team that brought the Slumber Pod to life, was a mama and her smart, beautiful daughter.
2. The mother-daughter duo behind this ingenious Slumber Pod were once contestants on the uber-popular Shark Tank TV show!
3. You may have seen the original pitch for this Slumber Pod on Shark Tank, when it was just a twinkle in Lou Childs’ and her daughter, Katy Mallory’s eyes. 
4. The “shark” responsible for the funding and coaching of the magical blackout tent was none other than uber-famous, Barbara Corcoran. It was a real nail biter, and tears were flowing well before the product pitch got underway.
5. The Slumber Pod portable privacy pod blackout canopy sleep space is now the best-selling canopy, that other inventors have tried to emulate with little real success for years following their invention.

Oh Baby Consulting: New Favorite Family Travel Tip

Jaimie Labbe, the creator of the Oh Baby consultants blog and sleep services for little ones and parents, has a lot to say about the Slumber Pod. First, if you are struggling with any kind of sleep training or your little one needs help with getting better sleep, Jamie is your girl! Secondly, the blog says, in part, that if there is any source of light in baby’s room, her biological circadian rhythm will inhibit the melatonin that baby naturally produces. With the lack of production of melatonin, baby will not get the good quality sleep she or he needs. She also goes on to mention that her favorite life saver when traveling is the Slumber Pod blackout tent. The new rule of thumb is that if you are in a dark room and you can see your hand in front of your face, the room is not dark enough. Oh Baby has a multitude of tips for baby sleep in her blog, and she is also a professional sleep coach.

The Best Alternative to the Slumber Pod 

So, there are plenty of alternatives to the real deal out there! The trick is to really look at the images and directly compare them to the Slumber Pod itself. If you think you’ve found one that may hold up in the race, you should go ahead and order it. When it comes to your house, be quick about testing it and if it isn’t worth it return it! Lets face it, the price point of the Slumber Pod is up there! The $170 price tag is a bit scary, so nobody is blaming you for wanting a less expensive version.

Here is the next best thing to the real thing, Snooze Shade USA, with a rather impressive 5 out of 5 stars their website and a lower price point than the Slumber Pod. The price is $89.99, and you aren’t getting a blackout tent for a standard crib. Instead, you will be able to use this product with a travel crib or a pack n’ play. Most parents have a crib and a play yard anyway, and if they don’t there are plenty of low-cost pack n’ plays on Amazon to choose from. This is unfortunately the only alternative that was lower in cost that didn’t wreak of a waste of your money.

On the other hand, there was a similar concept to the Slumber Pod, but was $5 more on Amazon’s website. The Easy Go Prodcuts EGK ZZZ instant pop out blackout tent fits over most pack n plays. The privacy sleep pod is $175.55 and has great ratings. Two more of the similar concept as the Slumber Pod that are both priced around $80 are the Brolex mini crib darkener and the Milliard pack n’ play tent with safety vents. The rating of the Milliard is not impressive whatsoever, but the Brolex had better reviews and ratings. It seems like no one can take the number one spot away from the Slumber Pod!

Looking for a Better Night’s Sleep?

If you have been counting all your sleepless nights and the times you felt victim to sleep deprivation. AND all the sleep sacks, traps and hacks you tried like bananas before bed. Maybe, you started spending longer at the park because you want to sleep one night all way through to morning, only to find out that is a bad idea. No matter, we are here to aid you in discovering a better solution. Every baby and toddler is unique and what may work for some may not work for your little one. Please don’t be discouraged, you have to remember that everything has to end. Eventually, you’ll find what works best for baby, and we hope we have helped you somewhere along the way.