Written By
The Snooze Geek
Snooze Geek Editorial Team
Expert Reviewed
Snooze Geek Review Process
Independently tested & fact-checked
Updated
June 30, 2026
Nobody warns you that the hardest part of a newborn isnt the crying, its what the broken sleep does to you by week three. You get fragments, an hour here, ninety minutes there, and your body never drops into the deep stuff. You cant fix the wake-ups, the baby runs that show. What you can do is make every window of sleep you do get count for more, and fall back asleep faster when you finally lie down.
These five wont magically give you eight hours. But they protect the sleep you can grab, and a couple of them pull double duty by settling the baby too. If your nights are already light and broken, our picks for light sleepers overlap with a few of these.
Quick Jump
1
Dreamegg Portable White Noise Machine
The one buy that helps both of you
$20
Price
21
Sounds
Rechargeable
Battery
If you only buy one thing on this list, make it this. Steady white noise masks the creaks and the dog and the doorbell that would otherwise jolt a barely-sleeping baby (and you) awake. The Dreamegg runs on battery so it goes in the nursery, your room, or the diaper bag for grandmas house. New to white noise? Our white noise machine guide breaks down what actually matters. The one gripe, the buttons glow a little bright in a pitch black room.
$19.99
Check Price on Amazon2
NICETOWN Blackout Curtains
Nap when the baby naps, for real this time
$10
Per panel
Many
Sizes
Thermal
Lined
Everyone tells you to nap when the baby naps. Good luck doing that at 2pm with sun blasting the room. These block out enough light that your body actually believes its bedtime, which is the whole trick to a daytime nap working. They double for the nursery so the baby naps longer too. Theyre not 100 percent pitch black at the edges, but for ten bucks a panel its close. Buy two panels per window.
3
Manta Original Sleep Mask
For when you cant black out the whole room
$39
Price
Zero
Eye pressure
Adjustable
Cups
When you crash on the couch mid-afternoon or youre sleeping somewhere you cant control the lights, a mask is the portable version of blackout curtains. The Manta uses molded cups that sit around your eyes instead of pressing on them, so you can blink and theres no smushing. Pricey for a mask, no question. But it actually blocks light at the nose bridge where the cheap ones leak, and that gap is exactly what wakes you up.
$39.00
Check Price on Amazon4
Nutricost Magnesium Glycinate
For the nights your brain wont shut off
$15
Price
Glycinate
Gentle form
180
Capsules
The cruel part of new-parent sleep is lying there wired even when the baby finally went down, because your nervous system is still on alert. Magnesium glycinate takes the edge off that so you drift off in the short window you have instead of staring at the ceiling. The glycinate form is the gentle one, it wont send you running to the bathroom like the cheap citrate stuff can. If youre breastfeeding, run it past your doctor first, but its about as mild as a supplement gets.
$14.75
Check Price on Amazon5
Loop Dream Earplugs
For your off-duty nights
$49
Price
Soft
Side-sleep ok
Reusable
Washable
Big caveat up top: dont wear these on the nights youre on baby duty, you need to hear the monitor. These are for when your partner has the shift and youre trying to sleep through a snorer or street noise. The Dream tips are memory foam over silicone so they actually disappear when you lie on your side, which most earplugs cant pull off. They take a beat to learn the roll-and-insert. If you mainly fight a snoring partner, our snoring partner picks go deeper.
$49.45
Check Price on AmazonFrequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to wear earplugs as a new parent?
Only when youre not the one on call. If your partner is handling night wakeups, earplugs are fine. If youre on duty, skip them or use a video monitor with the volume up so you never miss the baby.
Does white noise actually help babies sleep?
Yes, steady white noise mimics the whoosh of the womb and masks sudden household sounds that trigger the startle reflex. Keep the machine a few feet from the crib and at a moderate volume, not blasting.
Can I take magnesium while breastfeeding?
Magnesium glycinate is generally considered low risk, but supplements and nursing are worth a quick check with your doctor or pediatrician first. Were not going to pretend otherwise.
Whats the single best buy if money is tight?
The white noise machine. It protects both your sleep and the babys for around twenty bucks, and it keeps earning its keep long after the newborn stage.
You might also like:
- Best Sleep Products for Light Sleepers in 2026
- Best Sleep Products for Snoring Partners in 2026
- Best Sleep Products for Shift Workers in 2026
