This is post was written by me on behalf of Dohmie by Marpac and Mom It Forward Blogger Network. I’ve been compensated for my time but my opinions are my own.

The science of it, the delicate balance of a hundred factors, the tightly clenched fingers-crossed, and bitten lip, and prayers whispered.   Hundreds of books have been written on…what am I talking about?  Sleep.  More specifically baby and toddler sleep.  There are so many things that can make or break a good nap {or nighttime sleeping routine} and a mom wants to do everything possible to ensure that her baby rests properly.  And I mean anything!  Preparing for another newborn of my own I’ve been reminiscing a lot about my daughter’s first few months of developing a sleep schedule.  Boy, were those rough days and nights.

Myth: Babies can sleep through anything.
Fact: After babies pass the stage of sleeping all the time, they wake up to just about any sound.

We had always heard “let them get used to noise and they’ll sleep anywhere.”  Oh, how I hate this lie!  In fact, I’m sure it was started by the Devil himself.

Very few people can sleep through anything {I happen to be one of them but that’s another story}.  Most people will wake up when they hear a phone ring or a vacuum turn on, right?  Why should babies be any different?  Do we really want them to be?

To this day I still have family members telling me that if I’ll only turn on a TV for background noise that my daughter will sleep well and will learn to sleep through anything.  Why?  For crying out loud, whhhyyyyy?  First off, I don’t have a TV station in mind where I could completely trust what it’s saying 100% of the time.  Do I want her to listen to cursing and God’s name taken in vain?  Absolutely not!  Second, is it good for kids to hear conversation after conversation as they fall asleep?  I’m not a specialist but I wouldn’t think so.  Third and most importantly, my daughter sleeps fine with white noise, why mess with a good thing?

I know some friends of mine who had their daughter hooked on a Frank Sanatra CD and she couldn’t go to bed without it.  I think that’s fine but for me I would rather tote around a tiny noise machine instead of a CD player and CD {of course now there are iPods but they have to be charged}.

Which White Noise Machine to Buy?

We own a handful of white noise machines.  Some make lovely rain sounds but they turn off after 20 or 40 minutes.  Others rotate between ocean waves and what is suppose to be the sound of whales.  I’ve never found the sound of whales soothing but that’s just me.

All the machines we own fall flat because of one or more of these reasons:

• – They’re obnoxious {There is only one we have that falls into this category but it’s so bad that it’s worth noting.  Jungle sounds that are calm and soothing with an occasional squawking bird turns out to be not so soothing.}
• – They are on a timer and turn off after a set length of time.  {They end abruptly too, not even with a descending sound.}
• – The sounds are clearly on a loop.  Meaning that you can tell when it begins and when it ends.  It’s not pieced together seamlessly so the sound gets quieter towards the end, then loud again at the beginning. {This brand should get together with the one above who ends their sound sequence abruptly.}
• – They are bulky and have 101 sound options {I usually like options but it can get overwhelming.}
• – I overused it and it died.  Okay, so it was a fan and wasn’t meant to be a white noise machine.  {Not to mention a fan isn’t very safe for little fingers!}

Why I Love My Dohmie:

• – The sound is gentle and with a slight twist you can change the pitch of the noise.  Perfect!!!
• – The sound is endless, there are no loops and will stay on till you turn it off. {It uses electromechanical technology to create the natural sound of rushing air.}
• – It’s simple to use.  One switch which can be flipped to quiet, off, or louder.  {This easy to use feature is great for baby sitters!}
• – It’s lightweight which makes it great for travel.
• – It’s attractive and fits discretely in my daughter’s room.

Ever since my husband tried out our Dohmie he has been asking for one for himself to put in our room.  Which reminds me, that would be a nice Christmas gift…I’ll have to remember that!  We use to sleep with a fan for white noise but it’s just too cold in winter to do that so this is a great solution.  We’ve already registered for another Dohmie for our new little one’s room {Can you believe I’m having another one in January? I can’t!!}.

If you’re looking for a sound machine for you or your little one, look no further.  The Marpac Dohmie Serious Sleep Baby Bundle retails for $59.99 at Toys ‘R Us and includes the Dohmie sound machine, a “Buddy the Bee Finds His Z’s” storybook, and a Sleep 101 publication from the National Sleep Foundation.

Stay up to date with Marpac, the maker of the Dohmie, via the social sites below:

• – Marpac on Facebook
• – Marpac on Twitter
• – Marpac on Pinterest

What tips or tricks did you use to get some serious sleep when your little ones were little?