Pros and Cons of a Teddy Bear Sound Machine
These days, there are all kinds of cute gadgets out there that are designed to help make parenthood just a bit easier. You can get mobiles with your favorite cartoon characters on them, baby jungle gyms designed to improve coordination, and baby monitors that let you actually see your baby as he sleeps. One other thing that you can get is a sleep machine, which is basically a machine that makes soothing white noise, which has been proven to help babies fall asleep and stay asleep much more easily than they would otherwise.
There are many forms of these sound machines. Some look like alarm clocks, and others look like small, square boxes with buttons and slits for speakers. One popular option, though, is a sound machine shaped like a teddy bear or, really, just about any stuffed animal. These little guys can be pretty cute, but before you invest in one of them over the other sleep machine options, consider all the pros and cons.
On the plus side, a sleep machine like this is just really cute. Besides this, these little guys don't have to be very loud because they can nestle right into your baby's bed while he's sleeping. Plus, they don't have to be plugged into a wall because they obviously run on batteries, which means that they are highly portable and can even be used when you're in the car, in a hotel, or just laying your baby down for a nap while you steal some much-needed mom time at a girlfriend's house.
On the negative side, though, a sleep machine built into a stuffed animal could be a little bit dangerous for older babies, depending on how it's made. For the most part, these guys are made like other stuffed animals involving electrical parts; they have a velcro-shut section inside which all the electrical pieces, wires, and speakers are hidden. These little compartments, though, might not be completely baby-proof, which could prove to be dangerous. Also, these stuffed animals might not be able to be washed as easily as normal stuffed animals.
Before you decide to pick one of these up for your baby, remember that it's likely to be dragged around to a lot of places, and find out from the box or tag if it can be disassembled and tossed into the washer. That way, if the animal ever gets dragged through the dirt or spit up on, you can be sure to wash it fast and get it back in the crib that very night.
Check out these great and safe baby sound machines:
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