This one product got my babies to sleep through the night

When I tell people I have four kids under the age of 3 1/2, I’m met with a lot of questions—like whether I get any sleep. For a while, the answer was plain and simple: not really.

For the first couple months of my twins’ lives, nothing really satisfied them in the sleep department. They didn’t seem to like the swaddle, but when I threw my hands up and said, "fine, no swaddle," they startled themselves awake over and over… and over again.

Then a friend suggested I try Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit.

What is Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit?

Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit—created by a mom of four who is also a pediatric physical therapist—is a “swaddle transition product” designed to help babies feel cozy and secure. The Magic Sleepsuit is designed for babies ages 3-6 months, and it helps muffle their reflexive startles to promote better sleep.

Sign me up, I thought.

How Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit works

The sleepsuit is made of two outer layers of either cotton or microfleece with polyfil sandwiched in between to give it a bit more weight than your standard swaddle or sleep sack, thus giving your baby a cozy secure feeling and somewhat restricting their freedom of movement.

To get your baby inside, you unzip two full-length zippers on either side of the sleep suit, stuff their arms and legs in, then zip the whole thing back up.

The scooped neckline ensures none of the puffy fabric gets too close to your little one’s face and open arms and legs keep the baby from overheating in the super plush sleepsuit.

Is Baby Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit safe?

Baby sleep is a very sensitive subject, and for good reason—safety is paramount. If you’ve heard whispers that the Magic Sleepsuit isn’t safe, rest assured the brand says their product is perfectly safe, provided you follow all guidelines surrounding usage.

According to the manufacturer, “the Magic Sleepsuit is to be used with the ABC's of sleep (Alone, Back, and Crib), and following all the AAP recommended guidelines for safe sleep.”

The Magic Sleepsuit should also be used in a room that is at an appropriate temperature for babies—between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can you use the Merlin suit if the baby rolls over?

Once your baby starts rolling over on their own, it’s time to retire the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. To ensure a safe sleep environment, we stopped using our sleep suits when the twins were about 7 months old and they began to roll over in their sleep.

How much does Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit cost?

At about $40 per magic sleep suit, the price is nothing to blink an eye at. So I did what any budget-conscious mom of four might—I asked my friends if anyone had one I could borrow for my little sleep experiment. Luckily, I scored two, one for each twin, within an hour. Later, I bought two more, in order to have an alternate for each twin.

What I thought of Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit

The very same day we got our first set of sleepsuits, we tried it out at bedtime. Our babies looked like puffy little marshmallows stuffed into their suits. To liken it to some pop culture references, the Magic Sleepsuit looks a lot like the Michelin Man’s suit or the snow suit the boy from A Christmas Story gets stuffed into. In fact, it’s so big and bulky that it keeps your little one’s arms and legs straight out to the side, making them look a bit like a starfish.

We had a good laugh, and crossed our fingers that we’d get more than a few hours of sleep at a time. I have to admit, I went to bed counting my chickens before they hatched, and the joke was on me—we did not have a good night. Some magic. I put the sleepsuit on the dresser, defeated, and there it sat for another week or two.

But then, after a particularly trying couple of nights, I decided to give the sleepsuits another go. To my surprise, our second attempt was much more promising.

I’ve never been “good” at getting my babies to sleep. I know they say to put your baby down drowsy, not sleeping, but I’ve always nursed and rocked my kids to sleep until my arms felt like they were going to fall off. But that’s just not practical when you have as many kids as I do. So imagine how excited I was when I put the twins down drowsy in their Magic Sleepsuits and they twisted their little bodies to turn their heads, fluttered their eyes a few times, and actually fell asleep on their own.

I was impressed and optimistic about future success—after all, so many of my friends had raved about this product. So placing the twins in Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit became our new routine—they went in it for every nap and each night for bed.

It’s largely been a success, but I wouldn’t want anyone to walk away thinking this is the be all and end all to sleep issues. We’ve certainly had poor nights since we started using this product, but I will say: For the first time ever, my babies actually seem to get themselves to sleep. Even when I hesitantly lay them down for a nap, thinking they don’t seem tired, they typically fall asleep within a few minutes.

Should you buy a Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit?

Absolutely. I think the Magic Sleepsuit is a worthy investment, and I’m really glad I gave it a second chance. I truly do attribute our improved nap and nighttime routines to the sleepsuit’s ability to soothe the baby, and in particular, tame their startle reflex without keeping their arms swaddled down. And even if the price gives you second thought, ask yourself this: Is there any price you wouldn’t pay for a little more sleep?

$40 at Amazon

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.