Customer Reviews

Inclined to Sleep

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(38)
1 star:		(53)

 

 

Our 3 month old baby is a "Velcro" baby - won't sleep in her bassinet, has to be held almost all the time. Out of necessity we started co-sleeping, but her father and I were nervous about it (her rolling off the bed, us rolling over on her.) I went out and bought this when she was a few weeks old, and it's really worked. We can put her in it between us at night and not worry, and the sides must make her think she's being held because she goes to sleep in it very easily most nights. Also, the incline is useful since she has a little bit of reflux and it helps her be less spitty.

I also have a theory (not yet tested because she still feeds every 2 hours at night) that she'll transition to the crib easier since she's used to sleeping in it, and can continue to do so if we move it with her into the crib. The [money] was definitely worth it for the time we have used it thus far.

I wanted to share my experience with this positioner because I kept debating if I should purchase it or not and there were not many reviews on it, so it made me wonder how useful it really could be. I had registered for it and finally got it as a baby shower gift. I am glad I did. My son was a C-section baby and he has reflux and he seems to snore when he sleeps. This item is essential for babies who have reflux since it keeps their head elevated to help them sleep better through the night. I gave it 4 stars because like the other mom shared, my baby does slide down but I have never found him face down or in a position that he might suffocate. He has been sleeping on the positioner since birth and he is now 6 weeks old. The solution I found to help with the sliding is placing a towel (making a U shape) that is sturdy enough to prevent him from sliding and it works.

This product worked well for the first week or so, but then my son would slide down because his feet hung off the end and his face would be between the body cushions. The reason I still give the product 4 stars is because of its versatility. I was able to put the inclined portion under the crib sheet to help with reflux and the body cushions stick great to a fleece matress/lap pad placed on top of the crib sheet or comforter. My son prefers to sleep on his side and this is the only product I've found that really keeps him on his side without elevating his legs off the bed when used in the above manner.

This item is invaluable in preventing Plagiocephaly (flattening of the head)...I wish we had known about it for our twins. Newborns especially need a very soft surface for their very soft and malleable skulls. We used it for our third baby and as a result, he has a perfectly round head and proportioned features. The incline greatly reduced spit up as the 'flap' between their esophagus and stomach is not developed yet. Gravity prevents the milk/formula from traveling back up and causing gas and or spit up. I've noticed the biggest complaint about this item is that infants seem to slip down in it during the night. This is true, however, rolling up a receiving blanket real tight and placing it in a "U" shape under our son's bottom prevented this from happening ever again. As a result, he slept soundly, never spit up once, never woke us up with gas pain and has a perfectly round head. I strongly recommend the Boppy Noggin Nest as well to keep the pressure off the head when your baby is not in his crib. Also, if your baby is old enough to roll over, this item is not for you. One other note: the foam wedges on either side do trap some body heat, so don't over-swaddle or put too many layers on...adjust the thickness of your blanket to the ambient temperature. I would say this is a good item for newborns to about 5 months. It made an enourmous difference in the well being of our third child compared to his older twin siblings.

GOOD: I really like the removable wedges that can be repositioned; it's great for putting baby on her side, which is how she likes to sleep.
NOT GOOD: But as many other reviewers experienced, the baby slides down the incline and ends up in a little ball at the bottom of her bassinet on many nights (but not all). It's not a steep incline, but I guess for a baby it is. I was also a little disappointed in the qualityof the foam. It's not very resilient, so there is a dent in the foam where my daughter's head lies. The foam is yellowing a little too.
GOOD: But, the cover is nice and you can take it off and wash it.

Bottom line, given the short time period in which she'll be using this, it's probably worth it. In fact, I am going to get a new one for her for her bed at home so she can take the one she's been using to daycare in a couple months.

My son is 5 months old, he actually started out with the flat sleeper form (which prevents him from rolling on to his tummy). Then my husband and I decided to switch to the inclined one and it has worked better and has given us complete peace of mind. My son is now on his second cold and the one thing you will always be told to do when your baby has a cold is keep their head propped up. So this sleeper form not only helps him breath better when he's feeling good but always when he's sick, I LOVE IT. I am actually going to buy another one - since my son is so big he has already worn his out.

My baby has very bad reflux and this positioner is perfect! Kept her on an incline for better digestion. If any of these people didnt like it who said that their baby slides down --- why dont they just do what I did.....put it at the BOTTOM of the crib with a rolled up blanket near the crib bars so it will STOP your child from wiggling down. My daughter is nearly 5 months old and we STILL use it. By the way, for the people on here who said that the foam breaks apart in the washing machine -- Ummm, youre NOT supposed to wash the foam, the cover IS removable! Granted, a little hard to put back on, but it only takes a minute. Totally worth it.

Overall I think it is a good product. I don't worry about my newborn baby being in the wrong position at night now, I swaddle her and place her in the Inclined to Sleep and she does just fine. I also have used it in bed with my husband and myself, since she sleeps better with us, and I don't worry about the safety issues of cosleeping.

HOWEVER, the foam is way too soft and the fabric is cheap. My daughter is only 2 weeks old and the product looks like it has been used for years. I now have to place a folded receiving blanket under the head portion to get the same incline as it was when it was new. Plus she is a long baby, and does tend to wriggle down to the bottom at times, it would be useful if the Inclined to Sleep were longer and had a bottom wedge to prevent sliding down. I usually solve this by having a light blanket over her legs and tucking it in the sides and bottom, and then jamming the bottom of the Inclined to Sleep against the bottom of the bassinet.

Our son developed positional plagiocephaly early as a result of a birth injury that limited his neck flexibility and resulted in thickening of his neck muscles on one side (torticollis), causing him to prefer to sleep exclusively on one side. This positioner was recommmended as part of an overall sleep positioning strategy to keep the plagiocephaly from progressing. It did not work well in our case, as our son's torticollis "beat" the positioner, as his tendency to pull to one side was strong enough that the positioner didn't force him to sleep in the "right" way.

But that's not to say this couldn't be useful for parents who have a normal sleeper to begin with and want to use it as a preventative measure to assure a variety of (correct back-sleeping) sleep positions. Initially, it worked in getting him to assume the correct position during his deep sleep phase, and with a baby with normal neck muscles our guess is it would do the job just as advertised. He also seemed to sleep better on the incline, so we continued to use it while he was in the window. For the modest price, it's worth an experimental try, and the basic design is decent and relatively easy to use.

As noted in other reviews, it is hard to clean, but we found using the rough side of a dish scrubbing sponge dipped in warm water and a dab of laundry soap, rubbed gently back and forth, then repeated with warm water to rinse, got the worst of any spit-ups or night-time spills out. This is not intended to be used for more than a few months, so worrying about the long-term appearance and cleanliness is a bit beside the point.

One modest bonus of this: we found that even after we'd stopped using the positioner, the two "side" cushions had a second life as a prop/support to put under our son when he got his "tummy time"; they're soft but just firm enough to provide a little support across the sternum when used that way.

This item was a must for our son who has had acid reflux from 6 weeks on...Yes, a baby will slide down eventually as they start to move and kick, but it was perfect for putting him down at night after nursing. By the time he would slide down, hours had passed and he was due for another feeding. Our son, 4 months old, 13.5 lbs. and 25 inches long, still uses it every night. Even if he eventually moves down, it doesn't matter. He LOVES the memory foam and it is so comfortable for him to sleep in. ALSO, our pediatrician took note because he was impresed with hiw it is so good for preventing flattening in the back of the head, It distributes the weight better. Great for a baby who hates tummy-time.