MUST-HAVE IN YOUR TOOLBOX

As the Lead Sleep Consultant of The Baby Sleep Site ®, which has helped more families solve their unique sleep problems than many others, I am always on the lookout for the most helpful sleep products that I can recommend to our tired parents. I can recommend the Zen Swaddle and Zen Sack without reservation because they are designed with two things most parents seek in products for their little ones’ safe and restful sleep – quality and care. After working with thousands of parents to improve sleep for their families, I know that swaddled babies sleep longer and sounder, and a swaddle like the Zen lets moms rest easy without worrying about dangerously loose blankets in bed with baby. The lightly weighted pads can mimic your touch to help your baby feel secure and comforted through the night and sleep in longer stretches.  In addition, keeping a baby’s body temperature regulated is so important for better sleep and Nested Bean products do just that. One of the best parts of this design (and my personal favorite feature!) is that once your baby is ready to wean from the swaddle, the design lets you do it in a gentle and gradual way, which is what we’d recommend to our clients. The Zen Swaddle and Zen Sacks are must-haves in your parenting toolbox!

-Nicole Johnson, President, The Baby Sleep Site ®

HOSPITALS USE SIMULATED TOUCH

As they learn more about how touch affects our early development,researchers are coming to recognize it as a basic need. The proof is in studies that found infants that are deprived of touch grow slowly—even when they are otherwise well cared for. For instance, premature infants who were massaged for 15 minutes three times a day gained weight 47 percent faster than others who were left alone in their incubators though they did not eat any more than their touch-deprived counterparts. Further, tests on lab animals demonstrated that touch simulated by an inanimate object produced the same positive effects as touch from their moms – NY Times

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TOUCH

Research shows that physical affection has measurable health benefits. "Most of us, whatever our relationship status, need more human contact than we're getting, stimulating touch receptors under the skin can lower blood pressure and cortisol levels, effectively reducing stress," said Matthew Hertenstein, PhD, director of the Touch and Emotion Lab at DePauw University. – Oprah

THE SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS OF HUMAN TOUCH

Sharp. Painful. Orgasmic. Comforting. Touch can be any of these things. But, it’s much more than one of the classic five senses; it’s fundamental to everything we think and feel, how we communicate and bond, and whether or not we catch a cold. “Touch is our body’s largest and the oldest sense," says Jeanne AbateMarco, M.S., R.N., C.N.S., clinical nurse coordinator of the Department of Integrative Health Programs at NYU Langone Medical Center. "It’s a channel of communication. It’s integral to the human experience.” – Shape Magazine

TOUCH HELPS REGULATE STRESS

Research has found that touch—whether from a person or an object (think your favorite cozy robe)—boosts the feel-good hormone oxytocin and diminishes cortisol, the stress hormone. Sounds simple, but the positive effects of touch are far-reaching and profound, making us healthier and smarter while boosting our moods. It even helps us bond with one another. – Good Housekeeping