Blackout tents are one of the best parental tools when it comes to improving your kid’s sleep. A blackout tent might be the solution for you and your baby — and we don’t even need to know your problem. Because whatever your issue is, a good night’s sleep for both of you is guaranteed to make it better. That’s hardly a difficult sell, but first you have to know exactly what a blackout tent is.
We’re here to tell you. Blackout tents are a relatively new invention, primarily designed for travel, to help your baby sleep in a new environment that might be too bright or distracting. And although they’re a relatively new trend, blackout tents make sense. We’ve long known about the consequences of too much light in the bedroom.
Using a blackout tent for my baby has been a game-changer for our household. We started using one when my daughter’s 4-month sleep regression started, and it was a blessing. The complete darkness it provides has transformed my little one’s sleep routine, helping them fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
According to a study covered in the BBC in 2014, too much light at night was linked with “ill health in rodents” and obesity in humans. Experts cited light from the street, a trend towards lighter curtains, and the constant illumination of our electronic devices as reasons our rooms aren’t as dark as they used to be. And that was in 2014.
Again, it’s mostly common sense: when it’s too bright, we don’t sleep as well. When we don’t sleep as well, we’re not as healthy. There aren’t too many studies on the concept for babies, but if you’re not a believer in pitch black sleep for your child, you may find it’s helpful for another reason. It’s the perfect thing for a baby in a new room, and the perfect thing for the adults sharing it. The baby can sleep, and you don’t even need to dim the lights.
The gold standard in blackout tents is the SlumberPod. Conceived of five years ago by a mother-daughter team, they were inspired by one legendarily terrible night trying to get the baby to sleep at grandma’s house, with the light from a streetlamp streaming through the window. By 2018, they had started selling their first Slumberpod. A portable tent for babies four months and up, it looks more or less the same as one you’d use for camping, except it fits over a pack n play and blocks 100% of incoming light. Today, the Slumberpod blackout tent comes in three colors for $179.99. Buy the one with a fan included for an extra twenty dollars.
According to Forbes, Slumberpod has over “250 sleep consultants” who advocate for the product. “We felt we were on to something – especially since the idea for the product came from a personal need,” Katy Mallory, one of the Slumberpod founders, told the publication. “It put additional wind in our sails when we surveyed parents and learned that nearly two-thirds of babies and toddlers who slept well at home struggled to sleep well away from home.”
But while the Slumberpod may be the biggest name on the market, it’s not the only blackout tent available. Many parents cite the SnoozeShade as a great blackout tent alternative. Blocking 94% of light, the SnoozeShade costs $69.99 and fits most rectangular pack n plays and triangular travel cribs. It’s extremely easy to set up and super portable, although it doesn’t rise as high as the Slumberpod — so keep that in mind if your baby likes to stand. Other options favored by baby bloggers are the the EasyGo ZZZ Crib Canopy Blackout Tent, the Guava Lotus Travel Crib, the Brolex Mini Crib Canopy Cover, and the Joovy Gloo Travel Tent.
You’ll want to read up on the safety of each blackout tent before you decide if it’s right for your own child. Here’s what Slumberpod says on their own website about the safety of the product, hoping to reassure nervous parents that the Slumberpod is structurally different than the “crib tents”’ that have caused safety concerns in the past. For one, it’s bottomless, and so the “SlumberPod does not modify your child’s safe sleep space in any way that would invalidate the playard or other safe sleep product’s own safety testing and certifications.” You can read their full article, here.
We know you’ll want to take some time to think it over, and decide if a blackout tent’s the right solution for you and your baby, especially on the road. In the meantime, try to get some sleep.