Calling All New Parents: Here's Why You Should Add A Hatch Sound Machine To Your Registry

Seriously, this lil' sound machine is a holy grail parenting item.

Hellllooooo, fellow parents! My name is Heather and I have (at the time of this writing) survived 13 months of being a parent. If you're in a similar position, you know that's no easy feat!

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

Also, please know that I recognize *every* baby is different. What works for me and my child may not work for you and yours — and that's OK!

One essential item that has helped my husband and I through our parenting journey is, without a doubt, the Hatch Rest and Hatch Restore sound machines.

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

When my son was sleeping in a bassinet in our room we absolutely relied on the Hatch Rest to help all three of us form a routine. It's fantastic because you can control both the lighting and sound of the devices on your phone with Hatch’s easy-to-use app. 

My husband would typically give the baby a bottle before bedtime in our room. While he was doing that I would turn on the 'rain sounds' that we chose to use as white noise for our little one — I personally found it made me feel cozier as well, since it’s was on in our room all night. 

However, I think the most helpful feature is the ability to adjust how bright the light is.

Hatch, Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

When we were still getting up for middle of the night feedings and diaper changes, it was invaluable to be able to raise the light a bit when doing so but then be able to quickly lower it once the baby had settled back into sleep. It’s also not a harsh light and has a bunch of different color options. Once you choose your color you can also toggle it to control just how vibrant you'd like it to be, so it’s been easy enough to find a brightness that suits our needs.

The Hatch Rest is ideal for parents as it also has a sound monitor option.

Hatch

For the hour or so Noah (my baby) would be asleep in our room before my husband and I would get into bed, I was able to listen in and hear if he was fussing, crying, etc. We were also able to set it to a specific program so the light/sounds turn off on their own in the morning (one less thing for us to think about). Now that he's no longer sleeping in our bedroom, we still utilize the Hatch Rest as a light. Occasionally Noah will still cry during the night and need soothing, so it's great to not have to stumble around in the dark.

I'm not the only parent who can't live without this product. Here's what some others had to say:

amazon.com, amazon.com

"After three kids and two dead sound machines I must say I’m impressed with the Hatch. The night light is a really cool feature, and the ability to turn it up of down makes night nursings a lot easier. The sound is really soothing. My husband hates sound machines. It’s one of his least favorite parts of having a new baby in our room. He didn’t even notice it. I want to buy one for every room in our house." —Miriam Hedin

"We have these for our kids and it’s what I always gift at baby showers now. It works when they’re infants and we still use it with our 6- and 7-year-olds." —ddc

"My 4-year-old is autistic and we struggled greatly with getting him to bed at a decent time. It was always a fight, but after talking with his therapist I decided to try a visual schedule for him. Since he doesn't understand what the clock means quite yet this fully customizable light and sound machine was the perfect answer. I have tried other clocks intended for sleep training but they were not user friendly at all! This is so easy and I can do it from my phone and get the colors exactly how I want them!" —Samantha Stepnioski

I also adore the Hatch Restore, which is now the primary sound machine in my son's bedroom.

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

At first, we were only using the Hatch Restore primarily as a night-light in Noah’s room for diaper changes, but now we've fully taken advantage of the ability to set up a routine on the device. We set a bedtime routine complete with a soft reading light, specific lighting and sounds for Noah to fall asleep to, and lighting and sound to help him stay asleep. It's also so easy to turn all of those settings right back on when he goes down for a nap during the day (which isn't always at the same time). 

IMO, both items are a 10/10 and while they’re a must-have for any parent, I can totally see anyone of any age benefitting from using one at bedtime.

Hatch

Other people are also fans of this version as well — many adults have noted they use it for themselves:

amazon.com

"I didn’t know an alarm clock could make me this excited, but this thing is awesome! I love the gradual light for a gentle wake-up, and it is easy to customize to your schedule. There are many features on the Hatch app that require a subscription, but the alarm, light, and several sounds can be used at no cost which is sufficient for our needs." —B&T

"This is by far the best product decision I’ve invested in this year. It has been a long time since I’ve woken up in a peaceful way. Many alarm clocks are jarring for me, since I’m a light sleeper. I feel like I’m being pulled out of the layers of sleep rather than being yanked into awareness. I’ve enjoyed that this alarm has a sunrise setting, this feature has assisted in my subconscious awakening before I’m fully ready to wake up. When I am ready to wake up, I feel more at peace, awake, and aware of my surroundings without feeling the need to instantly reach for coffee." —Andrew

"By far one of my best purchases. I was so tired of being startled awake by my iPhone alarms. The sleep sounds on this Hatch, as well as the wake sounds, are beautiful and so relaxing. It really helps to form healthy sleep habits and sleep routines." —Ashley B.

You can get them both on Amazon: the Hatch Rest for $69.99 or the Hatch Restore for $129.99.