Johnson & Johnson and the Bedtime Range by Nadia Edwards as seen on C4 Super Shoppers

It was a super exciting morning in London with the crew of Super Shoppers. When the  film company contacted me to take part in a show about whether Johnson & Johnson's bedtime range had a clinical stake in helping babies sleep better, I totally jumped at the opportunity.  In this blog I explore the 3 questions we looked at in more detail and reveal what does have a clinical stake in helping babies sleep well.  

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What is the best way to get a baby to sleep? Is the routine what really matters?
 
A regular bedtime routine is one of the most important things to help a baby sleep well. Setting up a bedtime routine is a great way to ensure that baby always knows what to expect when bedtime arrives. A cue for the mind and body! The bedtime routine that parents establish for their baby should be one that both of them find enjoyable. If baby doesn’t enjoy taking a bath, for example, then it definitely shouldn’t be part of the bedtime routine. The idea is to make the bedtime routine as soothing and as pleasant as possible.

An Ideal bedtime routine, will boost connection with cuddles, feeding and lullabies but be short and predictable too.  This gives everyone plenty of time to wind down from the day, but won’t drag on so long that baby starts to get overtired.

We also know that better sleep outcomes are associated with the more nights a week that a routine is implemented. 
 
Does a product make a difference?
 
A specialist aromatherapy lavender oil has been shown to have a calming effect on babies, which in turn may help them to sleep more easily and certain baby products can make a difference for baby’s who have sensitive skin - such as baby’s who suffer from eczema, they may need a special product, usually prescribed by their GP to ease the itching - which if not treated can disturb falling asleep and staying asleep, but if we are talking about general products not so much.  As part of their routine babies can learn to associate particular sensations or triggers for example the smell of bubble bath with sleep but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a 'night time’ product, regular baby products can work just as well. 
 
Is the price justified? 
 
If you prefer the smell and other aspects of the product (Johnson's Bedtime Baby Bath), sure, absolutely. But if you’re paying more in the belief that a bubble bath will be a magic sleep potion then probably not. 

So does the J&J's bedtime range have a clinical stake or not? 
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​Well not is the answer - it is the bedtime routine not their product that is clinically proven to help your baby sleep well. Even J & J acknowledge that on their right to reply in the show.

There have been many studies done to show the effectiveness of a bedtime routine and it is the one thing all sleep professionals agree on, interestingly J & J's have been the sponsors of some of these studies!