SlumberPod was designed to create a safe, easy, and portable solution to help make room-sharing more restful and less stressful for everyone. Since our launch, we’ve learned that our customers, employees, family and friends have not only used SlumberPod at home, in hotels, or at family/friends' homes, but also in other creative situations. Seeing these unique uses intrigued us and made us want to learn more…
So we reached out to our entire SlumberPod network to find out more about how SlumberPod is used in creative or unique ways. Sit back during naptime, read on, and become inspired by other SlumberPod parents!
TRAVEL
“Flight Delayed”: two words no one wants to hear, especially if you’re traveling with little ones. Well, for one SlumberPod parent, Kellie, this unfortunate circumstance was saved by taking her SlumberPod out of the carry-on bag and setting it up in the corner of the terminal for her little one to take a nap! Kellie wrote: “It worked great! So many people stopped to see what we were doing, and it was fun to share our most loved baby item!”
Want to travel and experience the outdoors? An RV and a SlumberPod make a perfect duo for this scenario, according to some of our SlumberPod parents! Mary H. wrote: “We rented an RV last summer. We were so desperate to travel during Covid and knew camping would be a great solution. But also knew sleeping outside with a toddler would be a disaster. Our little guy has to have *complete* darkness. We’d never camped in an RV before, and the ONLY reason I knew it wouldn’t be a total sleeping catastrophe was because of SlumberPod! We were able to move about the cabin after he fell asleep, and we even got to sleep in!!”
RENOVATIONS, LIMITED SPACE, + MOVING
SlumberPod has also come in handy for numerous parents having work done around the house. For example, SlumberPod parent Grayson S. wrote: “We just moved into a new house and are currently renovating our 18-month-old’s room — he has been sleeping in his SlumberPod for several days while we work diligently to paint and remodel. He has slept even better than he normally does for naps/overnights.” So don’t let renovations halt sleep — pop up SlumberPod in a free room and let your little one snooze without disruption or being in the way.
Have limited sleeping space in your current home? Set up SlumberPod in any room (bathroom, laundry room, etc.) to create the perfect sleep environment for your little one - despite where it may be! This is perfect when nanny sharing, having family or friends sleepover, or room-sharing with another sibling. For example, Laura G. shared: “When we have family come to visit, we can create a space for our daughter anywhere in the house so that our guests can stay in her room. With SlumberPod, we can create a perfect sleeping space for her to have uninterrupted sleep.”
Another SlumberPod parent, Tristan R., wrote: “Due to Covid, we had to temporarily move in with family, and I was able to put our toddler in a loft bed with our 6-month-old underneath in a pack 'n play with SlumberPod. It has been an absolute lifesaver! Not only does it keep his grabby hands at bay but also provides a visual block so he can go right back to sleep because he won’t see anyone (like on nights we wake up or when we parents sneak out from laying him down). Honestly, we will be moving into our own place this month, and I literally fear his transition to a crib when he already feels so safe and secure with SlumberPod.”
EVENTS + ACTIVITIES
Naps on the go during events and other activities certainly seem to be a common use amongst our SlumberPod parents. The portableness and ease of assembly truly make SlumberPod easy to set up anywhere.
Although it’s a circumstance none of us want to experience, most of us will have to one day attend a funeral. This stressful time can have added pressure if you add a little one to the mix that is missing nap time. Well, one SlumberPod parent, Chelsea M. was able to solve this dilemma by bringing her SlumberPod. Chelsea explained: “You do what you gotta do as a mom. Unexpected death in the family, we had to travel to Florida. The funeral was during my daughter’s nap time, and I was stressing about what to do the whole time. We brought SlumberPod, a sound machine, and a sleep sack and set her up in the conference room at the funeral home. She napped just like she was at home. I never travel without SlumberPod.”
Another stressful, yet exciting time, is a wedding. Mallory L. made sure to bring her SlumberPod along to a recent wedding and explained: “When you have to juggle a 6-month-old and being the Maid of Honor, SlumberPod is a no-brainer. Having the ability to set up a sleeping section and still be a part of the festivities makes SlumberPod a necessity!” So next time you’re heading to the chapel, make sure to pack your SlumberPod!
One SlumberPod parent even made use of the SlumberPod at UCF and Rollins basketball arenas in Central Florida. LeighAnn H. was coaching there for summer camp and had to bring her daughter, so she made sure to pack her SlumberPod along so no sleep was sacrificed!
PLAY + SENSORY
When you first receive your SlumberPod, we recommend setting it up in your living room so your child becomes familiar with it. Most families will play with toys inside, read books, and/or do a practice night-time sleep so the child has no issues with being inside SlumberPod once a trip comes along. But some parents have found other creative ways to use SlumberPod at home for play. For example, Courtney S. shared: “We generally use it at the cottage or for time away from home, pre-Covid, that is. The most creative way we have used it was for my daughter’s 4th birthday, early in the pandemic. We went “camping” in our living room, complete with fake mountains, lake, campfire and of course a tent. She loved being able to get to use her baby bro’s gear in a fun way.”
When SlumberPod parent Brooke T. first heard about the product, her and her mother instantly knew it would be game changing product for her son Walt. Walt was born with a brain injury and has been diagnosed with CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) which requires daily therapy to be in a dark, quiet place. By using SlumberPod as his CVI therapy zone, Walt is able to have therapy pretty much anywhere. Brooke explained: "This helps our therapy. It makes it easier. This creates the environment he has at therapy in Atlanta at home for us."
The bottomless design and height of SlumberPod allows Brooke to carefully lift and place it over Walt, whether he is in his chair or stander. If he is in his chair, she will sit inside with him, zip his SlumberPod, and start therapy. If Walt is in his stander, Brooke will play CVI videos for him on a laptop and let him watch by himself enclosed in it. They will also do stretches and exercise in his SlumberPod since he gets so relaxed and comfortable.
She even started thinking about how Walt can use SlumberPod in the future: "Sometimes he gets overstimulated — if there's a lot going on, if people are here...and one day he will have his room, but if he doesn't want to go there, this would give him a place to go." And when Walt isn't using his SlumberPod for therapy, his older brother Whit happily plays with it. Brooke said: "I have to do a lot of this stuff without Whit or get him involved in the therapy because if it's just sitting out, Whit likes to get inside...this is his tent and he loves to play in it." If you want to learn more about Walt and follow his journey, click here.
RENTALS + MORE
One SlumberPod parent, Erin Z., is sharing the love of the product with other local moms by offering rentals! Erin wrote: “I have 10! I rent them through a local mom group, and many renters have ended up buying their own pods.”
Some other SlumberPod parents shared the love of the product when they purchased multiples for their local church to use during worship. You can read more about our worship nursery program here.
We hope this blog leaves you with some new ideas and solutions on how you can use your SlumberPod in creative ways you may not have thought of. Do you have other unique uses to share? Comment below!
