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FAQS ABOUT THE MIYO BABY HAMMOCK WHAT MAKES A MIYO HAMMOCK DIFFERENT FROM A CRIB OR MOSES BASKET? In a 2008 survey of 63 families using the Miyo Hammock for up to a year: • One third of babies slept through the night by 6 weeks old. • Four out of five were sleeping through by 16 weeks old. The main difference between a hammock and cribs or Moses baskets is the way the baby is held and supported. Before a baby is born, they are held very tightly in the womb and experience a lot of movement as the mother moves around. Once they are born, flat and static surfaces such as a Moses basket are completely unknown to babies - they are used to being held and supported with something around them combined with their mother's movement. The hammock has been designed specifically to mimic the environment of the womb by holding the baby so they feel secure. The spring reproduces the movement of the mother, gently rocking the baby and giving them the sensation they love. These two design features give the baby a sensation of security and comfort, enabling them to relax and to sleep. WHY DO BABIES SLEEP SO WELL IN A MIYO HAMMOCK? The image of a parent walking the floorboards in the middle of the night, rocking their baby in their arms whilst they trying to convince them to go to sleep is closely associated with being a new parent. It gives the baby warmth, comfort and reassurance and is one of the most natural things in the world to do. The cradling in the arms and rocking motion is simply recreating the environment of the womb, doing exactly the same job as the hammock. The difference comes when the baby falls asleep. If they are in your arms you still need to move them from their warm and comfortable position into a cooler and less snugly crib or Moses basket. Just as you do this and disturb them is when they wake up and the process starts again. If they fall asleep in the hammock, they are already there. WHAT IS 'SELF-SOOTHING' AND HOW DOES THE HAMMOCK HELP ESTABLISH GOOD SLEEPING PATTERNS? 'Self-soothing' simply means the baby learns that they can relax themselves and fall asleep without having to be rocked asleep. The hammock helps them to do this as when they are put down, if they make any movement the spring translates this into a gentle rocking motion, and so to sleep. It is the same if they wake, as is natural, during the night. Babies don't tend to go from deep sleep to screaming in a second, it is a slower process but one that parent's do not usually see as they are asleep until the screaming starts. Again, a slightly awake baby will move, this rocks the hammock, putting them back to sleep. The baby learns that sleep comes easily and just as importantly they do not become dependent upon somebody picking them up to cuddle them as this in itself is a reward for waking up and screaming. This is the very first step in establishing good sleeping patterns and is the basis for why over 80% of parents in our survey reported their babies sleeping through the night by 4 months old. HOW LONG CAN THE BABY BE IN THE HAMMOCK? From newborn up to 9 months of age for both day and night sleeps which means they will move straight into a cot so no other bed is needed. If you use the travel adaptor you don't even need a travel cot. Although an older baby can fit in the hammock, the spine starts to strengthen at 9 - 10 months and research shows that for optimal spinal development they should be sleeping on a flat surface from this age. WHO CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA? Sadly we can't take the credit! Using hammocks to help babies sleep is not a new concept. Many cultures have been using them for centuries. In the modern world it has become traditional to put babies to sleep in small but pretty versions of adult beds however this is not always what they need. The womb is a much friendlier place to be and a hammock simply makes the introduction to the world an easier step. CAN THE HAMMOCK BE USED FOR DAY AND NIGHT SLEEPS? Yes - you can use it for a full time bed for both day and night sleeps. The more a baby uses the hammock, the more they learn to self-soothe and go to sleep unaided. HOW IS THE SPINE SUPPORTED? It is very important for babies spines to be held correctly in a flat and neutral position. The Miyo Baby Hammock is designed to ensure exactly this and has been confirmed by paediatric doctors, chiropractors and midwives. CAN A BABY FALL OUT? The hammock is designed to keep your baby very safe and secure. They way they lie in it means that whilst they have free movement of their arms and legs it is nearly impossible to roll onto their front, let alone crawl out. A good way to understand this is to imagine how difficult it is for an adult to sit up in a hammock! HOW DOES A BABY MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM HAMMOCK TO A NORMAL COT? The quick answer is very easily. There are two aspects to this - the bouncing/swaying motion and the way the hammock 'cocoons' them. In the womb babies tend to fall asleep whilst the mother is moving around and then wake up when the mother stops moving (usually when she is trying to sleep!). This reflex lasts beyond birth, which is why people rock a baby to sleep in their arms. The hammock simply allows you to do this without having to hold them, however the reflex starts to fade around 7 months old. This is good news because by 9 months when they are transferred to a cot, they no longer rely on the movement to get them to sleep. The second part is the security they feel from being held within the hammock. Customer responses (and our own experience as parents) has shown that babies still love to have something close to them when they sleep so expect to see your baby snuggle up close to the side of the cot or their favourite soft toy. HOW DOES THE TRAVEL ADAPTOR WORK? IS IT SAFE? The adaptor rests over the top of a door frame. It is cleverly designed so that the greater the weight pulling down on it, the stronger it grips. They are fully safety tested for strength and include a door stopper to keep the door open. The combined weight of the travel adaptor and hammock is less than 6 lbs meaning it is one of the lightest and most compact travel cots available. Even more importantly, it means that your baby has their own bed that they know and love whether you are at a friend's house, grandparent's house or on holiday somewhere exotic! I HAVE CATS - WILL THEY JUMP IN IT? The survey of 63 families showed that this was never a problem. This is also backed up by a large amount of anecdotal evidence. When cats first investigate the hammock they quickly realize it moves and stay well away! Although it looks like an ideal cat bed, the only way they could actually get into it would be with human help. HOW MUCH SPACE DOES THE FRAME NEED? CAN I TRAVEL WITH IT? IS IT EASY TO STORE? If you can fit a cot in your room, you can fit the frame. The three legs of the frame mean it is very easy to position in a room and fits beautifully into a corner. The curved wooden sections of the frame lie next to each other when taken down which allows it to be stored easily. Many people take the frame when they travel as it fits easily into a suitcase. If you need a space saving solution, then installing professionally-fitted hooks into ceiling joists allows you to suspend the hammock anywhere you like using the included chain. HOW DOES THE MIYO HAMMOCK PREVENT PLAGIOCEPHALY (FLAT HEAD SYNDROME)? The bones in a baby's skull are very soft which helps them to come through the birth canal. SIDS prevention guidelines instruct parents to lay their babies on their backs. In some babies, if they do not receive enough play time on their stomachs, the bones start to mould to the shape of the mattress, giving them a distinctive flat head. The mattress in the Miyo Baby Hammock is very soft and moulds to the shape of the baby's head, meaning beautifully rounded heads whilst still providing the correct spinal position. SIDS/COT DEATH The causes of SIDS are still unclear however there are guidelines that should be followed to reduce the likelihood. These include keeping the baby on its back. One of the main benefits of the Miyo Baby Hammock is that once you put a baby in it correctly, although they have free movement of their arms and legs it is almost impossible for them to roll onto their front. A highly significant finding shows that over 25% of SIDS deaths could be prevented if babies' heads did not become covered with bedding. WHERE ARE THE HAMMOCKS AND FRAMES MADE? We scoured the globe and selected one of the most technologically advanced factories in China. They work with some of the biggest brands in the world and employ highly skilled craftsmen and women, working in excellent conditions. No unethical labour or materials here! |