I’ve never had much luck with getting my children to sleep.
You know how some parents say their baby “started sleeping through the night” at six weeks old? Yeah, thanks for rubbing it in. And those who say parenting through the night is “not as bad as they’d expected”? Not me. It’s been worse than I expected – far, far worse.
My daughter is seven now and, for probably the first time in her life, she’s finally ‘sleeping through’... until 7am. Lucky me.
The trouble is, I also have a three-year-old. His idea of a restful night is toddling into my bedroom at midnight, where he clambers up beside me and proceeds to kick and punch me in his sleep for the next five hours.
So when I heard talk of the Asda ‘Little Angels Vapour Bath’ – a “miracle” that apparently helped children sleep for a solid nine hours – I wanted in.
The only issue? So did every other parent.Naively, I headed to my local Asda to buy some, only to find it had sold out completely. No sign as to when they’d be getting more in, either. I can only imagine the scores of exhausted parents who must’ve scoured the shelves before me in search of a good night’s sleep.
Eventually, miraculously perhaps, I was handed a bottle by my editor to review – and I couldn’t have been more excited.
My first thoughts were: it’s cheap (87p), bright, and smells good – like a softer, less stringent version of Olbas Oil. My kids noticed the scent straight away, and it definitely helped clear their sniffly noses (is it just me or do all small children have permanently sniffly noses?).
It has a good bubble count, too, which is useful for pretending you have a beard. On those counts – cost, look and smell – it’s check, check, check. Related... 20 Ways To Get Your Baby To Sleep, As Recommended By Parents The one thing it didn’t do, for me at least, was make any noticeable difference to my kids’ sleep. I wanted it to – I really did – but I’d be lying if I said my children did anything but their usual routine: one up past 9pm reading, then up at 7am; the other joining me at midnight to thrash around in bed until 5 or 6am.
I tried it for a few weeks, in fact, and not much changed. It wasn’t quite the “miracle” product I’d hoped for. I’ll keep using it at bath-time, but I’m giving up hope of a solid nine hours – for another four years, at least.
But perhaps it’s worth mentioning that some parents swear by the product – for their kids and themselves. One pregnant mum called it “amazing” and another five-star review online read: “I brought this for my seven-week-old daughter, and after having a bath with it, she slept a full nights sleep (nine hours!).”
Guess it’s worth a try seeing as it’s under a quid. Get it online here. Related... This Is What Insomnia Really Feels Like 15 Silly Tactics Parents Use To Get Kids To Do Totally Normal Things (Like Brush Their Teeth) This Mum Took 3 Weeks Maternity Leave: 'My Husband Was The Best Person To Raise Our Babies' We all work hard to earn our money – so it shouldn’t feel like hard work to spend it well. At HuffPost Finds we’ll help you find the best stuff that deserves your cash, from the ultimate lipstick to a durable iron to replace the one that broke (RIP). All our choices are completely independent but we may earn a small commission if you click a link and make a purchase.