Lulla Doll: The Toy That Helps Babies Sleep, Which Parents Are Desperate To Buy

A doll designed by an Icelandic mum to help kids fall asleep has seen sales sky-rocket.

The super-soft ‘Lulla doll’ stimulates the sounds of a mothers breathing and heartbeat, which is reported to help children sleep for longer.

The first 5,000 dolls, created by Eyrún Eggertsdóttir who studied psychology, sold out immediately.

On Tuesday 26 July it was reported parents were bidding up to £260 ($350) on eBay for the doll, despite its £50 retail price.

So what makes this sleep companion so sought after?

“The Lulla doll design is based on scientific research on closeness, kangaroo care, the effects of heartbeat and breathing sounds and the effects that smell, sight and touch have on babies and small children,” Eggertsdóttir told The Huffington Post UK.

“We also relied on advice from a team of doctors, nurses and psychologists during development.”

LullaDoll

The Lulla doll plays a real-life recording of a mum’s breathing and heartbeat. The aim is to help babies stabilise their own breathing and heartbeat.

“Research tells us when babies hear these sounds, they tune into them and start following the rhythm that they hear,” Eggertsdóttir explained.

“When babies feel more stable and calm, it helps them to fall asleep and stay asleep for longer at a time.

“These same studies also suggest that closeness and co-sleeping can reduce the chances of apnea.”

Lulla Doll

Eggertsdóttir’s original aim was to make a product for babies that imitated closeness when their parents were away.

The idea came to her when her friend had her baby prematurely and had to leave her alone in the hospital for two weeks.

“During that time the little girl frequently had apnea episodes and I thought of all the research I had read in psychology about how closeness can help stabilise babies heartbeat and how this might have been prevented if she would have been able to stay close to her mother,” she said.

“I went searching online trying to find something that could replicate the effect of closeness and when I didn’t find anything I decided to make it myself.”

Lulla Doll

The initial batch of dolls was produced using crowdfunding in July 2016. The second lot is now in production.

“Sales have been through the roof,” Eggertsdóttir said.

“It seems that we will have to go into pre-ordering stage very soon.”

The Lulla doll is advertised for babies, premature babies and toddlers but Eggertsdóttir said the doll has already helped older children sleep.

“We have also donated dolls to the elderly and Alzheimer patients,” she said.

“We had quite a few mums reporting that they also use it on their husbands because it makes them stop snoring!”

The doll can be pre-ordered from Eggertsdóttir’s Indiegogo page and is shipped worldwide. It will also be available in Kiddicare and John Lewis in the UK.

Before You Go

Best Sleep Apps

3 Minute Mindfulness(01 of05)

It might sound silly but something as simple as breathing properly can make all the difference when you're trying to get to sleep. When everything gets on top of you it's difficult to shed that baggage when you get into bed. 3 Minute Mindfulness is a simple, smart way of clearing your head. You can use three different short breathing techniques both on your iPhone or through the Apple Watch app with gentle cues telling you when to inhale and exhale. It's not rocket science, but sometimes not-rocket-science is just what you need.
iOS (credit:3MinuteMindfulness)

Windy(02 of05)

For some of us, there's nothing more supportive to nodding off than a familiar sound that helps us feel safe. Windy provides that sound in a beautiful and simple way. Gorgeous hand-drawn landscapes provide the backdrop to expertly recorded soundscapes from a quiet field, to a gently running stream in the woods. There's a timer and it'll run in the background as well so you can just hook your phone up to speakers/headphones and feel transported to the countryside.
iOS (credit:Windy)

Sleep Cycle Alarm(03 of05)

Your alarm goes off, you've had a reasonably good night's sleep and yet you wake up feeling like you've spent all night at a warehouse rave. This is where Sleep Cycle Alarm comes in, it's a sleep tracker/smart alarm that wakes you up at the best time. Set a 30 min window and the app will wake you up during your lightest sleep phase. There's a superb sleep tracking function as well that lets you add things like how much coffee you drank. Insightful, easy to use and potentially a real game-changer.
iOS/Android (credit:Sleep Cycle Alarm)

Sleepio(04 of05)

For those suffering from chronic sleep problems, Sleepio is the all-in-one solution. Developed by sleep experts at Oxford University, it's a comprehensive sleep manager that tracks, analyses and then helps to improve sleep by looking at all the possible root causes for sleep problems. It then uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help you fight back. Compatible with Apple Health and Jawbone's range of fitness trackers Sleepio does come with a subscription cost but with an absolute arsenal of tools provided it could be worth every penny.
iOS (credit:Sleepio)

Max Richter - Sleep(05 of05)

OK so this isn't an app, but you'll need an app to use it. It's an album of music but it's one that's very special indeed. Composer Max Richter's album Sleep is 8 hours long, and there's a reason for that - it has been written to help you sleep. Known for his haunting, minimalist soundscapes Richter has a habit of going off the beaten track (he casually re-wrote Vivaldi's Four Seasons) and an 8 hour album is no exception. Don't think this is just a gimmick though. 'Sleep' is an aural triumph that will gently seep into the background, creating a warm blanket of sound that'll eliminate the city around you.
iTunes/Google Play (credit:Max Richter Sleep)

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Before You Go

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