Full disclosure: I bought a Kikkerland mood light sound machine as a baby shower gift. I also bought an adorable Holly's of Copenhagen clover onesie in red (for a baby girl with a daddy who is a huge Nebraska Cornhuskers fan.) I happily gave the onesie away.But the sound machine was something I just couldn't part with.
After bringing it home from one of my shifts at Trocadero, I sat looking at it, all boxed up on my floor for a few days. Finally, I bit the bullet, tore it out of its wrapper, put in some batteries and set it on my nightstand. I'm not a troubled sleeper - at least not when I'm at home - but my full-time job requires me to travel quite a bit. I love visiting other places, but in a foreign bed in a sterile hotel room, sometimes I could use some help. The Kikkerland machine is small enough to fit easily in my carry-on bag, runs on batteries, so no extra outlets will be necessary and has a built-in timer function, so you can sleep to soothing sounds and soft light for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or indefinitely.
The machine comes with four soothing sound options: falling rain, rolling waves with or without the sound of seagulls and dolphins or a babbling brook, which is the one I like best.
You can either turn on the light to your favorite hue (white, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink or red) or do what I do, and press the top of the machine down until the colors begin to cycle through into an ever-changing rainbow. You can also set the machine to do just one function - sound or light only.
After falling asleep last night to a very soft sound of water, I have to say, the machine is soothing investment (even though my fiance thinks it's goofy.) It would also be great for a new baby - so much so that I might buy another one for the next shower I'm invited to.
And, at under $40, it's a gift for yourself or someone else that won't put a dent in your pocketbook.
