Did you know May is known as the “Sleep Better Month?” I didn’t.

In 1985, the Better Sleep Council designated May as “Better Sleep Month” to help focus attention on the importance of sleep in leading a healthy, productive life. I get the importance, but I can’t really control my situation with an infant…

Sleeping like a baby has a whole new meaning with a 4 month old. Currently, Tommy actually sleeps like a cat, in 20 minute increments during the day. According to my sleep books, this is partially my fault.

Tommy started off as a great sleeper for his age, always giving us 3-4 hours stretches probably due to his size. He even slept 7 hours straight as a 9 week old. He slept in a rock n play swaddled next to my side of the bed. Nick and I felt like the most well rested new parents. Of course he preferred to sleep on someone though.

I would feed him twice in the middle of the night lying down on my side with him in the bed and then put him right back in his RNP. Due to a dip in the center of the mattress, our bodies both wanted to roll into the center. This was a major concern of mine since in the early days I would sometimes fall asleep (I didn’t want to co sleep but it worked for me breastfeeding). I knew we needed a new mattress if I were to ever feel comfortable with him in our bed.

Bear Mattress reached out to me to see if I was interested in reviewing their mattress in February and it felt like if they had read my mind. I have to admit I was very nervous to try a memory foam mattress.

Bear Mattress is made in the USA and available direct-to-consumer in six sizes – all under $1,000. Each mattress includes a 10-year warranty, 100 night risk-free trial, free shipping and returns.

“Bear Mattresses are engineered to provide optimal cooling, comfort and muscle recovery. Each mattress includes a proprietary blend of technologically advanced memory foam and clinically-proven Celliant™ responsive textile technology. The combination of premium materials offers athletes a universally comfortable sleep that is seven times cooler than conventional memory foam, and is designed to reduce muscle recovery time and improve athletic performance.”

The top is made with memory foam which significantly reduces motion transfer, meaning Nick wouldn’t be disturbed as I fed Tommy (so he can wake up early and I can sleep in) and our movement wouldn’t cause Tommy to roll on his side or belly.

I was also attracted to the cooling and recovery layers. As a breastfeeding woman, I am perpetually hot. It feels physically impossible to regulate my body temperature. In addition, getting back into shape post baby, the recovery aspect was intriguing.

We’ve been sleeping on the Bear Mattress for over two months now and I finally had my first 5 hour stretch of sleep since this fall on Friday the 13th! I woke up feeling so refreshed. Who knew how great 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep could feel?

I love the memory foam and find the mattress to be really comfortable. When Tommy joins us in bed he doesn’t roll to his side and can comfortably nurse on his back while just moving his head. He doesn’t fall in towards my body. Nick and I have also already mastered sleeping on the edge of the bed. Tommy is only 25″ long and 20 lbs but he rules the bed when he’s in it. Luckily with the mattress, it’s easy to stay on the bed without falling off unlike our old mattress.

When it was delivered, Nick didn’t realize what it was at first because the box looked so small. It actually comes folded up, which if you live in the city, is a blessing for moving. You are not supposed to unbox it until it is in your room… Nick didn’t read the directions and this is what ended up in our living room.

We were able to bring it up the stairs to set up ourselves without any trouble.

As far as the cooling and muscle recovery properties, I really don’t know if they are working better than a regular memory foam mattress but I like to think that they are. The surface feels cool and I have noticed I don’t sweat at night anymore. That could be my hormones regulating or the mattress. It’s hard to know how sore I should or shouldn’t be in the morning, I do feel like I’m somewhat close strength wise to being where I was pre pregnancy so maybe the mattress has helped speed up recovery!

Tommy’s Sleep Patterns These Days

At 3 months Tommy had some serious sleep regression, waking every 2-3 hours all night. It usually hits around 4 months for most babies but he hit it early. He started to get too big for the Rock ‘n’ Play and so I transitioned him to sleeping on his back in the Bassinest. He then was too big for that so we finally moved him into his own room in a crib just before 4 months.

He learned how to roll over and couldn’t stop sticking out his tongue last weekend. After that, he slept well again. So weird.

He now wears the cotton Magic Merlin suit and goes to bed between 7 and 8 pm. We are lucky in that he took to his crib right away in the merlin. He never really napped in it but likes his room I guess enough. He will sleep anywhere from 5-8 hours at first. This means, I’m up between 1 and 4 am usually. After the initial wake up, he will sleep another 1-3 hours at a time. This is why I would bring him into bed.

Two nights ago, he woke up at 3:30 am after falling asleep at 8:15 pm. I fed him and put him back in his crib. When he woke up an hour later, I let him moan it out. It wasn’t a cry. He wasn’t hungry. He just kind of moaned. I let him do this for 10 minutes and then he fell back asleep. This was a miracle, as he hasn’t done this before! He didn’t wake back up until 6:45 am. He did the same thing last night but didn’t wake up at 4:30!

Having gone to bed at 10 pm myself, I’d say I’m celebrating “Sleep Better Month” quite well! And yes, I know this too will change… a hundred times.

I do have a $50 off coupon if you are interested in trying out a Bear Mattress yourself! Simply enter FIT50 at checkout to receive the discount.

Mommas, when is my next sleep regression bound to hit?

I was not paid for this post but was given a Bear Mattress in exchange for my honest review.