7 tips to use NUNKI optimally

The NUNKI sheet has been specially developed to tuck your baby in safely and easily. The fine pressure helps your baby relax and process stimuli, just like in the womb. This gives a nice, safe and relaxed feeling, which helps your baby fall asleep and stay asleep. The sheet is not a miracle pill, but a practical aid that can contribute to ideal conditions for sleep. In this article you can read useful tips for the best results.

Did you know that I invented the NUNKI sheet for Fedde, my youngest son. He was a crybaby and difficult sleeper because he had hidden reflux. We tried everything and I was surprised that I couldn't find a solution. That's why I went to the drawing board myself. After much research and testing it was NUNKI sheet born: a handy way of tucking in tightly that finally calmed Fedde down. More than 30,000 babies now sleep better with Fedde&Kees!

If you also want your child to sleep better, follow these tips!!

Tip 1. Start immediately after birth

Your baby is tight and secure in the womb. After birth there is suddenly a lot of room to move. No wonder it takes some time for your baby to get used to sleeping in a crib! The NUNKI sheet provides the security that your newborn baby so desperately needs. Tightening is super easy and the sheet cannot come loose. This way, your baby will experience that wonderful womb feeling safely in bed day and night. So use the sheet from day 1 to prevent your child from becoming restless.

Tip 2. Give your child at least a week to get used to it

Everything is new for a baby. A baby doesn't have to do anything in the womb. Everything he needs is there: oxygen, food, a constant temperature. Stimuli come in filtered and your baby only has to float around quietly. He doesn't know the difference between day and night yet and just takes a nap every now and then. The outside world is very different. There are bright lights, loud noises and the temperature changes all the time. Your baby suddenly has to breathe, drink milk and digest food on his own. New stimuli every day. New sounds, new smells and new experiences.

Because your baby already has to process so many new stimuli, it is more difficult to get used to a change. Therefore, try a new routine for at least a week before concluding whether it works well for your baby. This certainly also applies to the NUNKI sheet.

Tip 3. Properly tension the sheet

The effect of the NUNKI sheet is in the elastic tricot fabric at the top. This fabric provides gentle pressure on the upper body, allowing your baby to relax. To get the right pressure, it is important that you tension the sheet properly. A short step-by-step plan:

Step 1. Buy the right size. The sheet must fit perfectly with the dimensions of the mattress of the bed, so that you can make it tightly. If you are unsure about the size or if your size is not listed, please always contact Fedde&Kees via customerservice@feddekees.nl to avoid choosing the wrong size.

Step 2. Make up the sheet properly. Watch this video for that:


Step 3. In the video above you can see how the zipper should lie just on the mattress. Then tension the sheet by first closing the Velcro and then closing the zipper. Practice closing the sheet a few times without the baby first, so that you know exactly what to do when your child is in the crib.

Tip 4. Use 2 hands to zip closed

Because the NUNKI sheet is under tension, it takes some force to zip it closed. You need 2 hands for this. After attaching the Velcro, use one hand to pull the zipper tight and the other hand to zip it closed. This can also be seen in the video above (from 1:50). Tip: You can apply proper force when you stand over your little one to close the zipper. So don't stand on the side of the zipper, but on the other side!

Tip 5. Shorten the sheet

To prevent your baby from ending up under the sheet, it is advisable to make the sheet shorter. This works as follows: put the sheet around the mattress and pull it down to the length of your little one. The feet should not touch the bottom of the bed. Your baby will then have the perfect amount of space in the bed. For more explanation, see video instruction on abbreviated formatting.

Tip 6. Follow the washing instructions

The NUNKI sheet has a nice quality, so it will certainly last for a number of years. To prevent premature wear, it is important that the sheet is used, treated and washed correctly. Therefore, follow these washing instructions:

• Always close the Velcro during washing.
• Preferably place the sleeping bag in a laundry bag so that the fabric stays beautiful longer.
• Wash at 30 degrees. You can wash it at a warmer temperature, but at higher temperatures there is a chance that the fabric will become less beautiful.
• Allow to air dry, as the tumble dryer has a negative effect on the Velcro. Tip: hang the sheet by the points so that it dries faster.

Also know that the fabric can slowly loosen if you use the sheet for a while without washing it. Just like jeans that you wear for a few days, the fabric will loosen slightly. After washing the fabric is a bit tighter again!

Tip 7. Does your child move a lot? Combine with BUNDII

The NUNKI sheet is a handy way to tuck your baby in tightly. The sheet does not fixate, so your baby can simply move and get its hands out from under the sheet. If your child is very restless in bed and moves a lot, it can help to combine the NUNKI sheet with swaddling. At Fedde&Kees we are fans of a mild alternative to swaddling and that is why we have it BUNDI sleeping bag. This is a practical sleeping bag with zippers under the sleeves, which you can zip into place. Your child will then have slightly more freedom of movement than with traditional swaddling, but will no longer be able to move uncontrollably.

The combination of the NUNKI sheet and the BUNDI sleeping bag (or another swaddling method) works optimally because it addresses both the cause and the consequences of restlessness. This way your child will fall and stay asleep better.

Check out NUNKI

With the above tips you can get the most out of the NUNKI sheet. Whether a baby sleeps well ultimately depends on many factors. That's why one last bonus tip: also read the article ‘This way you create the ideal conditions for sleep'. Here you can read how stimuli, rest & regularity, fatigue signals, wake-up times, daylight, basic needs, the place to sleep, a sleep ritual, trust and patience also play a role in your child's sleep.

Love,

Frederieke