"Lullaby" Pop-Up Helps New Parents Manage Their Newborns’ Sleep Patterns – and Their Own

Lullaby, a Moon Creative Lab venture that offers personalized sleep training services and an app for parents and their newborns, exhibited at a pop-up event in Tokyo called "Papa Mama Boku Watashi," which took place at the main building of the Isetan Shinjuku store Feb.16-21, 2023. Approximately 10,000 people visited the exhibition to see 47 brands selling a wide range of lifestyle items such as clothing, bags, cosmetics and tableware. Lullaby also collaborated with Sandesica on co-branded sleep sacks for newborns and offered gift cards people can use on the Lullaby app.

What is Lullaby? 

Lullaby is a personalized sleep training service and app for parents and their newborns. Lullaby has welcomed Dr. Mariko Morita, a mother of three children, a physician, and an infant sleep specialist, as a subject matter expert to develop informative sleep support for parents based on scientific evidence of modern daily life in Japan. The app offers three easy-to-use functions for busy parents:

1. Virtual courses provide carefully selected sleep-related resources recommended by physicians according to the baby's age. 
2. Online schedules keep records of the baby’s sleep and identify the best time for naps. 
3. In-depth consultation offers a matching service with CISA -certified pediatric sleep consultants when needed.(CISA = Consultant of Infant Sleep Association) 

Step One: Know Your Baby’s Rhythm

On the first day of the pop-up event, Dr. Morita hosted a fireside chat with special guest Dr.Tomori, a dermatologist. The theme of the discussion was, "Baby’s sleep & Mom's sleep, and the beauty before and after childbirth."

Most importantly, the doctors shared valuable advice such as learning your baby's rhythm, which is the first step to getting good quality sleep – for mom, dad, and baby.

Here’s a snapshot of what they discussed during the fireside chat:

Dr. Tomori: "Many moms-to-be experience changes in their skin during pregnancy, some of which is caused by the appearance of additional estrogen, a female hormone that is produced more during pregnancy. Symptoms vary, with some women experiencing smoother skin while others develop acne. These changes are normal, and ultimately, moisturizing is the key.” 

Dr. Morita: "However, it is medically proven that one of the causes of dryness and troubles of the skin is lack of sleep. Sleeping is very important not only for your baby's growth, but also for your skin and hair."

Dr.Tomori "Especially after giving birth, the mother’s hormone balance tends to be unstable, so it is important to have a well-scheduled routine to enable better sleep, both for her and the baby. Iron is also very important because it’s good for skin and hair, and even helps you avoid depression – and it’s good for the baby, too."

Dr. Morita: “That’s right, because after 15 months, babies are prone to iron deficiency, and iron is important for a baby's sleep. The good news is that in Japan, baby food with iron supplements is widely available.” 

Lullaby Merch Was a Hit!

In addition to the app, Lullaby collaborated with Sandesica, a designer of sleep sacks for newborns. The co-branded sleep sack – sold exclusively at this event – was a huge success, selling out the available inventory. The Sandesica sleep sack is a “wearable blanket” that provides a safe sleeping environment for newborns, the development of which Dr. Morita directed.

Lullaby also sold gift cards that parents who have completed Lullaby sleep training could give to other parents interested in Lullaby’s services – the cards were packaged with a multipurpose handkerchief parents could use with their own newborns as a reminder to check out Lullaby’s sleep consultation services, with the aim of lowering the psychological barrier for seeking advice on their baby's (and their own) sleep.

Newborn-tested, Parent-approved 

At the Lullaby booth, the sold-out "Sleep Consultation for Baby, Mom, and Dad" session helped pregnant parents and parents with infants aged 0-2 years so they could talk to Certified Infant Sleep Consultants (CISC) who have specialized knowledge in improving sleep habits and infant sleep.

Here’s what a few attendees had to say:

"I was happy that I could ask many questions. I could tell they are professionals.” (Mom of a 4-month-old)

“I asked about my baby’s sleep and also how I can help her take longer naps. I felt better after talking to someone. It’s much better than struggling by myself.” ( Mom of a 5-month-old) 

"I'm glad I was able to ask a lot of questions! I'd come back again if I have any problems as we continue with the sleep training." (Dad of a 2-month old)

"It was very helpful and motivated me to try! I'd like to talk to the professionals again if I encounter any struggles." (Mom of a 10-month old) 

You can check out Lullaby’s latest information on Lullaby’s official website or the Moon Stories Blog.