Mompreneur Creates Sleep System For Babies

Brantford Expositor:

Necessity became the mother of invention for first-time mom Stacey Battersby, who cured her sleepless nights by coming up with a safer alternative to traditional crib bedding.

“It promotes peace of mind for parents,” said the city woman, whose SleepaRoo system is being sold at speciality stores across Ontario, as well as online.

It’s also captured media attention, including CBC televison’s The Dragons’ Den, which has invited her to pitch her idea on a future show.

Described as an “all-in-one infant sleep system,” SleepaRoo combines a fitted sheet and a lightweight blanket that zips off for easy washing. But, the secret is a built-in sleep support that keeps babies in the centre of the crib and on their backs to sleep.

Battersby developed the system “out of desperation” when her daughter, Kate, was just two months old. Concerned by Health Canada safety warnings, she removed the bumper pads from Kate’s crib. But, once her daughter started to move around, Battersby worried about Kate rolling into the crib rails or pulling the blanket over her head.

“It was scary,” said Battersby, who searched in vain for a different type of bedding that would keep her baby safe and warm.

“There was nothing in stores or online,” she said. “So I went to the local fabric store and decided to make my own.”

After making about 10 prototypes, Battersby came up with something that worked.