Stylish life hacks for new parents

Crying, sickness and the nightmares of young children coupled with the normal stresses and worries of parenthood could lead to a decline in overall sleep satisfaction.

The Sleep Research Society released a study this spring that suggests new parents can face up to six years of sleep deprivation. That means you might be prone to errors at home or work — or even making a fashion faux pas in your waking-life wardrobe.

For those who prefer a solution more reliable than counting sheep, we’ve corralled a few stylish items to help new moms and dads maximize precious time and sleep — and make parenthood look très chic along the way.

Mime et moi

One way to shave a few seconds off your daily routine is to find footwear that does double duty — like the shoes from German startup Mime et moi that quickly convert from flats to high heels. Its height-adjustable shoes, now available in the U.S., are sold with both a standard flat heel and a high heel of your choice and retail from $200 to $250. Additional heels can be bought separately for $30 to $50, and heel attachments come in tiny Mime et moi bags that stow easily in a handbag.

Knickey

Underwear supply running low? Instead of dashing out to the mall, consider Knickey, a women’s underwear brand that offers a subscription service for everyday briefs made from organic and sustainable cotton. There are three subscription options that can have boxes of new knickers landing on your doorstep two to four times a year at a per-panty price that ranges from $7.50 to $11. Products can also be purchased individually for $12 a pair at knickey.com.

Since gynecologists recommend that women wear underwear made from natural fibers, Knickey’s organic cotton underthings are a two-fer, benefiting women’s health as well as the planet’s. Taking things one step further, the brand also offers a recycling program to re-purpose old underwear and keep it from becoming waste.

Slip

If your morning routine includes spending precious moments trying to hide those sleep wrinkles (the lines that form when you sleep on the side of your face), Slip offers an answer. The company claims its pillowcases, made from pure silk, help prevent aging, sleep creases and bed head. In laboratory testing, according to the brand, its Slipsilk has been shown to absorb less face cream and create 43% less friction on average versus cotton pillowcases.. Queen-size pillowcases are priced at $85, while king-size pillowcases are $105. Both are available online at slip.com.

Happiest Baby

This sleek bassinet by Happiest Baby may just be new parents’ salvation. The Snoo Smart Sleeper is a high-tech crib that claims to increase an infant’s nightly sleep as much as two hours (and extra sleep for the little one means extra sleep for everyone within earshot). The bassinet is designed to automatically detect when a baby wakes up and starts crying, and then it responds with white noise and a rocking motion to quickly soothe the infant back to sleep. The brand’s technology is said to help babies sleep safely on their back and teach them how to sleep through the night. The Snoo Smart Sleeper can be purchased online at happiestbaby.com for $1,295, or rented for $105 per month.

Sandast

This handbag made by Los Angeles-based company Sandast was co-designed by ultimate mom-fashionista Blake Lively. The James Petit is a smaller version of the James Tote and intended to be used as a handbag or luxurious diaper bag for new moms and dads. Each bag is handmade from leather and can be customized with a name, date and motto. The bags, which come in eight colors, are sold at sandast.com. They retail for $1,795 each, and Sandast will make 100 of them this year.

The Nue Co.

Wellness brand the Nue Co. offers a new fragrance designed to combat stress. The scent is said to work by tapping into the link between cognitive function and the olfactory system. The fragrance contains top notes of green cardamom and iris along with a clean, woody, spicy and smoky base. The brand worked with global fragrance house Firmenich and perfumer Frank Voelkl to study the science of smell. They utilized research from the Brain and Behavior Laboratory at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. The research centered on mapping the neurological reactions to certain scents. The Functional Fragrance is available online at thenueco.com for $155.

Jennifer Fisher

A gold medal for motherhood might not exist, but New York-based jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher offers an alternative: 14-karat and 18-karat gold charms that read “Mother� in an edgy script. Available at jenniferfisher.com, the charms come in yellow gold, white gold and rose gold and range from $450 to $600.

Dyson Airwrap

If the thought of taking time to dry your hair and then style it makes you want to run for the hills, consider the Dyson Airwrap, a futuristic-looking styling tool that allows you to do both at the same time. The Airwrap comes in three sets: the Complete set, the Volume + Shape model and the Smooth + Control model, ranging from $499 to $549. All sets are available at dyson.com and select retailers. The tool is said to curl, wave, smooth and dry hair in less time than normal hair-styling tools and with no extreme heat damage.

Mima

Make every sidewalk your runway with the contemporary Mima Xari stroller. Mima strollers have a strong celebrity following thanks to Chanel Iman, DJ Khaled, Chrissy Teigen and Kevin Hart. You can customize your stroller by choosing the chassis color, base color and interior color/pattern. Also, Mima has a patented system that allows the stroller to be used as a carrycot. Prices range from $1,459 to $1,999, and the stroller can be purchased at mimastrollers.com and select retailers.