Tara William’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2018, when her fourth child, Luke, was 6-months-old and still waking up multiple times during the night, leaving her sleep-deprived and desperate for a solution.
“One night, he was lying next to me, and I gently placed a heavy throw blanket on top of him, and he instantly calmed down. That was my ‘aha’ moment,” Williams says. “I realized that the weight was comforting to him, and I quickly set out to create a weighted blanket he could safely wear.”
Williams asked her mother-in-law to sew a prototype for an evenly weighted wearable sleep sack, and the concept for Dreamland Baby was born. On the very first night her son wore the test garment, he slept for 12 hours straight.
Word soon spread among her family and friends, and the requests started pouring in. After a successful Kickstarter campaign and an appearance on Shark Tank, where Williams landed an investment from entrepreneur Lori Greiner, her new company hit the ground running. And less than two years after launch, Dreamland Baby was selling in Target, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and many more retailers across the U.S.
“Things have gone further and faster than my wildest dreams,” says Williams, who called upon her years of experience working in the medical device industry to develop a safe and effective product. “My goal in creating Dreamland Baby was to solve one of the most common issues parents face: lack of sleep. When we launched our weighted sleep sack and immediately started getting reviews about the product being a ‘game-changer’ and ‘life-saver,’ I realized we were on to something special.”
Dreaming big
Dreamland Baby’s weighted sleep sacks and blankets feature their proprietary CoverCalm technology, even weight distribution from your baby’s shoulders to toes. “It’s the closest thing to the comfort of a parent’s arms,” Williams says of the reduced stress and sense of well-being the weight provides. This evenly distributed weight is what distinguishes Dreamland’s products. It harnesses the power of deep touch stimulation, which naturally increases serotonin and melatonin while decreasing cortisol, helping your baby relax, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer.
As Williams likes to say, she did her homework so her customers don’t have to. Collaborating with experts in the medical, science, and sleep research fields, she designed her product according to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ safe sleep guidelines. And she cites several clinical studies that make her “weighty” case convincing, including one study that showed wearable weighted blankets are safe and significantly calmed infants compared to non-weighted blankets.
Hand-sewn from 100% natural soft cotton, Dreamland Baby’s products are rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness. From farm to factory, the materials used are responsibly sourced and certified to ensure every stage in the process is free from toxins, harmful chemicals, and synthetic pesticides.
To adapt to your baby’s changing sleep needs, the Dream Weighted Sleep Swaddle for infants 0-6 months can be worn three ways (both arms in, one arm in, or both arms out). And the lightweight and breathable knit is perfect for year-round use.
The Dream Weighted Sleep Sack comes in sizes ranging from 0 to 36 months. The gentle weight is less than 10% of your baby’s body weight, allowing them to roll, sit, or stand just as they would in a non-weighted sleep sack.
The sleep sacks and swaddles feature a two-way zipper for easy diaper changes and pair perfectly with the company’s Dream Pajamas.
And for children ages three and up, Dreamland’s Dream Weighted Sleep Blanket soothes with cozy micro-fleece on one side and minky cooling material on the other, making it perfect for bedtime or naps with a gentle 4-pound weight that provides calming comfort and security.
Sleep is a weighty issue
At Dreamland, giving back is a huge priority. During her safety research, Williams discovered that weighted blankets could serve as a non-pharmacological solution for infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
“We’re extremely proud to be partnering with hospitals to help make neonatal intensive care unit stays easier for infants born with NAS,” Williams says. “By donating Dream Weighted Swaddles for use in the NICU, our goal is to offer a safe and soothing solution to aid children and support their families during this time.”
Dreamland Baby also supports the Precious Dreams Foundation, dedicated to the well-being of children in foster care and homeless shelters who can benefit from the comfort derived from weighted sleep solutions.
First Candle, a nonprofit committed to eliminating SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths, has recognized Dreamland Baby as a Safe Sleep Guardian. And as a woman-run company, Dreamland is proud to be a Women’s Business Enterprise Council member, which seeks to empower women and advance diversity.
The company is also committed to sustainability and recently introduced their Upcycle program. When you return any “previously loved” Dreamland product, you receive a $20 gift card. They then restore and sanitize the products to almost-new condition and donate them to those in need - helping make a difference in the world one sleep sack at a time.
Ready to shop for weighted sleep solutions from Dreamland Baby? Be sure to check out with Amazon Pay for a fast, easy purchase experience that lets you skip the forms.