One night, a toddler’s unusual request left his mom perplexed: he wanted his leaf blower to sleep. Parenthood often comes with challenges, especially sleep deprivation. A 2019 study in Sleep found disruptions to parents’ rest lasting longer than expected.
Mothers in the early months post-birth lost about an hour of sleep per night, while fathers experienced a 15-minute loss. Alarmingly, parents’ sleep quality didn’t fully rebound even when children were aged 4 to 6.
Anne-Maree Leonard from Perth, Australia, faces these challenges with two young boys. Her eldest, Angus, nearly 2, recently sought his toy leaf blower to sleep when he struggled one night.
“It was about two months ago,” Leonard told Newsweek. “He wouldn’t sleep and wanted his ‘blower.'” Though odd for a toddler’s bedtime request, Leonard knew Angus meant.
“Angus loves using the blower with his dad every Saturday,” she said. They got him a toy version emitting a similar noise, minus blowing capabilities. Late at night, Leonard decided to let Angus try sleeping with the noisy toy.
To their surprise, it worked. “It’s amazing it’s his comfort toy,” Leonard said. Angus cuddles it and soothes himself with the noise nightly. Beside the blower, Angus likes his toy chainsaw, toolbox, and drill, hinting at a future in trades.
For now, Leonard watches Angus drift off with the blower’s blare filling the room. “He sets the noise for a bit and settles to sleep,” she said. “We laughed watching it on the baby monitor.”
Leonard posted footage online, resonating with moms trying anything for their kids’ sleep. The noise’s effectiveness remains unclear, though research supports sound aiding sleep.
A study in Archives of Disease in Childhood showed 80% of newborns slept within five minutes of white noise exposure, versus 25% in a control group. Researchers found steady sounds mask sudden noises and recreate the prenatal constant sound environment.
Leonard is relieved Angus rests well. “Sleep deprivation is tough, but these funny moments make it worth it,” she said.