NC inventor: Hush Buddy device helps toddlers get the sleep they need – WBTV

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A dad from North Carolina created a device to help other parents get their toddlers to fall asleep and stay asleep.

The Hush Buddy system uses a light-up character that listens to the room and dims briefly if there’s too much sound to provide a gentle visual cue to a toddler that it’s quiet time.

The inventor, Scott Hanson, said the device harnesses toddlers’ super-active imaginations with a storybook the introduces Whisper, a bedtime friend who needs quiet to glow best.

The system is designed for kids ages 2 to 4.

A father of twins, Hanson said he knows the bedtime struggle is real.

“It wasn’t until a nephew melted down at 3 a.m. during a family visit that the idea of an interactive nightlight occurred to me,” he said. “It appealed to my “dad sense” and with research we found it was actually backed up by sleep and behavioral science.”

Hanson said sleep is important to a toddler’s growth and the Hush Buddy can help lull a child to sleep.

“The brain’s neural pathways are being bolted together in a way that doesn’t happen at any other age,” he said. “So, it’s the most important sleep we have in our entire lives. Studies show if a toddler doesn’t get enough sleep– even an hour less than the 12 to 14 hours recommended– that decreased cognitive development can have lifelong consequences, like decreased focus, grades, behavior and even physical consequences like obesity and an increased incidence of diabetes.”

For more about the Hush Buddy, click here.