Pick of the bunch from A to Zzzzzzz

The Lulla doll is a sleep companion for preemies, babies and toddlers.

I have been a massive Star Wars fan since watching the original movie as a 5-year-old - even if visions of dastardly Darth Vader gave me a few nightmares.

I'm guessing my 3-month-old son Blake might also be a fan given the impact of the wildly popular Lulla Doll, which emits a breathing sound strikingly similar to the black-clad Star Wars villain and which supposedly calms tots and puts them to sleep.

As a new parent it's hard not to be cynical about the products and old wives' tales that claim to be the solution to sleepless days and nights. As our bank balance has dropped with the outlay on an array of "proven" products, our cynicism has increased.

But that's been smashed, courtesy of the Lulla Doll, designed in Iceland and a worldwide hit.

If you thought Iceland's national football team is the Nordic nation's greatest export on the basis of reaching the quarter-finals of the recent Euro 2016 tournament, think again.

Its breathing and heartbeat noises have done what many others couldn't - get our wee Prince off to sleep, and keep him in the land of nod for up to three hours, after a couple of pretty rough weeks.

We fired up the Lulla Doll and placed it on his torso on Friday night while I held him - instructions state it shouldn't be placed in an infant's cot until they reach age 1. Within 10 minutes he was in a deep sleep.

And it wasn't just a short-lived success. The doll was brought back into action again after early and mid-morning feeds yesterday - and again Blake nodded off into a settled sleep.

On the chest of Blake's Lulla Doll is a love heart. We love you, Lulla Doll.

Before exhausted parents jump in, baby whisperer Dorothy Waide warns crying is a baby's only way of communicating, so when trying to quiet a baby parents first need to work out what their baby is trying to tell them.

Are they overtired, hungry, in pain or sick?