Crib toys for self-soothing?

[Zirconia]

Has anybody used crib toys to help your LOs soothe themselves to sleep?  Do they work?  If so, any recommendations?

For the past year, all attempts to get my daughter to fall asleep in her crib have been dismal failures.  She also takes a long time to nurse to sleep, sometimes an hour or more.  Lately, I've noticed that she's finally taking a bit of interest in a lovey - she's not a big soother (doesn't rub it or suck her thumb, etc), but she will wave it around while she nurses and unwinds.  And when Daddy puts her to nap in the Ergo, she does better when she has something to hold onto, even just a pen or something.  It got me wondering if there is some sort of soothing crib toy, maybe something that plays very quiet music or has very dim lights, that she could fiddle with until she's sleepy.  Hoping, dreaming, wishing for the day when I could nurse her, say goodnight, and put her down, and she could gently play herself to sleep without needing Mama right there.

Any thoughts?

[MrsGregory]

How old is your darling?  Little Miss just started taking an interest in loveys, at 15 months, and to be fair I am kind of pushing them on her, because I believe she would benefit from having some comfort in an object that is not me.  Or maybe I'll benefit. 

She has an appropriate-size baby doll in her Arm's Reach, and before we set her down I hug and kiss her, and hug and kiss her baby doll.  She holds the baby doll out for me to hug and kiss.

Personally, I would offer a cuddle toy and not an amusement toy, but that's a very individual decision.

We also have a glowworm which Little Miss adores, and takes with her to nap.  The light is very small, and the music goes for 15-20 minutes before switching itself off, unless it's started again by baby.  It was under $20 at Target.

[Zirconia]

I agree!  I was thinking along the lines of the glowworm, but I just don't know what's out there.  Thanks!

[MrsGregory]

Something I learned while picking out her baby doll was that their "baby" should be about as long as their entire arm... just as they were about as long as our arm when they were born.  At first, when I was given this info, I was pretty much nonplussed, but then it seemed right in some way, and I have to confess, the baby doll I bought her armed with this info and the glowworm, also roughly that size (She's a bit of a dinky dink.), are the big cuddlies.  Maybe coincidence, maybe not, Ill throw it out there.  Bigger and smaller lovies were rejected.

[MsDolphin]

DS loves his Lovey. Originally I was against having anything in his crib, but it's turned out to be a comfort to him. More in the middle of the night when he was waking up, he could cuddle it and settle himself back to sleep with it. He does cuddle it when going to sleep too, but I also stay in his room with him until he goes to sleep at bedtime.

[Zirconia]

What about those crib aquariums I see everywhere?  Do they help babies settle and drift off, or just keep them awake?

ETA:  She's one year old (today!).