When To Stop Using SNOO?
Wondering if it’s time to say goodbye to the SNOO, and start nights in the crib? Discover when to stop using SNOO, and how to ease the transition to crib here.
The comforting sounds and gentle motion of the SNOO bassinet are excellent at soothing fussy babies. So, when you make the transition to the still and silent crib, you can expect some middle of the night wake-ups!
The SNOO is excellent at fostering healthy sleep patterns in young babies, but at some point, it has to go. You need to stop using the SNOO when your little one is six months, or starts pushing on their hands and knees.
The transition from SNOO to crib isn’t simple, but it can be made easier with these tips and tricks. Take a look at this guide for advice on when to start transitioning from the SNOO, and how to ease the process.
What Is A SNOO Bassinet?
The SNOO is a smart bassinet designed to foster healthy sleep habits in newborns and young babies. When the SNOO detects crying, fussing, or night time disturbances, it quickly responds with motion and sound.
Your little one is soothed back to sleep, and you can get a few more hours of rest! If crying persists, the SNOO stops soothing, and you can deal with the issue.
It sounds pretty magical, right? All new parents crave a little extra sleep, which the SNOO can provide.
However, the SNOO is only for short term use, and after a couple of months, you need to transition your baby to a bigger crib.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A SNOO Smart Bassinet?
There are several reasons why parents love the SNOO and why it has made it to the top of our list for the best rocking bassinets! The benefits a SNOO smart bassinet offer includes:
Improved Sleep
The Snoo Smart Bassinet is designed to promote better sleep for babies through its unique features.
- Gentle rocking: Snoo rocks gently back and forth to mimic the sensation of being in the womb. This gentle movement can soothe babies and help them fall asleep faster and sleep longer.
- White noise: Snoo features white noise at various levels, which can help to block out other noises and create a calm, relaxing environment for babies to sleep in.
- Customizable settings: Snoo allows you to adjust the level of rocking and white noise to best meet your baby’s needs, so you can create a sleep environment that is customized to your baby’s preferences.
- Responds to crying: Snoo is equipped with a microphone that detects crying and automatically increases the level of rocking and white noise until your baby falls back to sleep. This can help to reduce the amount of time that parents spend trying to soothe a crying baby, allowing for more restful sleep for both baby and parents.
Safe Sleep Environment
Snoo is designed with secure straps through the use of their SNOO sack to keep your baby from rolling over and mesh sides for proper air flow, creating a safe sleep environment.
You may also like our guide on what to wear under SNOO Sack?
Easy To Use
The Snoo is easy to operate and adjust, with different levels of rocking and white noise available to soothe your baby.
Increased Sleep For Parents
By providing a safe and comfortable sleep environment for your baby, Snoo can help you get more sleep and reduce stress.
The SNOO’s crying detection technology and automatic rocking and white noise response can reduce the amount of time parents spend trying to soothe a crying baby. Which means both baby and parents can get settled to sleep quicker.
Recommended By Pediatricians
Snoo has been recommended by pediatricians and sleep experts, who believe that it can help babies sleep better and promote healthy sleep habits.
When Should You Stop Swaddling In A SNOO Sack?
It’s recommended to stop using a Snoo Sack for swaddling when your baby shows signs of attempting to roll over or break out of the swaddle, which typically occurs around 2-3 months of age. However, this can vary depending on your baby’s development.
Stopping swaddling at the appropriate time is important for ensuring your baby’s safety and promoting healthy sleep habits. Continuing to swaddle a baby who is attempting to roll over can increase the risk of suffocation.
Even though you stop swaddling in a Snoo Sack when your baby starts to roll, you can still utilize you SNOO smart bassinet.
When To Stop Using SNOO?
Experts recommend transitioning from the SNOO bassinet at around 6 months, or when they start to get onto their hands and knees. Start the transition out of the SNOO at whichever milestone comes first!
You will also need to transition your baby out of the SNOO if your baby reaches the maximum weight limit of the bassinet prior to 6 months or starting to get up on their hands and kneed, which is typically around 25 pounds.
The SNOO is a bassinet bed, albeit one with extra features. It has a small sleeping area, low sides, and a lightweight base.
When your baby is able to start moving around more, sleeping in the bassinet becomes risky. They need to move to a sturdy space.
Moving from the bassinet to the crib (or a crib alternative) is often a tricky prospect. And after half a year spent with the SNOO, you and your little one have probably adjusted to all the incredible built-in features.
Newborns love motion, as it reminds them of the constant movement they enjoyed when they were in the womb. When they first come into the world, the stillness and silence feels weird.
By the time your little one is 5 months old, however, they’ve gotten used to life without consistent rocking.
Your baby might be ready to leave the SNOO, but you can expect some tears along the way. So, when it’s time to stop using the SNOO, how should you go about it?
You can learn more about the difference between a bassinet and crib in our bassinet vs crib guide!
How To Transition From The SNOO To The Crib
It’s time to stop using the SNOO when your little one is 6 months old, or they’re starting to get on their hands and knees (whichever milestone comes first).
But the transition doesn’t need to be immediate. Before you stop using the SNOO, you should wean them into the crib.
Let’s take a look at how to go about it:
Start Freeing Their Arms
The first step to transitioning out of the SNOO bassinet is to change how you’re using the SNOO Sack.
Start by freeing one arm at a time. There are snaps at the shoulders of the SNOO Sack that can be undone to let out one arm.
Spend a few nights sleeping with one arm free. If they sleep soundly, then you can free the second arm (make sure to fasten the midsection bands tightly).
With one arm suddenly free, your little one might startle themselves awake in the night. If this happens, spend a few nights with both arms tucked in the sack, before starting the process again.
Turn “Weaning Mode” On
The SNOO is a smart bassinet, so of course it has features to ease the weaning process. When your little one is around 5 months, you’ll get a notification from SNOO about starting weaning.
SNOO recommends switching to weaning mode about 1 week before you want to move to the crib. To do this, head to the Settings icon on the Happiest Baby app.
You’ll find the “Weaning” toggle under the “Modes” heading. Toggle weaning mode on. When you head back to the dashboard, you’ll see a “W” in the corner, indicating weaning mode has been activated.
What does SNOO weaning mode do? In weaning mode, SNOO plays soothing sounds, but has no motion during undisturbed sleep.
If the SNOO detects fussing, it will start motion until the baby is soothed. The motion will then gradually decrease, and the SNOO will go still.
Weaning mode should be used for around 1 to 2 weeks before the transition to the crib. This will give your baby a chance to adapt to a still bed.
Start Introducing The Crib During The Day
To help ease their first few nights in the crib, you want your little one to become familiar with their new sleeping space. During the day, move playtime into the crib for a few minutes!
Play some of their favorite music and interact with them through the bars. You can even try a quick nap in the crib!
Turn Off The SNOO
With weaning mode on, the SNOO shouldn’t be moving much during the night. A few days before the move to the crib, you might want to stop this motion entirely.
Turn the SNOO off when you put your little one to sleep. If they wake up in the night, you can turn the SNOO on, and reintroduce the movement. Your baby can start adjusting to the still bed, while enjoying the familiar space of the SNOO.
Consider A White Noise Machine
It might be time to stop the soothing movement of the SNOO, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave the noise behind.
The SNOO combines sound and motion to create the optimal sleep environment. With a white noise machine, you can continue the relaxing background sounds even with the move to the crib.
White noise machines are inexpensive, and can be a comforting addition to a nursery. If you don’t want to invest, you can download white noise onto a phone, tablet, or computer.
Make The Move!
You’ve turned off the SNOO, added white noise, and spent playtime in the crib. The only thing left to do is make the final transition!
Keep up the old bedtime routine that your baby is used to. But, instead of placing them in the SNOO, get them comfortable in the crib. Now, all you can do is wait, and hope for a quiet night.
If there’s fussing and crying during the night, you might want to switch from the crib, back to the SNOO. However, be careful with this tactic.
It might slow down the process, and leave both you and the baby relying on the SNOO for soothing. Eventually, you will have to stop the SNOO entirely, as it won’t be safe for a growing baby.
Final Thoughts on When To Stop Using The SNOO
The soothing motions of the SNOO can be a lot of help during those first few months. When it’s time to move on from the SNOO, expect a few restless nights.
However, we hope these tips for an easy transition will help you switch from SNOO to crib with less fuss!
And if you are looking for more great guides, make sure to check out these guides on best SNOO alternatives, best cribs for small spaces, best mini cribs, best cribs with changing station, and best cribs for short moms!
