How to wean your baby from the SNOO Smart Sleeper Bassinet
Is it time to transition your baby out of the SNOO? This post covers everything you need to know to make the transition!
What is the Snoo and what does it do?
The Snoo is a fancy bassinet that attempts to recreate the feeling of the womb for your baby by rocking and shushing all night long. It was created for babies 0-6 months old or until baby can get on their hands and knees.
It’s advertised as a “smart” sleeper, because it can detect when your baby begins to fuss and will respond by increasing the white noise and rocking motion which will soothe your baby back to sleep.
In theory, the Snoo sounds great, but it comes with a few downsides.
First and foremost, it prevents your baby from developing their own strong sleep skills because most babies grow to depend heavily on the SNOO’s motion for all sleep.
It’s also very pricey (currently $1695.00).
If you’re expecting and you’re looking into the Snoo, our personal recommendation is to skip the SNOO. Our online Newborn sleep class will teach you how to lay a solid sleep foundation for your baby from day one without using a continuous rocking motion. We much prefer a simple Pack N Play with a bassinet insert or the HALO Bassinest Swivel Sleeper 3.0 (the non-vibrating version) is also a really great option.
If you’ve been using the SNOO with your baby, there’s no shame in that! We know so many families use and love the SNOO, but eventually you want or need to know how to transition your baby out of it and into their own crib.
Steps to transition your baby out of the SNOO
When you’re ready to say goodbye to the SNOO, begin the process at bedtime when your child's sleep pressure is at its highest.
Begin transitioning your baby out of the SNOO Sack (swaddle) by swaddling one arm in and releasing one arm out for 1-2 days. Alternate which arm is out at every sleep.
After 2 days or when your baby seems to be doing well with one arm out, graduate to both arms out. Continue fastening the inner band of the SNOO sack around your baby.
After 1-2 days of both arms being free, turn on the SNOO's built in weaning feature by turning on "Weaning Mode" in your Happiest Baby app (Settings > Modes). In weaning mode, the SNOO will continue to play its soothing sound, but won't use its motion feature unless your baby cries. Once your baby calms, the motion will stop.
After a few days of using Weaning Mode, it’s time to put your baby to bed in their own crib! They’re ready and you’ve done all the weaning you can do.
Introducing something new to your baby is always challenging. Give yourself and your little one so much grace! If your child struggles with the transition out of the SNOO or with sleep in general, please know there is hope! Our mission at the Goodnight House is to equip parents with the tools necessary to help their babies get the sleep they need and experience more rest, peace, and joy in parenting.
If you have a baby 0-4 months old and you’re wanting to help establish great sleep habits from the very beginning, our online Newborn Class is for you! This class will make any future transitions, like transitioning out of the swaddle, much easier on your little one.
Learn sleep strategies to meet your growing baby’s needs with our 3-4 Month Sleep Guide. It will help you understand months 3-4 and the Four Month Sleep Regression.
If you have an older baby or toddler, we offer 1:1 Personalized Sleep Plans to help get your child (4+ Months) sleeping 11-12 hours per night.