What's the right sleep space?

Crib or bassinet? Crib or bed? Snoo or not? Making the decision about what’s the right for your baby to sleep in can be really tough!

Start with your child’s age and weight. For newborns until about 5 months old, the bassinet is the perfect place. For parents who want to keep babies close but not in the bed, a bedside co-sleeper can make night time feeds easier while also keeping baby safely in their own sleep space. We had a co-sleeper with my youngest son and it was so handy. I would wheel it around the first floor of the house so that he could nap next to me while I was either cooking, on the couch, or playing with my oldest.

Is the SNOO or another motion bassinet a good choice? I have worked with some families that love the SNOO. And I have worked with some families that are ambivalent about it. Now that the SNOO can be rented, it allows parents the option to return it if it ends up not being as helpful as they thought. When using the SNOO or a similar product, be sure to continue to wake your newborn to eat overnight. The SNOO will rock in response to your baby’s cries, making it hard to know when they might be crying because it’s mealtime. When it’s time to stop using a motion bassinet, you can gradually wean your baby off the motion feature before transitioning them to a crib.

Once babies reach about 5-6 months, are rolling, or are exceeding the weight limit of the bassinet, a crib is a good next step. Choose a crib with a higher back, if possible. When your baby is older, you can turn the crib around to help keep them from climbing out! This may sound strange, but purchase a new mattress with each subsequent child you have. Research has shown that using older mattresses can be a potential SIDS risk factor as the mattresses break down and release gas as they get older.

I always recommend parents keep their children in cribs as long as possible. For some kids, this could be as old as 3.5 or 4. It may seem like a long time, but using the crib as long as possible can help avoid late night trips around the house when your kids are older. I’ve talked with some parents who think their children think of cribs as a jail, but in reality a crib can be a safe place for them if we are sure to keep that association.

I have worked with some families who use Montessori-style floor beds. These can work well for some families, but are not the right fit for others. If your baby is very sensitive to being alone or wakes multiple times per night, a traditional crib might be the better fit. Many children don’t have the impulse control to stay in a bed all night until they are closer to 3-3.5 years old

Transitioning to a twin-size bed can be a fun experience for the family! Let your child pick out sheets they like. Avoid calling the bed a “big boy” or “big girl” bed, but instead call it something like, “Your new bed” or “your paw patrol bed.” Give your child a day or so to get used to the new bed before sleeping in it. You can keep the crib as an option for a little while if that feels right. You could also take the crib mattress out and put it on the floor as an option. Then let your child choose each night if they’d like to sleep in the crib or the bed, understanding that they may initially choose one and then decide they want the other. Many kids are very attached to their cribs and it can be hard to separate from them. This is ok! Unless you’re moving or there’s a new baby on the way, there isn’t any urgency around making this transition.

Hope you find this helpful! Happy Sleeping.