How Does The Snoo Work
Basically, the SNOO replicates the environment in which your baby was accustomed to in your womb. After safely securing your newborn in the bassinet in the built-in swaddle, the SNOO gently rocks the baby and provides white noise.
Now, heres where the magic happens the SNOO is smart. It senses how content or fussy and upset your baby is, and it adjusts the levels of rocking and white noise to be precisely what your baby needs. If the baby needs more soothing, the bassinet ramps up its motion and sound. After a while, if the SNOO is unable to calm the baby, it will shut down to indicate that the baby might need your attention. Thats why some refer to it as a night nurse of sorts.
Like I said, we kept her bassinet right by our bed. But there is also a wonderful app available that we used a lot during naps. The app will alert you to the babys status.
Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Review
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In a nutshell
Baby expert Dr Harvey Karp has built a career out of helping new parents to calm and soothe newborns, and that work has culminated in the invention of Snoo, the flagship product from Karps parenting empire Happiest Baby.
The Snoo is an advanced smart sleeper crib with built-in calming abilities. From the outside it looks like a regular crib, but this little robot cot connects to an app on your phone and can automatically rock, shush, and soothe your baby without you even needing to get out of bed.
Unlike most cribs, it also comes with an unusual integrated swaddle, designed to keep your baby in a safe sleep position throughout the night.
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I hope that this review of the Snoo has helped you to make a more informed decision on whether or not you’re going to pursue it. Like I said, I do not blame parents for wanting this product! However, I don’t think it’s 100% necessary.
Id recommend, instead, to either a) buy a sleep course on newborn sleep or b) work with a sleep consultant to set a good, healthy foundation of independent-ish sleep skills upfront . Trust me. It is the way to go! I wish I wouldve done that when I had newborns!
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How Easy Is It To Clean
The sheets can be easily removed for washing and the mattress cover can be sponged down . The base of the Snoo is plastic but there are electrical parts underneath, so I just wiped that with a dry microfibre cloth. The mesh sides can be sponged clean, and some users recommend using a little hand-held vacuum to suck up dust and debris from between the mesh.
If you want to clean further into the crib, thats where it gets difficult. Unscrewing or unfastening it will void the warranty, so I wouldnt recommend it!
The Snoo Is A Very Smart Prop
Lets face it, the Snoo does it all.
Auto-triggered motion combined with white noise helps to keep baby sleeping, while swaddling keeps baby feeling secure and helps with their Moro reflex. When baby inevitably wakes up in the middle of the night , the Snoo detects crying with microphone sensors and adjusts the intensity of the white noise while gradually increasing motion. After a few minutes, if baby is still crying, the bassinet stops, signaling to mom its time to come and feed, as baby’s likely hungry if theyre still awake.
The nice thing about this product is that, when baby’s not hungry and just wakes up in-between sleep cycles, the Snoo does the dirty work for parents. It rocks baby just like mom would to put baby back to sleep. As a result, parents are going to get more sleep, and hey we can’t argue with that! The newborn phase is very exhausting and every extra hour of uninterrupted sleep that parents can get is a huge benefit for the entire family.
However, it is still a prop.
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What Is So Great About The Snoo Bassinet
The SNOO smart sleeper is no ordinary bassinet. This smart bassinet makes claims to solve every new parents problems of night wakings and anxiety by providing a safe and helpful solution for newborn sleep.
The SNOO is made to soothe crying babies to sleep while providing a safe place for baby to rest on their back. It was created by world-renowned Pediatrician, Dr. Harvey Karp. He had previously wrote the book, The Happiest Baby on the Block, which can be hailed as a new parents bible to help babies sleep better.
He created and teaches the 5 S approach to soothing a newborn, which includes Swaddle, Side or Stomach position, Shush, Swing, and Suck. These strategies provide conditions that mimic the womb so that a newly born baby can continue to feel safe and cozy, exactly how they felt in moms belly.
He successfully incorporated most of these strategies as the basis of the SNOO. These strategies attempt to help infants fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
What’s So Special About The Snoo Smart Sleeper
The Snoo was created by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp. In the parenting world, he’s renowned for his baby-whisperer superpowers. His book, The Happiest Baby on the Block, and the companion DVD gives parents the “Five S” approach to soothing a newborn: swaddle, side or stomach position, shush, swing and suck. His methods are based on the notion that the first three months of life are more like a fourth trimester of pregnancy, in which the baby still needs to feel like they are in the womb.
Karp’s approach was the basis for the bassinet. He worked with MIT Media Lab trained engineers and designer Yves Béharto turned his Five S method into a device that mimics the womb by using technology to swaddle, swing and shush babies back to sleep.
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Five Reasons Not To Purchase A Snoo: From A Group Of Pediatric Occupational And Physical Therapists
by Tammy Herrmann | Mar 9, 2021 | Equipment, Infant bonding, Infant developement |
As pediatric occupational and physical therapists who work mainly with infants, weve witnessed a time in history where the amount of baby equipment being used by many parents and child care centers has sky-rocketed. This trend is having developmental implications for some infants. Parents of newborns are vulnerable and need to have reliable information from professionals to combat the heavy marketing to which they are subjected.
Of all the pieces of new equipment that have been marketed to parents over the years, we cant think of any that we would deem as necessary for a babys development. That said, equipment can be an aid to a parent and thus has a role in infant care when used with understanding and used minimally. A savvy parent has been educated and is able to make decisions that are best for their baby and family. Note, equipment is defined as bouncy seats swings jumpers Exersaucers and sleep positioners such as the Snoo. It can also loosely include such items as the Magic Merlin and others that are designed as a transition item for going from swaddling to being out of swaddling .
Five reasons to consider before purchasing a Snoo
Reason 1: There is the potential for negative impact on bonding with your baby due to use of the Snoo.
Reason 2: The Snoo may increase the risk for head shape issues.
Reason 3: The Snoo also limits a babys ability to move.
Do Babies Get Addicted To The Sound And Motion Of The Snoo
Although the manual assured me that most babies are ready to move to a cot at around 6 months, I was convinced wed struggle and that the motion would be a sleep crutch.
But, right on schedule around 5.5 months, my son became a bit unsettled in the Snoo. He was already taking naps in his cot, and although they were short and unpredictable, I could tell he was enjoying having the freedom to move around.
I had a plan to gently wean him over a few weeks: the Snoo has a dedicated weaning mode with just sound and no motion, and the Snoo sacks have poppers so you can let the arms out of the swaddle one at a time. In the end we never got further than letting one arm out. A heatwave hit and the room he was in was so hot I decided to fast-track the move to the cot in his room.
We had a handful of rough nights as he adjusted to his newfound freedom, but before long he was sleeping as well in his cot as he did in the Snoo.
A year later, in general my son has been a great sleeper and I do think the Snoo had something to do with that.
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Can You Travel With The Snoo
Parents whose babies benefit from the effects of a SNOO Bassinet and who travel often would most likely like to combine the two. In general, babies tend to sleep well enough without the SNOO provided theyve slept in the SNOO for about 2 months. This ensures your baby has developed a consistent and fuss-free sleep pattern. By this time your baby would have started self soothing.
However, if your baby still needs the SNOO, you can quite easily disassemble the unit and take it with you. If you have additional swaddling sacks and fitted sheets or SNOO fitted sheet alternatives, be sure to pack them as well.
Heres a short video by the creators of this bassinet on how to repack the device along with its accessories. You might not have the card boxes anymore just simply use bags instead for the accessories.
Takeaway About Snoo & Car Travel
A repacked SNOO will take about half the trunk of a mid-size family car, 25-33% of a compact SUV, and about 20% of a large family SUV.
Naturally, these numbers will change depending on the trunk dimensions of a specific car, and if you carry other bulky stuff, it might not fit. Think about your car trunk and plan before you even get to packing.
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What About The Snoos Wean
The Snoo does have a wean-down feature, which works by slowly decreasing the intensity and the frequency of the bassinets rocking and white noise until the baby is more independent and no longer relies on the device for sleep. However, it isnt always100% effective and parents find, like with any other sleep prop, sleep training is still needed .
I recently polled parents using the Snoo on my about their experience using the wean-down feature. When asked if they were successful using the Snoos wean-down feature to transition their baby to the crib, only about 25% of 20 parents said they were successful.
Now, I know this isnt a scientific research study, but I bring this poll up because I see parents all the time who were unsuccessful using the wean-down feature of the Snoo and still needed to sleep train, and needed to enlist the help of a professional to do so. So I wanted to make sure that my feedback isnt biased due to the nature of my work.
Can You Use Breathing Monitoring Monitors Like Nanit Or Miku With The Snoo
Since the Snoo employs constant, gentle motion to help your baby sleep, and monitors like Nanit and Miku rely on computer vision to notice the movement of your babys chest to determine that breathing is going on, the two arent compatible. That said, wed note that youll use a baby monitor for years, youll use the Snoo for a maximum of 6 months, so we dont necessarily recommend choosing your baby monitor based on this. If you are looking to do vitals monitoring while your baby is in the Snoo, Owlet is your best bet .
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How Much Does The Snoo Cost
The SNOO currently retails for $1,495 which is an awfully steep price tag for the average parent to swallow, especially without knowing if it will work for your child. However, some will say that you cant put a price on a good nights sleep so maybe its worth it to some.
While that price does seem expensive, be aware that you should never have to pay full price for it! There are sales for the SNOO Smart Sleeper every couple of months where you can get 10-30% off.
Happiest Baby offers a 30 day no-risk trial where you can try out the SNOO and if it doesnt work for your baby, you can return it for a full refund. That seems like a no-brainer.
Another great way to save on the SNOO is to purchase it second-hand and also to resell it yourself. You can typically find it discounted on Facebook Marketplace or find a local mom selling it in your area. They also can be resold for nearly the price you bought it for!
There is now the option to rent the SNOO which will also save you tons! The rental costs $129 a month and you can commit to anywhere from 1 month to 6 months, but cancel anytime. Be aware though that there are fees associated like an 89.50 reconditioning fee, a $99 refundable deposit, and a $59.50 return shipping cost.
All of those charges can add up, especially if you are keeping it for the full 6 months. Therefore, buying it discounted or second-hand and reselling it may be your best financial option.
Should My Baby Nap In Snoo
If your little one is struggling to develop consistent sleeping habits, letting them nap in the SNOO might be a good idea. One of the benefits of this device is to promote good sleeping habits, so it can only benefit your baby.
Essentially, SNOO adds at least 2 hours of extra sleep to an average night. The white noise and rocking motion automatically responds to most fussing and tends to calm the baby in a matter of minutes. Babies who are restless will receive all the benefits of swaddling without having to be picked up every few minutes.
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What Special Functions Does The Snoo Have
There are two main selling points to the Snoo. The first is the swaddle, known as the Snoo sack, which comes in 3 sizes . The Snoo sack then has two fabric wings, which fasten onto two long clips in the sides of the crib. These keep the swaddled baby securely in a safe position, lying on their back, with the aim of reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome .
Safely swaddling a baby with their arms down can also keep them from startling themselves awake, and a lot of newborns respond really well to being swaddled, my son included.
The other and perhaps most exciting feature of the Snoo is the mechanical element. With the flick of a switch, the Snoo will gently rock the baby from side to side, and play white noise through speakers under the mattress.
It does this all night long on the standard baseline setting, but the noise and movement are also responsive. This means if the baby begins to fuss or cry the Snoo will level up, increasing the volume and vigorousness of the rocking based on the settings chosen in the app. You can also adjust the levels manually using the app or the power button on the front of the crib.