The SNOO is a huge investment! It is one of the most expensive sleeping arrangements for your baby. When researching how Emma was going to sleep, Tyler and I decided to give it a try regardless of the price. I was not paid or given the SNOO so trust me when I say this is my honest review, to help other parents decide if it is right for their little one before spending a significant amount of money.
When we were preparing for Emma’s arrival I was researching so many different sleeping and bassinet options. I heard of the SNOO but my original thought was that paying almost 1,300 dollars for a bassinet that she would only be in for 4-6 months was ridiculous. However, the closer she got to arriving the more nervous I got about what she would be sleeping in. I am someone who tends to do to much research and reading for my own good and the risks of SIDS became terrifying to me.
When reading about the SNOO I found out that it not only helped the baby sleep for longer periods but it also helped with certain SIDS risks. The most important part of the SNOO to me is that the baby can not roll. The baby must sleep in the SNOO sleep sacks which connect to the SNOO itself keeping them safe on their back all night. This prevents them from rolling on to their stomachs or rolling towards the side of the bassinets. This helps prevent suffocation. The sleep sack seems to help the baby as well because it keeps them swaddled tightly which most young babies prefer anyway.
The SNOO works by constantly rocking the baby and playing soothing white noise sounds. When the baby becomes restless or fussy the SNOO can detect it and change the rhythm of the rocking to soothe them back to sleep. The sides are breathable mesh and there is an app that monitors and tracks their sleeping, the amount of time the SNOO spent soothing them, and the difference between deep sleep and light sleep.
The SNOO is available for rent or purchase. Honestly renting will not save you a ton of money if you plan on renting for the full 6 months. Plus you need to send it back at some point and would need to rerent for additional children you may have in the future. When you purchase the SNOO you can pick the delivery date, this is important because you only have 30 days to return it if it does not work for your little one, and for the price you do not want to be stuck with it if it doesn’t work for you and your baby.
The first night putting Emma to sleep at home was terrifying for me. Even with the SNOO knowing she could not roll did not make saying goodnight to her that first night any easier. I woke up every 15 minutes just to check on her, but despite my fear, Emma has had no problems sleeping.
We are lucky because Emma is naturally a good sleeper. she sleeps many hours during the day and night. Since Emma was born prematurely and is a small size we need to wake her and feed her every 3-4 hours. So I don’t know how long she would sleep past the 3-4 hours but she typically does not wake before its time for her to eat. Our usual night consists of putting her to bed at midnight, waking her at 4 AM for her feeding, and waking up for the day at 8 AM for her next feeding.
In my own opinion, I like the SNOO. To me just the fact that Emma can’t roll makes me think that she is safer in the SNOO then other bassinet options. The only negative about the SNOO that I see is the price, I still think it is very expensive when most other bassinets range from 100-250. They do have frequent sales of 30-35% off the SNOO this will bring the price to just under 900 dollars.
Obviously, every family is different so choose the option that is right for you and your baby! If you have any questions about the SNOO let me know!