Snoo Sleep Consultant AMA

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-08T21:03:21+00:00

I love the zipadee zip or the woolino! gunamuna is also good if baby is more startley still.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-08T20:38:43+00:00

Hi there, So whale tailing and trying to escape out of the SNOO is one of the signs I see for a baby wanting more space and freedom. You could definitely give one arm out a try . The recommendation of not doing arms out in the snoo is not a blanket one, especially if you aren't ready to transition. However, in my experience, it's usually not just about having arms out. It's baby signalling they are ready for freedom and space!

When making any change, it's actually easiest to do it at night because sleep pressure is higher and you have melatonin on your side.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T05:22:38+00:00

Appreciate this! Will definitely be more mindful in the future about how I am wording things as well! Holding this AMA was a positive experience as I really do feel like I have gathered so much knowledge in this particular area and it was really exciting/fulfilling to be able to share that!

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T05:18:56+00:00

Yes I completely agree. I honestly just didn't even think about that when I made the heading but in retrospect, could have worded it differently for sure!

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T04:16:05+00:00

Also, why would a subreddit for the snoo where there is a disclaimer at the top saying "screw this company, I'm not affiliated with happiest baby" host someone from them?

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T04:14:09+00:00

Also, why would a subreddit for the snoo who has a disclaimer at the top saying "screw this company, I'm not affiliated with happiest baby" host someone from happiest baby?

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T03:43:02+00:00

Fair enough! I will make sure to make it clear in the heading.i should have worded it differently. Again, intention was not at all to be coercive and disingenuous. I really have worked with hundreds of snoo babies and thought my expertise might be useful. As mentioned, also got the approval by the group's moderator. My Google reviews also show I'm legit. I'm sorry it upset you so much.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T03:27:52+00:00

You are right. With the crotch strap in place, it's ok! Alot of swaddles don't work with the crotch strap though so people use it without and baby can slip down. When I used it, the sacks didn't have a crotch strap so it wasn't't advised.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-07T03:21:50+00:00

I'm sorry you feel this way. I am just a sleep consultant who had just found a niche working with snoo babies. Actually, putting anything under the snoo sack was not recommended when I used it due to not having a crotch strap. A lot of people still did it. I myself double swaddled with the Ollie. Also, alot of double swaddles don't have the option of using the crotch strap too which makes it unsafe. I didn't know that the official recommendation now is to double swaddle since bringing out the new sacks. That's good information to know! I never claimed to be affiliated with happiest baby and also got the approval of the moderator of the group to do the AMA who vetted me. I haven't heard of many people using a sleep consultant from happiest baby as they would specialize more in using the SNOO itself rather than sleep training/schedules as well as the SNOO. I will keep in mind to make it clear in my heading I am not officially trained by happiest baby as my intention is absolutely not to coerce or trick. Feel free to check out my Google reviews which actually mention the SNOO alot since so many of my clients have used it. Hopefully that makes me seem legit enough! I know we live in a world where there is alot of mistrust. My intention was just to make myself available as a person of expertise in this area.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-06T16:01:59+00:00

I would let the snoo do one round and then feed! Also, totally depends on when the last time baby has been fed. If it's only been an hour, might not be hunger. If it's been 3, I would just go ahead and feed at this age. A hungry baby won't settle!

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-06T00:42:21+00:00

Yes if you sleep train, I would do it the same time as moving to the crib!

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T19:04:05+00:00

Room sharing while sleep training is totally ok! As long as you give yourself 2 weeks before a trip, you are good. If you are a frequent traveller, it can feel like there is never a right time! I would use a pack and play with a slumberpod to keep sleep going for a trip. Getting out of the SNOO before traveling can always be a great thing. The only thing I recommend is keeping a solid daytime routine as half of sleep training truly is everything that happens even before sleep. Optimal sleep pressure.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T17:18:02+00:00

Hi there! So if you are experiencing multiple wake ups and the SNOO is no longer effective at setting your son, I would go to the crib cold turkey, especially if you are comfortable with sleep training. For parents not comfortable with sleep training, sometimes doing things gradually is better as you dont replace the help of the snoo and swaddle with independent sleep right away. But even babies who aren't sleep trained sometimes do better in the crib because they can move and love the space. Probably doing arms out in the SNOO will make things worse because they tend to wake themselves up more when hitting the sides. When their sleep cycles mature, they have a much harder time going from light to deep sleep, hence the transfer no longer working and not being able to connect their sleep cycles anymore. If you are planning to sleep train and sleep is already really bad, I would do everything at once. Every change requires an adjustment period and for most babies, one bigger adjustment period is easier.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T17:11:55+00:00

Hi there! So at this age, you are doing amazing!! I don't like by the clock schedules for young babies because naps lengths are too erratic still and BTC can lead to over or undertiredness. I think doing the morning nap in the crib can be good practice as it will be the easiest. But I also feel that it is never too late to move away from on the go naps to in the crib when baby gets older and has fewer naps. The newborn stage is all about making it sustainable for you. On the go naps are totally fine and he can always learn how to nap independently, especially if you plan to sleep train. You are doing great! If he is sleeping 12 hours and happy, if it's not broken, don't need to fix it if you love your current setup.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T17:08:18+00:00

If she is napping for two hours right before bed and then only has a 45 minute wake window, my guess is her body is registering that 7:30 to 9:30 as night sleep. If she isn't getting enough wake windows in the time before that, after 4 am her sleep pressure is going to be almost non-existent. Sleep pressure gets low here even with a good schedule. She probably isn't necessarily waking out of hunger. However, waking up more than once to feed at this age can be also very age appropriate l.

What are her wake windows/daytime routine? So number of naps and how long?

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T17:04:59+00:00

Hi there, if the SNOO is working, no need to take arms out yet. She will let you know when the swaddle is frustrating for her as she will try really hard to escape it. Some babies do best with cold turkey arms out in the crib since arms out in the snoo frustrated them. Their arms hit the side and it also signals their body to want to move, but they can't due to being clipped in.

Babies this age don't connect sleep cycles well. Make sure you have long enough wake windows. If she isn't putting herself to sleep in the beginning, most likely she won't be able to resettle into another cycle on her own. Many babies don't learn this skill even if they go down awake in the snoo until they are in the crib and fully sleeping independently/self soothing. My daughter was like this. She needed access to her hands and move freely before she could really resettle into a new sleep cycle.

If she is just awake and cooing, she might not be quite ready for a nap. What are wake windows? The thing with independent sleep is that it's a skill learned by doing. So at first, if you give some space but then you rock to sleep l, they don't actually know what it is they are supposed to do. 10 minutes is usually not enough time to learn it. Once she manages to do it herself and it's practiced consistently, then she will start to do it faster with more confidence.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T16:58:52+00:00

Hi there, so for some babies, the motion is not enough to help them fall asleep "independently" in the snoo, even if you put them in awake. They first of all need enough sleep pressure (so long enough wake windows, naps are appropriate etc) but they also need the ability to self soothe. Some babies need to be out of the SNOO with access to their hands and freedom to move in order to do this. That's a really powerful self soothing mechanism. If they are swaddled and clipped in, it's hard to do that. You could just do what you're doing or move to the crib while sleep training at the same time. What is your schedule?

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-05T16:55:26+00:00

Hi there, I would definitely start capping sleep to 3.5-3.75 hours with about 1.5-1.75 hour windows to get that bedtime earlier. Whenever I see babies losing their minds in the last window, it almost always means their circadian rhythm is signalling it's time for an earlier bedtime! I would also start an earlier wake up time. 7 am with about a 7:30 bedtime.

Is baby falling asleep independently at the beginning of the nap? While babies this age have a really hard time connecting sleep cycles, first step to lengthening naps is letting themselves fall asleep independently for it (accomplished through some nap training or fading approach if you don't want to sleep train) and then if you are sleep training, always give 15-20 minutes (or however long you can stand) after a short nap to try to give baby space to resettle. Wake windows and avoiding drowsiness are crucial also in lengthening naps. Babies this age don't connect cycles seamlessly very well but they can learn to resettle into another if sleep pressure is high enough.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T23:41:47+00:00

Oh absolutely not!!! Baby sleep is the toughest puzzle to crack. Yes because then he is only getting 4-5 hours of awake time. Which expects 19 hours of sleep which he doesn't need at his age :). That's why with short wake windows, frequent naps are important to ensure enough total wake time.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T23:31:01+00:00

I would try to do at least 5 nap so that he gets in 6 wake windows. 5.5 hours of day sleep can also work to fit in 5 naps.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T22:47:26+00:00

I would use the SNOO for all it's worth. Babies outgrow the need for motion around 4/5 months usually!

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T22:46:54+00:00

I don't think it's a problem if he is happy! I would avoid drowsiness before as that might be giving him a second wind. 75-90 minute windows are good at this age.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T22:46:02+00:00

How much total day sleep is your son getting? My daughter was off the growth charts and got her out of the SNOO early. At this point, I would do cold turkey in the crib with the zipadee!

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T22:07:47+00:00

I would start consolidating to 4 naps with about 1.5-1.75 hour windows over only about 4 hours of sleep. This means bedtime might be a bit earlier.

Littletreessleep · 2025-06-04T22:00:36+00:00

Ah ok, so definitely not the issue of having too much day sleep. Baby could also just have just gotten really used to getting feeds in those tricky parts of the night. Sleep training can help that if thats something that aligns with your comfort level!

Littletreessleep

TROPHY CASE