As a new parent, chances are you already know (or will soon discover) how important it is to develop a sleep schedule for your baby. Because when your baby sleeps better, your entire family gets to rest.
Sometimes, parents are able to introduce their baby to Cradlewise right after bringing them home from the hospital. However, on other occasions, you have to transition your little one to our cradle when they are slightly older. Now, this could be because of a myriad of reasons like—the baby not sleeping well in their first crib, you purchasing Cradlewise in later months, or receiving our cradle a little late.
Many of our community members asked us how to transition their baby to Cradlewise. So here we are with the answers.
How much time does it usually take to transition fully?
The time that your baby takes to fully transition to their Cradlewise convertible smart crib depends on the age at which they are introduced to the crib. However, it’s always helpful to remember that each baby is unique, and even with the recommended time frames, some babies might transition to Cradlewise faster or slower than others.
Preemie
If your baby is a preemie, Cradlewise’s ‘Gentle bounce mode’ can help them transition gently. Swaddling might also help them feel safe.
Talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns.
From birth to 1 month old
This is the best time to introduce your little one to the crib because it’s very easy to transition a less-than-a-month-old newborn to their crib.
Right after birth, for the first month, your baby’s sleep schedule is far from solidifying. In fact, during the first month, they are still in the womb stage, and that’s why this period is often referred to as the fourth trimester.
They can’t yet distinguish between night and day and often sleep 16 to 17 hours. That sounds like a lot of time, but these hours are fragmented as babies need to be woken up every two hours for feeds. Their senses aren’t developed enough to be distracted by sights and sounds yet.
And that’s why it’s the best time to get started with Cradlewise.
- Transition time: Immediate, very low effort.
For 1 to 3-month-olds
Between 1 to 3 months, your little one’s sleep schedule will start forming. Although not yet fully mature, by the end of 3 months, they will be producing their own melatonin (the hormone that helps them sleep).
Since their sleep schedule is under formation, babies also develop sleep preferences around this time—whether they like swaddling or not or if they like motion to go to sleep.
Since they will be light sleepers around this age, they are easily disturbed by ambient noise. It might also be a good idea to introduce our white/pink/brown noise to help them fall asleep.
Babies will start taking longer naps around this age. Since their tummy size has slightly grown since birth, they will require less frequent feedings.
- Transition time: 1 week to 10 days.
- Settings that can help: ‘Smart mode,’ high ‘Sensitivity’.
3 to 5-month-olds
This is an interesting period in your baby’s sleep journey. Their sleep cycles will start maturing and becoming more adult-like around month 4. And thanks to all their brain development happening at a rapid pace, they will also undergo the 4-month regression. So one moment, you’ll find yourself relieved that your kiddo is finally sleeping well, and the next moment, their entire sleep cycle will be disrupted.
Although we know regressions are hard for your baby and you, on the bright side, they are a sign that your baby’s development is on the right track.
Your baby might experience difficulty in falling or staying asleep. Their naps are also likely to become unpredictable. They’ll wake up more frequently during the night. They might also display an overall increased fussiness.
If you introduce your baby to Cradlewise during this time, it will take them a few weeks to transition. To ease this transition, we have multiple settings that will help your baby sleep better.
- Transition time: 1 week to 2 weeks.
- Settings that can help: ‘Smart mode,’ high ‘Sensitivity,’ ‘After sleep bounce’.
6 months onwards
6 months is a major milestone. You’re halfway to your baby’s first birthday! It also means that a lot of their sleep habits and preferences are already set. It might be slightly challenging to transition them to Cradlewise. But with a little patience, you can achieve this feat.
- Transition from SNOO to Cradlewise
If you are transitioning your little one from a motion bassinet like SNOO, Cradlewise’s ‘After sleep bounce’ setting might help ease the transition. This is because babies are already used to constant motion. To do this, use the Smart bounce mode with ‘After sleep bounce’ enabled at Level 1 or Gentle (based on your baby’s preference). Keep the ‘Sensitivity’ setting at ‘Medium’ or ‘High’, and ‘Bounce intensity limit’ at 70%.
When transitioning out of ‘After sleep bounce’ start with the ‘Sensitivity’ setting on ‘Very high’ and gradually reduce it over a period of one month.
Your baby might be used to being swaddled in SNOO. If your baby still likes being swaddled after transitioning to Cradlewise, go for it. Here’s a quick read on the right way to swaddle.
It’s best to follow AAP’s latest guidelines about swaddling— which states that swaddling is no longer appropriate when a baby exhibits signs of attempting to roll (which usually occurs at 3 to 4 months but may occur earlier), as it increases the risk of suffocation.
- Transition from static bassinet to Cradlewise
If you’re transitioning your baby from a static bassinet to Cradlewise, ensure that you gently ease them into the bouncing motion, which might be a huge change at first.
Since it’s likely that your baby is under 6 months old, the transition will take 1 to 3 weeks.
- If your baby is 1 to 3 months old when you’re transitioning them from a static bassinet to Cradlewise, the transition will take 1 to 2 weeks.
- You can use the ‘Gentle bounce mode’ for the first few days to familiarize your baby to the bounce motion.
- The Cradlewise bounce helps prolong the baby’s naps by soothing them and preventing mid-sleep wakeups. As they eventually get used to the bounce, babies also start to fall asleep by themselves over time. If your little one likes a stationary surface when just placed inside the crib, try configuring a ‘Start recipe’ with Bounce OFF for 20 mins. When you place the baby inside the crib, crib will follow the Start Recipe, before moving to Smart mode.
- If your baby is 4 to 6 months old when you’re transitioning them from a static bassinet to Cradlewise, the transition will take 1 to 3 weeks.
- You can use Cradlewise’s Smart mode and high ‘Sensitivity’ settings to ease the transition.
- Transition from static crib to Cradlewise
Any change in your baby’s sleep surroundings after 6 months will be slightly challenging.
But don’t you worry, because Cradlewise comes with a range of settings that can help your baby smoothly transition to their new environment.
- Transition time: 1 week to 3 weeks.
- Settings that can help: ‘Smart mode,’ high ‘Sensitivity,’ ‘After sleep bounce’
How much time does it usually take to transition fully?
It will take about a week to two week’s time. Here are some tips to make it easier:
- Start with smaller naps at first.
- Be with the baby, perhaps even place your hand on the baby’s chest initially.
- The baby should feel comfortable and safe during the introductory phase.
Helpful tips for transitioning my baby to Cradlewise
Any change in a baby’s sleep routine can be an adjustment, but small changes can get them back on track.
Here are some tips that you can follow to help your baby sleep better in Cradlewise:
- Ensure your baby is snuggly swaddled. Your little one’s arms should be at their side (if they have not yet rolled over).
- Give your baby a few minutes to self-soothe. Self-soothing is a skill that babies can start learning early on that lead to a solid sleep foundation. Instead of taking them out of the crib right away, give them a few minutes with the crib’s bounce if they’re awake and not protesting (crying).
- Keep the white noise on at a comfortable volume. Set up a comfortable volume limit for the Smart sound of your crib. When the baby fusses in sleep, the crib will modulate the white noise to calm them to sleep.
- Give a little comfort. Place your hand gently on your baby’s chest. The comfort of your touch, as well as the light pressure, can help calm.
- Increase feedings. A full tummy can help ensure longer stretches of sleep.
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