F.S.O.C. Method: How I Sleep Trained My Baby In The SNOO

I had tried to implement healthy sleep habits with my son from Day 1. But like many parents know, all babies are different, and unfortunately all the "Sleep Shaping" we worked on with him flew out the window when he suddenly started to refuse to fall asleep. We had to resort to pushing him around in a stroller with a car seat attachment just to get him to close his eyes.

I knew this was not sustainable and realized that he needs to learn to fall asleep independently. So I decided to bite the bullet and sleep train our 11 week old in the SNOO.

When we decided to sleep train our baby in the SNOO, here is how we did it:

👉 I would do his bedtime routine, put him in the SNOO, lock him on Level 1, and let him fall asleep "independently" while the SNOO rocked him. He did NOT like this because was not used to falling asleep this way, so he cried on and off for 40 mins until he fell asleep. Night 2 only took 20 mins, night 3 only 5 mins, and after that he was a pro at falling asleep on how own with the SNOO on!

👉 After a week of him going to bed on his own, I started naps and he caught on quick!

👉 After about 2 weeks, I lowered motion to baseline for a couple days.

👉 Then I stopped the motion altogether. When I stopped the motion, I transitioned him from swaddle to a Merlin suit. Just like day 1 of sleep training, he cried on and off until he fell asleep 40 minutes later. And after that he had it all figured out and now he falls asleep all on his own in his bed!

For night wakings, since my baby was so young, I attended to them like I normally would. I wanted him to eat if he wants to.

In summary:

F (fast): Baby learns to fall asleep independently on Level 1.

S (slow) Baby learns to fall asleep with less motion, now on Baseline.

O (off) Baby learns to fall asleep with the SNOO completely off.

C (crib) Seamlessly transition from SNOO to crib!

This method is supposed to involve less crying than other methods because as baby learns to fall asleep independently, the SNOO’s rocking comforts and soothes him. It is also gradual and helps baby learn independent sleep taking it one step at a time.

This method would be great for younger babies, especially those who cannot roll yet (rolling is a wonderful way of self-soothing, so if baby is able to, I strongly suggest a different method where baby can roll around in the crib while learning independent sleep).

I know sleep training isn't for everyone, and I wish I didn't have to do it. But I know that if I take care of my mental health, I can show up as the best mom I can be for my baby. And I think that's most important! A couple hard nights is very worth it if it means baby sleeps independently and mom gets the rest she needs.

I hope this post helps someone out there. ❤

Additional Notes:

• If your baby is rolling or is close to rolling, I suggest using a traditional sleep training method in the crib. Rolling is a wonderful way of self-soothing.

• If your baby is healthy and needs are met, sleep training at ANY age is safe.

I am a Baby Sleep Consultant and help families all over the world fix their babies' sleep challenges. If you need my help to sleep train your baby, please reach out. I would be so happy to help!

Get In Touch

*Consult with your child’s pediatrician prior to starting ANY sleep training method. This article is merely just my personal opinion and experience.