How Long Can You Use a Bassinet?

The arrival of your baby is a great spiritual joy for you and your family. You want to prepare a cozy bassinet next to the bed to welcome the baby. This piece of furniture provides convenience for breastfeeding mothers. Yet, it’s critical to consider, how long can you use a bassinet.

While not all bassinets are small, they’re not huge either. Your newborn will grow bigger, no longer fit into this space, and need to transition to a crib.

We’ll mention important factors that determine when it’s time to move your baby out of the bassinet. Read on to find it out!

How Long Can A Baby Sleep In A Bassinet?

A bassinet can last for three to six months, which may be the standard time frame for keeping your baby there until switching to a larger crib.

However, exactly how long your baby can sleep in a bassinet depends on her size, age milestone, weight limit, and the bassinet type.

It would help if you considered all these factors to make a wise judgment and understand when to move your baby from a bassinet to another sleeping option.

1. Baby Milestones

Most babies of 4-6 months sleep through the night without waking up so that parents can enjoy a long stretch of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. Also, your baby will be growing swiftly and may start outgrowing their snug sleep place during this phase.

There are no guides on exactly when you should change your baby’s sleep place. You can look at the following factors to tell whether your child needs a switch or not.

Your Baby’s Age

Six-month is the standard mark that most parents notice their children’s outgrowth of their first sleep place.

Some babies grow more rapidly than others, so you may find your baby’s legs are growing longer day by day. At six months, it’s reasonable to make a switch.

According to WHO, the average lengths of boys and girls by month are as follows:

Your Newborn’s Movement at Night

Notice how much movement your baby makes when sleeping. If they start rolling over and shifting positions, it is time to make a bed switch.

A bassinet that is too snug for an outgrowing baby may be hazardous since it can hit against the four sides of the bassinet.

Your Baby’s Weight

Bassinet manufacturers usually print a weight limit somewhere on their products. If you can’t find this print on yours, check the info about its weight limit on the manufacturer’s website. For convenience, you can see the size and weight limits of some of the popular bassinet models we’ve collected below.

Read the product’s instruction handbook carefully to check if it’s safe for the newborn to sleep in with her current body weight.

According to WHO, the average weights of boys and girls by month are as follows:

Your Sleep Quality

Can you sleep peacefully with your kid next to you? How many hours can you sleep straight away?

Do you and your husband have to wake up frequently when the kid fusses? Or do you have proper sleep quality during the night?

Answer these questions before deciding if it is the right time to switch to another sleeping place.

2. Bassinet Types

The two most common sorts of bassinets are bedside and stand-alone.

Stand-alone models are the traditional basket type that usually sits on a platform or a stand. These models are suitable for a parent’s room and easy to move around your house, from room to room, if necessary.

If you go for a lightweight, small-sized version, it’s even possible to transfer to the living room and use it for daytime short naps. We suggest buying models that can fold down flat like the Maxi-Cosi Iora since you can easily move it from room to room, and even travel with it thanks to weighing only about 11 lbs.

On the other hand, bedside versions are specifically for the right side of a parent’s bed. Some bedside bassinets can also attach to your bed. Unlike the stand-alone bassinet, these baby beds are usually larger and heavier, so they are generally kept in a bedroom or nursery room. However, with improved models with wheels, you will still be able to move easily around the house.

The major advantage of this bedside model is that parents can access their babies easily within reach since the bassinet attaches itself to the parent’s bed.

3. Size and Weight Limits

It’s important to check the bassinet’s weight limit, mainly when your baby is growing. Most models can carry 20 lbs to 25 lbs maximum and babies of 25 to 30 inches in size.

If you intend to keep your child staying longer in the bassinet, it will be better to choose ones with high limits like Mika Micky, and MiClassic All Mesh, which will have more space for growth and duration of use.

Manufacturers set these limits for the sake of safety. Indeed, it’s not that they can’t produce models that hold bigger-sized babies, but these numbers match some significant milestones in a child’s development.

The below chart includes the age and weight limits of popular bassinets in the market. View it as a reference to purchase the right models for your little one and decide when to transition to a crib.

It’s best to stop using the bassinet once your baby has reached the weight limit or starts rolling over, pushing up on knees and hands, pulling up unassisted, or climbing out of the wall, whichever occurs first.

4. Safety

Besides considering the milestone, size, and weight restrictions on your product, you need to stick to the guidelines provided by the AAP for safe baby sleep.

First, it’s essential to set up a safe, quiet sleep environment for your baby, free of blankets, accessories, and other unnecessary stuff.

Next, let your newborn sleep in your room until six months old. Research has shown that keeping babies in their parent’s room for six months can reduce the risks of SIDS by 50%.

FAQs

Transitioning from a bassinet to a larger crib may be daunting, yet you don’t worry much about it if you follow appropriate guidelines.

1. Where Do You Put a Bassinet In A Bedroom?

You should place the infant’s bassinet, pack n play, or crib in your bedroom, close to or next to your bed.

The AAP suggests room sharing since it is safer than bed-sharing and can reduce the risks of SIDS by 50%. And remember to set the bed where you and your husband can access the baby’s sleeper easily and quickly.

If you choose to breastfeed your newborn and prepare for a night of feedings, ensure that the bed is right beside you so you won’t have to pay a far visit to your baby’s bassinet.

2. How Long Should a Baby Sleep in Mom and Dad’s Room?

According to the AAP, parents should share their rooms with the babies until they reach six months or, more ideally, one year.

Why? Because, as mentioned, room sharing is safer than bed-sharing and can help reduce the risks of SIDS by 50%. Thus, many parents consider room-sharing an additional protective measure against SIDS rather than a foundational factor.

However, if you’d rather not room-share, it’s still possible to use other protective measures, including breastfeeding, giving the baby a pacifier (reduce the SIDS risk by 90%) before sleeping, and even tracking your baby’s everything from breath to growth with a smart monitor.

3. Do Babies Sleep Better in Their Own Room?

Yes. Children tend to sleep less and have shorter stretches at night when sleeping in their parent’s room, particularly after reaching four months.

Some parents also have unsafe practices for their babies’ sleeping, like leaving stuffed animals, blankets, or pillows with them or placing their kids next to them when sharing a room with the infants.

Babies who sleep in their rooms after four months can generally sleep for longer. For example, a nine-old-month baby can sleep 9.75 hours a night on average, sharing a room with his parents.

Meanwhile, another infant at the same age can sleep for 10.5 hours a night, sleeping alone after reaching four months, while those starting to sleep in a separate room between four and nine months can sleep for 10 hours.

Are Bassinets Worth It?

When bringing a little newborn home for the first time, it’s necessary to prepare a convenient and safe place for him to sleep. Having a bassinet can help make this crucial task more straightforward.

So, bassinets are worth your investment. They’re a fantastic way to provide your little one with a safe sleeping pattern, encouraging longer stretches, even though your baby may only use the bassinet for about 5-6 months.

However, when choosing a sleeper for babies, you need to do extra diligence to ensure your little one will sleep in the most peaceful place.