When to Move Baby Out of Bassinets: 4 Signs

Your newborn loves sleeping in your warm embrace or a snug bassinet, but once they start getting bigger and more mobile, they need to transition to a crib, as the bassinet can be a safety hazard for them after a point (more on this coming later).

Some babies are just like my son, Theo; they always want you by their side while they sleep, while you’re left sleep-deprived, chugging coffee just to function! But with all this chaos, let’s not forget the importance of transitioning to a crib and knowing when to move baby out of bassinets. 

If you’re a parent struggling with this transition, please let me share my experience to guide you on this topic.

Why Do Parents Choose a Bassinet for Newborns 

While a bassinet is not necessary, you can use one during the initial months for your baby’s comfort. One of my friends had it easy with her baby girl, who didn’t cause much fuss about sleeping in a crib, but not all kids are the same, are they?

• A bassinet is a smart alternative to a crib. Your little one can sleep right by you but still be safe from toppling out of bed and suffocation risks, which are the main concerns of co-sleeping.
• Bassinets are smaller than cribs and have tall wood, metal, or plastic walls, a fitted mattress without gaps, and mesh walls that protect your baby from hitting their head or other accidents. Also, check out my quick tips to get your baby to sleep in a bassinet if you’ve been having trouble.

Kelleigh’s Tip: While your baby sleeps in a bassinet at night, try to sleep-train them in a crib by letting them have small naps in it during the day. 

And if your baby prefers having you by their side while they are napping, then take a seat beside the crib.

When to Move Baby Out of Bassinets: 4 Signs to Watch For

Manufacturers have an age limit on how long you can use bassinets, and that’s usually at 4–6 months. But apart from that, there are also various signs indicating your little one is ready to take a new step and transition to a crib. 

Let me list some signs below to help you decide when to move baby out of bassinets.

1. Your Baby Moves Around Easily in the Bassinet

• A bassinet is a small, delicate sleeping place that doesn’t support movement; therefore, the more mobility your little one gains, the more concerned you will become about their sleep safety. 
• My son, Aiden, was an active baby, so I switched to a crib rapidly once he began moving in his bassinet to protect him from falling out of the bassinet accidentally.

So, if your baby can easily sit, crawl, or roll over in their bassinet, please consider switching them to a crib.

2. Your Baby Looks Cramped

• Babies grow in height and weight quite rapidly, too. And bassinets can only bear a weight limit of 20 to 25 pounds (This can vary. Please check the height and weight limits on your bassinet). 
• While you can’t run behind them with a weighing scale, you can tell if your baby looks too big for the bassinet and does not have enough space to move around.

This can become a danger to their safety, so please switch them to a crib in such a case.

3. It’s Affecting Your Sleep

• I’ve been a parent for 15 years now, so, I understand how important it is for parents to get at least 6 hours of sleep to chase after their adorable baby throughout the day. 
• So, if you or your partner wake up every other hour in the middle of the night because your baby fusses in their bassinet, consider switching to a crib gradually.

4. Intuition

• I’m sure you know that as a parent, you sometimes get these gut feelings about things that might benefit your baby or harm them. Parents can easily translate their little ones’ cries and reactions, even if they are just noise to everyone else. 
• So, once you get that strong gut feeling that your baby has matured enough for a crib and this is supplemented by the fact that they are growing bigger and becoming more mobile, simply make the transition.

Also, don’t neglect your bassinet after you’ve decided to transition your baby to cribs. Please store and maintain it well, especially if you plan to have more children. You can take a look at my 7-step bassinet cleaning guide to help you with the same.

From Bassinets to Cribs: When to Move Baby to Cribs

Even If your baby is initially resistant to the crib and prefers sleeping beside you, I suggest you try getting them familiar with it. 

• Know that you don’t have to consider cribs as just a sleeping space. You can get your bundle of joy accustomed to a crib by letting them have small naps and play sessions there too.
• Accompany them in play sessions and sing lullabies, which will help them build a bond with the crib to feel secure and peaceful enough to consider it a new sleeping space (it definitely worked in my household). 

Kelleigh’s Quick Tip: You can keep the crib in your room while sleep-training your little munchkin instead of shifting it into the nursery. It’s good for both your baby and you, since you’ll have to get up in the middle of the night to comfort them. Also, your baby will feel secure in the same room.

FAQs on When to Move Baby Out of Bassinets

Bottom Line on Transitioning from Bassinets to Cribs

We parents always want to give our little ones the healthiest experience, especially with sleep. While a bassinet is not an ideal choice for every parent, it can help if your little one prefers to get shut-eye only when you are around them (like my son, Theo).

A bassinet can be used until your baby reaches the 4-6 month mark or shows signs of mobility and rapid growth. I hope this guide helped answer your concerns about transitioning your baby from a bassinet to a crib!

Happy parenting.