How to Transition from a Bassinet to a Crib

When should you move your newborn from the bassinet to the crib? And how do you make the transition as smooth as possible?

When it comes to transitioning your baby from a bassinet to a crib, there’s no big secret—it’s more straightforward than you might think. Let’s break it down!

When should I transition from a bassinet to a crib?

Making the transition from a bassinet to a crib doesn’t have to be intimidating—we promise, it’s not as scary as it seems!

If you’re moving from a traditional bassinet to a crib, here’s how to make the change successfully: focus on the first nap of the day.

Newborns sleep every 45 to 60 minutes, and it’s unrealistic to expect every nap to happen in the bassinet or crib. Life happens—you need to get out, take a walk, and care for yourself, and that often means some naps will occur on the go.

So, here’s the plan: If your baby has never napped in their crib before, start with the first nap of the day. This is often when your baby is most rested and ready to adapt, making it the easiest nap to see success.

Your infant will wake up in the morning and 45 minutes later, they are tired. Put them down for their nap. In the morning, we all have what’s called sleep pressure. This is because we’ve slept through the night and we are still carrying this cloud of sleepiness above us. This is why we recommend starting with the first nap of the day.

Focus on helping your child fall asleep

You can use a swaddle to help your newborn fall asleep with the pick up, put down method and with soothing techniques such as swaddling, rocking, shushing, or gentle patting to calm them down.

Using naps is a really great way to get them used to sleeping in their crib. You don’t have to just jump in and force them to sleep in their crib at nighttime. Just ease in with that first nap of the day. And then, later on, you can add another nap in the crib.

Now, newborns have 5-6 naps per day, so we don’t expect all of these to be in the crib or the bassinet. You’re going to have some of them on the go. And that’s great! 

That’s the joy of having a newborn. Enjoy them and commit to that very first nap going from the bassinet to the crib. 

They will do a great job! Give them some credit, give yourself some grace, take a deep breath, and commit to that first half of the day!