Dr. Harvey Karp is a well-known baby sleep specialist, that coined “The 5 S’s” of sleep training. The 5 S’s refers to Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Shushing, Swing (jiggling baby), and Suck (pacifier). His company, Happiest Baby, has developed a crib called the ‘SNOO’, that combines three of those S’s, Swaddling, Shush, and Swing, in an automated manner. The product has numerous patents, including US10532182B2.

The SNOO comes with a custom SNOO swaddle that clips the baby in the SNOO crib. The crib has different operational modes that each a) rock the baby at different speeds and travel, and simultaneously b) shushes the baby at different loudness levels. The SNOO automatically transitions between the operational modes based on feedback from the baby.

For example, during a nap, the SNOO detects if the baby is crying (using microphone input) and automatically transitions to another operating mode with a stronger rocking motion with louder white noise. When the baby stops crying then the SNOO automatically transitions to a mode with a less aggressive rocking motion and quieter white noise.

custom swaddle clipped onto crib platform

sleek SNOO design

Upon first glance, the claims of the patent (the matter that the patent provides legal protection for) appear to cover the SNOO concept well. That is, the patented claims feature a crib that senses when the baby is upset and jiggles the baby accordingly. It is worth noting that the claims cover jiggling the baby on an axis normal to the platform of the crib, but not necessarily motion in other directions.

Finally, I wish I could say that the SNOO worked out for my family but alas, baby Elliot did not take to the SNOO. After about a month of trying, we ended our SNOO lease (through Happiest Baby). Perhaps if we had started Elliot right from the start things would have worked out. I’m sure it has worked well for others.

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