Babies don't have to be swaddled. If your baby is happy without swaddling, don't bother. Always put your baby to sleep on his back. This is true no matter what, but is especially true if he is swaddled.
Once you have stopped swaddling, baby should sleep in any type of pajamas. Footed sleepers, two piece pajamas, or a even a onesie are perfect. Babies overheat easily, so always err on the side of baby being cooler rather than warmer. I recommend sleep sacks only when a parent feels they are needed for warmth.
Leave the arms free or the hands by the face: Some babies prefer to have their arms free, while others find it calming to have their hands near their faces. Make sure baby is not too warm: Swaddling should be done to help your infant feel secure, not to keep them warm.
Between 4-6 months babies outgrow the startle (moro) reflex. If your baby is not yet rolling and still swaddled, but is no longer startling this may also indicate it is time to transition from swaddling. Some babies may struggle with this change in their sleeping environment.
Swaddled Babies Sleep Longer
The researchers found swaddling increases a baby's total amount of sleep as well as nonrapid eye movement (NREM) or light sleep compared with when they were not swaddled.
Swaddle Them
If your little one is small enough to sleep safely in a bassinet, they're small enough to be swaddled. Until your baby is rolling over, which can cause a suffocation risk, swaddling can help them for many reasons: Feels secure: Swaddling helps your baby feel protected and secure like they did in the womb.
Some resistance is normal when swaddling, especially when you first try it on your baby. But if they start full-on fighting the swaddle as they get older, it's a sign they are ready to sleep arms free.
Goodstein said, when babies sleep in the same room as their parents, the background sounds or stirrings prevent very deep sleep and that helps keeps the babies safe. Room sharing also makes breast-feeding easier, which is protective against SIDS.
Squirming fuss bucket
Remember, crying and fussiness is the only way your baby can communicate to you that they are not happy about something. Watch for squirming as this is a sure sign that they are no longer happy being swaddled and they are trying to squirm their way out.
Not all babies want to be swaddled and some fight the sensation of being swaddled, even from birth. There also comes a time when developmentally, it's time to stop swaddling and to allow babies the space to move around more freely.
Sleep suits can be a great alternative or swaddling transition. The suits keep baby's arms in a T-shape, to prevent rolling, while still keeping them comfortable. Make sure to keep the room they are in cool, as suits can be warm. Remember, swaddling (or an alternative solution) should end when your baby begins to roll.
Swaddling takes practice and if baby seems fussy every time you wrap her up, and the swaddle doesn't seem to calm her, it may mean that the swaddle needs to be just a little tighter! At least around their arms. Make another attempt at a slightly tighter swaddle when things feel calmer and perhaps baby isn't as tired.
White noise reduces the risk of SIDS.
A relatively famous study (famous if you read a lot about baby sleep, so honestly you should be a little proud if you haven't heard of it) showed that babies had a significant reduction in the risk of SIDS if they had a fan in their room.
What are the symptoms? SIDS has no symptoms or warning signs. Babies who die of SIDS seem healthy before being put to bed. They show no signs of struggle and are often found in the same position as when they were placed in the bed.
Many Parents Swaddle Incorrectly!
Well, the most common swaddling mistake is not swaddling tight enough. Many parents are afraid of swaddling too snugly. When your baby is loosely swaddled, she will most likely bust her arms out and startle herself awake.
If your baby is happy without swaddling, that's great news. Simply embrace it! Swaddling past the age of 2 months can potentially be harmful to their growth and healthy development. No matter which sleep clothing option you use, always put your baby to sleep on their back to reduce the chance of SIDS.
If your baby is not interested in being swaddled, you may notice a few things. The baby might fight or break out of the swaddle. If this is the case, one of the alternatives to swaddling in the traditional sense is the half swaddle: simply swaddle up to the baby's armpits so that their arms are free.
Swaddling a newborn in blanket has been thought to be a tool to help calm babies and get them to sleep longer. But according to the Contemporary Pediatrics guide, Swaddling 101, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), many babies can stay calm with no swaddling at all.
The Moro reflex is the cause of your newborn baby to sleep with his arms above his head. This reflex, commonly referred to as the “startle reflex”, disappears by 6 months of age. It occurs when light or noise startles your baby, even if the noise is not enough to fully wake the baby.
Dressing babies for bed: the basics
Dress your baby in layers of fitted clothing rather than just thick pyjamas. You can add or take away layers as the temperature changes. Babies cool themselves down by releasing heat from their heads and faces. Babies can quickly overheat if they fall asleep wearing hats or beanies.
Swaddling protects your baby against their natural startle reflex, which means better sleep for both of you. It may help calm a colicky baby. It helps eliminate anxiety in your baby by imitating your touch, which helps your baby learn to self-sooth. It keeps her hands off her face and helps prevent scratching.
You should stop swaddling your baby when he starts attempting to roll over. Many babies start working on this move at about 2 months old. Swaddling once your baby can roll over may increase the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and suffocation.
If you decide to swaddle, only do it from birth, and swaddle your baby every time they sleep, day or night. Don't introduce swaddling when the risk of SIDS is highest, at two months to three months (Nelson 2017, ISPID 2020). You should stop swaddling your baby as soon as they show signs of being able to roll over .