Should I Swaddle Its A Parents Choice
Ultimately swaddling is one of the many choices new parents face. Of course, the baby has a saysome will sleep well when safely swaddled, and others wont. For parents who do swaddle, doing so safely, and knowing when to wean from a traditional blanket, are an important part of the process.
Please keep in mind this information and research is based upon swaddling babies for sleep. It is not recommended that you swaddle your baby during her wakeful hours, as she needs time to move and explore her world and environment. If you decide that swaddling is not for you there are alternative techniques to help get your baby to sleep at night.
How Long Do Babies Sleep At Night
2 weeks15.5-17 hoursabout 8.5-10 hourssix to seven hours15 hoursPractical tips for finding a no tears solution
Here are some other ideas for encouraging your newborn to learn and play:
How To Get Baby To Sleep
If youve tried everything and youre still not sure how to get your baby to sleep, read on and explore the ultimate baby sleep tips with this exclusive Q& A with pediatric sleep therapist, Kimberly Walker, founder of Parenting Unlimitedand one of New York Citys most sought-after paediatric sleep therapists renowned for teaching kids of all ages healthy sleeping habits.
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When To Stop Swaddling Your Baby
While swaddling is a great way to soothe and comfort your baby, it can become a habitual sleep association that prevents your baby from sleeping through the night. By keeping your baby swaddled, they may struggle to learn a way to self-soothe. And, if they have a pacifier, they wont be able to put the pacifier back in themselves. This means you could be up all night with the baby!
While most people use swaddling as a soothing technique for newborns, and then phase it out around 3 or 4 months old, some babies still enjoy being swaddled when they are 6 to 9 months old. Unfortunately, its not always safe to do so unless you are swaddling with arms out. Most older babies will eventually start to reject swaddling, but thats not true for all babies.
Here are a few general guidelines to help determine when to stop swaddling your baby:
Check Your Babys Clothes
When you swaddle your baby, what do they wear? What are baby clothes made out of?
In the summer, make sure your babys clothing is light and dressed appropriately for the hot weather. They should not need more than one layer of clothes. You can even swaddle your baby when they are only wearing a diaper.
When swaddling in the summer, it is also important to make sure your babys head isnt covered by a hat or by the swaddling wrap itself. Heat escapes through the head and keeping it uncovered will help your baby stay cool.
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What Can I Use Instead Of Swaddle
An infant massage, paired with a healthy bedtime routine and a sleep conducive room atmosphere, is one of our favourite alternatives to swaddling as its a great way for any parent to relax their child. You can do this during bathtime, just after, or when your child is startled awake after experiencing the Moro reflex.
What Should Newborns Wear To Bed
When dressing your newborn for bed, follow this rule of thumb: dress the infant in one additional layer than what youd be comfortable wearing at night in that room. Consider a onesie, sleep sack, or lightweight swaddle in warmer months. In colder months, opt for a long-sleeved onesie or a heavier sleepsack or swaddle.
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Do I Have To Swaddle My Newborn To Sleep
You donât have to swaddle your newborn at night but it absolutely helps. Iâve worked with lots of parents who say their newborn doesnât like the swaddle. That may be true but I would keep trying while changing another variable when you try to swaddle, such as the time of day. Then you could also experiment with different types of swaddles. There are weighted swaddles, arms up to the side swaddles and traditional blanket swaddles. Youâre looking for 100% cotton or natural materials. Synthetics such as polyester can trap heat and lead to overheating.
Should Babies Nap After 5pm
It is usually best not to start an evening nap after 5-6 pm and instead, move bedtime up a little during the transition phase. Most babies are sleeping about 3 hours total during the day at this point. By 18 months children drop down to one nap. This nap often occurs mid-day and may vary in length from 1-3 hours.
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Find The Perfect Wrap
Not every swaddling blanket is created equal.
During the summer, choose a wrap made of 100 percent cotton. Cotton is light and breathable.
Muslin is a form of cotton that is also very popular for summertime swaddling.
Take Note
You can even find special wraps designed to make swaddling trouble-free. Instead of a large blanket wrapped around your baby in a certain pattern, these wraps feature easy-to-use pouches and zippers.
Is Swaddling My Baby Safe
Yes, if you follow safe sleeping and safe and hip friendly swaddling guidance for babies. Current baby sleeping advice is to always lay your little one down to sleep on their back and avoid front or side positions for sleep, especially if your baby is swaddled . In addition, you should stop swaddling your baby when they show the first signs of rolling over .
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How To Swaddle Your Baby
If you’ve never swaddled a baby, it might seem like a complicated process. But it doesn’t have to be. Practice the following steps a few times and you’ll be a pro.
How And When To Stop Swaddling A Swaddle
7 mins readUnless your baby is showing signs of being more mobile and attempting to roll over, as well as during feedings, Swaddling may decrease a babys arousal, Unwrap your baby during wakeful periods for movement and activity, You can swaddle your newborn for much of the day when hes sleeping or resting and loosen the reins as he stays awake longer and seems curious about moving around, placing a baby on his backs to sleep, they are safe for use with babies during the first few months of life: Dont leave your baby swaddled for long periods of time or for most of the day, Swaddling is very effective for cranky babies, and removing the swaddle once a baby can
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Feed Unswaddled During The Day And Swaddled At Night
This helps communicate the difference between night and day.
During the day, I unswaddle the baby to feed and cuddle and play. Then I swaddle and put them back to bed. During the evening, I keep them swaddled to feed them and this works miracles.
First, it keeps them drowsy enough that they barely wake to feed and then are basically comatose by the time the feed is over and you put them back in their crib to sleep.
By leaving them swaddled you are communicating that it is not the time to wake up, but time to keep sleeping. This is particularly helpful for the 5:00 am feeds. If you are not careful your baby may think this feed means wake up.
This swaddle is convertible, zips from the bottom, allows you to let babys arms out to swaddle wean, then converts into a sleep sack that can be used until 18 months of age.
Dont give up, mama, you can do this and you wont be a tired mom forever.
If you keep the baby swaddled, lights low and feed them put back into the crib they will understand that is still too early .
What Happens If You Dont Swaddle Your Baby
Denis Leduc, associate professor of Pediatrics at McGill University Health Centre and director of the newborn nursery of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Proper swaddling of the infant for the first two months of life may promote longer sleep periods but if misapplied, could be associated with adverse events
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How To Safely Swaddle Your Baby
Swaddling can comfort babies when they are upset and help them fall and stay asleep. To keep your baby comfortable and safe while swaddled:
- Do not swaddle the legs: Studies have shown that babies whose legs were tightly swaddled may develop hip problems. Make sure your baby can move their legs up and down at the hips.
- Stop at the shoulder: This is especially important if youre putting your baby to sleep for the night or for a nap. If you are holding and observing your baby, you can pull the blanket up around the head like a hood, but dont do this if you are not watching them.
- 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. Use a thin, breathable blanket, and check periodically to make sure your baby is not overheating.
- Stop swaddling when baby begins trying to roll over: This can vary from baby to baby, but by three months, you should stop swaddling.
Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night
Swaddling your newborn at night can help your baby sleep longer stretches at night. The purpose of swaddling is to help reduce the âstartle or Moroâ reflex. Yes, you should swaddle your newborn at night.
The startle reflex is a primitive reflex that is present and birth and is a protective mechanism. With any sudden noise or movement, your baby is âstartledâ and her arms will extend away from her body, sheâll arch her back and neck. It slowly starts to disappear around 12 weeks and in most babies is completely gone by 6 months of age. References 1,2,3.
Sometimes this startle reflex can be confused with some muscle twitches that happen during REM sleep. Rapid Eye Movement sleep is also known as âdreamâ sleep. In newborns they have less âdeepâ sleep than babies 6 months and older. Typically newborns transition from light or into REM sleep. When falling asleep they typically drop into REM sleep. Reference 4. Newborn REM sleep is different from REM sleep in older babies and adults. In adults, in REM sleep a person is dreaming but their voluntary muscles are paralyzed. You will NOT see any arm or limb movement. In newborns, it is different. In newborn REM sleep you WILL see vocalizations, smiles, grimaces and twitches or jerks. They are not awake when you see these things. Remember when your baby was sleeping and she started smiling. You thought maybe she was passing gas? She was likely in REM sleep. All good. All normal.
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Swaddle From The Beginning
I swaddled from the first day in the hospital until I weaned them months later. I never gave them an option to like it or not like it
Basically, I just did it.
All five of mine liked being swaddled of which I was happy about.
Swaddling serves a few purposes.
First, it helps guard against their reflex to jerk their arms up towards their face which, inevitably, wakes them. This is called the startle reflex.
Theyll rarely sleep long periods unswaddled and definitely not after the first month or two. Swaddling also helps signal that its time to go to sleep. This called a positive sleep association.
If you unswaddle them during their wake time and swaddle them to sleep theyll understand whats happening and its a great way to get some routine and consistency in early. The more we can do regularly, the better.
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How Long Does It Take To Stop Swaddling
In general, in my 10+ years of experience as a sleep consultant, I have found that most babies adjust to sleeping without a swaddle blanket within 1-2 weeks, on average. If they are younger babies who learned to roll early but still have the Moro reflex, these babies sometimes take 3-4 weeks or more, depending on age and development. All babies develop at their own rate, in my experience. Some things just cant be rushed.
A final word, remember that any time you are weaning from a sleep association, the process can disrupt sleep. This means that if you decide to stop swaddling your baby for sleep, your baby may stop sleeping through the night initially. The process of transitioning away from swaddling can take a week or so, and during that time, your babys sleep may be affected. This is normal once your baby is used to sleeping unswaddled, sleep should return to normal.