How long swaddling your baby

Skip to main content. Turn off Animations. Turn on Animations. Our Sponsors Log in Register. Log in Register. Ages and Stages. Healthy Living. Safety and Prevention. Family Life. Health Issues. Tips and Tools. Our Mission. Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. Swaddling: Is it Safe? Page Content. Know the Risks Parents should know that there are some risks to swaddling, Dr. The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician.

How to Get Rid of Newborn Hiccups. With all this considered, you might be wondering whether it makes more sense to stop swaddling even earlier, say, when your baby is a month old. Though before you give up on swaddling altogether, you might want to consider looking into a Velcro or zipper swaddle wrap. Some parents find them easier to use, and some babies seem to prefer them to old-fashioned blankets. After wrapping and unwrapping your baby more times than you could possibly count, stopping swaddling can feel like the end of an era.

And if her swaddle blanket has become an integral part of her sleep routine, you might worry that stopping could seriously throw things off. The good news is, all babies eventually adjust to sleeping without a swaddle.

And of course, you could certainly try stopping cold turkey to see how your baby responds. You never know — she might sleep just as well as before! Swaddling your baby with one or both arms out is perfectly safe, as long as you continue to wrap her blanket securely.

In fact, some newborns prefer being swaddled with one or both arms free from the very beginning. Another swaddle transition option: Trade your swaddle blanket for a transitional sleep sack. Remember, you still have lots of tools at your disposal for helping your little one sleep. Establishing a calming bedtime routine with a predictable pattern — like a bath, feeding, rocking and a lullaby or a story — can help your baby unwind and, hopefully, fall asleep.

Creating a soothing ambiance by dimming the lights, speaking softly and playing white noise can help too. And even though you can no longer use a swaddle blanket, you may still be able to use a swaddle-sleep-sack hybrid to bridge the transition. You could also go straight to trying a regular sleep sack — basically, a wearable blanket that, depending on the model, your child may be able to continue to use well into toddlerhood though you may need to size up as she gets bigger.

The Zen Sack's gentle weight helped Valerie's baby sleep better out of the swaddle. It could help your little one, too. Learn how it works. Before your baby starts rolling over, sleeping on their back is the safest.

Once again, consistency is key, so persist for days before determining if the solution is working or not. Once your baby is comfortable sleeping in a sack, they might start rolling onto their tummy to sleep. Babies tend to choose one or the other fairly consistently. If you are using the Zen Sack , reverse it so that the lightweight is resting on your little one's back.

This feels like your palm on their back and helps them fall asleep easier and stay asleep longer. C aught between a rock and a hard place? Your baby may have outgrown your swaddle but not yet ready to have her hands out in the Zen Sack. No worries, this hack will get you moving right along:. Use the Zen Sack over the basic onesie and then on top of the Zen Sack, wrap your baby with a light muslin swaddle just around the arms.

Then gradually, roughly one week at a time, take one arm out starting with the dominant arm, then the second arm until your baby no longer needs her arms out. Ready for a sleep sack? Our Zen Sack helps ease the transition from the swaddle while still providing continuous comfort and longer sleep.

Learn more about the Zen Sack. You should start to transition your baby out of a swaddle by 3 to 5 months old. The process will take a different time for every baby so be patient and don't give up!

Most swaddle transitions will take anywhere between 7 to 10 nights. Our Zen Sack is perfect for transitioning your baby out of their swaddle. Place the sack over a basic onesie and then wrap your baby in a light muslin swaddle. Gradually take each arm out of the swaddle , starting with the most dominant arm, until your baby no longer needs their arms out.

It is important that your baby has time to stretch and breathe, out of their swaddle. However, swaddling can be very calming for babies and can be used for up to 20 hours a day.

Babies should be swaddled for all periods of sleep if it makes them more comfortable. When you transition your baby from their swaddle , you will need to focus on nap times as well as nighttime sleep. You should start your swaddle transition when your baby starts to roll over during their sleep. This usually occurs at around 2 to 4 months and is needed so that your baby can roll themselves back over if they roll onto their tummy.

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