Swaddling 101: How, Why & When To Stop

Should you swaddle your baby or not? And if so, what’s the best way to do it? To answer these questions, let’s think about life from your newborn baby’s perspective. 

Your baby has just entered the world from a tight and comfortable space- the womb. Now they’re getting used to different temperatures, new sensations and moving their limbs around freely. Given all of this newness, some newborns have difficulty settling down and sleeping well, which makes sense. So, to help your newborn relax and fall asleep, it helps to give them some familiarity. Enter, the swaddle. 

A great way to ease your baby’s transition from the womb is to periodically give them a tight and cozy swaddle- just like the womb.

My years working as a NICU nurse taught me that the majority of newborns sleep better when they’re swaddled. Swaddling helps babies settle, relax, sleep well and accept the bassinet or crib. And a sleeping baby equals a happy parent. 

Figuring out the right swaddle for your newborn can be tricky, and the transition out of the swaddle can be even more challenging! Don’t worry, this blog post has you covered with everything you need to know about swaddling your baby and transitioning out of the swaddle once they’re ready. Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

Why should I swaddle my newborn?

Is swaddling safe?

How do I swaddle my baby?

How long can my baby be swaddled?

How do I transition my baby out of the swaddle?

FAQs

Why should I swaddle my newborn?

Swaddling is a great way to recreate the womb environment for your newborn, a tight and cozy space they know well! Your baby will relax and settle down because of the familiarity, and sleep will follow. (You go lie down too! Even if you can’t sleep, getting horizontal and putting your feet up is a nice way to recharge.) 

Also, a tight swaddle helps prevent your baby’s startle reflex from waking them up. Picture this, you finally get your baby to sleep and they’ve been quietly dozing for 15 minutes. All of a sudden their arms and legs splay out and they wake up crying. This is the Moro Reflex (also called the “startle reflex”). It’s perfectly normal and your baby will outgrow it in the next 3 months. 

But imagine if you could prevent them waking up too soon. Imagine if their arms and legs were safely contained and couldn’t splay out so much, and they didn’t wake up after a short nap or soon after bedtime. Imagine if both of you got more rest. Sounds nice, right? 

That’s what a cozy swaddle can provide for your baby. A safe and comfortable space that mimics the womb and prevents them from accidentally waking themself up. 

I recommend you swaddle your newborn for naps and night sleep. Don’t swaddle your baby during awake time. They need to stretch and move their limbs around. 

Your baby can be swaddled for sleep for 2-3 months, which is exactly how long the startle reflex is present. Amazing coincidence! If you’ve tried swaddling your newborn and they didn’t seem to like it, try a swaddle sleep sack instead. (See my favorites here on Amazon.) They’re specially made for keeping babies happy, safe and sleeping well. 

Is swaddling safe?

Swaddling is safe when done correctly. The three things to remember are heat, hips and not too high. (The 3 H’s!)

First, heat. Make sure your baby stays at a comfortable temperature (and doesn’t get too hot) when they’re swaddled. If the bedroom is warm, your baby can wear only a onesie underneath their swaddle blanket. Or, if the bedroom is cool/cold, your baby can wear a newborn nightgown and socks underneath their swaddle. Never put a hat on your baby for sleep. It can cause them to overheat and potentially come loose and cover their face. 

Second, hips. Some evidence has suggested that tightly swaddling a baby’s hips can increase the chance of developing hip dysplasia. Properly swaddling your newborn means allowing enough space for your baby’s legs to be able to bend up and out at the hips. This allows for the natural development of the hip joints. Many newborn swaddles will indicate that they are “hip-friendly” because they allow space for this movement. You can find hip-friendly swaddles here on Amazon. 

Third, make sure your baby’s swaddle doesn’t come up too high and risk covering their nose or mouth. In the NICU, we were taught to swaddle babies so that the blanket isn’t any higher than the shoulders. 

Creating a safe, cozy and sleep-friendly swaddle isn’t difficult. Just make sure your baby is dressed appropriately given the bedroom temperature, the swaddle has enough room for hip movement and the swaddle doesn’t come near your baby’s face. Most modern swaddle blankets incorporate all three of these factors. (See my favorite newborn swaddle blankets here on Amazon.) 

How do I swaddle my baby?

Swaddling your baby is as easy as choosing a swaddle blanket for their age and size and following the instructions. This video gives you an idea of how it works. 

Always place your baby on their back to sleep. There is a higher risk of SIDS when babies sleep on their stomachs or their sides. 

How long can my baby be swaddled?

Babies can be swaddled from birth until they show signs of trying to roll over. Most babies start rolling between 3-5 months, which gives parents plenty of time to get comfortable using a swaddle.

Once your baby starts working on rolling, it’s time to transition out of the swaddle because swaddled babies can only sleep on their backs. If there is a risk that your little one can roll to their stomach or side, you need to stop swaddling for safety reasons.

How do I transition my baby out of the swaddle?

You have a few different options for transitioning out of the swaddle and the one you pick will depend on how quickly you want to go with this transition.

First, I recommend that you transition your baby from a swaddle into a sleep sack. The sleep sack is a genius invention (in my opinion) because it keeps your baby safe and comfortable while they’re sleeping. Loose blankets can come loose (shocker!) and risk covering your baby’s face or making them get cold. There are endless options for sleep sacks, you can find my favorites here on Amazon. 

The slow and gradual method: Start by allowing just one arm to be out of your baby’s swaddle and let your baby get used to that for a few days. (Some swaddle blankets have the option to unzip one arm at a time.) After a few days, let your baby have both arms free while the rest of their body stays swaddled. A few days after that, it’s time to start using a traditional sleep sack. 

The quick method: You can also go cold turkey and stop swaddling on day one (if your baby is rolling and needs to ditch the swaddle ASAP). If your baby is at least 3 months and 12lbs/5.5 kg you can use the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit for the next few months (a personal favorite of mine) or you can go straight to a traditional sleep sack. 

Regardless of the method you choose, your baby will probably need a few nights to adjust. It’s a new sensation for them to be able to move around while they sleep and chances are, they will wake themself up. This is par for the course and although it may feel like their sleep is going backwards, remember that all babies need to stop swaddling at some point and very soon they will be used to their new sleep sack. 

Jilly explains how to transition out of the swaddle

Final Thoughts

Swaddling can be a godsend when it comes to helping newborns sleep well. It recreates the tight, cozy feeling of the womb and helps most babies relax and settle down to sleep. But all good things must come to an end, so once your baby starts trying to roll, it’s time to transition out of the swaddle and into a traditional sleep sack or the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit.

Do you have questions about swaddling? Ask me in the comments.