Swaddling helps keep babies asleep when they still have their Moro reflex. And, swaddling your newborn is almost always a great idea! But, unfortunately, all good things come to an end and it’s eventually time to stop swaddling. This post will help you decide when it’s time to stop swaddling and share 3 easier ways to transition based on 10+ years of experience as a sleep consultant working with thousands of parents just like you.
What You’ll Learn In This Article:
- Age and Reasons to Stop Swaddling Your Baby
- How to Stop Swaddling – 3 Ways to Transition
- Will Your Baby Sleep Worse Without the Swaddle?
- What about unswaddling at nap time first?
- 3 Products to Help Stop Swaddling
- Sleep Sacks or Wearable Blankets To Use
- How Long Will It Take To Stop Swaddling?
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 won’t 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, it’s not always safe to do so unless you are swaddling with arms out. Most older babies will eventually start to reject swaddling, but that’s not true for all babies.
Here are a few general guidelines to help determine when to stop swaddling your baby:
Age and Reasons To Stop Swaddling Your Baby
- The average age to stop swaddling baby is around 3 or 4 months old after the 4 month sleep regression begins. Most are being unswaddled by 5-6 months old at the latest. If your baby still enjoys the swaddle, and it’s still safe to swaddle, you can consider one of the products below.
- Newborns are born with a startle reflex, called the Moro Reflex. Most babies don’t outgrow it until 4 or 5 months of age. So be careful about stopping the swaddle too early. If your baby’s Moro Reflex is still strong, she may startle herself awake at night and during naps.
- If your baby is able to break free of the swaddle, this isn’t necessarily a sign that it’s time to stop swaddling. However, if your baby is consistently breaking free of the swaddle every night, and if that means you have loose blankets in the crib, then it’s time to either STOP swaddling or to switch to a safer swaddling blanket. We recommend The Miracle Blanket if you’re trying to keep the swaddle a bit longer. Alternatively, you might consider the Nested Bean or Love To Dream Swaddles.
- Swaddled babies should NEVER sleep face-down. So if your baby is trying to roll or starting to roll over onto their tummy while they sleep, it’s time to stop swaddling your baby immediately. Remember, when it comes to swaddling, safety first! Some babies are rolling from back to tummy as early as 2 months old so keep that in mind.
- Make sure that your baby is not swaddled all day long. While swaddling for sleep is fine, especially during the newborn stage, babies need time to move freely as well so that they can grow stronger and develop their gross motor skills. If your baby spends all of their time asleep AND awake being swaddled, it might be time to gradually stop swaddling during awake time.
- If you are getting ready to start sleep training, or sleep coaching, you will likely want to stop swaddling. Part of the sleep training process involves helping your child learn to self-soothe, and babies usually need to be unswaddled in order to learn to self-soothe.
We personally stopped swaddling sometime around 4 months old with both of our boys. This was mainly because we started sleep training and the Moro reflex was virtually gone.
You May Also Be Interested In:
- 3 Easy Ways to Swaddle Your Baby
- Zipadee Zip vs Love To Dream SwaddleUp
- Top 10 Best Sleep Sacks for Baby’s Sleep
How to Stop Swaddling – 3 Ways to Transition
1. Start With the Legs
The majority of babies struggle the most with having their arms free, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to have your legs out. Kicking the mattress can be fun (and too distracting to sleep!)
So, sometimes you can test the waters by swaddling with your baby’s legs out, arms in, for a couple of nights. If that goes well, you can then swaddle with one arm out for a few nights. And, then you can try to stop swaddling all together.
2. Start With the Arms
This is probably the most common method to stop swaddling a baby. First, swaddle your baby with one arm out but one arm swaddled. You can do this for a few nights and then unswaddle both arms. At this point, most people would simply stop swaddling all together. See below for recommendations for what baby should sleep in after you stop swaddling.
3. Cold Turkey
If safety is an issue, you should NOT take a slower, gradual path to stop swaddling. If your baby is rolling onto his or her tummy or breaking out and has loose blankets in their sleep space, you need to unswaddle immediately.
Even if safety isn’t an issue, some baby’s personalities do better simply making changes quickly. It might make for a couple of rougher nights, but better sleep faster is always a good thing.
To stop swaddling cold-turkey, simply transition right away to a wearable blanket or sleep sack. See below for our recommendations. It might be a few rougher nights, but your baby will adjust. And, many times, babies adjust faster than we expect!
Will My Baby Sleep Worse Without the Swaddle?
For babies who are not highly dependent on swaddling for comfort and are great self-soothers, it could be easy to stop swaddling. Your baby may sleep just as well, or maybe even better, without being swaddled! For babies who are becoming increasingly resistant to the swaddle, maybe they will welcome it!
If your baby is very dependent on being swaddled to sleep, it may be tough to stop swaddling.
There’s no way to predict it, but just give it a try and you can always go back to the swaddle if things take a bad turn.
In general, the best way to stop swaddling a baby is to do it gradually. Eventually, you will build-up to the point where you are not swaddling at all. The idea is that this slow, gradual transition makes it easier for a baby to get used to sleeping unswaddled without losing a lot of sleep. This helps you avoid a lot of sleep loss, too!
But, seriously? What if Sleep Is a LOT Worse Without the Swaddle?
If safety isn’t a concern, yet, consider keeping the swaddle a bit longer. No need to rush.
Or, you can stop swaddling in an even more gradual fashion!
Just because you unswaddle your baby at bedtime does not mean he has to stay that way all night!
Consider swaddling both arms and/or legs after the first night-waking. Although he might start the night sleeping just an hour, for example, that can quickly increase over a few nights as your baby adjusts to having his arms and/or legs free.
What about unswaddling at nap time first?
Another option is to start unswaddling at nap time. Although you might feel it’s “inconsistent,” keep in mind that day and night sleep are handled by two different parts of the brain. Let your baby get used to “freedom” one step at a time.
Of course, you should note that a baby who was once sleeping through the night may not do that while adjusting to sleeping without the swaddle. Keep in mind that it might take a week or two for her to get used to not being swaddled and getting used to having her limbs out.
And, what about the Moro reflex?
If your baby’s Moro or startle reflex hasn’t stopped, it might be especially difficult and you might swaddle her again and try again a few weeks to a month later.
Babies change very fast in the first year that something that didn’t work at one time might work great just two weeks later. You must be patient and give your baby time to adjust.
However, I find that even some babies who still have the Moro reflex adapt very quickly over a period of a few days to a week. You might just give it a try!
3 Products To Help Stop Swaddling
Anna & Eve Swaddle Strap
There are also some products on the market that can make the transition from swaddling easier.
The Swaddle Strap, by Anna & Eve is honestly the coolest swaddling product (those Amazon reviews don’t lie!). The Swaddle Strap works well in its own right as a swaddling tool; it’s great for warmer months when a full swaddling blanket is just too heavy, and it also makes diaper changes so much easier. You can use it as a tool to wean from the swaddle as well. By using the Swaddle Strap, you can swaddle your baby’s arms snugly while leaving her legs free. This is a great first step to transitioning away from the swaddle altogether!
Love To Dream Swaddle Up SwaddleUp Blanket
Woombie
Of course, I wouldn’t purchase a product that you didn’t already have JUST to transition away from swaddling! If your baby is older, don’t bother. Buy a wearable blanket instead.
What Should Baby Sleep In After You Stop Swaddling?
For safe sleep, your baby should sleep in a wearable blanket or sleep sack. And, we have recommendations for the best products to consider!
Zipadee-Zip
Another product we love? The Zipadee-Zip. This awesome blanket is specifically designed to help you stop swaddling your baby, and make the transition away from the swaddle an easy one. The Zipadee-Zip offers babies a bigger range of motion than a traditional swaddle (which means that babies can practice self-soothing and can be a little ‘squirmier’), but it also provides enough constraint that it helps babies feel secure. This is a great product for older babies who may be attached to being swaddled but who are just getting too big, and to mobile, to be swaddled at night.
Bitta Kidda Baby Soother Sleeping Bag
Halo Sleepsack
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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 can’t 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 baby’s sleep may be affected. This is normal; once your baby is used to sleeping unswaddled, sleep should return to normal.
How and when did you stop swaddling your baby? Scroll down to share your story, to ask questions, and to hear from other parents just like you!
References:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/Swaddling-Is-it-Safe.aspx
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Meghan says
I started swaddling my 3-month old with one arm out in the last week. While she sucks her hand a lot, having an arm out actually seems to contribute more to her staying awake and fussing than self-soothing. Is this a sign that it is too soon to wean from swaddling? Or will it just take a while for her to get used to it? I use a miracle blanket.
Also I live in Kenya so don’t have access to the products listed. And it’s really hot right now – about 78 degrees in our room at night – so I really want to stop swaddling to avoid her overheating.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Meghan, thanks for visiting the Baby Sleep Site! I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with your little one fussing since swaddling with one arm out. It is possible she is fussing because of the arm being out, however whenever you decide to get rid of the swaddle, she may do that anyways because it’s something she’s use to. Hopefully with a little time she will adjust and you can add in the other arm, etc. There are also a lot of sleep changes that happen around the 3/4 month mark anyways, so the fact that you’re hitting some resistance may have come anyways (I’m sorry to be so vague in my reasons why you could be having troubles!). Here is a link to more info on the changes that happen around this age if you’re interested in learning more about what’s going on: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/4-month-old-sleep-regression/
Let us know how it turns out! If you need more help, please don’t hesitate to post another comment or email us directly at [email protected]. We are here to help!
Hanna smith says
My daughter 7.5months old, was born at 25weeks so corrected age is 4 months. She has always been swaddles with hands by her face since we were in hospital. When she came home she was always such a good sleeper – she was sleeping 10-12hours waking for one feed. At corrected 2months she was sleeping right through without the feed and without being swaddled. But the past 4 weeks she’s gone right back!! Waking 3-5 times in the night, fighting to go back to sleep. We now have to swaddle her hands down otherwise she’ll just do anything she can to stay awake. I’m not sure how to get her back to her pattern, her day naps have never been great but she made up for it at night. Now she’s still not napping during the day and exhausting herself fighting sleep all night. It’s hard to tell where she sits developmentally as she was 3 and a half months early. So I tend to go by her corrected age more so. Any tips, tricks or advice would be greatly appreciated!!
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Hanna – Thank you for writing to us about your little one! We too would go by her adjusted (corrected) age when thinking about her sleep, which means she is at an age where we definitely see plenty of sleep troubles!
Here is our article that specifically addresses this sleep change: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/4-month-old-sleep-regression/
Here is a link to our free sample schedule for a 4 month old too. You might find this helpful to use as a guide: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/4-month-old-schedule/
We would love to help you through this! Please check out our sleep consultation packages here, and let us know if you have any questions: https://www.babysleepsite.com/services
Hang in there Hanna!!
Megan Schroeder says
My son is 7 months old. He LOVES to have his arms swaddled in the Halo sleep sack. We recently transitioned him to the zippadee zip. He had a horrible 4 nights and then seemed to settle into it. However after a few nights of sleeping pretty good (only waking a few times) he is back to waking up at least every hour. I am afraid to swaddle his arms since he tries to roll onto his side. We are at our whits end trying to figure this out and get sleep. He goes right back to sleep if I pick him up, or put him in his rock and play (it sort of cradles him) next to our bed. Is his crib just too big? What can I do?
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Megan Schroeder, thanks for writing to us. I’m sorry to hear your little guy is struggling with leaving the swaddle and not liking the sleep sack. Since he is rolling it is wise to stop swaddling, and you will get through this! Just may take some time unfortunately. 🙁 If the tips from the article aren’t quite enough help, you may also want to download our free guide with tips for helping your baby sleep through the night: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
In here you’ll see the topic of sleep associations, which is what the swaddle likely is for your son, so you can use those tips to help wean him from his need for it. I hope this helps! If you need more support, we are here so just let us know!
Alex says
My 3.5 mo old shakes his head side to side so much that his hair on the back of his head is partially gone. The only reason I still swaddle is because he scratches and claws at his head and no matter how much i file/cut his nails, they are razor sharp. Help please :). Any recommendations?
Neosha says
@Alex – Thank you for sharing! If you haven’t discussed this behavior with your son’s healthcare provider, we’d encourage you to do so to rule out any medical reasons for such thrashing and scratching. We know babies often scratch at their faces when they’re tired or when they don’t know what else to do with their hands but it could be due to food allergies, itchies or other discomforts. Hang in there, Alex, and best wishes to you guys!
Nicole says
4 month old (as of yesterday), loves his halo swaddle. Has always been a poor sleeper. Has been rolling from tummy to back from time to time for a few months and once from back to tummy two weeks ago. Doesn’t seem to move much at night or nap. At Dr appointment yesterday Dr said to stop swaddling. The last 24 hours have been awful every hour last night and all day today could only sleep for 6 minutes before his startle reflex woke him up, even tried only one arm unswaddled. We are all miserable, do we really have to stop swaddling?
Neosha says
@Nicole – Thank you for reading and for sharing! Stopping the swaddle can be quite the traumatic experience, we know. Knowing how and when to stop the swaddle is different for each family. If your little guy’s dr has advised that you stop the swaddle and it’s not simply because your baby is 4 months old now, then it’s likely for a good reason so we’d advise reaching back out to the dr to better understand the reason for the suggestion. We definitely don’t advise continuing the swaddle if your baby is starting to roll over on his tummy during sleep as this is very dangerous if he is swaddled when he does so. If you haven’t considered some transitional swaddle products like those mentioned in the article, perhaps give them some thought as many of us have had amazing success with them. Hang in there, Nicole!
Elizabeth says
Our 3 month old daughter sleeps in a Mebie Baby swaddle and she loves it. It’s been our key item in getting her to sleep through the night and naps throughout the day. For the last few weeks, she has averaged around 7-8 hours straight sleep each night! We love our sleep also, but we began to wonder how long it will be okay to continue swaddling our little one at night. We don’t know if she will become dependent on it and it will end up becoming more difficult for her to sleep without it later on.
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Elizabeth –
Thank you for writing! I am not familiar with this swaddle, but will check it out! it is great that you have found a favorite product to help with your little one’s sleep! Regarding when to stop swaddling, do fee free to follow the recommendations on this page, and as long as baby is swaddled safely, there is no need to change things right now. Please check out our article about safe swaddling here as a guide:
Swaddling Safely
Thanks again for visiting us Elizabeth!
Sarah says
Hi, my 2.5 month old has began rolling onto her side during sleep whilst swaddled. I have tried to leave one arm out of her sleep bag, however she cotinues to wake herself up with her startle reflex.. her reflex is settling but it’s still disruptive to her sleep. What should i do? Im worried about the rolling onto her side as i have caught her with her face pressed up against the side of the bassinet when she has rolled.. I’m scared that i may not wake up to her in time and she suffocates. Should i continue to leave an arm out even if it means she wakes herself up? Do u have any tips on making this a smoother transition?
Debbye @ The Baby Sleep Site says
Hi @Sarah,
Thank you for writing to us! I’m sorry to hear you’re having some trouble with your baby’s sleep, but you are certainly not alone! Do know that this is a temporary stage, and your baby WILL get used to sleeping unswaddled and the startle reflex will disappear soon enough! If you haven’t yet, you can sign up to receive our free guide written just for families with young babies, “15 Baby Sleep Facts New Parents Need to Know” here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
I think it will be very helpful for you. : )
We do offer a few more in-depth solutions for parents who need more help. Our e-book, Essential Keys to Your Newborn’s Sleep, may be a good option for you. In it, we give you a complete toolkit to help your baby establish healthy sleep habits today and throughout the first year.
You can read more about our wonderful newborn/younger infant options here:
https://www.babysleepsite.com/essential-keys-to-your-newborns-sleep?utm_source=crs&utm_medium=desk
Hang in there Sarah!
Kristen says
My three month old has recently started to break his arms out of the swaddle and seems frustrated and squirmy trying to get them out. I use the Halo sleep sack swaddle and fasten it pretty tight! He’s also been waking every hour or two the past few nights. Are these signs to stop swaddling? If so, should I swaddle arms out or should I try the Zen sleep sack that someone lent me? Thanks for your help!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Kristen, thanks for writing to us! I’m sorry your little guy has been breaking out of his swaddle! I always took the swaddle away from my kids around that age, but it really was just because I wanted to do it before they started rolling (which is when it becomes unsafe) and it became this big thing I had to break them of. (Just my personal experience, mom to mom). The wake ups could possibly be caused by his frustration with the swaddle, or he could be going through the changes that start around 4 months (and is commonly referred to and dreaded as the “4 month sleep regression”) which you can read about here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/4-month-old-sleep-regression/
If you need help working through this, let us know! We have so many resources that can help you through this very big and transitional time. Feel free to contact us directly at [email protected]
Good luck with everything, I hope this helps!
Christy says
Hi Kristen!
I am wondering if you tried the zen sleep sack and how it’s working. I’m transitioning my 12 week old out of the halo swaddle for some the same reasons you mentioned for your little one in your post. She keeps breaking free and is very squirmy in the process of doing so. Sometimes she manages to pull the swaddle up around her face as well. I am considering buying the zen sleep sack, so if you see this reply, let me know how you like it! Thanks!
– Christy
Jenni says
Hi. My 2 month daughter. Kept breaking free from her swaddle every time I would swaddle her when she was only 2 weeks. I kept trying until she was a month but once she was a month I stopped swaddling her and just wrapped her blankets around her and stuck it under her so she had the sense she was swaddled while being free to move her arms and legs the way she feels comfortable.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Jenni, thanks for sharing what you did and what worked for your family. 🙂
Sandy says
My granddaughter is 10 months and they still swaddle her. My concern is that they dress her with heavy sleeping clothing and she constantly sweating. How should you dress a baby who is swaddle.
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Sandy, thanks for writing to us. How you dress a baby would depend on the temperature of the room, as well as the climate you live in – for instance I am in Florida, so my summer baby just wore a diaper under his swaddle, but my January baby wore footed pajamas.
I would like to mention though that once the baby is able to roll, the swaddle does become unsafe since the baby’s arms are restricted. There are some transitional items to help with this that are listed in the article, or she may prefer a sleep sac which is a wearable (and safe) blanket for the baby if her parents are concerned about her getting cold. I hope this helps!