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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Elaine says
My granddaughter is just coming up to 6 months. She was swaddled and did really well sleeping through the night from 8 weeks with a ‘sleep coach’ helping my daughter. She now sleeps in a baby sleeping bag which is tucked into the mattress at the bottom which greatly restricts her leg movement. I am concerned as she sleeps like this for 12 hours throughout the night and for her 2 naps during the day. She doesn’t seem to have much lower body strength. Doesn’t use her legs when held upright to standing position and feels super relaxed when being held, sort of a heavy feel. Can’t really explain it but it doesn’t feel right. I had 6 children and all my babies were swaddled for the first 3 months or so but that’s all. They all seemed much stronger in their lower bodies by this age, using their legs a lot more. I know things are done differently now, this is my youngest daughter’s first baby and she is doing so well with her.
Danielle says
Hi Elaine,
Thank you for using The Baby Sleep Site as a resource! I’m sorry to hear about your concerns with your granddaughter’s development. I’m not aware of the sleep bag you’re describing, but I will ask our sleep consultants if they know it. Many babies do sleep in a sort of sleep sack around that age, but it’s more of a zipped bag around the legs, to keep them warm and safer than having a loose blanket in the crib. If you do have any concerns, you could talk to your daughter about switching to a sleep sack, or get her to ask her pediatrician about sleep at her next wellness visit. A pediatrician could check muscle tone and developmental milestones as well to see if your granddaughter is on track. I hope this helps!
Danielle says
Hi! My 5 month old loves her miracle blanket swaddle. I have the zippadee zip and have been looking for tips for using the zippadee zip. Do you just place them in the zippadee zip at nighttime or nap time first? Has anyone tried the zippadee zip with some form of swaddle?
Kiran says
Hi. My son is almost 5 months and lately is waking up every hour for his soother. He sleeps in the swaddle strap and a light halo sleep sack. Is this the 4 month regression ive been reading about? Should i stop swaddling him now if this is the regression? He doesn’t roll over yet. He sucks his 2 fingers during the day, not his thumb. Help! I need to sleep longer than an hour at a time… also, i try not to feed him until 5-6 hours pass by so I give him a soother and massage his legs til he falls back asleep.
Danielle says
Hi Kiran,
Thank you for checking out The Baby Sleep Site! Around this age can be a great time to stop swaddling your baby. Since it sounds like you may also be dealing with a sleep association with the pacifier, you might also like this article: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/the-pacifier-trick-every-parent-should-know/
If you continue to have trouble, we do offer a free 15 minute sleep evaluation to help you decide determine if this is a good time to sleep coach, and whether a consultation package would be a good fit for you. You can read more about those here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/personalized-baby-sleep-evaluation/
Good luck!
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Lisa says
My 14 week old
Sleeps in a Merlin at night but is in the miracle blanket for naps. How do we transition out of the swaddle or when? We tried the Merlin for nap today but he woke after 20 mins. Let me know!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Lisa, thank you for your comment. It can definitely be tricky transitioning out so I would recommend taking lots of deep breaths and remembering this too shall pass. 😉 At least that’s what I’ve had to do! The article provides some tips and transitional items that may work if you don’t want to just go cold turkey and take it away (both have their pros and cons). For help with naps, we have a free guide available with some tips that may help that you can sign up to receive here: https://www.babysleepsite.com/free-baby-nap-guide/
Hang in there! I hope this transition passes quickly for you!
Michelle says
Help! My almost 5 month old is a terrible sleeper and even worse napper. I am breastfeeding and she constantly wakes to eat throughout the night. I find she also uses my breast as a pacifier and has never used a real paci. She is currently being swaddled because she is a disaster if she is not. I’ve tried to wean it with no luck. She can also wiggle her arms free. I wanted to buy a transitional swaddle but did I mention that she rolls over and even crawls ?. So now I don’t know what to do. This morning she rolled on her stomach with one arm still stuck in the swaddle. She will only fall asleep on the breast and refuses to let my husband hold her at bedtime or during the night. For the past week I have transitioned her to the crib and have tried to put her down while drowsy and use the gentle method of picking her up if she starts crying but each time I do this the crying gets worse and takes so much longer to calm her down. I feel like I’m slowly dying from sleep deprivation and also my heart hurts hearing her scream and cry when I put her down.
Janelle Reid says
@Michelle – I am so sorry you are feeling this way! I can assure you that you are not alone in feeling crazy/sad/frustrated/at the end of your rope, all at the same time. I have been there myself and many of our sleep consultants have been there too. If you haven’t yet, you may find some helpful tips in our free guide with tips for getting your baby to sleep through the night: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-sleep-through-night-free-ebook/
I will clarify that is is ok your baby is not sleeping through the night yet (we would consider 1-2 night wakings fine and normal!) but it will have tips and links to additional resources to help getting her sleeping on her own and hopefully some longer stretches.
If you feel you are too tired for the guesswork of figuring out what is right for you baby, we would love to help you in a more personalized sense. We offer one-on-one consulting where your dedicated sleep consultant will look over a sleep history on your daughter and create a personalized plan of action for her. If you are interested in reading about our services more, please visit this page: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/ or email us at [email protected]
Hang in there! I hope things improve for you soon!
Nicole says
Michelle, pls know you are not alone!! I still cry lol my baby just turned 5 months and the four month regression hit us hard, he started off the same way, using my breast as his paci/comfort. I had to stop that ummedialty bc once they associate it with sleeping they will scream until they get it, it took my about a whole week of struggling but I finally got him to take the binky, I started as soon as I was done nursing and noticed he was sleeping I’d put the binkie in his mouth as soon as I removed my breast, he finally took to it, and for swaddling I used those Velcro ones bc he kept breaking out of the others, he can roll but I still have him in the bassinet next to me bc he flares his arm and wakes himself up, I’m going to try to transition into crib soon, so I bought one of those swaddle sacks that don’t have any sleeves.we are all struggling together;)
Jen says
My 10 week old fights being swaddled starting about half way through the night. He has gotta his arms out of a Velcro swaddle (Nested Bean) however his reflex is still strong so he wakes himself up. He’s either fighting the swaddle or waking up because of his reflex. We’ve tried napping arms out but it just added to accumulate overtiredness. Help?!
Janelle Reid says
Hi @Jen, thank you for writing! I am sorry you’ve been struggling with your newborn’s sleep. All babies are so different, and it can be especially frustrating when they prefer something at one time a day, and then a few hours later want nothing to do with it! It is hard to determine the “why” behind it, but there are certainly other ways you can help encourage sleep with your newborn. We have a free guide available for download on our site that has tips for parents to help with their newborn’s sleep that you can sign up to receive here if you are interested: https://www.babysleepsite.com/15-free-baby-sleep-facts-new-parents-must-know/
If you need more help, we are here, so let us know! Our sleep consultants would be able to help you figure out how to handle these swaddle protests and can help transition him out if that is what you need. If you have more questions about that, feel free to visit this page on our site: https://www.babysleepsite.com/baby-toddler-sleep-consulting-services/
Hang in there!
Shaina Grimm says
Safe sleep is definitely one of the harder things to neglect because who doesn’t want to sleep cuddled up with their baby but safe sleep is extremely important this time around I never let my daughter into to the bed with me unfortunately was when I was a 24 New young mother I made a huge mistake of letting my son sleep in the bed with me it is extremely important this time around I never let my daughter and to the bed with me unfortunately was when I was a 24 New unexperienced new mom the mistake of letting my son sleep in the bed with me I lost my son to sids thankfully it wasn’t because I had suffocated him or rolled on top of him but I still constantly think If my son safe in his Bassinet and I had the outlet saw sock I believe he would still be here
Neosha says
@Shaina – Thank you for sharing with us and we’re so, so sorry for your loss. Yes, the importance of safe co-sleep with babies can’t be overstated or mentioned enough. We try to emphasize this importance as much as we can. We’re wishing you all the best with your little girl. Please keep reading and sharing!
Colleen says
Our daughter is 4.5 months and has rolled over during the day 2x in the past few weeks. She doesn’t roll at night but loves to sleep on her side and LOVES being swaddled. We have tried twice now to wean her from swaddling and all it has done is cost everyone weeks of unrest. She literally screams and thrashes about if unswaddled. With one arm she just cannot settle, even after 2 weeks of the arm out for naps and night. Any suggestions?
Neosha says
@Colleen – Thank you for visiting our sleepy little village and for sharing. Knowing exactly how to stop swaddling is definitely a challenge and varies from baby to baby. Have you considered some of the more gradual transitional products we mentioned in the article? Or some variation of them? These may be more subtle and gradual items your daughter may respond better to vs going straight to one arm out. Please keep reading and hang in there!
Amanda says
Thanks for this info! Tonight is the First night with my 3.5 month old with one arm unswaddled. She’s woken up once so far in the past 2 hrs. Hoping she will adjust and use this hand to self soothe as she is an avid hand sucker. Hopefully she will be able to get herself back to sleep and us not continue to be “pacifier slaves”. Also the swaddle scares me as it sometimes slides up over her mouth/nose a bit so I’m ready to be rid of it. We will probably do the sleep sack after swaddling is done!
Janelle Reid says
@Amanda, I’m glad the article has been helpful! Good luck with your transition to no swaddle!