Should i swaddle my baby at night

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How much sleep should my newborn have? Six practical tips to help your baby sleep. How to swaddle your baby Video. They taught me how to lay the blanket down and how to tuck the edges around the baby so that he became a little "papoose.

Swaddling has been part of caring for babies for centuries — millennia, really. It has been shown to help many babies sleep better. It can be particularly helpful for babies with neurologic problems or colic, or for babies born addicted to drugs. This new technology allows for safe swaddling for up to 6 months. As swaddling has surged in popularity over the past 15 years, so have concerns and controversies around this ancient practice.

Some doctors now warn parents to stop swaddling at 2 months for fear a baby might roll to the stomach…and not have free hands to push up and liberate their face to breathe. Even the prestigious American Academy of Pediatrics AAP announced that parents should wean swaddling when infants start to roll which can happen as early as months. So, when wrapping stops early, achieving these guidelines becomes more challenging. They benefit greatly from a so-called 4 th trimester.

In general, babies do best when swaddling lasts for months. Then, you can start the weaning process by wrapping your baby with one arm out. If she continues to sleep well for a few nights, you can stop swaddling completely.

If she starts middle-of-the-night waking again, restart swaddling and try the one-armed wrap again in a month…and every month thereafter until it works. Sleepea—aka the 5-second swaddle—makes transitioning arms out easy, but makes breaking out of the swaddle hard! Learn more about Sleepea here.

But, if your baby starts trying to roll over, you will need to stop swaddling fairly quickly…just as the AAP recommends. The trouble is that weaning swaddling is much harder when babies are only a few months old. At this age, they often still need womb sensations to help them stay asleep and to keep them from waking frequently.

Gentle rocking motion is another fantastic cue, but beware, only swings that recline all the way flat are safe for your precious baby read about why inclined sleepers are so risky.