A few years ago, my local hospital stopped recommending swaddling. This came after a study showed that swaddling carried an increased risk of SIDS if a baby rolls over.

Do babies sleep when they're not swaddled?

I was worried about how families would manage. I expected babies wouldn’t sleep as well because they’d be waking themselves up all night after hitting themselves in the head or scratching their face. 

But to my great surprise… I found un-swaddled babies slept just as well as those who were swaddled. However, an unexpected benefit was that parents were sleeping better as they weren’t worried about the swaddle coming undone. 

Every baby is different

Some touchy or sensitive babies may appreciate the cozy feeling but not every baby needs it at bedtime. In fact, I’ve come to see firsthand that many babies (most) sleep just as well without it. 

If you feel your baby needs to be swaddled, it’s important that a swaddled baby be placed on his back every time he goes to bed. Also, you should stop swaddling by 2 months of age before your baby rolls over. Be careful not to allow your swaddled baby to overheat. 

I’m all for realizing every baby is unique…and that goes for swaddling too. Some babies benefit from it, others don’t. 🐤 🐤 🐤

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