How to help your baby sleep now they’re not swaddled

Chances are you’ve swaddled your child for a while; at some point, we need to move from the swaddle.

You may have a cute sleep sack for them to sleep in.

Have you tried it yet? 

How did it go?

If your child slept amazingly well in their new sleep sack, you don’t need to read on. Have a browse through some other blog posts.

If your child didn’t sleep well, you’ll want to read on.

 Transitioning from the swaddle is necessary for your baby’s safety. It’s not something that you can put off because you don’t want your baby to wake. But oh, my goodness, sleep can be so different when your child sleeps out of the swaddle.

First things first.

DON’T PANIC!

Your child has spent their entire lives on the outside, sleeping swaddled. When they’re not, it feels different, so very different. When things are different, we wake up more. Think about when you travel; if you’re sleeping in a new bed, it feels different and smells different; chances are you won’t have the best night’s sleep. You’re an adult, and you understand why; imagine being tiny and not knowing why your arms are now free and Won’t. Stop. Moving!

You can ride it out; it won’t last forever. 

Remember, changes are going to be difficult at first. Your child will adjust, and within three or four days, you should feel that sleep is improving.

What you can do to ease the transition

Stay calm! Remember that any sleep disturbances won’t last forever. Your baby might need you to go in and gently hold an arm or two down if she’s finding it hard to keep still. Your baby might need you to rock, sing, sway or soothe her in other ways. 

That’s fine. 

Go with it and rest assured it will soon pass. 

When you can, try not to ‘overhelp’. Start with a small action to soothe, and move on to more if your baby needs it. But keep it to a minimum if you can.

Take a look at the gentlest way to transition your child from the swaddle.