When should I stop swaddling my baby for the night?

Megan - posted on 09/05/2012

Just make sure swaddling is a happy experience for your baby!!! My granddaughters mother swaddled her until she was 16 or 17 MONTHS old (I got guardianship of her at 23 months) and now any kid of wrapping is traumatic unless she knows you are playing a game with her. She will be 3 next month and has turned into quite the happy little girl despite the awful start she had.

HappyMommy - posted on 08/28/2012

Hi my 6 month old won't sleep until she is tightly and fully swaddled hands and all and if it's loose she wakes up..so u r ok I plan to swaddle her until she seems ready and she rolls around a lot so I don't put any blankets or anything loose near or around her

Jennifer - posted on 04/02/2010

Thank you for all the great advice, ladies! I will most definitely take my cues from my baby and stop swaddling when he's ready!!

Brandy - posted on 04/01/2010

As long as they still like it and they will let you know if they don't. There is no reason to stop swaddling your baby at 4 months that's just the age when they start to roll over so most of them don't want to be anymore by then but not all. I swaddled my daughter for about 8 months (just wrapped the blanket around her body beneath her armpits after about 4 months) and am currently swaddling my 2 1/2 month old son.

Sarah - posted on 04/01/2010

I noticed on the back of my Halo sleepsack swaddle package that is says to stop swaddling when LO shows signs of rolling over, breaking loose, or not wanting it. For my first DS, he broke loose at about 3 months. I have also heard it recommended to stop at 3-4 months.

Chatty - posted on 04/01/2010

I never swaddled my daughter......she hated it! She always slept much better without it! Do whatever works best for ur baby! I heard somewhere that babies shouldn't be swaddled once they're able to roll over??!!

Aubrey - posted on 04/01/2010

I stopped swaddling my daughter just recently (she is now 3 months). I had to go off of her cues because the moment I would swaddle her and lay her down, she would kick herself out of the swaddle. She does sleep through the night without being swaddled. But when she is having a bad day or something, I swaddle her to comfort her. So swaddle away Jennifer :) Your baby will tell you when she don't wanna be swaddled anymore :) I hope this gives you some encouragement :)

Emma - posted on 04/01/2010

I stopped swaddling my son at around 6-7 months. He's now 9 months and when he's having a real bad night I just wrap a blanket around him so he's more comfortable.

Renae - posted on 04/01/2010

Jackie is right, this really depends on the baby. They say to stop at 4 months because the main reason for swaddling is to stop the primitive reflexes that make their arms and legs wail about from waking them up; and these reflexes have settled down and are being submerged by 4 months. So theoretically they dont NEED to be swaddled after about 4 months. Also the longer you do it the more it becomes a sleep prop that they may have trouble sleeping without.

Personally, I would do it up until about 6 months if your baby sleeps well that way. Then you have gotten past the 5 month sleep regression (the most common age for babies who were good sleepers to suddenly start waking again at night) and your baby's body is well and truely used to sleeping for a good length of time at night.

When you stop swaddling you can expect it to take him longer to go to sleep for the first 3-5 nights and he may wake during the night and have difficulty going straight back to sleep until he gets used to not being swaddled. However, some babies transition to no swaddling very easily - they take a bit longer to go to sleep the first night but are back to normal the next day.

Jackie - posted on 04/01/2010

You swaddle them as long as they need it. Each baby is different... and sometimes you need to come back to the swaddling due to illness and so forth. If your baby is enjoying it and not getting upset trying to fight their way out of it there is no reason to stop swaddling your baby.

Brandy - posted on 04/01/2010

As long as they still like it and they will let you know if they don't. There is no reason to stop swaddling your baby at 4 months that's just the age when they start to roll over so most of them don't want to be anymore by then but not all. I swaddled my daughter for about 8 months (just wrapped the blanket around her body beneath her armpits after about 4 months) and am currently swaddling my 2 1/2 month old son.

Jackie - posted on 04/01/2010

You swaddle them as long as they need it. Each baby is different... and sometimes you need to come back to the swaddling due to illness and so forth. If your baby is enjoying it and not getting upset trying to fight their way out of it there is no reason to stop swaddling your baby.