How to Transition from a Swaddle to a Sleep Sack

For many newborns and very young babies, swaddling is about as cozy as it gets. Wrapped up like a baby burrito, your child likely feels as snug as they did in the womb, and swaddling can make all the difference in your little one being able to sleep peacefully in those early days. But the time will inevitably come when your baby can no longer be swaddled. How to tell when your baby is ready to move on? When they start to roll, it’s time to swap out the swaddle for something else. Here’s what life post-swaddling looks like.

When should you stop swaddling your baby?

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises caregivers to stop swaddling your baby when they start to show signs of trying to roll over, usually sometime in the 2 to 4 months-old range. It’s a matter of safety: There’s a risk of suffocation if your swaddled baby ends up on their tummy without the ability to push up away from the mattress or roll back over. Signs that they’re headed towards rolling include scooting in a circle, lifting the hips, or rolling onto one of their shoulders. 

Your baby may also be ready to say goodbye to swaddling if they regularly break free of their swaddle or seem to want to move more freely. Very young babies also have a reflex called the Moro reflex which causes them to startle easily and sometimes wake themselves up. It’s one of the big reasons swaddling can be helpful, to secure babies’ hands and arms so they don’t startle themselves awake. But as babies get older, that startle reflex gradually goes away and swaddles aren’t as necessary.

When your baby is ready to move on from the swaddle, a sleeping bag or sleep sack can be a great next step. They keep your baby at a just-right temperature and allow them plenty of room to move around.And the bags or sacks can be used as long as your child enjoys them. A sleeping bag or sleep sack is useful when the room temperature fluctuates a lot during the night. For most American homes, that is not the case and babies can cozily sleep in footed pajamas without the need for a sleeping bag.

How to make the transition out of the swaddle go smoothly? 

There are a few approaches, depending on you and your baby’s needs.

Just go for it.

Some babies have no trouble switching away from a swaddle right away, so you might try  losing the swaddle  one nap or nighttime and see how your baby does. If your baby objects and/or has trouble settling down, you can take a more gradual approach.

Lose the swaddle during naptime.

Instead of going completely cold turkey, you can also try putting your baby in the crib without a swaddle for naps. The shorter sleep stretches can be a nice chance for your baby to explore and adjust to the non-swaddled world.

When swaddling, leave one arm out.

If your baby seems to need an even slower transition, try swaddling your baby with one arm out. After a few days, progress to leaving both arms free and then eventually to removing the swaddle altogether. You can mix and match this approach in a variety of ways to find what best fits your child. For example, to help them adjust to the arms-free feeling, you  might swaddle them with arms out for a portion of the night, then during a diaper change or other nighttime wakeup, swaddle them back up with arms tucked in. Slowly over a few days, they’ll get more and more used to having arms unwrapped.

Loosen up.

Another approach: Loosen the swaddle slightly over time. Not enough to allow your baby to break free in a dangerous way. Instead, your aim is to help them get used to the feeling of not being so tightly bundled and eventually get comfortable with not being swaddled at all.

Provide alternate methods of soothing.

Since swaddling is ultimately a way to soothe your little one, as you transition away from the swaddle, make sure they have other reassuring elements in their sleep environment. If you haven’t already, we recommend keeping a white noise machine in their room. Also, as they begin to sleep longer stretches at night, make sure you’re putting them to bed while they’re sleepy—but not yet asleep—so they begin to develop skills of helping themselves drop off.

Rely on Nanit as your sleep assistant.

Your Nanit baby monitor can pair with our unique Breathing Wear (including the Sleeping Bag) to track your child’s sleep and breathing motions. You’ll be able to check on them whenever you want to from anywhere and see data on their sleep behaviors and patterns. The Nanit app also provides personalized tips and advice.

If you choose to use a sleeping bag or sleep sack, be sure you choose one that is the right size for your baby. 

It’s important not to have too much extra, loose fabric around your baby’s face. And in general, when choosing pjs and a sleeping bag (or swaddle), dress your baby so they’re cozy but not too hot as overheating can put babies at risk for SIDS. A good rule of thumb: Aim for one extra layer than what you’d be comfortable in.

Yes, even without the swaddle, we promise: Good sleeping days are ahead.