I remember very vividly the first (and second) times I used swaddling to help my firstborn take naps during the day. He was a few months old at the time, and while he slept very well at night (usually straight through), during the day was another story. Wide awake at 6 am, he hardly nodded off until early evening, typically shortly after dinner. He was full-on, 100 miles per hour literally all day long, which I found tremendously exhausting.
Moms, especially if they are breastfeeding, need naps almost as much as newborns. So, I thought I would give the traditional technique of swaddling a try. I lightly wrapped him exactly as I had been shown by my post-natal caregiver and placed him carefully on his back in the crib. Everything was done as instructed.
He fell asleep almost immediately and napped for a full hour. This was far longer than his usual 10-minute catnap.
I thought I was a genius.
My Scary Swaddling Experience
The next day I tried swaddling again. Â Same process, same time, same everything.
This time the results were frightening.
My baby kept sleeping even longer than the first day. I kept checking on him every few minutes past his usual wake-up time, but still, he slumbered.
Finally, after two hours (twice as long as he had slept the day before), I decided to wake him up.
When I unswaddled him, he was extremely hot and flushed. Even his onesie was completely soaked through. He was also groggy to the point of being almost unresponsive. While he recovered within a few minutes, the short time it took for him to return to his normal, baby-alert self was agonizing.
Needless to say, I experienced the fright of my life. Overheating is a risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and even though my baby was only wearing a cotton onesie and no socks or hat, he still got overly warm to the point of danger.
What if I had left him sleeping longer? Would he have completely passed out or worse?
After that second swaddling attempt, I never wrapped my baby again and neither did I ever attempt to swaddle my other two children when they came along.
Studies on the Effects of SwaddlingÂ
Four studies on the effects of swaddling on newborn health raise concerns similar to what I experienced first hand.
The Journal Pediatrics reports that babies that are swaddled in a light cloth or blanket have a 38% higher risk of SIDS. The researchers analyzed results from four studies conducted over two decades in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. The meta-analysis included the swaddling habits of 1759 infants who did not experience SIDS and 760 who did.
The risk of SIDS was greatest for swaddled babies who slept on their tummies. Those infants had a ten times greater risk of SIDS than unswaddled infants. On their side, swaddled babies had a 3 times greater risk, and on their backs, a 93% greater risk.
Swaddling Study Limitations
Three limitations of this study are apparent. First, parents from different parts of the world practice a wide variety of swaddling practices. These variations were not accounted for in the results.
Secondly, the studies did not control for where the infant slept – in bed with a parent(s) or in a separate cot or crib.
Third, only two of the four studies reported meaningful differences in the SIDS risk between swaddled and unswaddled babies.
Despite the limitations of the data, the findings should still give new parents pause when considering swaddling as a sleeping option for their infant. Certainly, if swaddling is chosen, putting a baby to sleep on his/her back is the least risky position.
In addition, once a baby is old enough to roll over from back to front, any swaddling practice should be terminated at that time.
What Doctors Say About Swaddling
Dr. Danette Swanson Glassy of Mercer Island Pediatrics and the University of Washington, says this about swaddling:
If you swaddle, be sure to end the practice long before the baby can roll to prone (1).
Dr. Michael Goodstein, a researcher at Pennsylvania State University and director of the York County Cribs for Kids Program, added:
There’s also a fine art to getting the swaddle just right to keep babies safe and comfortable (2).
Clearly, however, even when best swaddling practices are carefully followed, the potential for bad things to happen is still very real such as what happened to my son.
Did you choose to swaddle your babies? If so, what were your experiences both positive and negative?
I swaddled all three of mine from birth to just a couple of months. I felt that they loved the all-closed-up & secure feeling because it mimicked the womb.
I swaddled with a thin cotton blanket, but mostly for naps and always had my babies near me at all times on their back. When they started poking their hands out and seemed bothered I stopped. Never made it too tight. Just enough to feel secure but not totally restricted. All of them slept next to me wrapped in my arms as babies. Made breastfeeding so much easier and I worried less.
I swaddled both my babies. I used the SwaddleMe wrap and Miracle Blanket. With my DS I even got the velcro swaddle because he would bust out of the blankets. It worked fine for him and he slept really well. He’s now 10 months and sleeps in a sleep sack. I love swaddling and it worked really well for my kids.
I swaddled my firstborn and then for my second-born, I switched to co-sleeping with baby next to me or in a bassinet next to me. The difference in the children’s mood and character was noticeable. I read the book “Continuum Concept” which – interestingly enough was written by a woman who lived amongst traditional peoples in South America for years and advocates baby being closer to mom for fourth trimester and beyond. After practicing this with my second-born I noticed he was much more content, much easier to soothe, and there was a wonderful close bond formed by the extra closeness of the 4th trimester. I didn’t swaddle but kept him close in a baby carrier or with me in bed for about 8 months. He was a very good sleeper – only waking once a night even at five months. Of course, being on a traditional diet would have contributed to this bliss as well.
None of my 3 children enjoyed swaddling except for perhaps the first few days or weeks following birth. Sarah, I could relate to your experience with the babies being very active and alert from birth (no medical interventions that could potentially diminish alertness. I was also concerned with overheating as my fair-skinnedbabies tended to get rashes quite quickly. One more thing we have in common, Sarah, I had my last baby into my forties. My babies were born when I was 38, 40, and 4. I really enjoy and benefit from your posts. Thank you for sharing your expertise with the world! April from Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I always snugly tucked a blanket around my infants so their arms didn’t jerk and startle them awake, but I never swaddled like in the photo attached to this post. I also always put my babies to sleep on their tummies. That kept them from jerking and startling better than wrapping tightly, I feel. They were all good sleepers at night and naptime. All eight of them are now fine and dandy and mostly grown up.
Good food for thought. Thanks for sharing.
We swaddled six of our children and never had any problem with over-heating, etc. One of those six actually is the type now that can sleep with just a sheet or they’ll get too hot.
But this is an interesting observation that I never even thought of. Thank you so much for sharing!
I swaddled all 7 of my children as newborns, they are 19-35 now. We lived in Utah and Southern California. Had air-conditioning in our first and third homes but not in the second. My children never overheated. I never experienced anything negative. My sympathies to those who lost children to SIDS. Heartbreaking. I have to say I didn’t swaddle all the time and only as tiny babies for the first few months. I didn’t know rules about swaddling after they roll but my baby were rolling around 3 months. I’m one of those moms who also slept with their baby in bed or very close by and I packed my baby in slings etc and carried them around on me most of the day so I could get things done. Could never do that now. Packing babies is for the young and strong!! 😀
I couldn’t carry my babies either else my back would have given out. Especially my third, which I had well into my 40’s! My babies didn’t like it anyway when I tried. They were all wiggle worms and slept at night very well but rarely napped during the day and wanted to be busy and looking around all the time. Too bad as I had the most gorgeous sling which I literally never used.
I swaddled my firstborn for naps until he was 18 months old. That might sound crazy but it was the only way he would sleep well. I never recall him overheating or being groggy, whatsoever. We used the miracle blanket which kept him quite snug and unable to roll unless he wiggled his arms out anyway. I now have the Loves to Dream arms up swaddle that we use on occasion. Supposedly, this is a more natural position and also allows the legs to splay. I would not use this swaddle once they are able to roll over as their arms can’t get free.
Interesting! For sure, some babies are more prone to overheating than others. My first baby was never one for socks, hats or even a sweater. He would just pull them off once he was a toddler and could do so himself. If I had known this when he was born, I never would have attempted swaddling since that was an overheating risk for him. Unfortunately, we don’t know our babies when they are first born .. it takes time to find out their particular characteristics 🙂