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 read the previous comment and thought, “Did this person even read the article?” Glad you were able to clear up that this occurred during the day while he was napping. I swaddled my first baby for WAY too long. Looking back, it was a poor choice, but when you have a fussy baby, you are desperate for sleep. She had terrible reflux (bc of a genetic esophageal dysfunction coupled with my over active letdown), so I put her on her side to sleep, swaddled. Her reflux improved only once she could support her own torso. My second and third babies were never swaddled and went to sleep on their tummies. I do not believe in the back to sleep campaign for many reasons. As an experienced mama, homesteader, and a natural/unmedicated birth educator, I value your website so much! Thanks for being a natural light in the dark world of toxins!
I swaddled for the first 2 to 4 weeks depending upon the child. ( I had 5).. they are now 20,17,14,10, and 6. I also never put my baby to sleep on their back. Yes you read correctly NEVER on their back. Why??? well the startle reflex silly. I am a physical therapist that graduated way back in 1994, that’s the same year after the AAP came out and said “back to sleep” however what they didn’t tell you was that kids gross motor development ever since that fear mongering “suggestion” has been delayed and we have seen a greater incidence of learning/add type issues, as well as the horrendously ugly plagiocephaly…or flat misshapen head syndrome.
Back to my personal situation…I would lay my children on their bellies during the day, while I was awake and could monitor them pretty regularly (the took naps on the floor or in a pack and play in the living room) and once I observed that they could clear their heads while on their bellies independently they then sleep on their bellies at night, otherwise I propped them on their sides until then. Babies feel most secure when the lie on their bellies, and we human beings were meant to develop in a cephalo-caudal direction (head to tail). This is facilitated when a baby sleeps on its belly.
We never swaddled. I think there’s something important about a newborn’s startle reflex and allowing them to keep it… and also work through it. I worry that swaddling teaches them to sleep too deeply and some of their survival instincts are shut down. My baby sleeps happiest close to her food source (me!). I fully respect her intelligence… parenting (for me) is not about convenience, but I am fortunate enough to have the resources to parent in such a way. Not all parents can. To each their own respecfully.
Thanks for posting this!!! Great tip. More mom’s need to hear this.
Had you been cosleeping with the baby, this wouldn’t have happened. Babies should be skin to skin and they regulate breathing and temperature, no overheating. This and not vaccinating, is common sense and the way God intended for babies and momma’s to sleep. This provides baby and momma for a better sleep. Also newborns should NEVER be sleeping all night long and it’s NEVER something to brag about, but it should be worrisome. It’s not how a newborn was created. Breastmilk does not last long in the digestive system and considering that a baby grows while sleeping, they should be waking every 2-4 hours (closer to the 2 hour time frame).
Umm, my son was only napping for a couple of hours when this happened. I never swaddled at night. Glad I didn’t!
And, it is very normal for full term baby to sleep through the night within a month or two of birth. ALL THREE of my children did so. My breastmilk was very fatty and nutritious from a traditional diet .. babies need to nurse a lot when the mother’s diet is insufficient to produce adequate quality breastmilk. My midwife concurs.
I have four kids I swaddles them all during the first few months , it’s tradition here. You do have to make sure the room temperature is adjusted and the baby has appropriate clothing according to season. But we do believe it’s good for muscle strength and to keep them rested. Love from Bahrain 🙂
Did he bust out of the blanket because he was too hot?
No, he couldn’t get out … he got overheated and was in the danger zone. Very scary!
All 6 of my kids hated being swaddled. They are also very hot natured so it must’ve been a good thing.
Yes, if they were hot natured, it was a blessing they hated it as it could have been risky.
I swaddled all of my children. They seemed to enjoy the security of it. Always took great naps and were generally happy babies. No issues. My mother swaddled and so did my great grandmother.
My first and second were both swaddled. My first always ran hot, so he never wore more than a onsie under the swaddle and we kept he temperature in the room regulated. Keeping his arms down was the only way to train him to move past the 45 minute mark on his naps. He is almost three and naps almost three hours a day! With my second we use a new swaddle technique that tucks under her back, but keeps her legs free, which helps with hip development.