Around the second week of their lives, a baby will start to get a lot more restless. Parents, if you can relate to this experience, then rest assured that this is completely normal. During this time, newborn babies don’t tend to have as much sleep as they would after they are first born and will wake up much more easily.

However, we understand that this change can be difficult and that, naturally, you’ll wonder what you can do to remedy it.

During this stage, many parents will turn to a practice called swaddling, which is an ancient practice of wrapping a baby snugly in a cloth, which has even been confirmed by scientists to be of assistance to a baby falling into a deeper sleep.

So, we thought it would be a good idea to talk a bit more about swaddling, its advantages, and outline how you can do it!

What are some advantages to swaddling?

Swaddling helps a baby to sleep more deeply. This is because the way in which they are held within this cosy cloth stops their arms from jerking about and consequently waking themselves up. Also, the environment of being inside a swaddle mimics that of a womb, which naturally comforts a baby into sleep.

Swaddling helps your baby fall asleep faster over the long term. One of the other benefits of swaddling is that it is beneficial for your baby’s long-term sleep. The more you persist with swaddling, the more quickly your baby will begin to realise they are in a safe and secure enough environment to fall asleep.

Swaddling can calm your baby when they feel irritable.

Swaddling will help your baby stay on their back. This will reduce the chance of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Swaddling will be especially helpful in regards to this problem as your baby grows older, as they are more active and able to turn when they age a little.

But what if my baby doesn’t like to be swaddled?

Although many babies will respond positively to swaddling, that doesn’t mean all will! Every baby is different, and some of them will tend to make a fuss. If this is the case for your baby, don’t force them into swaddling, because if a baby kicks off their blanket, it could potentially lead to suffocation (in the worst-case scenario).

Keep in mind that by week eight, your baby might make it known that it’s time to stop swaddling. This is also the suggested time to stop swaddling because if they roll while swaddled, they could become entangled in the swaddle, which can increase the risk of SIDS.

Now that we’ve looked at what the advantages of swaddling your baby are, let’s find out how you can do it!

How do I swaddle my baby?

Step 1: It’s important that your baby doesn’t overheat, so take a thin cotton sheet, a muslin cloth, or a cellular blanket and fold the upper corner down.

Step 2: Next, lie your baby on the sheet. Their neck should be in the centre of the folded corner.

Step 3: Now, pull the right corner of the swaddle across your baby’s left arm and tuck it firmly under their right buttock. Meanwhile, their left arm should be snugly by their side. Then fold the bottom corner of the sheet up over their feet.

Step 4: Finally, do the same with the opposite side of the swaddle. Fold the remaining side of the swaddle across their body and tuck it under their left side.

And voila! Your baby is in a swaddle.

Takeaway Points:

Many parents find an ancient practice—swaddling—to be very helpful when it comes to helping their newborn sleep. Swaddling will help a baby fall asleep a lot more easily, as the swaddle mimics the environment of the womb. Therefore, your baby will immediately feel more comforted in a swaddle and ready to fall asleep.

Swaddling has many other advantages for babies and parents. For example, it reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), can calm babies when they feel irritable, and can help them fall asleep faster over the long term.

Some babies will protest swaddling, and this is ok. If your baby clearly isn’t finding swaddling comforting, then don’t force them to do it.

How do I swaddle my baby?

From our Unii Newborn Journey, we share how to swaddle your new baby.