“Back to sleep” saves precious baby lives. But then you run into that darn startle reflex that causes them to flail their arms and jerk a baby out of sleep over and over at night.

This reflex generally disappears (integrates) by 2-4 months old a baby develops more active motor control-coincidentally around the time a baby may start rolling.

At that point, it’s time to drop the swaddle and your baby will soon develop the motor skills and strength to find a comfortable sleeping position!

Swaddling a newborn in the first 2 months for sleep can help them sleep longer stretches, stay warm safely (since loose blankets are a no-go), develop the proprioceptive sense, and feel secure (like a hug).

Make sure the baby doesn’t overheat. If they are sweating=it’s too warm. But seriously forget what you heard about swaddling being “bad” for development or keeping the moro reflex from integrating.

As long as swaddling is only for sleep and during extra fussy occasions, your baby will have plenty of opportunity for free movement and development during awake time. And remember, great sleep is one of the best developmental tools we have. Sleep always supports development.

Image source: Google