Swaddling and sleeping troubles - help!

Silver Member Joined: Aug 24 2009 Posts: 653

5mo ds has been swaddled to sleep, with hands inside, since birth. He's not the most amazing sleeper, but swaddling makes a huge difference - he will sleep 6 or 7 hours swaddled at night, as opposed to 3 or 4 tops otherwise. He also really likes being swaddled, and smiles and coos when I wrap him up at night. Problem is, now that he's older and very active, he always unswaddles himself, whether before falling asleep or even while sleeping. We have the biggest swaddling blankets available, but no matter how well and how tight I do it, he's always getting his arms and legs out sooner or later. Which creates the hazard of loose blankets in the crib, not to mention reduces the sleep he gets. He has also learned to actually turn from his back to his tummy while swaddled, which definitely can't be safe. But when I try to put him to bed without swaddling, he fusses and has trouble falling asleep and wakes up every 2 or 3 hours and sometimes even more often, all night long. I've heard of the idea of using 2 blankets to wrap the arms separately, but ds gets way too hot when I do this, even if he's in nothing but a diaper and I use really thin muslin blankets. It's been 3 1/2 weeks of trying to figure how to get him to sleep, but nothing's working and we're insanely exhausted! Please help!

Diamond Member Joined: Apr 18 2010 Posts: 3017

Start with one arm out for a few day, then the other arm out, then do the legs. It will take around two weeks, it will be difficult, but he will get the hang of it, and he will settle down.

Platinum Member Joined: Apr 12 2010 Posts: 5764

There comes a time that swaddling won't work esepcially if they pull their hands out.

At 5months we moved ds into a sleeping bags. His hands were not wrapped but he didn't need a blanket (which just got in the way and he pulled of and over his head making him wake up.)

Perhaps try that. Good Luck.
_________________

Diamond Member Joined: Mar 17 2008 Posts: 3554

You can try the velcro swaddle blankets, they might hold him in better.

Or swaddle him with his arms out. I did that for a while, and it was fine, even though he slept horribly when completely unswaddled.

Silver Member Joined: Aug 24 2009 Posts: 653

Moderator Joined: Sep 30 2009 Posts: 1355 Location: NY

My little girl has been breaking out of even the velcro swaddler since she is 3 months. We moved to the miracle blanketIt is much more effective when done tight. She's four months now and can manage to get a hand out, but usually this happens after 9 hours of sleep so I am not complaining. The velcro she was out of within minutes. She also likes to be wrapped. Getting out is like this huge game for her and she laughs and proudly waves the hand at me and waits for me to re-wrap her. Lots of babies like it. I know some kids who were wrapped/swaddled in blankets until they were 4 years old. It was a fun bed time ritual, sort of like tucking in.
_________________
Need Help with college or graduate school applications?
http://admit2med.com/

~ Complimentary ad for being a mod

Diamond Member Joined: Mar 17 2008 Posts: 3554

Keeping one arm out didn't work for me either, because they can always get out the other one

But if both arms are out, they're swaddled tightly around their tummies. Much harder to get out of, especially if you have the velcro to keep it together. (I never did it with a regular blanket, only the velcro ones.)

Silver Member Joined: Aug 24 2009 Posts: 653

Active Poster Joined: Jul 06 2010 Posts: 95

have you seen the woombie baby swaddle? they have all different types and they go up to 18 pounds. they also have a convertible version, where they have snaps by the arms so you can transition the baby out of the swaddle.

Silver Member Joined: Jan 09 2011 Posts: 891

my suggestion to you is this:

if the baby is getting out of the swaddle that is his signal to you that he has outgrown it and is ready to learn how to sleep without it. at that age, I gave my babies special velour blankets- they always slept with the same ones- in their cribs. I didnt feel it was hazardous because they were rolling over already and I always draped it around their waists- not under their chins. for your son, I would give him a blanket and put him to bed as usual. it sounds like he needs to figure out how to sleep well without the swaddle and this will take some time and crying but dont worry- this is normal and as long as you go in every so often to pat his back and show him you are there he will be ok. you will need to let him cry as he learns to fall asleep on his own.....if you stick to your guns he will probably have it down within one week.....changes are hard for babies and this is a big change he is going through.

Platinum Member Joined: Feb 20 2009 Posts: 7583

Silver Member Joined: Aug 24 2009 Posts: 653

Thought I'd post an update that might help anyone who is in a similar situation.
I tried something last night that seemed to work pretty well. I swaddled only the top half of ds's body so his arms were wrapped but his legs were totally free from the hips down. This way his vigorous kicking and wiggling didn't unfasten the swaddling blanket and he still got that cozy feeling, and his arms were wrapped more securely so he couldn't break out because there was more fabric available since his legs weren't included. He was super happy and slept so much better than he has in a while, despite sliding around on his back so he was lying across the width of his crib when he fell asleep. And no crying at bedtime! Hope it lasts until he is really ready to learn to go to sleep without it...having tried to teach him to do this for nearly a month, I've decided he simply isn't ready at this point and I can't push the time to make it happen faster.

Executive Member Joined: May 18 2010 Posts: 499

We switched to swaddling DS arms only, around 5 or 5 months. We use the velcro swaddle me blankets. The size medium or large (usually need to order online) fit around his arms until like 12 or 13 months, although we switched to only one arm swaddled at some point. DS really just needed his arms swaddled for a very long time, although he had no interest in rolling to his tummy, so he was always on his back. At 15 months, he still sleeps with the velcro swaddle loosely around his waist only, although it's more like a comfort item at this point. People thought we were nuts for swaddling for so long, but he let us know when he didn't need it anymore, because he would break out of it, and stay asleep.