A 7 day plan to transition your baby from a swaddle to a sleeping bag while protecting sleep as much as possible.
Swaddling during the first few months can really help with sleep. But from around 4-5 months it can start to become a strong sleep association, so even if your baby hasn’t begun rolling yet - we still recommend you start to wean the swaddle by 3-4 months.
Day 1. Unswaddle one arm out for their first nap of the day. Then swap back to both arms in for all other sleep times.
Day 2. Unswaddle one arm out for all naps. Then swap back to arms in for bedtime and overnight.
Day 3. Unswaddle one arm out for all naps AND bedtime. Then after the first night feed swap to both arms back in.
Day 4. Unswaddle one arm out for all naps, bedtime and overnight. If they go ok, you can move to Day 5. If not, give them a couple of days to get used to having one an arm out first for all sleep times.
Day 5. Unswaddle both arms out for all naps. Then swap back to one arm in for all other sleep times.
Day 6. Unswaddle both arms out for all naps AND bedtime. Then after the first night feed swap to one arm back in.
Day 7. Unswaddle both arms out for all sleep times. Even if they’re a little more unsettled than usual just stick with it now, it should only take a couple of days for them to get comfortable sleeping with both arms out.
Tip: Some babies prefer to keep their hands covered at first, so dress them in a sleep suit that has built-in mittens that can be pulled over their hands. Never dress them in mittens that are not a part of the sleep suit as loose mittens pose a choking risk.
As your baby gets used to having their arms out you can also start to uncover their hands as many babies start to like to use their fingers and hands as a soothing tool when sleeping.
Note: As soon as your baby shows signs of attempting to roll it’s important to unswaddle both arms immediately for all sleep times, as it’s unsafe if your baby rolls to their tummy while still swaddled.
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Are you still following wake windows? Read why we recommend starting to follow a consistent routine by the clock from around 3 to 4 months, in our blog When to stop following wake windows.
