swaddling to sleep sack transition...

Mattingly23

any ideas for a smooth transition to the sleep sack from the swaddle? LO is an excellent sleeper in the swaddle, but is thrown now by being able to move her arms all about and wakes up a lot in the sleep sack. Last night she got so frustrated and would not stay asleep. After 3 hours of her being asleep for like 15 minutes then waking up again, I gave up and swaddled her. I am trying to stick with it but a big part of me just wants to swaddle her til she's 18! any ideas/suggestions? thanks!!!

eajanvrin

I used to sticks los arms into the sleep sack. She would pop them through the holes herself on the sleveless one and be fine. Once she started to roll I began to put her arms through and she now rolls to her stomach to sleep.

monkski

we've been using the Magic Sleepsuit and it's been a lifesaver.

Ananke

We haven't fully transitioned yet, but I just stopped using the swaddle totally for naps, and he's doing okay with it.  As for night, I started out by swaddling with his hands more up around his chest rather than at his sides, then I let one arm out, and now we let the other arm out once in a while, but he's not quite used to both arms out yet, so when he wakes up around 11pm, I reswaddle with only one arm out.  We'll keep trying, and once he's comfortable with both arms out of the swaddle, I'll just keep doing the swaddle more and more loose until it's just a blanket loosely wrapped around him, at which point he'll be ready for a sleep sack or something.

smynings_bride

We did it in 4 nights--a few weeks ago--1 night right arm out, 2nd night left arm out, 3rd night both arms out but still swaddle around the tummy, 4th night no swaddle.  She did fine.

KAG30

We have been having the same exact struggle with our LO.  I gave up after 4 days and plan to swaddle her until she is 18.  I actually just ordered a bigger swaddle. 

JJ1973

Daycare! We put our LO in daycare at 3 months and they had him sleeping in a crib with just a sleep sack. Mind you, the length of time he sleeps is shorter, but it really helped us transition to bedtime without use of the swaddle. Again, we don't get as much sleep as we used to, but he is able to sleep a 6 hour stretch without the swaddle now.

llsign

KAG30:

We have been having the same exact struggle with our LO.  I gave up after 4 days and plan to swaddle her until she is 18.  I actually just ordered a bigger swaddle. 

 

This. I've tried the one arm out and it's like he has a little propeller attached to his body, it never stops moving and he cant fall asleep much less stay asleep.

Alie05

We just cold turkey'd it.  DS eep breaking out of it around 3 mo so I just quit swaddling him and he did fine.  It didn't seem to matter to him one way or the other. 

 

Mattingly23

KAG30:

We have been having the same exact struggle with our LO.  I gave up after 4 days and plan to swaddle her until she is 18.  I actually just ordered a bigger swaddle. 

 

hahahaa so did I!! After two restless nights of constantly waking up, I ordered a bigger swaddle! Last night she woke up about 100 times between 11pm and 130am and at 130 I swaddled her with one arm out, and she slept the rest of the night perfectly. I wonder how many days I should do one arm out....

smitt2619

We were using Halo Sleepsack Swaddles, and did one arm out, then both, then removed the swaddle wings and he slept in just the sleepsack part.  The Halo ones worked great for the gradual weaning process, especially to safely swaddle with arms out.  And he's been sleeping in the sleepsacks since!