How to sleep unswaddled

cowpoly959 · July 2014

LO is 10 weeks and has been sleeping pretty well. Not sttn yet but 5 or 6 hour stretch. I swaddle him with a summer infant swaddle me or a halo swaddle. I also swaddle TIGHT because lo is a Houdini. The last week I have found him with his fists worked all the way up to the neck and the swaddle covering his face!! I have panicked because it could have suffocated him.

So now my question is, how do you sleep train your kid OUT of swaddling. He just constantly scratches his face or Moro reflexes and wakes up. Tonight I have mittens on him and used a halo with his arms out. We have been up every 2 hours and he has acted like he's starving. He never cried before when we woke up to feed. Now he screams every 2 hours. We also tried napping like this for a couple days and his naps have sucked. He is also SUPER reliant on the paci if his arms are out and I have to constantly out it back in. He sleeps in an arms reach cosleeper by my bed at night and naps in his crib. Any advice? I resorted to putting him in the rnp to sleep tonight but I really don't want him to rely on that for nighttime sleep either.

Thanks~tired and frustrated momma

laurblum · July 2014

I started using the Miracle Blanket instead of the Halo. But soon we are transitioning to Merlin's Magic Sleepsuit. Maybe look into that since it's not a swaddle. Might be a smoother transition into no swaddle at a later time. My LO was able to wiggle out of the Halo too, but not the Miracle Blanket. That thing is like a straight jacket and she loves it.

whitehousem · July 2014

Try the zipadeezip (zipadeezip.com). That's what we used with DD when she started breaking free but that wasn't until over 4months. We still use one for her and she's two... She loves it. You do have to order it and it takes a while to arrive. It's also kind of pricey. My boys are ten weeks too and breaking out too, ever since we moved from the RnPs to their cribs a few days ago. It's def waking them up. I'm also trying to figure out what to do....

usernewname · July 2014

It's a change. There will be a transition period in which they will sleep not so great. But eventually they calm down again once they are used to it.

It's best just to get rid of the swaddle rather than replacing it as it's another thing down the road to transition.

If you must have something probably a sleep sack is your best bet. Get one with a swaddle. Swaddle a couple nights then do an arm out. Then both arms. But the fabric,feel and temperature remains the same.

Good luck!

usernewname · July 2014

DS is in a 0-6 month sleep sack. Its slightly big in the neck for him, but he hasn't even come close to slipping inside. He's a back sleeper though and doesn't move at night (for now).

I would go with the sleep sack

@lissiehoya

laurblum · July 2014

Also I have never tried the Woombie, but that thing looks pretty tight.

cmatteis · July 2014

I had the same issue with LO. We did 1 arm out for a week and yesterday started both arms out. I also put her down sleeping yesterday instead of drowsy like I usually do. It worked great she slt 830-415, feed,430-830.

Craved1 · July 2014

This may just be a transition stage for him and less to do with how he is swaddled. Our LO (6wks)has been doing this for weeks now. We always keep mitten on him because he loves having his hand by his face. We wrap him with his hands out. Occasionally his reflexes will wake him up for a moment but it's always right back to sleep with him. If he is not swaddled he rolls himself on his side in his sleep again hands still by his face

caballo718 · July 2014

We stopped swaddling because he breaks out with his super human strength. If I swaddle tighter he screams bloody murder. He needs to have his hands free so he can suck on them since he hates the pacifier. But he's been sleeping a lot better at night. Now I just have to figure out the day.

w028jrb · July 2014

My LO is 12 weeks old and we are still swaddling. For the past 2 weeks or so I have been using a receiving blanket to essentially tie down his arms. I lay him on the receiving blanket and tuck the ends over his arms and under his back. Then I will swaddle him on top of that so when he is laying down, he can't bring his arms up to his face. It has worked wonders for us. Before this, my LO would break his arms free to chew on his fists and it would constantly wake him up.

THD7580 · July 2014

I was so wondering this myself. My little hulk can get his arm out of the infant swaddle. And I Velcro that sucker tight! I really want to try to not swaddle him but I know it's gonna be a tough road. He sleeps 6-7 hours swaddled and before we started it was 2 hr stretches. But now all he wants is his fists in his mouth. I think we may try the sleep sacks and maybe have some luck

cnbean · July 2014

What @w028jrb said. Although I'm wanted to start transitioning away from the swaddles soon. We waited til DS1 was almost 6 months to do it and that made it a bit harder.

jjtyler · July 2014

Miracle Blanket! Lifesaver.

sarag0116 · July 2014

Escape proof swaddle. Look it up on you tube. IMO I will swaddle as long as possible bc until the startle reflex is gone, it's a necessity.

Lauren5905 · July 2014

I will 2nd the miracle blanket recommendation. We had so many other swaddles but couldn't use them because my boy would he his arms out. The miracle blanket is awesome and it doesn't seem possible that with this design it could go up over his face. Good luck!

cowpoly959 · July 2014

Update: he slept three hours this afternoon in a sleep sack and I saw him in the monitor soothe himself quite a few times. Last night was terrible but I think he's slowly getting the hang of no swaddle. We won't be swaddling anymore and I don't want to spend more money on things I will have to wean him off of again. We are just going for it I think! Thanks for all the advice, it definitely helps to know I am not the only one dealing with this!

Lild09 · July 2014

The other night he fell asleep earlier around 10 and he was just in his sleeper and he slept til 445...when ds gets up I change him and swaddle and nurse him to sleep then he's out til 830-9ish....the going without a swaddle for his longest stretch just happened on accident! I'm sure if I swaddled early he'd sleep an even longer first stretch but hey 6 h I can't complain lol