Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night, 8 Reasons You Should

So should I swaddle my newborn at night? By the end of this post, you will know 8 reasons you should and whether swaddling will suit your family!

Swaddling has been used around the world in different ways since 4000 BC so the practice has truly been around forever.

The basic idea of swaddling is to resemble being n the womb and keep your baby snug. For some babies, this can really help them adjust to outside life and sleep way better.

Swaddling All You Need To Know

So considering swaddling your newborn? This guide is going to give you all the details for everything you need to know.

This post is talking about specifically the Love To Dream Swaddle Pouches! They were our choice of swaddle but similar swaddles apply too!

Why You Should Swaddle

Swaddling is a great option to help settle your newborn in the early days. Swaddling was designed to simulate your baby still being in the womb.

Similar to white noise, it is what they are used to and it helps them to feel settled, with something familiar.

Swaddling protects babies from their natural startle reflex which means they sleep better due to being less likely to wake from startling themselves.

Swaddles also give a snug feeling which helps your baby feel calm as it is similar to being held by you. It in the long run will help your baby learn to self-soothe.

Why A Swaddle Might Not Be Right For You

Swaddles or swaddle pouches aren’t right for everyone. There are some instances where using a swaddle or pouch might not suit you and your baby.

A swaddle might not suit you if:

Your baby is rolling or trying to roll

Your baby is older than 5-6 months (this is a rough idea)
Your baby becomes upset when put into their swaddle pouch
If your baby overheats easily

Swaddle Pouches

We as people are coming up with awesome new creations all of the time! Swaddle pouches are one of the fantastic creations.

It is basically like a safe sleeping bag for your newborn baby that makes them feel safe and helps encourage good sleep.

The genius element of swaddle pouches is that it has a zip! In the ‘olden days’ swaddling involved a muslin or blanket and involved a lot of technical folding!

And a large part of the time the babies just wiggle out of the blanket they are swaddled in any way! Which also then can pose a suffocation risk.

A well fitted swaddle pouch:

Reduces the risk of SIDS

Helps baby feel snug in resemblance to the womb
The arms being restricted helps prevent the startle reflex helping baby sleep longer I
Plus swaddle act like a blanket warmth wise keeping baby safe and warm

Arms Up Vs Arms Down

So should I swaddle my newborn at night? And if I do should I buy arms up or arms down? These are all super awesome questions and we are here to help!

Some babies will simply prefer to have their arms either up or down and they will communicate that very clearly.

The difference between an arms up and arms down swaddle is that if for some reason your newborn was to roll, an arms up swaddle allows them to bring there arms together and make a wee pocket to breathe.

In that situation an arms up swaddle could restrict your baby ability to breathe if they roll.

5 Reasons Why You Should Swaddle l

So let’s get into our top 5 reasons why you should swaddle your newborn at night!

Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night Reason #1

Swaddling can really positively impact your newborn’s sleep and there is no price to put on newborn sleep in the early days!

By mimicking the womb they can feel more settled and sleep for longer stretches!

A settled baby sleeps better and is far easier on new parents.

Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night Reason #2

Swaddling is a really good option for helping your babies startle reflex.

Newborn babies in the first few months have a strong startle reflex that can kick in to protect them, but can be a nightmare when it comes to them having good naps.

Arms up swaddles especially hold onto babies arms helping to even out that start reflex kicking in and waking your baby.

Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night Reason #3

Swaddle pouches are a great safe sleeping option in comparison to blankets when it comes to newborn baby sleep.

Swaddle pouches offer an extra layer of warmth and are purposed similar to a blanket.

Newborns have no or little understanding of something that could be limiting their breathing. They simply can’t save themselves.

This means that Swaddle pouches lower the chance of your baby consistently startling themselves and waking up.

This can help your baby learn to settle better later on.

Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night #4

Swaddling your newborn at night as we have preciously talked about means that you aren’t going to have the risk of blankets.

As well as increased sleep stints, choosing to use a swaddle can help reduce your anxiety as a new mum.

Sleep is so important for function so a swaddle even increasing your sleep by a few hours is really helpful.

Being a new parent is a lot, so more sleep is going to help you cope better and that in general is a huge positive.

Should I Swaddle My Newborn At Night #5

One other great benefit and reason you should swaddle is, swaddling had been proven to reduce crying by 28%.

More crying and less sleeping is a huge positive and is setting your baby up for good sleep in the future.