In the early days of a child’s birth, a swaddle is one of the most important things for them. It helps them stay in one place while soothing their body. Most of the kids love to stay in a swaddle all the time. However, there are times when you need to move your baby out of the swaddle, especially when it’s time to sleep. So, how do you teach a baby to sleep without a swaddle?
However, it’s not always an easy task to help your baby sleep without a swaddle. So, if you’re one of those parents finding it hard to learn how to teach a baby to sleep without swaddling, this is the article to follow. Below in the article, you will be enriched with some of the most beneficial ways to teach your baby sleep without any swaddle. So, to help your kid relax without a wrap or swaddle, follow the article to the end.
Why do babies feel so comfortable while sleeping in a swaddle?
Babies are much more sensitive than we are. They fear even the smallest sound around them. So, swaddling a baby helps you to avoid kid startle reflex. It is something that occurs most of the time when your kid is startled by the smallest kind of sound. Along with it, while keeping your kid safe from startling, a swaddle eventually helps your baby stay away from being colicky.
All in all, swaddling is important to keep you and your kid calm and relaxed, and the reason kids love to stay being swaddled is because it keeps them safe from startles.
Swaddle strap: An ingenious way to help your baby sleep without a swaddle
A swaddle strap is something most parents use when they desire their kids to sleep without a swaddle. Simple is the smaller variant of a swaddle shaped like a strap covering only the chest side of your kid.
A swaddle strap helps to keep your kid in the feel of a swaddle while slowly removing their habit of being wrapped into a swaddle. It is something that you can find with ease on any eCommerce site. So, if you want your kid to sleep without a swaddle, start using a swaddle strap.
For this, first of all, you will have to remove the swaddle and let your kid sleep into the strap. Now, once your kid starts to sleep into a swaddle strap, start removing the strap occasionally and let your kid sleep independently.
You will have to follow these steps for some days, and there will be a point where your kid will start to sleep heartily without a swaddle. However, if you are finding it hard to get a swaddle strap at any point, we ask you to bet on the Anna & Eve – Baby Swaddle Strap. It is one of the most comfortable and soothing swaddle straps you will ever find on any site.
So, get your hands on the swaddle strap, help your kid sleep in it, and you’ll be able to get rid of the swaddle forever.
8 easy tips to help your baby learn to sleep without a swaddle
Helping your kid sleep without a swaddle is quite a hard thing to do. However, below we have listed 8 of the most useful ways to help you learn to let the baby sleep without the help of a swaddle.
Play music around your kid – Best solutions for naps
One of the best things that you may do to help your kid sleep without a swaddle wrap is by playing some soothing music around them. Kids might not understand your language, but they do understand the calmness of music.
So, first of all, find some online good and relaxing music that you will be playing around your kid. After that, set the room lights to the lowest and then let your kid enjoy the music. This way, you will be able to help your kid sleep without a swaddle without disturbing their routine.
You must keep in mind that in the early days, your kid may feel uncomfortable while staying without a swaddle. It is also possible that the kids wake up during the night feeling uncomfortable. So, be ready for it, too, when you are removing the habit of being in a swaddle, they may wake up.
Give your baby a piece of cloth to hug
It is a proven fact that a piece of cloth, especially something associated with a mother, helps the kid sleep quickly. So, here what you need to do is give your kid a small piece of cloth. It may be anything related to the mother. I usually prefer my scarf for my little one, and he sleeps quicker than usual while hugging the scarf.
Therefore, we suggest you use a piece of cloth associated with your mother and give it to your kid. Let them play with it for some time and then play some good relaxing music. This way, you will be able to teach your kid how to sleep without a swaddle.
Provide your kid a pacifier
A pacifier also helps to reduce the effect of startle reflex. Hence, if your kid is unable to sleep without the swaddle, provide them with a pacifier. It would help them relax. Also, playing with a pacifier requires energy, and with energy wasted, your kid will automatically feel drowsy.
Offer your kid a regular massage
Massaging a kid is one of the ancient techniques to help a kid relax and have a proper sleep. With massage, you help the kid relax their muscles and stretch their body. This is how they feel relaxed and tend to sleep quickly.
However, when you are offering your kid a massage, ensure to ask your doctor about the oil you will be using. It happens rarely, but some of the kids are allergic to some types of oil. So, consult your doctor before offering your kid a massage.
Let your kid sleep beside you
Besides mom, a kid sleeping is the best way. So, if you were using a cradle when your kid was in a swaddle, shift your kid with you while you are trying to remove the swaddle. It would help the kid sleep well, and also you will be able to feed them easily.
So, when you have tried all of the above methods, and your kid is unable to sleep, try letting them sleep beside you. We have tried this before, and believe us; this works for all kids.
Keep the check of your room temperature
Room temperature matters a lot. It is something that you might have missed while taking your kid out of the swaddle. When your kid was in the swaddle, so even the normal temperature of the room was enough as the swaddle was keeping them warm. But when you have removed the swaddle, they might feel cold, and this may be the reason why they are so uncomfortable while sleeping without a swaddle.
So, if your kids are unable to sleep without the swaddle, try raising the room temperature a bit. It is something that most parents miss, and doing this could help your kid have a perfect nap.
Use a soft and warm and wearable blanket instead of a swaddle
When you are removing your kid from the swaddle, it is quite possible that they may feel the lack of their warm and wearable blanket. A swaddle works as a wrap that keeps your kid calm and relaxed even in a loud environment. Therefore, if your kid is uncomfortable once you have removed the swaddle, try covering them with a soft woolen blanket.
You may use the blanket along with the swaddle strap or even without the strap. Try this method, and it would surely help them sleep well.
Turn on the red light: The perfect nap solution
Red light has the highest wavelength among all other lights. Also, it is considered one of the most soothing lights as it releases melatonin inside a baby’s body. Melatonin is the hormone that relaxes your kid and helps them sleep well. Also, with the help of red light, your kid will sleep longer than usual. For us, it proved to be the best way to help baby to sleep.
Conclusion
In the end, we are good to say that with this article, you will be able to know how to teach a baby to sleep without a swaddle.
From using a pacifier to playing soothing music, we have guided you about some of the best ways to help your kid sleep without any baby wrap. This transition from swaddling might be hard, but it will surely work for you.
However, if you feel anything is missing from the title, feel free to let us know. We’ll be there to help you out.
Parents Also Ask
At what age should I remove the swaddle?
Though there is no perfect time to stop swaddling, yet you can do it between 2 to 4 months, you should stop swaddling your baby. This is the time when your kid is learning to roll over. It is said that with a swaddle, your baby will be able to roll over onto their tummy, but with hands bound, they won’t be able to go back. It is something that might result in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Though the main reason for SIDs is unknown, doctors consider swaddling and rolling over on the tummy as one of the reasons too.
Is swaddle essential for all kids?
Yes, it is. It helps your kid to fall asleep quickly. Also, it allows the kid to avoid being colicky and stay calm. So, keep your baby inside the swaddle until they are three to four months. It works as a self soothe for babies. So, whether you want it or not, you cannot stop swaddling your baby.
Should I start swaddling my kid from a very early age?
To help your kid fall asleep quickly, you should start swaddling. Swaddling must start soon after the birth of a kid. It helps the kid to relax and improve the sleep hours of the kid.
What material should we use for a proper swaddle?
Normally most of the swaddles are crafted with wool or fleece material. So, you are good to choose any swaddle made up of these two materials.
