Said It Here

How to get a baby to sleep after stopping the swaddle

Stopping the swaddle when a baby starts rolling often causes constant waking and nap refusal, leaving infants unable to stay asleep in the crib for longer than an hour. This sudden sleep disruption forces exhausted parents into desperate attempts like endless rocking, walking, and resorting to nightly cosleeping just to get some rest.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    trying every possible way to make the baby sleep like rocking, walking, and swaying
  2. 2
    leaving one arm out of the swaddle first, then two arms
  3. 3
    transitioning to a sleeping bag or sleep sack
  4. 4
    cosleeping
  5. 5
    adjusting bedtime earlier or later
  6. 6
    trying different sleeping sacks or magic merlin suits

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

“Ever since he started to roll and we had to discontinue use of his favorite arms up sacks, he will not stay asleep in the crib at bedtime and beyond for longer than an hour.”source ↗

“We’ve been cosleeping with him almost every night since 3.5 months while still attempting the crib every single night.”source ↗

ConspiracyGhost · r/Parenting · 2 upvotes

“We were in the same boat. My daughter just turned 6 months and we’re still co sleeping.”source ↗

Ok-Alternative-1560 · r/Parenting · 1 upvotes

“she hasn't slept since around 9:30 in the morning. I’ve tried every possible way I can think of, with the swaddle, without the swaddle, rocking, walking, swaying, everything… but unfortunately, nothing seems to be working.”source ↗

“I’m constantly crying and thinking, what am I doing wrong? Why is my baby not sleeping?”source ↗

“Result: she hasn't slept since 9.30 in the morning”source ↗

Newmumma101 · r/Parenting

Where this came up

r/Parentingbaby sleepinfant careinfant sleepparenting

People with this problem also raised