To Swaddle or Not to Swaddle?: The WHY behind swaddling.
- redmondkaela
- Nov 19, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Understanding the effects of STIMULATION on your baby.
Understanding where your baby is at in terms of their abilities is necessary to feel confident when making changes. When your baby is first born, they are learning to do many things, on their own, and for the first time. That can be a lot and can lead to mental disorganization or overstimulation. Overstimulation can lead to less than ideal sleeping and eating outcomes as well as increased fussiness. One easy way to prevent overstimulation or regain mental organization is to SWADDLE your baby! This helps takes away some of the stimulation in their environment within your control: excess movement.
When your baby is born, they are born with innate newborn reflexes. One that specifically applies here is the Moro Reflex or "startle reflex". This reflex looks like your baby is nonverbally saying, "I'm innocent!" This is your baby's natural way of preparing to defend themselves and the quick motion helps increase their heart rate. No wonder this reaction can lead to overstimulation, or at least an interruption in their mental organization!
Keys to Successful Swaddling as it Relates to Stimulation Management
Startle Reflex Knowledge
Awareness in Your Day to Day
SWADDLING Tips!
Swaddling as a Communication Tool
Recommendations
WHEN DO BABIES OUTGROW THE STARTLE REFLEX?
Great question! This typically takes place around 3-4 months old. Why is this important? Usually it is around that same time that your baby is learning to roll over. This is a bummer because it's no longer safe to swaddle your baby once they start to roll over. However, that should not matter anymore! Rolling over is a helpful skill for them to learn because if they are fussy overnight or during nap time, they can roll from their back to their belly. The containment their crib mattress
provides is the support they are seeking and simulates the purpose of the previously used swaddle.
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT MY BABY IS OVERSTIMULATED?
When your baby is overstimulated it is going to take away from priority activities like eating and sleeping. In addition to being fussier, it may be more challenging to get them to sleep or stay asleep, especially independently. When it comes to eating, it may be more challenging to get them to stay latched when breast and or bottle feeding. This may play out in a way where they are "popping off" or taking more frequent breaks. Additionally, they are more easily distracted by their external environment. A loud noise, a bright light, or some motion across the room requires them to stop sucking and look in that direction. All of this interferes with your baby's efficiency as it relates to eating. This is requiring a lot of effort from them and at the end of the day can negatively impact their overall intake or calories consumed. Full circle, this also negatively impacts their sleep capabilities if they aren't getting enough to eat.
WHERE DOES SWADDLING COME IN?
Swaddling can provide assistance when allowing your baby to focus on the priority activities like eating and sleeping. When eating if your baby is flailing about, easily distracted, excessively drooling or "playing with the nipple" you can help ensure their efforts are going towards sucking, swallowing and breathing by swaddling one or both arms during the feed. If your baby is constantly struggling to make it to their next feed and is waking up before their expected feeding time, swaddling can drastically improve this outcome. When your baby is in a lighter sleep they may be more active and that can lead to them "startling" themselves awake. If they were swaddled they may still startle but the likelihood of it waking them up is a lot less and or avoidable altogether. Is your baby super fussy and not responding to your go to calming techniques? Try swaddling them first and proceeding with your typical approach. Are you knowingly headed into a more stimulating environment? This could be going to a restaurant, the store, a family gathering (holiday parties are coming up!), an older sibling's sporting or school event? Take advantage of the idea behind containment allowing for mental organization. In this case, you may not swaddle, but, we recommend wearing your baby in a carrier in order to execute the same outcome!
HOW DO I SWADDLE MY BABY?
The key here is to go tighter than you think! Once settled and in place, if you need reassurance that they can still breathe easily, know that babies are belly breathers. Put your hand on their belly or their chest to feel it rise and fall.
Take a look here at a video I made to help demonstrate my go to swaddling techniques. Wrapping or tucking their top arm is the most important step!
Should my baby wear clothes under their swaddle? Yes! If you keep your house in the 68-72 range, you should dress your baby in their normal night time wear such as a footed sleeper under the swaddle.
"But my baby hates to be swaddled!" This is a common phrase I hear. With a few follow up questions I can determine if this is the case or if they do not like the manipulation that takes place to get them properly swaddled. Usually, it's the latter. If they continue to appear frustrated or uncomfortable, there are options when it comes to the position of their arms that may help regain and sustain comfort. Those positions can more easily be executed with certain swaddle brands. Our two favorite swaddles are linked below in the "recommendation" section.
Note: Be sure to look at the recommended weight listed on the swaddle tag as it relates to your swaddle size. Often, there is a size "newborn" and a size "small". Newborn is most likely the smallest size unless that brand has a "preemie" size which will be even smaller.
CLEAR COMMUNICATION
When working with our clients, we always recommend using two separate swaddles to further communicate the difference between sleep during the day compared to sleep at night. In short, the day swaddle should provide containment but is a little looser and may have easier closures; We like ones with zippers. This is intentional in an effort to allow them the movement necessary for physical development necessary for things like holding their head up or rolling over. The night swaddle, should provide ultimate containment. In other words, choose the swaddle you are most comfortable using as it relates to tightness. The one you know you have the best chance of preventing an arm or arms from escaping and consequently waking your baby prematurely. This is the swaddle you should be using overnight!
RECOMMENDATIONS
Below are our recommended swaddles to clearly communicate with your baby.
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