Will swaddling help my baby sleep better? (Baby care query)

For some swaddling helps for other it might not give desired results we tell you why.

My daughter is just two months old and wakes up about eight to nine times at night. The elders in my family have advised me to swaddle her to help her sleep better. Will this action really help or will it make my baby feel uncomfortable?

Many people in our country follow this practise of swaddling babies at night to help them sleep better. But this trick might not work with all babies alike. Swaddling helps many newborns to feel safe and secure replicating the environs and conforms of the womb. This is the reason that they feel relaxed and fall into deep slumber at night.

However many babies, at around two months of age squirm and cry when swaddled, in an attempt to free their hands and legs. This is a cue that your baby sends out emphasizing the fact that she has outgrown the need for swaddling. If you still try to swaddle it can make her uncomfortable and result in fragmented sleep in the night. If your baby has learned to rollover then it is better you give swaddling a miss. Because your baby, wrapped in the swaddle cloth or the blanket can rollover and feel uncomfortable while lying on her stomach, which can also give rise to breathing difficulty and increase the risk of SIDS or sudden infant death syndrome. Read about the 10 sleep safe rules every mother should follow.

Also swaddling can increase your baby's body temperature in very hot and humid situations. This can give rise to heat stroke or other complications in your baby. So if you opt to swaddle, watch your baby closely. If she feels relaxed and sleeps longer then probably you can try it to help her sleep better at night. But if she squirms and cries probably you have to look for other ways to help her get enough sleep. Read to know how to help your baby sleep.

You may also like to read:

• Decode your baby's motions
• Which of these 9 reasons are making your baby cry?
• Is your baby teething? Here's what you should expect
• 10 ways to keep your baby's eyes safe
• Try these tips to put your baby to sleep
• 5 reasons why crying is good for your baby
• How to manage your baby's colic

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