Benefits of Swaddling
The benefits of Baby Swaddling are immense. All the information contained below comes from the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics
When your baby is swaddled, he or she is taken back to the days in the womb, when everything was comfortable, safe and snug.
Swaddling has a number of key benefits for both parents and babies – when done correctly and safely:
SLEEP MORE
Infants who sleep swaddled wake up less often, and experience an average increase of 50% in REM sleep. Throughout REM sleep, the infant is also much more likely to return to sleep after startling awake. This reduces the need for a parent to assist in helping the infant return to sleep. A well rested baby means well rested parents! (Source: Gerard)
Other Benefits:
- Swaddled babies experience less anxiety.
- Swaddling eliminates the need for comfort items in baby’s crib – no pillows, bumpers, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. (using these items in crib have been linked to SIDS)
- Swaddling prevent face-scratching.
- Swaddling mimics touch, which is important for baby especially when they wake up at night.
- Swaddling helps maintain the back sleeping position and also reminds tired parents to place baby on back to sleep.
- Swaddling soothes babies with colic (again, when swaddled, they feel secure and safe just like they felt in the womb).
- Swaddling in the hands-over-heart position is the preferred sleeping position for babies; in this position they learn to self-soothe and can get back to sleep on their own.
- Swaddling benefits parents too — when baby sleeps more, mom and dad sleep more!
Gerard CM, Harris KA, Thach BT. Physiologic studies on swaddling: an ancient child care practice, which may promote the supine position for infant sleep. J Pediatr.2002;141 :398– 404