Swaddle blankets are one product that I would recommend to every new parent.  I would never have survived my daughter’s infancy without them and I’m not sure she would have ever taken more than a ten minute nap without being swaddled.  Check out our reviews of the various swaddle blankets on the market today like Aden Anais Swaddle Blankets, Summer Infant Swaddle Blankets, and SwaddleDesigns Swaddle Blankets and hear what other parents have to say about these miracle blankets.

Definitely Swaddle

Swaddling is actually a very old fashioned way of blanketing your baby that has in recent years made a triumphant reemergence in the Western world.  Swaddling is a special way of wrapping your baby in a blanket, limiting your baby’s arm and leg movements, and recreating the cozy feel of the womb.  Many babies find swaddling extremely comforting and reassuring and immediately fall asleep after being swaddled.

My daughter had a lot of trouble sleeping when she was a baby.  She would constantly flail her arms and legs about in her sleep and these spastic movements almost always woke her up, often only minutes after falling asleep.  However, once awake she became confused thinking she had napped and was often impossible to put back to sleep again.  However, because she was not well rested she was extremely cranky and irritable and would cry and cry until we finally managed to get her back to sleep (sometimes hours later), often to only go through the same routine a few minutes later.

Swaddle Bliss

Then I discovered the Swaddle.  When I knew it was time for my daughter to take a nap (you’ll get to know the signs) I would swaddle her in a special swaddle blanket with prepositioned Velcro to make the whole process very simple for me, and then give her a bottle or a breast, or just rock her, and wait for her to fall asleep.  She would just about finish her feeding when her eyes would begin to close.  I would continue to hold her and rock her for another few minutes to make sure deep sleep had set in and then place my daughter in her crib.  Now, pre-swaddle this would be the time when my daughter’s active limbs would wake her up.  However, with the swaddle she just slept peacefully.  When swaddled she would take naps that would last anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours.  When she awoke she was well rested, in a good mood, and ready to play.

Are Swaddle Blankets Right For Your Baby?

Find out what other parents have to say about swaddle blankets and decide if they are right for you.  Also discover the various options for swaddle blankets on the market today.  Do you want a specially designed swaddle blanket with Velcro sides that helps even the clumsiest parent properly swaddle a baby or do you feel confident enough on your own to use a regular swaddle blanket to wrap your baby?  Check out our reviews to learn the differences between these types of swaddle blankets.

SLEEP TIP: Stomach sleep vs. Back sleep

Although babies sleep more soundly on their stomachs than they do on their backs, they are at less risk for sudden infant death syndrome if they sleep on their backs.  Since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that babies sleep on their backs in 1992, the instances of SIDS has decreased by 50% in the United States.  However, babies wake up easier and more often when sleeping on their backs than they do on their stomachs because they tend to startle themselves with the movement of their arms and legs.  Swaddle blankets can help your baby to sleep soundly on his/her back since they help to restrict this spastic arm and leg movement.