How To Transition From Swaddle To Sleep Sack

Sometimes it feels like you get the hang of swaddling, your baby starts to roll and swaddling is no longer safe! It can feel daunting to make this change! That’s why I’m going to share my top tips for how to transition from a swaddle to a sleep sack.

When To Transition From The Swaddle

Once your baby begins to show readiness from being able to roll from back to belly, it is time to stop swaddling. “The risk of suffocation is higher if your baby rolls to their stomach while they’re swaddled. Rolling over usually happens around 3 to 4 months, but it can happen earlier.” American Academy of Pediatrics

The next step after swaddling is using a sleep sack. A sleep sack is a wearable blanket that will keep your baby cozy.

Choosing The Right Sleep Sack

There are a gazillion sleep sacks on the market, yet I only recommend a few. Below are my favorite sleep sacks and the reason why I love them!

Zipadee-Zip Sleep Sack

The Zipadee-Zip is my favorite transitional sleep sack. I normally recommend using this one as you are first transitioning from the swaddle to a sleep sack. What I love:

• It has a starfish design that covers the hands, which is great when babies are first transitioning
• It provides freedom of movement, but with the hand covered, it provides a little bit of constriction to help with any lingering startle reflex
• The sleep sack comes in both cotton and fleece material for all seasons
• And I know this doesn’t matter as long as your baby sleeps, but it has cute prints!

Buy the Zipadee-Zip

Snuggy Buddy Sleep Sack

After babies have fully transitioned to a sleep sack, the Snuggy Buddy is my favorite sleep sack hands down! You may have noticed my love affair on Instagram? What I love:

• There is a sewn in butterfly lovey on the front that provides babies with a sleep safe, comfort object when they are in the crib. This helps with self-settling. It’s not until babies are 1 year or older that babies can safely have a small, animal-head lovey in the crib with them.
• The Snuggy Buddy has multiple layers of cotton muslin, making it cozy and a great weight for sleep. It can be layered with cooler or warmer pajamas based on the season/your home’s temperature.
• It has extendable and is a great fit for even taller babies
• If you need to wrestle your baby into the sleep sack, it has zippers down each side, allowing it to lay flat for easy on and off.

Here is the link to buy the Snuggy Buddy. Use discount code: BELLALUNA10 for 10% off.

Woolino Sleep Sack

The Woolino Sleep Sack’s many features make it a solid choice for the next step after the swaddle. What I love:

• Soft Australian merino wool will keep your baby at the best body temperature, no matter which season, which is a huge component of safe sleep. It will keep your baby cool in the summer and warm in the winter
• There are also organic cotton options
• While it is pricey ($99), it is one-size-fits-all and will fit your baby for 2 years. This will save you from needing to purchase multiple sleep sacks as your child grows!

Here is the link to buy the Woolino Sleep Sack. Use discount code: BELLALUNA10 for 10% off

How To Transition To A Sleep Sack

When babies are used to being swaddled, the transition out of the swaddle can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. There are couple of different ways that you can approach the transition…

Cold Turkey

Depending on your parenting style, you may want to go right to a transitional sleep sack or a straight sleep sack. This is the most direct approach and it can result in some challenging sleep periods at first, but babies tend to adjust within a week. Here’s what to do:

• Put your baby into the sleep sack and put them down for bed as you normally do.
• If your child has trouble settling or wakes when you place them down, use your soothing techniques that help your little one to settle and to resettle throughout the night if your baby wakes up

Arms Out

This is a gradual way of transitioning out of the swaddle and into a sleep sack. Here’s what to do:

• For 3-4 days, leave one arm out of the swaddle. If your child is showing a left or right hand dominance, leave the dominant arm out.
• For 2-3 days leave both arms out of the swaddle, but continue to swaddle the chest area
• Then remove the swaddle altogether and transition to a sleep sack.

I hope this insight into transitioning from the swaddle to a sleep sack is helpful! Remember this transition should be relatively short and your baby can definitely do this! If you need help establishing healthy sleep habits, book a discovery call today!