Swaddle Transition: A step-by-step guide (updated 2025 edition)

Swaddling your baby for the first few months (or weeks) can be comforting to your baby, as the tightness of the swaddle mimics the coziness of the mother's womb. There will come a time that you need to transition your baby from this cozy swaddle. Of course any transition or change can be daunting and scary, but with change comes the good too. Adapting to the change of eliminating the swaddle can be hard for parents and baby, especially when it comes to disrupting sleep, but moving on from the swaddle needs to happen for the safety of your baby, and so that your baby can meet milestones and grow. This blog post was written with the intention to give you insight as to when to you should stop swaddling and how to achieve success with the best approach that matches you parenting style.

When should I stop swaddling?

There isn’t a universal age to transition your little one out of a swaddle; however, the AAP says this transition can occur as early as 8 weeks old, this all depends on when your little one begins showing signs of rolling. For most babies this transition will occur between 3 – 5 months of age, but every baby is different so don’t worry. The reason to stop swaddling is due to safety. Once a baby can roll onto her tummy she needs her hands free to be able to push up from the mattress.

With some babies this transition is easy and other babies it does take some patience. If your baby is not showing any signs of rolling over then there is no reason to stop swaddling just yet.

How do I stop swaddling my baby?

There are many approaches to this transition. I recommend beginning with nights first and once nights are unswaddled then begin tackling each nap starting with nap 1 being unswaddled. However, if you feel that your baby can handle the transition at once with all the sleeps, then go for it. You know your baby best, and his temperament.

Below are a few approaches you can use for this transition:

Go Cold Turkey: You guessed it. This option is just what it says, you stop using the swaddle and possibly deal with some tears in the process the first few nights, but then your baby will get used to it. Make sure your little one is at least 3 months old if using this approach because you want to fully ensure the Moro Reflex has settled. When using this approach, it’s best to do nights and naps at the same time to be consistent.

Use a Transitional Swaddle: This is my absolutely favorite approach. There are many

transitional swaddles that I love – the first is Transitional Swaddle Sack from SwaddleDesigns. Not only is this product highly rated by 8,000+ buyers (mostly moms), but the price is just right too. This transitional swaddle has unique shaped, half length, arms-up sleeves which provide enough mobility for baby to use their arms to push up and reposition their head if they roll over to tummy. With the cuffs closed, baby will feel the gentle suppression which helps baby feel secure and reduces waking. Baby can continue to use this product as a sleep sack by opening both mitten cuffs until they are grown out of it - so it's not a wasted investment which is important to me when providing recommendations to clients.

The second transition sleep sack/swaddle that I recommend is the Love To Dream™ SwaddleUp Transition Bag. If choosing this product you will transition your little one by unzipping one arm for for nights (and naps), and then proceed with unzipping the second arm about 1-3 days later depending on how your baby responds. This product doesn't provide any suppression of the Moro reflex when the sleeves are removed which is in line with a cold turkey approach when baby decides to roll over. Just like the Transitional Swaddle Sack from Swaddle Designs, this product also turns into a sleep sack in which you can use to keep your baby warm since she is far too young to have blankets.

The third and final option, is the Halo Transitional Sleep Sack. With this transitional sleep product you can go right from your swaddle to this sleep sack in one night (and for naps) with both arms out, but it can give your little one the security he needs. This design doesn’t suppress the Moro reflex, so it may take a few days for your baby to adjust. That’s completely normal. Every transition product has a bit of an adjustment period, and each baby responds differently. With consistency and a little time, your baby will adapt to whichever sleep sack you choose.

Swaddle with one arm out: If you are using a traditional swaddle with arms down, and they aren't quite rolling over yet but you are wanting to transition them sooner to prepare for this milestone then an option is to allow your baby to have one arm out at night and swaddle the other arm snug down to her side. Do this for a few nights (even a week) then pull out the second arm. For naps, you will stick to one arm unswaddled until your little one is sleeping with both arms out at night, then you can do the same with naps too. Just be sure that your baby isn't already rolling or showing signs of rolling if you choose this slower approach.

Partial nights: If your baby hasn’t rolled yet this is a great option. With this option you may implement one of the suggestions above, and when she wakes for her first night feed you will swaddle her back up with arms inside the swaddle. Each night you will try to go a bit longer with arms free. Babies coming out of the swaddle too early can definitely cause some major sleep disruptions.

Need more help or do you need assistance and support to improve your baby’s sleep? Contact me at pediatricsleepcoach@gmail.com Be sure to follow me on Instagram at the_sleepcoach!