Weaning from swaddle

[leedy]

Hi folks. DS2 (five months) has always slept really well at night when swaddled - first in a Miracle Blanket, then a Halo sleep sack with swaddle wings. He hasn't been swaddled for naps, but at night if unswaddled he usually manages to clonk himself in the face at some stage and wakes himself up.

However, for the last couple of nights he has been really trying to get out of the swaddle during the night (he woke up the other morning with a hand stuck out the top of it, sucking his thumb ferociously) and/or roll, and I'm wondering is it just not working for him any more.

Any ideas for a peaceful transition to regular sleeping bags? Should I a)try cold turkey with the Halo wings under the arms b)try one arm at a time, or c)try one of those weird zippy sleepsacks with arm room that make babies look like demented bats. I know I weaned DS1 off swaddling at some stage, but he was always a terrible sleeper anyway, and my memory is a bit dim...

[iloveholidays]

Personally I would try a, if that doesn't turn then try b. I found all 3 of my DDs just slept fine unswaddled once they were ready which was around 4 months.

[KatoPotato]

This was exactly our situation! Miracle blanket then summer infant wrap until five months. Stressed and googled and worried and planned it over a weekend... Absolutely no problem going cold turkey, I'd totally worried for nothing. Good luck.

[thedicewoman]

cold turkey was a nightmare for us, my DS is 6.5 and we now have him in a regular sleeping bag with a thin sheet rolled up and placed over his tummy, tucked under mattress at both sides to keep him on his back. Otherwise he just gets on his tummy and gets himself upset, he doesn't wake up if he doesn't get into his front!

[leedy]

Thanks all for the advice! Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and try it. Though, thedicewoman, that's kind of what I fear with cold turkey - he can't actually roll over when his arms are pinioned, but otherwise he flips onto his front and gets extremely cross. Hmmm.

[thedicewoman]

it just didn't make sense to us to keep trying it without restraining him in some way (tho he can get out of his " restraints" if he really wriggles), he was just getting distressed and we were getting extremely sleep deprived! we'll take it off once he can get back into his front.