When to stop swaddling

Updated 24 October 2026 · Written by the Lullsong team. General information, not medical advice.

What the research says

A 2016 meta-analysis pooled four studies with 760 cases of sudden infant death (Pease et al.). The risk linked to swaddling depended on position: it was highest for babies placed on their front, then on their side, and lower but still raised on the back. The evidence also suggested the risk rose with age, about doubling after six months. The studies were observational and few, so the exact numbers are uncertain, but the direction matches the advice.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says swaddling does not reduce the risk of sudden infant death, and that you should stop when your baby looks like they are trying to roll.

If you swaddle

• Always on the back, never on the side or front.
• Snug at the chest but not tight enough to restrict breathing.
• Loose at the hips: the legs should be able to bend up and out. Wrapping the legs straight and together can harm hip development (Clarke, 2014).
• No weighted swaddles or sleep sacks.

After swaddling

A wearable sleep sack with the arms free keeps your baby warm without loose blankets. Expect a few unsettled nights while your baby gets used to free arms.

More on the basics: safe sleep: the essentials.

Sources

1. Moon RY, Carlin RF, Hand I; AAP Task Force on SIDS. Sleep-related infant deaths: updated 2022 recommendations for reducing infant deaths in the sleep environment. Pediatrics 2022;150:e2022057990. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057990
2. Pease AS, Fleming PJ, Hauck FR, et al. Swaddling and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome: a meta-analysis. Pediatrics 2016;137:e20153275. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-3275
3. Clarke NMP. Swaddling and hip dysplasia: an orthopaedic perspective. Arch Dis Child 2014;99:5-6. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2013-304143

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