When babies have trouble sleeping, their parents do, too. And the effects of sleep deprivation can be extremely acute on one’s mental and physical health. A mother may lose up to 350 hours of sleep during her baby’s first year of life, resulting in irritability, added stress, and confused thinking.Many parents have found relief for their restless infants through swaddling. In fact, the practice of swaddling -- wrapping a baby’s body snugly in a blanket to sleep -- has been around for centuries. Parents in many countries have used traditional swaddling methods for generations, and swaddling is practiced in many hospital nurseries.
Parents have been strongly advised in recent years to place infants to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of death from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but babies in this position are often afflicted with the startle (or Moro) reflex, in which their arms and legs pop up and jerk spasmodically. Naturally, this wakes them up or prevents them from falling asleep. Many medical professionals recommend simulating a “fourth trimester” for infants, in which womblike conditions are re-created, reducing the likelihood of the startle reflex. Swaddling can be a very effective tool in this regard as it makes the infant feel as if he is still being held tightly in his mother’s body or cuddled in his mother’s arms. And swaddling can help to get babies on a sleeping schedule. For some infants, the mere act of starting the swaddling process acts as a signal that it is time for bed, and their eyes begin to droop in sleep.
If the benefits are so numerous, why don’t more parents swaddle their babies? It can be a challenge to learn how to swaddle a baby properly using a standard blanket. The blanket must be tight enough to stay fastened and make the baby feel secure, and yet loose enough so that the infant doesn’t become overheated. Once a baby starts moving around, he often kicks off his blanket, and a loose blanket in the crib can increase the risk of SIDS. And most receiving blankets aren’t large enough to properly swaddle a growing infant after a few months or even weeks.
Fortunately, there are now some wonderful swaddle blankets available, including those from a brand-new baby and toddler product line called Captain SillyPants! Their top-of-the-line, 100% organic cotton swaddle blankets feature adorable, modern designs, as you can see in this post.
Captain SillyPants swaddle blankets will be sold exclusively on Eleventh Avenue at a limited, one-time pre-order price beginning on April 13, 2015! If you or someone you know is expecting a baby or has a new little one, head over to Eleventh Avenue and pick up some beautiful swaddle blankets from Captain SillyPants. They make great gifts! And the results of swaddling are likely to be a better-sleeping baby -- and more well-rested parents.
Pre-order details:
Visit Captain SillyPants on Eleventh Avenue:
www.eleventhavenue.com/event/483/captain-silly-pants
- Once ordered, customers will be charged immediately.
- All pre-orders ship by April 30, 2015.
- Your satisfaction is our guarantee! If you’re not 100% happy with our 100% adorable, 100% organic cotton Captain SillyPants Swaddles, we will make it right!
