How to help your newborn sleep by wrapping.

Sleep is so precious to a infant in the early days. Wrapping your baby in a blanket is a convenient and effective way to make a infant comfortable while sleep well, so mom can have time to do what she needs to. Learn how to wrap your infant in the steps below.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Baby blanket.
• Infant.

1. Pick out a small thin blanket to wrap your infant in. There are wraps that you can by at the store, but this will do the exact same thing. When my son is having trouble sleeping, I sometimes wrap him up in my shirt. This makes him feel that I am right there and he appears more calm.

2. 

   Start by folding down one long edge of the blanket about a hands length. Place your infant in the middle with her shoulders just a little below the top. Make sure you never cover your infant's face.

3. 

   Now place your infant’s left hand under the fold.

4. 

   With your infant’s left hand near the shoulder, take the top of the fold and tuck it under your baby’s legs.

5. 

   Take the left edge of this new fold and wrap it over your infant’s body then tuck it under the body on the right side. Keep the blanket tight, but make sure to leave some breathing room.

6. 

   Place your infant’s right hand under the fold

7. 

   Place your infant’s right hand near the shoulder take the top of the fold and tuck it under your baby’s legs.

8. 

   Then take the right edge of this new fold and wrap it over your infant’s body, tucking the blanket under the body on the left side

9. 

   Fold any extra length of the wrap under your baby’s legs.

Tips & Warnings

• In warm weather, your infant may only need to wear beneath the wrap is a undershirt and diaper. Overheating has been linked with SIDS so try to keep her sleep environment at a cool, comfortable temperature.
• In cool weather, dress your infant in a lightweight jumpsuit beneath the wrap. Be careful not to overheat the house, especially if baby is sick.
• Make sure the wrap doesn't cover the head, ears or chin, wraps that are too high can obstruct your infant's breathing or also cause her to overheat.
• Wrapping is not recommended for wrap infants who bed share with their parents as this can cause overheating.

Resources

• Sleep and Settling Strategies

[MidniteWriter]

on 6/13/2008 Gr8 illustrations! Much needed instructions. Practice makes perfect!

[reneev]

on 4/7/2008 i'm totally using this when i have my baby in august! great article!