Baby sleep and swings

An interesting question I received from a parent – “How do you feel about babies napping in swings?”

Parents can often reach breaking point and will do anything to get a fussy baby to sleep. For example: rocking, patting, car trips but let’s talk about the “swing”. Unfortunately, the “too much of a good thing” applies to your baby’s swing. Remember, our babies and toddlers are quick to form habits.

Rocking your baby to sleep, or letting your them constantly sleep in your arms, can become a rod for your back. This is due to the motion becoming a sleep aid. It can then reduce their ability to sleep without motion or join sleep cycles together if the motion stops. This can very well simultaneously impact night sleep patterns.

At some point you may find the balance of the “great swing” leaning heavier towards creating problems instead of solving them.

Lets talk more about the baby swing…

IS IT SAFE: Convenience is important for parents, but the safety of our babies should be our first priority. So, let’s address the safety concerns surrounding letting your baby sleep in the swing.

It’s important to realise: it’s not safe to let your baby sleep in a swing for prolonged periods of time. The main reason for this, is because their head can drop forward with the motion suppressing their airway, and young babies have quietly died in the swing without their parents realising. Parents must always supervise their little ones while they sleep in a swing. Advised short periods only, and avoid it being the norm for baby naps.

Paediatric Research states sitting upright for long periods of time, increase the risk of forward flexion of the head (the heaviest part of their body) this in turn suppresses the babies airway, making breathing laboured.

Spinal development is also an important factor to consider when choosing your child’s sleep apperartise. Swings do not provide adequate spinal support, and long intervals can cause poor alignment on your baby’s developing spine.

As you may have heard me say before: settle your baby in the place you want them to go to sleep. So transferring from a rocking or swinging device into a stationary bed won’t work long term. This is seen when the baby moves into a light sleep cycle, and realises the motion has disappeared, they then soon wake up, struggling to go back to sleep.

I’m not saying you should never put your baby to sleep in one of these devices. They can be a wonderful tool for calming a fussy sleeper. It is just important to get to the root of why you have a fussy sleeper.

We live in a world that encourages us to seek the quick fix. I have seen sshhhing machines, vibrating cots, dummies, dreamtime diffusers, white noise, responsive fox comforters and more. I apologize if you have one of these devices, they aren’t necessary or something I recommend.

The swing however isn’t in the same category as the above-mentioned products, but it ISN’T on my MUST buy shopping list either. If you have a swing-please don’t throw it out, but be careful how and when you use it. This is an educated opinion, but none the less, you get to make decisions of what is best for your baby.

If your baby is struggling to go to sleep without a sleep aid of some description, or their day naps won’t extend past one sleep cycle (generally 40-60 minutes), it is worth seeking help. Although you as a parent need to be ready. If you want to know more ask for an obligation free call. We want you to feel comfortable before signing up for sleep solutions.

If you choose to use a swing, can I encourage you to use it sparingly and always supervise your little ones time in there.

Ultimately, I recommend that you get to the root of your baby’s napping problem and work to solve the issues. Majority of babies and toddlers don’t grow out of being a fussy sleeper. Something needs to change in the patterns of their care for their poor sleep behaviour to resolve.

We would love to help, if you need support. It doesn’t matter if you think you have tried everything, never give up! We have seen it all and have got some of the worst cat nappers to do 2-3 hour day sleeps as well as sleeping through the night.

Remember enjoy them, keep them safe and consider for yourself if it is helping their sleep short or long term?

Written by: Alison Gregory
Endorsed Midwife, Parenting Educator, Owner & Director of Newborn Solutions.

Photo by Kristina Balić on Unsplash