Is It Okay to Let My Baby Sleep in the Swing All the Time?

My twins slept in swings for 6 months. It was probably a little bit of a bad habit but I would do anything for sleep. Wrap up his arms tight so he won't have a falling sensation and startle himself awake.

My friend did that with her baby and now her 18 month old will not sleep unless she is holding her or if she is sleeping in bed with her and her husband. I do not recommend it for a long term solution. One book that really helped me get my girls on a good sleep schedule and by 5 months sleep through the night was "Heathy Sleep habits, Happy Child". I know it's hard! Good Luck!

We went through a time at about that age when I just let my baby sleep in the swing through the night. He did not become dependant on it. It just lasted for a couple of weeks. I was so grateful for that swing! I was exhausted. I always wondered if he had a little bit of reflux and that is why the swing worked for us. After that, we actually went against the books and put him on his tummy to sleep. He slept for 6 hrs straight that night! So use the swing if you don't feel comfortable about putting them on their belly.

My friend did this with two or three or maybe even four of her babies. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that, but that's just me. Her babies sleep just fine now, but I dont' know how she got them out of the swing. I read, however, that sleep induced by motion (like in a moving car or swing) never gets down into the deep restorative sleep. I figured that wasn't a good thing, but again, my friend's kids don't seem to have any problems.
I wonder if it is the upright position? I let my first son sleep sitting up in his car seat right next to my bed a few times. It seemed to help with his gassy tummy. You could try that and see if it helps. FYI, once he slid out of his car seat part way, so after that I buckled him in very loosely.

It is fine if he sleeps in the swing. Get some rest.

Marciab
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I have a 3 month old that slept in the swing for the first 2 months of her life. I think that as long as your okay with it it doesn't hurt them. We tried everything we could to get her in her bassinet when we first brought her home and she wouldn't sleep for much longer than it took me to lay her down and get comfortable in my bed. After the first 2 months I started laying her down more often in her bassinet and less in the swing at night. I would let her start in the swing and then after she woke up and ate I would move her to the bassinet. Now she is sleeping all night in the bassinet and hardly at all in the swing. In my opinion, you need to do something to help you sleep at night too. Too many nights of little to no sleep don't help you become a better mom.....get some rest. I have had at least 2 of my other kids (I have 6) sleep a lot in the swing and they are no worse for the wear. But I would make sure that you were close by, don't put the swing in the other room. And if you can don't let the swing move all night. My swing is one that winds up, so eventually it stops swinging, and I think that helps them not become dependent on it. My DD would fall asleep with it swinging and then when it stopped we wouldn't wind it again and she would just stay asleep. Good luck and congrats on the new one.

When my son was little I had this same problem! I was worried about him getting too used tot he swing so I asked my pediatrician what he thought and he basically said:

There may be two things you can try before resorting to this. It may be the "coziness" of the swing, so swaddling like another mom suggested is a good idea. In the swing his body is "curled" all of the time so there is an automatic coziness to it, so if you swaddle him he will get them same "curled up" feeling.

The second one is that he may be having a hard time sleeping completely flat. Prop up the head of his crib so that it sits higher then the foot just a couple of inches. This seemed to help my son.

Swings can be a lifesaver especially for very fussy babies, but you need to be careful. Overuse can cause dependence, but it can also cause inner ear problems. Weird, I know, but that was an issue for my sister. That is not saying that if you are wiped out, don't use it, or don't use it ever, but I would recommend you not use it as an aid for nighttime sleep, since that would put it to use for extended periods of time.

I did that with all my children when there was nothing else I could do. They have not been harmed by it and they did not become dependent on the swing for putting them to sleep. In fact, by the time they were able to crawl around pretty well, they didn't care for the swing anymore.

Have you tried swaddling to help your child sleep better. After having sleeping problems like this with my first 2 children, I figured out that they needed the comfort of feeling enclosed in the womb and that swaddling fulfilled that need. My youngest had that need until he was about 4 1/2 months old.

HTH

Swings are not good for babies physical development in long stretches. They do not support proper growth in the neck and spine. That many hours on a regular basis is not good for your baby. Have you tried other ways to get him to stay asleep. Sometimes having "white noise" on waves, heart beat, ect. help babies to stay asleep longer because it is rhythmic and constant. Warm baths before feedings at bed time with camomille. Some babies just don't sleep well until they get a little bigger. I don't know if you have someone to help you at night - maybe trading off every other night, and the old sleep when the baby sleeps in the day, if that is possible will help, too.

You're getting a wide variety of answers here. My son had a hard time sleeping if he wasn't being held for the first few weeks, but I had a hard time sleeping while holding him, so on occasion I would put him in the swing and sleep on the floor next to him. But that was only as a last resort when we were both completely exhausted.

I personally think it's fine as long as you don't let it become the norm. He really needs to learn to sleep in his bed as soon as he can because eventually he will outgrow the swing and then what are you going to do? They've also had studies show that babies that spend extended periods of time in swings/bouncers/carseats can end up with flat heads, so you really want to limit time in things like that for when they really need it.

So if you are desperate for sleep (and what new mother isn't?) then a night or two in the swing isn't going to hurt him and if it will help you get a good nights sleep, then go for it.

No, don't let him sleep in the swing. I know how tempting it is when you're so tired, but don't do it. He will become dependent and it will be tought o break him of the habit if he gets used to it. You need to start healthy sleep routines right away or you will struggle with him a long time. Although, some kids just have a harder time sleeping than others. My aunt has been struggling with my little cousin for 7 months. He still doesn't nap well. You could try classical music or lullabys on a CD player. White noise sometimes works. But get him to sleep in his crib without being dependant on you or a swing to get to sleep. Does he take a pacifier? Some people see this as a crutch as well, but both my kids had them and it helped them get themselves back to sleep when the woke up. Have a consistent routine, even at naptime. The bedtime and naptime routines can be different so your baby knows what time it is, but rocking and reading and singing are good things. Lay him down before he falls asleep so he learns to go to sleep on his own, not in your arms. I don't agree with the crying it out method. So if he cries after you lay him down, first try to comfort him without picking him up, but if that doesn't work, pick up up. When he settles down, lay him back down again. It will take some time, and believe me I know how tired you are, but he will get it and sleep just fine. When he wakes up at night or from a nap, don't go running to him right away. See if he can get himself back to sleep. Don't let him cry for too long, tho. He's still very young, so I'm guessing in another month or two things will get much easier. Do you have a husband or boyfriend that can take over? If not, see if a friend or your mother or sister or cousin or aunt or someone you are close to will come over once in a while to let you sleep. Hang in there, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

We had this same situation arise with our daughter Brylie at about the same age. We let her sleep in our room in her swing for a couple of weeks and then had no problem putting her back in her crib, where she then began to sleep much better than before. I don't know if she became tired of the swing or simply outgrew it. We finally got caught up on some much needed sleep and she didn't develop any "bad habits". Good luck.

When I saw this post, and the answers I got concerned. I know that at childcare centers they are not allowed to have babies sleep in swings and there has to be a safety issue involved so I did a little searching. First of all, car seats, bouncy chairs and swings are not designed for long term sleeping. And I think their manuals also say "not for long term sleep". Second of all one website suggested that their little heads could get wedged in the side and they could suffocate. They are not very sturdy, and there was also a suggestion of head deformities with long term use. If you want to catch up on some rest ask a neighbor or relative to come over to keep an eye on him while you sleep. Just do some more research before you do it long term. Thanks.

Both my children had acid reflux and slept much better when propped up so they both slept in the swing and/or carseat for the first 4 months or so. They easily adjusted to the bed when the acid reflux started getting better. I don't know if that is why your baby can't sleep, but if it is, it works! Just do what works for you and get the rest you desperately need!!!

I had a swing loving baby and my dr. told me if that's where he liked to sleep and got the most rest so I could that was ok. Having a newborn you need to get lots of rest yourself so you are at your best for him (easier said than done I know :) I would just try and mix it up a little. Maybe not let him sleep there all the time but I would take advantage of the longer periods of sleep time in the swing when I could. Good luck!

Just be careful that your baby doesn't get a flat head from sleeping in the swing all the time. My SIL's baby had reflux and would sleep in their car seat a lot. Now he is 2 and still has a flat head in the back. Just make sure you give your baby plenty of tummy time as well.

I let my son nap in the swing, but it is a bad idea for any length of time. He will outgrow it very soon and will be dependent on it. He just needs to learn to sleep in his crib. Do not use it at night it isnt' safe and he needs to just get used to his crib. He will get better sleep habits as he grows and his tummy stays fuller longer, just part of the process with a 10 week old. Make sure the room is dark so he knows the difference between night and day, do not talk much or make much noise at night either. Change him, feed him and let him go back to sleep. In a month or so it will be time to make sure he goes to bed awake and gets himself back to sleep.

Get "good night sleep tight" by the sleeplady. It will make all your sleep issues nonexistent! good luck

I let my son sleep in a swing until he was 9 months old! I thought it was going to be a hard transition to the crib, but he was getting more and more uncomfortable in the swing as he got bigger and seemed to like the nice big crib. My pediatrician told me to do whatever it took to get some sleep. My baby didn't sleep more than an hour or two at a time, so I was constantly up checking on him. I probably wouldn't recommend going that long again, but there's nothing wrong with a few more months so mommy can get some sleep.

My son didn't crawl or move much, so it was pretty safe, if yours is active you may want to reconsider. Good Luck!

Dear Eli,
Swaddling is an excellent idea and babies often need the security of feeling snuggled. I would suggest that you have your baby sleep with you. I have had all my babies sleep right next to me. Is he breastfed? It makes it much easier to help them back to sleep (and let you sleep more) when you have them next to you for feedings/changing and cuddling.

I have arranged by babies crib at the same height at my bed with it's side open so I can roll them into their bed as they get older. There is a great book, "The Family Bed" (it may be out of print now). It's a great book about the need infants and children have to be close to their parents for comfort and physical nuturing. I would suggest reading it.
If it doesn't work to have him sleep with you, then the swing is probably ok. I would try using it in the day more than at night.
As far as the day, I would have to keep some of my babies in a sling at my side, or in the baby pack. My last one, even as a small newborn, would keep his eyes on me...when I left the room he would fuss. He still likes to just be near. Babies manifest their personalities often very early. He may just need to know you are closeby even when he is sleeping!

Best of Wishes!
H. B. MOM (mother of many-9)

He feels comfortable in the swing because it mimicks his position and the movement of being in your womb. Be aware that babies that are held and rocked to sleep at night time tend to become dependent on it to get to sleep for the next couple of years. However, I know someone who kept her babies in their car seats at night, and trained them into a crib easily. Maybe it worked because babies grow out of the curling up stage, and it was a nice transition from curled up and womb movement to just curled up, then to a crib. Personally, I let my kids sleep in the swing for their shorter naps, and I sleep with them for their longer afternoon nap. This works for us. At nighttime, my babies sleep in a co-sleeper that attaches to the side of my bed, but fall asleep next to me, nursing, until I am ready to wean them by giving them water instead.

I did not have this resource when mine was so young...my cousin did let her child sleep in the swing for months. It was a small, close to the ground model. For safety sake you could keep it close to your bed but please buy some rechargeables. It's very tipical for them to sleep 45 minute cycles. I know it's awful but you wont remember the hard times.

My son sleeps in an Amby Bed. It has totally changed our lives! He naps well, sleeps well, and eats well. He was doing none of those things well until we got the "hammock". It makes him feel secure and cozy. We also swaddle him before putting him to bed.

I had the same problem with my 4th baby, and the only place she would sleep is the swing. I asked the Doctor about it and he said it was fine. She started sleeping through the night at 2 months only if she was in the swing. She actually slept in the swing until she was about 6 months old and then on her own it started to get uncomfortable and she would wake up a few times, so I switched her to her crib at that point and she did great. I think as long as your baby is comfortable in the swing...let him/her sleep there because you need the rest as well to be your best.:)

Watch the video "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. He explains why the swing works and how to get the same affect and get your baby to sleep well and for longer times, without being dependent on the swing. It even helped cure our son's colic. I definitely am doing it again with the next baby!

Hi E.,

Our first daughter had similar issues. Since we discovered that she had reflux after she ate, the doctor's prescription was to let her sleep in the swing at night. It worked great for us to get her through a rough phase. We only needed to do it for a few weeks.

Our second daughter (now 4 months old) also had a rough time around 10 weeks. We used the swing a couple of times. Then we just let her cry one night until she fell asleep (it was a rough 30 minutes). After that night, she started sleeping better at nap time and she also began to sleep through the night. I think she was just getting old enough to know when we weren't in the room with her.

We still have to let her cry for a few minutes once in a while, but she'll stop and listen to see if we will come get her. Then she'll fall asleep within a few minutes.

Good luck!

My 5 week old son also sleeps in an Amby hammock. Before we put him in the hammock he was sleeping 2-3 hours during the night and now his is sleeping 4-5 hours. Try looking on the Amby website for more information. They advertise their product as reducing colic and SIDS cases. I'm not sure if it's research based, but it has helped my family get better sleep at night!

Do what you need to get some sleep. We did this with my son for a while (he wasn't a great sleeper either)...it worked for a while and then we moved on to trying other things. We basically had to put him wherever he was comfortable for the first five or six months, but after that he really settled down and has been a champion sleeper ever since (and he's four and a half now). Every baby is different. So don't worry and do what works for you. Good luck!

My daughter napped in her swing for every nap until she was about eight months old. She was a nurser so when she would fall asleep at the breast, I would lay her in her swing for naps. She would sleep for over an hour in there whereas if I lay her in the crib she would wake up after only 20 mins or 1/2 hour. So I went with the swing. Later when she started sitting up when she woke up, I slowly starting the crib for naps and finally now she is napping well in the crib. I never did it at night though, I didn't think it was safe for when I was asleep only when I was awake here monitoring the swing. We definitely when thru rough night sleep issues. Now she is one and finally sleeping all thru the night. Do: early bedtime (7pm for her), routine, and had to let her cry a few times when she would still wake in the night. Good Luck.

I have used that method a few times before. But never on a regular basis. My twins had some reflux issues when they were really young and we used to elevate their mattresses in the bassinettes for that. Sometimes when they were just not wanting to go back to sleep after a midnight feeding, we would put them in the swing to fall asleep. But I don't think we ever used it for more than one night at a time. It helped because it was elevated, and the motion helped them fall asleep when we were just too tired to stay awake and rock them. Thankfully, they never both needed it on the same night. I always worried about them becoming dependant on the swing, too, so I tried not to let them sleep in it at night. Now, I have 3 under three plus a six month old. Sometimes the safest place for her during the day is the swing, so she often naps an hour or two at a time in the swing, but only in the day. I definitely wouldn't recommend doing it long term. Maybe just until you catch up on a little sleep and then continue crib training your baby. Hope this helps.

My daughter is now 21 months old and is now a decent sleeper. When she was your son's age she LOVED the swing and because I was soooo exhausted there were a few nights that my husband and I let her sleep while swinging right next to our bed. She is in no way 'dependent' on the swing...it was only a handful of times to at least allow us get 3-4 hours of straight sleeping. I suggest that if it will allow you to get some much needed rest..let him swing and sleep happily for the few hours he'll allow it. Good Luck!

My nephew did the same thing. He slept for hours in the swing. That was where we would put him down for his nap. He is 10 now and has had no problems.

My daughter came home and didnt want to sleep in her bassinet all she wanted was to sleep in her car seat because she was doing the same thing. Two or three hours tops was a blessing. I just let her sleep in her car seat till she was about three months old. Told the doctor that i found out a remedy at home and didnt need to call in in a panic. She asked me to tell her the symptoms and i did and she asked if there was any real change. I answered no and later we found out after a week trial of prevacid she actually had acid reflux. So i got to the doctor or call the nurse line.
My daughter didnt get dependent on the car seat she soon got tired sleeping that way and went straight to her bassinet and now is in a crib. Of course shes eight months and i feel confident in putting her in the crib. She now sleeps all night and feeds herself her own bottles. i sleep all night long and she only wakes up now twince a night. Its nice.