Is it possible to introduce a Safe T Sleep Sleepwrap product to a child over 12-18 months of age? And how long is it sensible to keep using it?
Yes, provided positive, relaxed, skilled settling skills are used together with the introduction of the Safe T Sleep Sleepwrap. In our experience since 1992 it takes at the most six sleeps for babies aged around 9 months of age and older to like and benefit from the Sleepwrap sensation when used consistently and with loving, nurturing parenting skills.
Significantly the Sleepwrap is designed to ‘help’ settle and reassure baby and also to give parents a few extra moments to attend to their waking baby. It seems the sensation of being ‘held’ often helps baby to settle including during the developmental stage of standing up. Therefore after all loving parenting settling skills have been deployed and baby is relaxed and lying down, some mothers use shushing and/or the same soft piece of music or white noise and gently but firmly (without playfulness or too much eye contact) hold their hand on baby’s torso for a few moments to help them settle. Then after a few moments leave baby to find his/her desired sleep position. If your baby is a little ‘Jack-in-the-box’ simply repeat the loving firm scenario just deployed. You can use this ‘broken record’ technique until baby settles, eventually consistency will win if all other needs have been met.
Although the Safe T Sleep Sleepwrap product was ‘originally’ designed for babies 7 months of age and older, it has been used extensively since 1992 to help prevent suffocations, which are largely the cause of SIDS (cot death/SUDI). It was invented and developed by Miriam Rutherford for her own children, a mother with a nursing background having nursed a beautiful 10 ½ month old little boy who became permanently severely brain damaged after climbing and falling from his cot/crib – see question 1, Paragraph 13 and 16.
For many babies in the ‘learning to stand’ stage (around 7months old and upwards) there is an approximate period of six weeks where the brain doesn’t relay how they need to sit or lie down again. This is a period which is very difficult for parents and caregivers as sleep patterns also become disrupted and when most climbing and falling injuries occur. Statistically nearly one in five 0-2year olds are hospitalised from falls from cot/cribs and bed falls (even cots on low settings and low beds).
Using ‘education through play’ with a favourite toy in a relaxed way with older babies has also proven to be very effective. See https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0223/2655/files/Transition.pdf?18266022899632035649
Since 1992 hundreds of thousands of caring parents and carers worldwide choose to introduce young and older babies to the Safe T Sleep Sleepwrap and little HEADwedge for the following reasons:
- Extra comfort, security, safety and ease of visiting and travelling for baby.
- To help ensure a nicely shaped head for baby with a Sleepwrap and little HEADwedge combo.
- Extra Peace of Mind for themselves.
- More comfortable, restful, longer sleeping: See previous questions.
- To help prevent falls. Nearly one in five infants aged 0-2 years who are hospitalised from falls are from cot/crib and bed falls. Low beds and having cot/crib sides down are often not enough to prevent serious injuries. See: http://www.safetsleep.com/pages/product-knowledge
- To help keep blankets on. Many babies love the feeling of being ‘tucked under’. Tuck a large sheet and/or breathable blanket right underneath the sides and bottom of the mattress. Then give the linen a little tug so as to allow a little natural movement. (Enquire about Safe T Sleep booklet on tips for better, safer sleeping.)
- Ease with transition from bassinet or hammock to cot/crib and cot/crib to ‘the big bed’.
- To help prevent cot/crib and bed accidents: most babies 12-18 months of age have only a one-way-no-reverse-gear creeping ability which often places them with heads, legs or arms jammed into awkward and/or dangerous positions. Some often ending up underneath bedding or freezing cold without their covers still on. Because the Sleepwrap will comfortably help secure the baby’s position in the bed (while still allowing a flexible natural degree of movement) these often dangerous or simply awkward positions don’t tend to happen and babies sleep longer as well as more safety.
- To aid with positioning in various medical situations and/or recovery, see http://www.safetsleep.com/pages/hospital-special-need-uses Neonatal nurses and midwives observe babies to be physiologically very agile at a younger and younger age, some as young as just three weeks old! PREVENTION IS THE KEY!
- Ease of travel: The Safe T Sleep Sleepwrap baby wrap is the most practical, compact, economical alternative to a portable cot – literally a bed in a bag! – will fit around most mattresses anywhere in the world, and takes up a lot less space than a portable cot. Wonderful on boats, camper vans, holiday homes, caravans etc. So convenient for holidaying, travelling, boating, visiting and flying with babies 0-2years.
- We are told that the Sleepwrap is fantastic on boats, where it is used with or without a leigh cloth for newborn up to seven years of age! See http://www.safetsleep.com/blogs/news/tagged/boats. Also see: http://www.safetsleep.com/blogs/news/tagged/safe-sleep