Moro Reflex: How to Stop it so that your Baby can get a Good Night’s Sleep (2024)

FAQs

Moro Reflex: How to Stop it so that your Baby can get a Good Night’s Sleep? ›

Swaddling you baby can be an effective technique to help clam your baby and prepare them for sound sleep. One reason is its ability to counteract the Moro reflex. By keeping your baby's arms tucked in tight against their body, they won't be able to jerk their arms out which ultimately scares them and wakes them up.

Signs to transition your baby out of the swaddle

You may notice your baby doesn't startle in the same way, as the Moro reflex lessens over the first few months of life. If it's not causing wakings, or they jerk but aren't awoken fully, then you can start to transition to being swaddle free.

Loud noises, intense light, and sudden movements can trigger a baby's Moro reflex. They can even trigger it in themselves when they move suddenly. The sensation of falling can also be a trigger. A baby might feel as though they are falling when their parents or caregivers lay them down or pick them up.

But if the startle response is tied to a heightened state of anxiety, things like breathing, yoga, and better sleep could help. If the response is tied to a specific cue, you could try to reduce your response to it.

The Moro reflex in babies disappears around 2 to 6 months of age when they're able to support their heads. As your baby's brain matures and they gain better control over their movements, these reflexes are no longer needed.

After a year old, if your child is ready, you can start to transition from a sleep sack to a blanket. At this point, the risk of SIDs has significantly decreased as your child has the mobility to roll over easily from any direction.

How to get baby to sleep unswaddled? ›

Like the Cold Turkey approach, you begin the process at bedtime but leave only one arm out. After a feed during the night you can swap arms or if they are particularly unsettled you can pop both arms back in for the remainder of the night and try again the following night for a little longer.

Hold your baby close to your body as you lower them down into their crib. The more that your baby feels protected, the less likely they will startle. Lay them down as gently as possible. Once you've laid your baby down in their crib, keep your hands placed on their body for a few moments.

If your child isn't sleeping well, though, it could be a sign of sleep-disordered breathing and a blocked airway. If you find your child kicks their legs and flails their arm during the night, it could be their body's way of letting you know they're not getting enough oxygen.

The Moro usually reaches a peak at 2 months and diminishes by 4 months. A persistent reflex has been associated with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability. To test for the Moro reflex, the child is held in the examiner's arms, well supported at the head, trunk, and legs.

Hypnic jerks and other types of myoclonus start in the same part of your brain that controls your startle response. When you fall asleep, it is suspected that a misfire sometimes occurs between nerves in the reticular brainstem, creating a reaction that leads to a hypnic jerk.