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how to enter to win
Infant sleep is mysterious and often tricky. In the first few weeks, we had to wake our baby for feedings
and now we work hard to encourage our baby to sleep. He prefers to be awake and part of the action.
Aside: I made up that last part; once he starts talking in
full sentences we’ll find out what he really thinks. For now, I’ll guess and
make claims in an authoritative voice.
What I do know is that the Halo SleepSack Swaddle has been
one of the tools that helps us the most. (I’m not just writing that because
the company is offering a free giveaway. Proof -
this recent post I wrote about
infant sleep tools.) Like a lot of babies, ours is a sort of Houdini who breaks free of any
swaddles with mechanical errors. And that would be every swaddle his mamma
tries. With the SleepSack, I can zip him up, fold over the little wings and
Velcro them in place. Voila! A swaddle that he (usually) stays in.
Swaddling keeps infants asleep and happy. This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends swaddling:
Newborns have a number
in innate reflexes,
including the Moro (or startle) Reflex. If a newborn is jostled or surprised by
a noise or physical movement, he will typically extend his arms outward and
then rapidly flex them in front of his body. A Moro response can be triggered
by an infant’s own movements or by actions coming from his surroundings. Either
way, the reflex may cause the infant to wake up or start to cry. Swaddling
inhibits the Moro Reflex.
Before birth, infants
are in the confined space of the uterus. While it is important to be able to
move their arms and legs after birth, research has shown that newborns calm
down if they are held with their arms against their bodies. This can be
accomplished by a reassuring hug or by swaddling them in a blanket.
As a part of the
Halo Safer Way to Sleep Initiative, you can win one Halo SleepSack Swaddle through this blog. To enter your name,
leave a comment below about a baby’s sleep by Tuesday, August 20
th.
One winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Wed., August 21
st.
About the HALO® Safer Way to Sleep Initiative:
HALO Innovation’s SleepSack® Swaddle has become the
standard for hospital nurseries and parents alike. In fact, 1,000 hospital
nurseries use the HALO SleepSack Swaddle instead of blankets through the HALO Safer Way to Sleep Initiative.
That is 1.5 million births getting first-hand, in-hospital
experience with the HALO SleepSack Swaddle and safe sleep practices! Leading
health organizations agree that modeling proper baby care in the hospital is
the single biggest influence on how parents care for their baby at home. HALO
Innovations also offers free Safe Sleep Practices kits to childbirth educators
to help further the cause of SIDS prevention.
