Newborn Summer Sleep Style Pack

In the early days after birth, a newborn will experience a startle reflex. This reflex causes the hands and body to jerk during sleep, and this action can often wake or unsettle them. Using a swaddle can help contain this sudden movement and prevent waking. Swaddling can also soothe and settle them to sleep by providing a feeling of containment, similar to their experience in the confined space of a womb. Our Cocoon Swaddle Bag also has the following benefits:

• Keeping baby’s body warm in the early stages when their ability to regulate body temperature is still developing.
• A hug! A baby would love to spend the whole night bundled up in their parent’s warm arms so swaddles help create that sensation of being hugged.
• Can help a baby focus on feeding by keeping their arms and legs out of the way.
• Prevents baby from scratching themselves with their nails.
• Swaddling = a longer sleep for everyone!

The neck must be fitted to avoid a baby’s head slipping down into the swaddle. To check for correct fit, you should be able to fit two fingers in the neck hole when being worn.
Swaddles should be firm across the torso whilst still allow for full chest expansion when breathing, as those little ribs are still very soft and bendy so an overly enthusiastic swaddle has the potential to be too tight across the chest.
The swaddle should be loose around the hips and legs, allowing them to flop outwards in a frog-like position while the baby sleeps. Tight swaddling across the hips that hold the legs together is thought to contribute to and increase risk of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).
Babies don’t regulate their body heat very well and rely on their coverings to keep them warm but not hot. Do not overdress a baby underneath their swaddle and never cover their head at sleep time (e.g. with a hat or beanie). Chose a TOG rated swaddle such as our Cocoon Swaddle Bag to avoid using loose blankets in baby's sleep space, as they are bulky and have the potential to overheat a baby or cause suffocation. Remove any other suffocation hazards such as toys or cot bumpers from the sleep space.
Swaddling needs to be secure, without any chance of fabric draping over the baby’s face.

You would choose a suitable TOG based on the temperature of the room your baby is sleeping in.

To take the guesswork out of dressing your little one for sleep, please check our room temperature and What to Wear Guide to help you decide the right TOG rating, and how to layer underneath

It is important that you choose the right size for your baby’s weight. Please do not be tempted to upsize, to get more wear out of the swaddle. You can follow our Size Guideto see what size will be best suited for your baby. If you are pregnant, we suggested buying one Newborn size, and one 0-3 months size.

We recommend that you start with at least two Cocoon Swaddle Bags, one to wear and one in the wash. A baby can be a messy creature with leaking nappies and spitting up milk! If you are tacking different room temperatures in the day, opt for two in each TOG rating

1. Open the Cocoon and lay on a low, flat surface
2. Lay your baby on top, and zip up from the bottom. You can choose to have their arms down at their side, or across their chest when you zip up based on sleeping preference.
3. To change their nappy, zip up from the bottom to release their legs and lower torso. You do not need to fully upzip the Cocoon, or release their arms, for this.
4. To transition to arms-out sleeping, open the arm-poppers at the shoulders before dressing your child in the Cocoon.
5. Sleep your child in their Cocoon Swaddle Bag with their feet touching the end of their bassinet or cot.

To comply with safety requirements, our Cocoon Swaddle Bags have a firm fit around the neck, shoulder and chest area to prevent your little one from slipping inside. A quick way to check if the neck is too tight is to see if you can put 2 fingers inside the neck opening. If you can, the fit is correct. If you are still uncomfortable with the opening being small, we suggest to undo the zipper about 1cm down with the zip cover still over the top.

Our swaddles are made from a stretchy fabric to allow for natural arm movement, but a baby won't be able to get their arms all the way up to the sides of their head in an ergoPouch Cocoon Swaddle Bag when in the 'arms-in' position. If your newborn baby prefers to sleep arms-out or hands-up by their face (i.e. not swaddled) – that’s OK! Simply open the arm poppers of the Cocoon Swaddle Bag to let their arms out. You can keep them like this, or dress them in a Butterfly Cardi over the top of their Cocoon Swaddle Bag if they still have a strong startle reflext, but like their hands positioned near their face during sleep. Not matter which you choose to have their arms, the Cocoon Swaddle Bag is still the warmest, safest solution for non-swaddled newborn babies during sleep.

It’s time to start training your baby on how to sleep with their arms out of the Cocoon Swaddle Bag when your baby begins to show signs of rolling from their back onto their front. We recommend releasing only one arm out first, this will give a baby time to become used to this new way of sleeping. Naturally, they will have a few disturbed sleeps however this is normal when transitioning a baby through anything new so try one arm out for a week or two, followed by the other arm.


If your baby isn’t adjusting, try adding ourButterfly Cardito aid the transition.

Not all babies like to sleep swaddled, and if your baby is fighting their Cocoon Swaddle Bag, it may be time to explore a different sleep style for them. Explore our recommended options below.

Arms-out swaddling.
It is perfectly safe to wear the Cocoon from birth, in the 'arms out' mode. Simply open the shoulder poppers and release their arms. They will still be warm and safe in their Cocoon for sleep. Note, that if your baby is around 8-12 weeks, transitioning to arms-out is a natural development progression at this time, coinciding with a fading startle reflex, and the rolling developmental milestone*.

Hands-up swaddling.
Some babes may find it more comfortable to sleep with their arms up near their face for comfort. If this sounds like your bub, release their arms using the shoulder poppers, and dress them in a Butterfly Cardi over the top of the Cocoon Swaddle Bag. Their hands will fit into the Butterfly Cardi's pockets, to hold their arms in a butterfly-like position. This allows your baby to have their hands near their face, but still comforts their startle reflex.

The Butterfly Cardi can also be used to aid the transition from a swaddled baby, to arms-out sleeping once they are showing signs of rolling.

Baby Tuck Sheet
If your baby does not like to wear the Cocoon, you can explore a Long Sleeve Layer + Baby Tuck Sheet combination. Dress your baby in one of our TOG-rated Layers, and use a TOG-rated Baby Tuck Sheet on their mattress for warmth on top. The Tuck Sheet is a TOG-rated mattrerss sleeve that provides warmth and security, but is safer than loose blankets.

*When your baby shows signs of rolling, please transition to arms-out sleeping for their safety.