Okay, let’s talk about one of the hardest parts of baby sleep: the swaddle transition.
If your baby loved being swaddled like mine did, then you know what I mean when I say this stage was ROUGH. Around 4 months, our baby started showing signs of rolling, which meant we had to ditch the swaddle. But every time I laid him down after nursing and rocking him to sleep, his arms would fly up and boom, he would be wide awake. Every. Single. Time. My husband and I were frustrated and needed a solution.
We tried a bunch of things to help make the transition easier, including the Baby Merlin Magic Sleep Suit, the Zipadee-Zip, one arm in the swaddle and one arm out…and let me just say… not all sleep sacks are created equal. Here’s what worked for us, what didn’t, and my honest pros and cons of both.
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What We Started With: The Ollie Swaddle
We used the Ollie Swaddle from the beginning and absolutely loved it. It’s soft, secure, and makes those middle-of-the-night diaper changes super easy. Finding a swaddle that didn’t come up close to babies mouth was so difficult until we found the Ollie Swaddle!
However, once our baby started showing signs of rolling, we transitioned slowly using the “one arm in, one arm out” method with our baby.
That worked… until it didn’t.
Even with one arm out, the moment we’d lay him down, the startle reflex would kick in and wake him right back up. After a few sleepless nights, we knew we needed something else.
Trying the Baby Merlin Magic Sleep Suit
I had seen this all over Instagram and TikTok and figured maybe it was the magic we needed. It’s super padded and kind of looks like your baby is wearing a little snowsuit — the idea is that it muffles movement just enough to soothe that startle reflex without swaddling.
Here’s what I liked:
- It did offer a bit of resistance to movement
- It felt super cozy and warm (would probably be great for colder climates)
- Some naps were slightly longer
But here’s what didn’t work for us:
- It didn’t actually keep his arms down, so he could still rub his face — which woke him up often
- It’s really bulky — diaper changes were awkward and feeding in it felt clunky
- My baby runs warm and I was constantly stressed about overheating
Honestly, we didn’t stick with it long. I can totally see it working for some babies, but it just didn’t suit ours.
Shop the Baby Merlin Magic Sleep Suit
Then We Tried the Zipadee-Zip (And This Was the Game-Changer)
After more rough naps and wakeups, I said what the heck and ordered the Zipadee-Zip out of pure desperation. And I am so glad that I did!!
The Zipadee-Zip gives a little bit of resistance in the arms thanks to the starfish shape, but it’s still loose enough for safe sleep. It gave our baby just enough of that “snuggled” feeling without being tight or hot.
Here’s why we loved it:
- It gently limited his arm movement without being restrictive
- His hands were covered so he wasn’t scratching or rubbing his face (this was what caused most of his wake-ups!)
- It’s super lightweight
- We noticed a real improvement in sleep within just a few days
This is the exact one we used (true to size) and we stuck with it for weeks. It was the one thing that actually helped us get through this transition.
Our Transition Timeline
Just to keep it real: this wasn’t an overnight fix. Honestly, it took us a good month and a half to do a full transition from the swaddle to the sleep sack. It was lots of trial and error, and honestly, just a really hard phase. What helped was easing into it:
- We started with just one nap a day in the new setup
- Then worked our way up to all naps
- Then did nighttime sleep
We always used white noise, a pacifier, and a dark room, those sleep cues stayed the same throughout.
Quick Pros & Cons Breakdown (my personal experience)
| Feature | Baby Merlin Magic Sleep Suit | Zipadee-Zip |
|---|---|---|
| Suppresses startle reflex | A little | Yes, gently |
| Arm freedom | Arms out | Arms inside with light resistance |
| Face rubbing | Still happened | Prevented it (hands covered) |
| Ease of use | Bulky, harder for diaper changes | Super easy, zipper front |
| Warmth | Very warm (better for cold sleepers) | Lightweight and breathable |
| Our baby’s reaction | Still startled awake + got too warm | Slept better within a few days |
| Would I recommend? | Didn’t personally work for us but could be worth trying for other babies! | Yes, this is what actually worked for us |
Woolino Merino Wool Sleep Sack
Once we were fully out of the swaddle stage and our baby no longer needed that snug starfish shape, we transitioned him into the Woolino Merino Wool sleep sack and it’s been amazing.
I wanted something that was breathable, worked year-round (because I did not want to keep buying different TOGs), and that I felt good about using nightly. The Woolino checks every box.
Why we love it:
- It’s made with super soft merino wool and regulates temperature naturally
- It works for both warm and cool nights, no switching between multiple sacks
- The zipper makes middle-of-the-night diaper changes easy
- It’s roomy enough for our baby to move freely, which has been great as he started rolling and crawling
- Bonus, it even has a hole in the bottom to slide the car seat buckle through so if they’re sleeping and you have to move them, it’s a smooth transition!
Yes, it’s a bit of an investment, but since it’s designed to last from 2 months to 2 years, we feel like it’s totally worth it. We use it every single night now.
Shop the Woolino Merino Wool Sleep Sack
Final Thoughts
If your baby is struggling to sleep without the swaddle and still dealing with that intense startle reflex, I highly recommend trying the Zipadee-Zip. It gave our baby just enough cozy comfort to help him settle without fully transitioning to a sleep sack.
That said, every baby is different. The Merlin might be perfect for yours! I just wish I’d known how different they really feel, and how important it is to find the right fit for your baby’s sleep needs.
Hang in there, mama. The swaddle transition is tough, but you’ll both get through it (with maybe a little help from the right sleep sack).
Shop Our Sleep Favorites
Zipadee-Zip – What finally helped us sleep, thank God!!
Ollie Swaddle – Our favorite for the newborn stage. We had a hard time finding one that didn’t continue to ride up by their mouth and loved how low this one was!
Baby Merlin Magic Sleep Suit – Worth a try if your baby doesn’t run hot and I’ve heard other moms rave about it!
Woolino Merlino Wool Sleep Sack – this is the sleep sack we transitioned to eventually and absolutely love it!
