You’ll see us at Love To Dream often talking about the Moro reflex. You may know this as the startle reflex.

The Moro reflex is an absolutely normal motor response the majority of babies experience. It is harmless and does not indicate any underlying problems.

When it is occurring, the baby’s arms and possibly legs will extend suddenly, and their head may jolt slightly backward. Imagine you are in a deep dream and you fall off a bike, and suddenly you are jerked awake; this is the same feeling your baby experiences. This can sometimes cause them to cry if they are unable to go straight back to sleep.

The Moro reflex is present from birth, and it lasts until roughly when your baby can roll over: around 3 - 6 months.

There are a few triggers that can cause the Moro reflex such as a loud noise, a movement like being picked up and put back down, or an intense change in light. It can also just happen while they are asleep if they move their head or arms suddenly.

Your baby is still getting used to the big wide world around them, and so they sometimes need some comfort when they are awoken or startled by the Moro reflex. This is where a swaddle can be beneficial!

Restricting your baby’s movement means that they cannot jolt and extend as hard as they may do otherwise. This keeps them relatively relaxed while being swaddled around the middle gives them the comforting feeling of being in the womb which can soothe them without parental intervention.

This is one of the reasons that swaddling has such a historical presence all around the world.