Moro Reflex 101: Understanding Your Baby's Startle Reflex

If you’ve ever seen your newborn suddenly fling their arms out wide as if they’re falling, you’ve witnessed the Moro reflex, better known as the startle reflex. It’s a completely normal, protective reflex that all babies are born with. The reflex is triggered by sudden movements or changes in position, and while it usually starts to fade around 3 months, it can stick around until about 6 months.

The startle reflex is a sign of a healthy nervous system, but it can also be a sleep disrupter. (If your baby has ever startled themselves awake just as you finally sat down with your already reheated coffee, you know what I mean 😉). 

That’s where swaddling comes in. A snug swaddle helps calm the startle by keeping baby’s arms tucked in and recreating the cozy, contained feeling of the womb. But once it’s time to stop swaddling (we’ll cover this in our next blog!), the question becomes: now what?

Enter our Transition Sleep Sack 🍑. Designed to gently take the place of the swaddle, it blunts the startle reflex just enough to help babies stay peacefully asleep, without restricting their movement. It’s the perfect next step for that in-between stage when swaddling is no longer safe, but the startle reflex hasn’t quite disappeared yet.

And of course, whether swaddling or using a transitional item, always follow the safe sleep guidelines recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll share when and why to stop swaddling. Questions, comments? Post them below!