Sleep and Your Baby: 10 Common Questions Answered

"I don't recommend that babies sleep with hats at home unless they are small for gestational age, premature, or are struggling with weight gain," Dr. Jacobson says in response to the first part of this common question.

So what about swaddling? "Swaddling means different things to different people. In general, babies should wear one more layer of clothing than their parents. If, by swaddling, you mean wrapping tight, then think of swaddling as a comfort measure for the newborn and young infant. Parents should abandon it, when it no longer comforts the infant." Dr. Jacobson also suggests that in the first few weeks of life with a full-term child, parents might swaddle the baby below his or her arms, leaving the arms and hands free.