I think swaddling helps tremendously in the early stages! Babies have what's called the moro reflex (more commonly referred to as the startle reflex). If something startles your baby (a loud noise, her own cry, a sudden movement she makes, etc.), she is literally startled, and her arms and legs jerk backwards, giving her the sensation she is falling. Back when we were all babies, babies used to sleep on their bellies, which eliminated this feeling, and was comforting to them. Now that we are told to place babies to sleep on their backs, the swaddle helps them get through while they outgrow this reflex. Babies typically outgrow the moro reflex around 4 to 6 months of age. Unfortunately, many babies learn to roll around this time frame as well. As soon as your baby is rolling, they need to be unswaddled for safety reasons. Our daughter hated the typical DIY/receiving blanket swaddles and broke out of them. The swaddleme worked for awhile and kept her from breaking out, but she still grunted and made it clear she was not a fan. We noticed that she comfortably slept with her arms above her head, so it was no surprise that she loved this swaddle that keeps her arms up! We even used it again with our son, and he, too - loved it!