Ok this may seem like a ridiculous questions but.... Our little one just turned two (so not an infant but didn't know where else to post this one!). So far she's only ever slept in sleepsacks (wearable blankets). We'd like to transition her to a sheet and blanket now in her crib as a step to getting her into a big girl bed (which we are choosing not to do until this fall when we move into our new home). Last night I tucked a blanket in firmly all the way around three sides of her mattress, and showed her how she was going to get to sleep like a big girl - like mommy. She was fine with it - didn't fuss at all... but within 30 minutes of falling asleep she had kicked the blanket off, and was laying diagonally across it. I grabbed another light blanket and put that on her. A few hours later when I checked - same thing. I then covered her with the original blanket (which was in a pile at the bottom of the bed). By the time I got back to my room and checked the video monitor it was already off! How do you get a little one used to covers and sheets??
K.,
keep in mind that it is June and hot and humid often means we, adults, don't like to have covers on. this is probably a combination of age and adjustment and time of year. my daughter is 3.5 and does fine in the winter but won't even start to be covered lately because she is too hot.
If yoy find her shivering in her sleep, put a blanket on but just leaving on available to her might be the only option for now.
LOL! Some kids you CAN'T keep a cover on. Mine is one of them. When we transitioned from sleepsacks, we just had to dress him knowing he wouldn't keep a blanket on. In fact, we quit even putting a blanket in there with him. If it's cold, I'd dress my son in a warm sleeper pj, or use a lighter pj if it was warmer. Diaper and a t-shirt when it was pretty hot. when he was potty training, I put him in a shirt and jammie pants so he could still go potty easily in the morning or right beofre bed. You just can't keep a cover on my kiddo. Sounds like you won't be able to keep one on your either, so I say just save yourself the trouble and put him in the right layer(s) of clothes or pajamas for the temp and call it good. (P.S. I never liked the top sheets on a child's bed. I can remember getting pretty badly tangled up in them when I was a kid.)
Simple answer K.....you don't :) If they get cold, they will either cry/wake up or figure out how to cover themselves back up. We actually did "dry runs" of reaching down and pulling the cover back over themselves. It takes a while, but eventually they get it :)
We still have a sleepsack for my son who just turned three--it's great because it helps him feel cozy in bed even when we're away from home or on vacation. I think he sleeps better with the sleepsack on because he can move freely and stays warm at the same time. We have ordered the Kindersacks from Passport Baby, which come in sizes that fit up to 6 years--we just ordered him a summer version of the size that fits ages 3 to 6.
When my children went from sleeping with sleep sack to regular pajama's I made sure that they were heavy enough to keep them warm without the blankets. Once they were old enough to wear thinner Pj's they soon learned how to keep the blanket in place while they sleep. If she is cold enough she will keep the blanket on. If she is sleeping she sounds like she is comfortable enough without the blanket on. Have faith.. with a little practice she will sleep with the blanket. I used to love the heavy pj's with feet in them. My kids slept on top of the there blankets for quite awhile without a problem since the pj's kept them warm. She will let you know when it is time to worry about keeping a blanket on top of them for warm. They are smarter then we think they are.
Hi K.- I'd just leave her in a sleep-sack if you think she'll be cold in her pj's... otherwise put her in warmer pjs. My 2year old moves around so much that, even though we put on her blanket each night, it doesnt ever stay there. I'm hoping they grow out of the tossing and turning and spinning around in bed sometime soon! haha -We just tried to transition to a toddler bed and she spun herself out of it! So even if you're waiting till fall, be careful of those toddler beds and their tiny rails- we still needed to add a fold down one or something so there is no space at all to roll out! (Sorry, I know that's not what you asked, but I thought I'd add my two cents since I didn't know that part till last night, and I figure If your little one rolls out of covers like mine, then she'd probably roll off the bed like mine!)
Anyway, Best of luck- and Congrats on the new house!
My daughter refuses to cover up with a blanket to. Actually, she usually takes her pajama gown off in the night (after we're sleeping) and sleeps in her underwear!!! She just turned 4. I cover her up if I wake up to go to the bathroom or something but otherwise, she sleeps fine like that too.
If she's not waking up in the middle of the night (because she's cold), I wouldn't worry about it. Just put her in feet pajamas if you think it's too cold. Kids are tougher than we are. Just go with the flow. Good luck.
I've had the same experience as Tanya. I don't think this has anything to do with your daughter using a sleepsack up to this point. My son (18 months) does not keep a blanket on either, never has. He won't even let me cover him up when I put him in his crib. I keep a small blanket in his crib "just in case" and dress him appropriately for the temperature, otherwise I don't worry about it. People sleep best when the temperature is a little cooler, anyway. I have found in my own experience that if for some reason the room is really cold or really hot, I will wake up. So if she is sleeping soundly I wouldn't worry.
On cold nights use the blanket footie pjs. It will keep her warm even if she kicks the blankets off. During the summer, use pj's not night gowns and you can put clean socks on her if needed. It probably isn't cold and that is why she is kicking the blankets off. She will learn to pull them up on her if she does get cold. My granddaughter still doesn't sleep with blankets on her for most nights during the summer, but last night it was cool enough she pulled them up on her herself and she is 2 also.
Here's what we're doing with our 2 year-old. He's not quite ready (maturity-wise) for a toddler bed, but he had clearly outgrown the sleepsacks. But we didn't want to use a pillow and blanket in the crib because with the side rails, there's always still a chance they would get bunched up around his face or tangle him up when he flails around at night.(Unlike a toddler bed, where the stuff would just fall over the side.) We bought a Blankeaze from One Step Ahead, which is like a sleep sack, but has legs. This way he can still walk and play around in his cib, but it covers him all night. The zipper is in the back, eliminating that pesky stripping (and then peeing!) in bed. It can go over footie PJs, or something lighter--but since the feet are open I would just use socks then.
What I like about this is that I can use the novelty of a new pillow and blanket as an added incentive for him to stay in bed when we finally do transition to a toddler or twin bed. Good luck!
You don't. Put them to bed wearing clothing that is warm enough to keep them comfortable through the night. Put the blanket on so they know it should be there. Then accept that it will be wadded up or on the floor. Eventually their sleep will settle enough. My 3.5 year old still ends up without hers, but my 6 year old keeps his for most of the night. Don't worry about it - if she's cold, she'll let you know, but she's probably OK without the blanket.
Our kids don't relaly cover up. They may start that way but they don't stay. They tend to adapt to their environtment and so they don't always need the blanket. I wouldn't worry about letting her sleep without being covered. You can cover her to begin with but don't worry after that unless she wakes up chilled.
My son is 4 and has never really used his blankets. We put an extra heater in his room during the winter and just make sure he is dressed warm. He does cover up if he wakes up and is cold, but most of the time he says he is too warm. My daughter is 18 months and we have never used a sleepsack, just a onsie, a tight fitting PJ and a footie PJ. I would have your daughter dressed warm, put her to bed with the blanket and then not worry about if it stays on. She will at least get used to having the blanket in bed with her.
Ditto on what's been said. They will cry or cover up if they get cold. If I think they will not be warm enough, I just dress them in warmer pajamas.
