When can you put a loose blanket in a crib

schenkertobe

My LO has a blanket that he just loves. When he is on the couch with me he cuddles up with it and falls asleep. I think he would sleep so much better in his crib if he had the blanket with him. He is 6 months old now. When is it safe to put a loose blanket in the crib?

sugarbear0524

I cover DS with a blanket up to his waist, and tuck it in tightly under the sides of the mattress.  That way, he's covered up, but can't get to his mouth and nose.

azzyberry

At least 12 months old is the recommendation.

SweetTea0212

ms ds is almost 6months and he uses a blanket, he pretty much has always used one bkz after week 2 of being home he hated being swaddled. He loves loves to lay with his face covered up, it scares me but I cant keep him from doing it, but once he falls alseep I move the blanket down and it stays away from his face. He just loves to sleep snuggled up to his blanket. So I would say at 6months is safe to use, Hope this helps

AZ123

DS1 slept with a blanket like this only is was a handmade knitted one so I always knew he could get air through it. One morning, after he was over 1 year, I came into his room in the morning and he had it wrapped around and around his head! I freaked out but he was fine. I think if you put them to bed with it and then take it away maybe? you could lay it under him so that he snuggles just a corner but can't pull the whole thing over him.

queensteph17

AZ123:

DS1 slept with a blanket like this only is was a handmade knitted one so I always knew he could get air through it. One morning, after he was over 1 year, I came into his room in the morning and he had it wrapped around and around his head! I freaked out but he was fine. I think if you put them to bed with it and then take it away maybe? you could lay it under him so that he snuggles just a corner but can't pull the whole thing over him.

 

This. The one I use- she couldn't suffocate if she tried!

kiley&matt

I know this isn't recommended, but I've been allowing DS to sleep with his fuzzy blanket for about 4 months now.  It's made all the difference in the world!  He sleeps so much better and falls asleep on his own, whereas before, I'd have to rock/bounce him to sleep and then try to lay him down, and he'd wake up right away and cry.  He loves the feeling of the blanket against his cheek, so I usually tuck it under his cheek on one side, and under his chin.  He snuggles right up to it and closes his eyes immediately.  I used to worry about it a lot, because he tends to pull it up over his face, but then I realized that the blanket is thin enough to breathe through and it's not like no air can get to him - he's not wrapped in a plastic bag, it's just a blanket.  Anyway - I say do what works for you.  He'll be fine, and will probably sleep a lot better!

cindydee

sugarbear0524:

I cover DS with a blanket up to his waist, and tuck it in tightly under the sides of the mattress.  That way, he's covered up, but can't get to his mouth and nose.

i also do this

mcginnie86

Just a thought - if you have one of those monitors that detects breathing (angelcare?), in theory, it should go off if he pulls the blanket over his face, right? 

anakah

I've been putting my LOs to bed swaddle with a blanket over them since we came home.  They were too small for the sleepsacks that we had and we have angelcare monitors so we'll know if they stop breathing.  We've never actually had any problems with them pulling the blankets over their heads though when they break out of their swaddle.

rickandcaitlin

We let LO sleep with a blanket for about 2 months. I let him fall asleep with it (he likes to pull it up by his face and suck on it) and then after he is asleep I pull it down and tuck it in around his waist.

schenkertobe

queensteph17:

AZ123:

DS1 slept with a blanket like this only is was a handmade knitted one so I always knew he could get air through it. One morning, after he was over 1 year, I came into his room in the morning and he had it wrapped around and around his head! I freaked out but he was fine. I think if you put them to bed with it and then take it away maybe? you could lay it under him so that he snuggles just a corner but can't pull the whole thing over him.

 

This. The one I use- she couldn't suffocate if she tried!

I wish he fell in love with a knit one. I have beautiful handmade knit blankets and little giraffe blankets for him, but he fell in love with a $10 carters blanket that we got as a gift somewhere along the way.  

schenkertobe

mcginnie86:

Just a thought - if you have one of those monitors that detects breathing (angelcare?), in theory, it should go off if he pulls the blanket over his face, right? 

 

I do have an AngelCare monitor, but it would only go off once he stops breathing! 

grace782

I put DS down with a loose blanket, like PPs, he loves to smoosh it into his face. I do remove it before I go to bed - he's been asleep for a while by then and doesn't notice, and I keep an eye on him when he does have the blanket.

Oh, and the blanket he sleeps with is an Aden & Anais swaddler - so light that I'm pretty sure he can breathe through it fine, but I still don't let him sleep with it without being close by.

PartiallySunny

schenkertobe:

queensteph17:

AZ123:

DS1 slept with a blanket like this only is was a handmade knitted one so I always knew he could get air through it. One morning, after he was over 1 year, I came into his room in the morning and he had it wrapped around and around his head! I freaked out but he was fine. I think if you put them to bed with it and then take it away maybe? you could lay it under him so that he snuggles just a corner but can't pull the whole thing over him.

 

This. The one I use- she couldn't suffocate if she tried!

I wish he fell in love with a knit one. I have beautiful handmade knit blankets and little giraffe blankets for him, but he fell in love with a $10 carters blanket that we got as a gift somewhere along the way.  

lol, of course. We also use a knitted blanket.

kathrnn

I used to drape a loose blanket over my daughter's lower half while she napped, but that was when she still had on mittens, so there was no way of her grabbing or pulling at it. She's started pulling blankets to her mouth to chew on them, but sleeps with her arms up over her head at night, so I'm still debating whether or not to give her one now. :-S

mmkaye

I gave up taking ds's frog lovey blanket thing away at night.  He sleeps much better if it is touching the side of his face.  He even sucks on it gag.  It makes me nervous and I try to tuck it down and move the frog head part away from his face as much as I can.  He just has to have something touching his face. 

At least since he isn't rolling yet, I can keep him swaddled.  The nights I have tried just letting him be in a loose blanket, he covers his entire head.  I am going to do sleep sacks once we break the swaddle because he just makes me nervous.

smitt2619

Although the SIDS risk starts to go down at 6mo, the recommendation is to wait until at least 1yo.  Until that point, it's best to use sleepsacks.  We use and love the Halo ones.