Still no blankets? Side sleeping?

jaysgirljulie · August 2010

Ryan is 5 1/2 months now and I have noticed when we're out and he's in his carseat, he graps the blanket when he's tired and he rubs it all over his face and falls right asleep! (sometimes, when I'm lucky!) Is he still to little to sleep with a blanket? I think he would really like it but safety first of course. What if it's one of those aden&anias ones that are very light and breathable? Or maybe one that was knitted for him that has lots of venting?

Also he's been rolling over both ways for awhile now and now he's starting to sleep on his side. I've been putting him on his back when I see it but is it safe to leave him since he seems comfy?

MauiWedding08 · August 2010

I haven't been able to keep Jack on his back since 4 months or so

I still don't let him sleep with a blanket, although I am sure it would *probably* be safe I'm just not comfortable with it so I'm interested in hearing the answers.

Jack does the same thing - he is constantly grabbing a burp cloth or small aden + anais lovey and rubbing it against his face as he falls asleep - he does the same thing if he has a long sleeve shirt on - he pulls it over his hand and rubs the material on his cheek.

At daycare they sometimes let him keep holding on to it because he was waking up when they put him down (they rock him to sleep) if they tried to grab it. They say he usually just puts it under his head and they usually go back and grab it after he has been in there 15 mins or so.

redshoegirl · August 2010

OK, I'm probably going to get flamed/judged for this (and I probably deserve it lol!), but...

We use blankets with our guys all.the.time. It's winter here, and, as I've mentioned before, most houses in Australia (including ours) don't have central heat. It's below freezing on many nights, and the space heater in their room often just isn't enough.

So for the last couple of months, we'd put a blanket on top of their swaddle - folded out enough that we could tuck it all the way under their bodies, like a wrap. Even now that their arms are free, we still tuck a blanket around and under them if it's a cold night. They've kicked them off a handfull of times, and grabbed them and shifted them with their hands, but we've never had any problems with them pulling them over their faces, etc. - I think that because it's tucked under their bodies, it's very difficult for them to actually pull it over their faces, although they like grabbing and feeling them.

*zips up fire-proof suit and waits for flaming*

Anyway, could you tuck it around his body a little to keep him from yanking it completely over his head (leaving one corner free that he can *just* pull up to his face to rub his cheek on), or does he move too much for that? Or just give him a little lovey square of cloth?

lola808 · August 2010

I would not advise a blanket. Adrian likes tummy time and loves to roll around on the floor, so I put him on a blanket to keep clean. Well, just recently, he started at one end, grabbed and nuzzled the blankie to his face, then started rolling. Next thing I know, my little guy is wrapped up like a burrito from head to toe! Thank goodness I was right there to unwrap him... he only knows how to roll one way and would have never escaped that thing.

I would consider giving Ryan one of those small burp cloths or a small security blanket, but not anything large enough to accidentally wrap around his head.

Re: sleep, I put A down on his back, but inevitably, he rolls to his side, then onto his tummy. I let him be because repositioning is his way of soothing himself during the nighttime. He seems mobile enough now that I trust he can wiggle around if his airway becomes compromised.

redshoegirl · August 2010

Oh, and I forgot to mention - I wouldn't bother repositioning him when he rolls onto his side. Like lola said, it's his way of soothing and getting comfy at night. At 5.5 months he should be old enough to shift around so he can breathe without a problem, assuming he's not tightly swaddled. Smile

Married2MrWright · August 2010

Libby's been sleeping with a blanket since she was about 12 weeks old. It's a lightweight, woven cotton blanket. It's an open weave and "breathable." That said, it has ended up on her face once or twice and she cries when it happened. She actually pulled it up over her face herself and then couldn't figure out how to get it off. She sleeps with us, so I was right there to remove it. I've also taught her how to do it now so it's not been an issue. She also uses it when she naps in her crib...it's her "nightie blanky" and she associates sleep with it.

I tried sleep sacks but the zippers poked Libby in the face and we didn't like them.

I'm sure there are those who argue that i'm putting Libby at risk by bed sharing and letting her sleep with a blanket, but I feel that she is safe and I am right there should anything arise.

She sleeps on her side most nights and will roll onto her back too and more recently, onto her tummy....she can push up and move her head easily, so I don't stress about it.

mrspresley · August 2010

don't worry about the side sleeping... as soon as miss A was able to roll she was on her tummy to sleep no matter how many times i put her down on her back. she tummy slept for months and then now recently show rolls every which way while she is sleeping and sometimes sleeps on her back, sometimes side, sometimes tummy...she is equally opportunity now

for blankets, i never felt comfortable putting any blanket near her until i saw that she was developmentally able to pull a bib off her face. i'd put her on her back and flip the bib up and over her face to see how she'd react. when she was younger she'd just lay there and i could tell she didn't like it, but she didn't know how to reach up and move it. then one time i tried it and she took her hand and pulled it back down. after that, i felt better about giving her a little blankie in the crib. it's one of those small ones that is maybe 6" square and i know she can't suffocate on it but i was still paranoid and didn't want to put it in there w/her until i felt she could move it out of the way. now she seems to like lay her head on it while she is sleeping

i think that since ryan likes to rub his face on it and you aren't needing something for warmth, i'd try using a small blankie like this.

inamra · August 2010

Married2MrWright:
I'm sure there are those who argue that i'm putting Libby at risk by bed sharing and letting her sleep with a blanket, but I feel that she is safe and I am right there should anything arise.

We had a thin blanket when we co-slept too (we unswaddled him early...like at 6 weeks because he started to cry bloody murder whenever he was swaddled for two nights in a row and then when we removed the swaddle, he slept 5-6 hours...so we needed something to keep him warm at night). Like you, I also felt like he was safe because MH and I were right there. Now he's in his crib in our room, but his crib is right next to my side of the bed. I started using a sleep sack now though, but we'll still sometimes use a blanket and we always use one for naps.

redshoegirl:
So for the last couple of months, we'd put a blanket on top of their swaddle - folded out enough that we could tuck it all the way under their bodies, like a wrap. Even now that their arms are free, we still tuck a blanket around and under them if it's a cold night. They've kicked them off a handfull of times, and grabbed them and shifted them with their hands, but we've never had any problems with them pulling them over their faces, etc. - I think that because it's tucked under their bodies, it's very difficult for them to actually pull it over their faces, although they like grabbing and feeling them.

THIS is exactly what we do when we use a blanket--the tuck-under like a wrap thing. And he's never pulled it over his face, but kicked it off all the time. He never even grabs it when he's sleeping. He only likes rubbing his blanket against his face when he has it with him in the carseat.

MrsZiz · August 2010

Once Bella started rolling on her own, I'd put her down on her back and then once she'd roll around in her sleep, I'd leave her alone. I did try to move her several times and she'd wake up and be up for hours!

As for the blanket, we did let her start sleeping with a small lightweight receiving blanket that was crocheted= lots of holes in it. She loved to snuggle it by her face. I think it was comforting to her. We never had any issues with her rolling it around her face or her body. I think we started this around 6 months. She was pretty mobile by then.

MauiWedding08 · August 2010

I use to do the blanket tuck, but Jack is just too mobile now. he often wakes up with his feet where his head was, he crawls towards me in his sleep, etc. So I think I will stay away from blankets for now - even though he is good at removing them I think he could easily get tangled and I'm not sure he would know how to get out - even though I'm sure he would start to fuss. For now I just let him play with the a thin burp cloth (actually a gerber flat diaper) while falling asleep and then remove it after he is out.

We do like sleep sacks, but this isn't a warmth thing

lelekay · August 2010

I don't know about blankets or not, but I can say that Henry has slept on his side since the day he came home from the hospital. I always put him on his back, but he manages to get to his side, even this little. His pedi says it's fine, and not to worry about it.

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