Crawling Out From Under Beddiing - Waking Up Cold?

[Roxybond]

My 11mth old DS is extremely active (crawling everywhere, standing up, holding onto things when walking etc) and as a result is quite active in bed. Once I tuck him in, he automatically inches forward until his top half is out from under the blankets.

When he wakes in the night, he's completely out from under the blankets and up the other end of the cot, completely uncovered.

I'm wondering whether he wakes because he's cold because of this or because he's hungry (see my other posts on this in bottlefeeding section - I'm trying to drop the night feed). He doesn't feel cold but for every sleep, day or night, he never stays where I put him under the covers. Conversely, when it's hot, he's slept entirely uncovered and will happily sleep undisturbed for 2hrs or more after crawling out from under them the second I lay him down.

Is this just an age/development related thing or could it be contributing to his night waking?

Thank you:)

[~Temet Nosce~]

Try a sleepbag or sleepsuit, then he won't get cold (and won't need as many blankets either, if at all)

[kar]

Sleeping bag for sure, f goes crazy in his cot but is always snug in his bag

[Roxybond]

Thanks but I just weaned him off his sleeping bag a couple of weeks ago and he did this when he was in his sleeping bag too so that didn't make any difference. At least he wasn't cold true, but it made no difference to his night waking or moving around in the cot.

Now he can stand up in his cot and having him in a sleeping bag may interfere with this.

Do your bubs stand up in their sleeping bag ok?

How long do you sleep them with a sleeping bag before progressing to just blankets?

He knows that a sleeping bag is part of his sleep association but he transitioned to no sleeping bag really well and I can't say that there's been any negative change as a result of not having a sleeping bag. It's also easier at daycare (although they're more than happy to put him in a sleeping bag.

[kar]

well if he was doing the same thing in a bag and wasn't cold i wouldn't think being cold is the issue.

f never stays still in his cot - is always in a different position every time i check on him and we slept in the same room for a week last week and he moves around all bloody night, but he either doesn't wake or he resettles himself with minimal fuss. it sounds like he just doesn't know how to settle himself back when he wakes up - my understanding is that most babies wake and resettle multiple times a night, the issue is whether they can resettle unassisted.

he can definitely stand in his cot in the bag, no issue there - last week he would just stand in his cot saying "mum mum mum" until i relented and opened an eye. he is standing every time he wakes from a nap or night sleep. i will be leaving him in sleeping bag for as long as possible - is a great take anywhere sleep association, don't need to worry about blankets and when it is really hot he can sleep without it anyway.

[Tam-I-Am]

I'd put him back in the sleeping bag if you feel he's getting cold. If it makes no difference to his sleeping patterns, then this is a stage that he'll grow out of, and there's not a lot that you can do until then. But at least he can be warm at night while he's growing out of it.

And yes, my bub (20 months old) can stand, even walk, fine in his bag. Of course it's a little more difficult, but not so much that he can't do it at all.

[Roxybond]

Thanks Kar, he can resettle himself so it's not this either (I heard him wake this morning at 5.30am then go back to sleep then again at 6.00am then go back to sleep) then I had to wake him at 7.30am!!

Agree, Tam-I-Am, I think I'll put the sleeping bag back into action and see what happens. I know he loved it and I really don't think he's cold. I think he's got a lot going on developmentally at the moment and he's just started daycare 3 days a week so he's a bit out of sync. This will be good reassurance for him til he's more comfortable.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

[bondbaby]

My 4 month old is doing the same thing (not standing though). She inches herself up to the head of the cot by digging her heels into the mattress and pushing herself up. Its frustrating but the only thing that has helped for me is to rug her up a little more for night time as well as tucking her in tightly. We dont use a wrap or sleeping bag either because she hates it. But i keep persisting with moving her back down and tucking her in each time i go to her at night. I think she is slowly getting the message because in the last 2 weeks or so, i havent been finding her out of her blankets all that often. There isnt a lot you can do except for persistence.

[~Temet Nosce~]

There are sleepsuits as well, I use one for my dd. They have legs so they don't restrict movement. They go up to a size 6 too so can be used for older kids.

[Roxybond]

Thanks Kar, he can resettle himself so it's not this either (I heard him wake this morning at 5.30am then go back to sleep then again at 6.00am then go back to sleep) then I had to wake him at 7.30am!!

Agree, Tam-I-Am, I think I'll put the sleeping bag back into action and see what happens. I know he loved it and I really don't think he's cold. I think he's got a lot going on developmentally at the moment and he's just started daycare 3 days a week so he's a bit out of sync. This will be good reassurance for him til he's more comfortable.

Thanks again. Much appreciated.
Just a quick update on this from last night. I put DS back in his sleeping bag last night & he slept from 8pm til 6.30am this morning without waking - awesome!!!!

I don't know whether it was a fluke or because of his sleeping bag or because he was tired from daycare, but I'm persisting with his sleeping bag overnight now for sure!!!!

Now that I've said it, we'll probably return to wakeful nights !! Argh, these babies change constantly!!!!..........

[Urban Tumbleweed]

How has he gone the last few nights? :)

[Roxybond]

Thanks so much for asking, I was going to post an update.

I put him back in his sleeping bag and we had 2 brilliant nights, where he slept from 8pm - 7am without waking at all - awesome!!

However, now he's got a cold so that's thrown everything out of whack again. He's still in his sleeping so is sleeping well but is waking at night because he's so blocked up he can't breathe or feed properly. He's sneezing & coughing too the poor little thing. Friday night was so terrible, I was up so many times with him that in the end, I brought him into bed with us where he slept for 8hrs without waking (something I said I'd never do...). I'm using Fess Little Noses & panadol to help him & have elevated his cot which seems to have made a huge difference. It's just awful to watch him looking so tired and run down. Hopefully, once he's over this cold, we'll be back on track.

Thanks so much for asking, really appreciate it!!

[Urban Tumbleweed]

Aww I hope he gets over his cold soon, poor little mite :( My sister was recommended some baby's Dimetapp or something like that from the chemist when her little one got sick. It worked really well for her DS.

Hopefully when he's feeling better he will start sleeping all night again! Fingers crossed for you.

Goodluck with it all :)

[Roxybond]

Thanks MeeskaMooska, he's getting better everyday. He's pretty happy & hardly sneezes or coughs now and his runny nose is much less runny too.

Had heard about the baby Dimetapp and will look into that but I think he's really doing quite well without much medicine.

Thanks again, really appreciate your interest and concern:)