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Original poster

18 month old Grobag escapologist

25 replies

Annajohnsdottir · 10/10/2018 14:53

Can anyone offer any advice on what my 18 month old DS can use to keep warm in bed, please?

He's slept in a Grobag since he was 3 months old (except during the heatwave) but has been escaping them every night for the last week and disturbing his sleep because he's getting cold. It's never happened before now though. He is very wriggly and rolls around a lot which is why he's been in the bags up until now as he'd never stay under a quilt.

We'd planned to move him into a big bed some time after his second birthday and I was hoping he'd stay in bags until then. Maybe not! Confused

OP posts:
INeedNewShoes · 10/10/2018 14:55

Which fastening do the bags have? The type with poppers on the shoulders or the type with no poppers but a zip down the front?

mamalovebird · 10/10/2018 15:00

My DS was a wriggler and hated the sleeping bags. I put him in pyjamas and a fleecey sleepsuit over them with a blanket - the blanket would always end up off but he was warm enough in his sleepsuit not to wake up.

When we moved him to a single bed, I turned the duvet sideways and tucked it under the mattress on both sides, much like a sleeping bag type of effect - stopped him falling out of bed too.

Original poster
Annajohnsdottir · 10/10/2018 15:02

He's got both and escaped both. Admittedly he shimmies out of the popper on the shoulder bags faster than the zip down the front bags. He manages to slip his arms out somehow. Sometimes it's obvious as he's undone the poppers, other times they're still done up. He's never managed to undo a zip though.

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Blossom567 · 10/10/2018 15:03

Turn the sleeping bag round, so the zip is up his back. We got another year out of our bags by doing this!!

Original poster
Annajohnsdottir · 10/10/2018 15:05

mamalovebird, that's a good idea about a fleece sleep suit and turning a quilt sideways to contain him later Smile I thought our only option to stop him falling out would be one of those clip-on bed guards.

OP posts:
LadyMonicaBaddingham · 10/10/2018 15:06

I had to adjust a grobag so my youngest DS could wear it back to front; he was a terror for escaping from them too! I feel for you Flowers

Original poster
Annajohnsdottir · 10/10/2018 15:09

I didn't think to turn the bag around! Thanks guys! I'll give that one a go tonight!

OP posts:
fizzandchips · 11/10/2018 07:51

Zip at the back

randomsabreuse · 11/10/2018 07:57

I put a couple of stitches in the arm holes of grobags to make them less easy to get arms out.

BlackInk · 11/10/2018 10:19

Maybe he feels constricted by the sleeping bags so is wriggling out to get more comfortable?

I think really they're designed for smaller babies who aren't very mobile and at 18 months your DS is a toddler. (I know you can buy them in large sizes.)

I would move on to blankets/duvet and ditch the bag. I'm sure he's capable of pulling up his covers to get cosy if he wakes feeling chilly.

JasperRising · 11/10/2018 11:00

Not an escapologist as such but a toddler who hates being constructed by grobags and always ends up on top of blankets. We've ended up getting leggings so we have multiple layering options of leggings/vest/pjs/sleepsuit depending on temperature. He also hates footed sleepsuits (sigh) so has to sleep in socks.

0neangrydwarf · 11/10/2018 11:06

Switch to thin duvet/blankets and a onesie? Even now my 4yo wears onesies with feet in winter as he always ends up on top of the covers.

Chinks123 · 11/10/2018 11:14

My dd was an escapologist aswell, not just of grobags but sleepsuits too..she’d then take her nappy off and sling it over the cot Hmm Definitely try just turning the bag round, it worked for us as she couldn’t teach the poppers/zip.

PennyMordauntsLadyBrain · 11/10/2018 11:20

Jojo have a sleeping bag with arms and legs which just looks like a very thick onesie - I’m looking at getting one for dd this winter

mommybear1 · 11/10/2018 11:23

Hi OP mine was the same only got him to 3 months! I have for Slumbersac with feet they are great no escaping and he can kick away freely to his hearts content.

Clutterbugsmum · 11/10/2018 11:24

Turning won’t work. My ds used manage to stand up then walk down his cot until the popper on the shoulders undid.
The only thing that worked was to put him in thicker pjs.

IDoLoveToBeBesideTheSeaside · 11/10/2018 11:24

I put mine in them back to front, with zip up the back.

Dontfeellikeamillenial · 11/10/2018 13:08

Zips up the back etc works with coats too. Unless your DS has already reached that stage and you've figured that one out.

Dontfeellikeamillenial · 11/10/2018 13:08

My ds used manage to stand up then walk down his cot until the popper on the shoulders undid.
^

Annoying but Grin

Original poster
Annajohnsdottir · 11/10/2018 13:25

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help. It's very much appreciated Smile

I did try turning the bag around last night but the little stinker still escaped. I thought he might though! Grin I used a zipped bag but he still managed to wriggle his arms out and then slide it down over his legs lol.

BlackInk He does have a lot of room in the Grobags as it's the largest size they do but he could well be escaping for increased comfort. I hadn't considered that side of it until you mentioned it, so thank you. He is starting to show preferences more and more recently so maybe he's done with sleeping in bags?

Clutterbugsmum They're so crafty, aren't they!? I wonder if my DS has been doing that too with his popper bags?

To everyone suggesting switching to a blankets or quilts, I will give it a go tonight. Luckily I already have a toddler quilt that I bought whilst I was pregnant as it came with his cotbed set. I can't say I'm not nervous about him sleeping under something for the first time though. I know he won't suffocate because he's not a weak newborn but I've loved the peace of mind that the bags have given me in that respect. That's probably why I've put him in them for so long - his comfort but also to reduce my worries.

mommybear1 Based on how the quilt trial goes tonight I may look into the slumbersac option tomorrow as well. Thanks for the recommendation!

OP posts:
mommybear1 · 12/10/2018 10:22

How did you get on last night @Annajohnsdottir ?

Slappinthebass · 12/10/2018 10:28

My toddler loves his growbags and won't settle without one (in contrast to his siblings who hated them-one hated foot muffs too, and footed sleepsuits, very annoying) but he went through a phase recently of taking his off when he woke up and then climbing out of his cot. I really dont want him in a bed yet so just experimented with sleeping bags and found ones that aren't as big he can't escape from. Can you downsize?

GiveMeAllTheGin8 · 12/10/2018 10:30

My dd was the same!
We used to have to put a long sleeved top over the grobag which we put back to front! It worked

TwoGinScentedTears · 12/10/2018 10:31

I haven't Rtft (sorry) but I got some 2 tog sleep suits one winter for my lo. I think they were from mothercare.

Original poster
Annajohnsdottir · 12/10/2018 10:34

We didn't get to trial the quilt in the end. I was at work yesterday and DH was looking after our escapoligist for the day but I didn't get a chance to talk to DH about the plan. Normally I'm home in time for bed time but traffic made me super late and DH had already put him to bed before I got home, in a sleep bag as normal.

I've explained the plan now though to DH incase I'm home late again tonight. I thought it better to put the quilt on DS as part of the new bed time routine (potentially) rather than turf him out of the bag in the middle of the night when he's half alseep and cold!

On a side note, I hate it when traffic stops me saying good night to my little boy Sad

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