Help! 6 year old’s bed smells

[Colinthedog]

My 6 year old has started sleeping buried underneath his duvet recently. He says it’s because he’s scared, even though we let him have a lamp on at night. I don’t care as long as he’s happy and he sleeps.

But because he’s buried under there all night, his bed has started to smell! It’s a horrible, sweet, almost vinegary smell. He doesn’t smell usually, even when it’s hot and he’s running around for hours with his friends and is dripping wet. It just seems to be the sweating at night that smells.

We are washing his bedding regularly on a hot wash, leaving windows open, and pulling the covers back to air the mattress during the day. But it has permeated through to the mattress which has now also started to smell, we think we might even need to get rid of it! His PJs also smell after one night.

It wasn’t bothering me too much, just one of those things and a bit of a pain. I assume eventually he will grow out of it. But my husband noticed this morning that his hair had this same smell when he woke up. Kids can be cruel, and I don’t want this to start being a problem for him at school.

Is there anything I can do? Either to help with the smell, or to try to convince him not to sleep completely submerged?! I’m holding out more hope for the former

Strip the bed, and sprinkle bicarbonate of soda liberally all over the mattress. Work it in a bit with your fingers or a brush, and leave it for at least half an hour, longer if you can. Then hoover it up. That should get the smell out of the bed, although washing the duvet snd pillows as well as the covers may help too.

And if he can’t/won’t shower in the morning, then a damp flannel with a drop or two of shower gel rubbed over his head and neck will help freshen him up.

Thanks so much for responding so quickly. We’ve tried the bicarbonate of soda but the smell is still there! But you’re right about the shower in the morning, I’m reluctant to add to our already stressful morning but I think we will need to if he carries on sleeping like this!

is it a 'hamster cage' type of smell?
can his dad smell it too?
it's boys I'm afraid. airing the rooms help a little.

We’ve also washed everything on a hot wash but the smell just comes back the next night

Hmmm @purplesequins It’s hard to describe! It’s not like a BO smell if you know what I mean, the closest I can get to is vinegary! His Dad can definitely smell it, it’s really strong, unfortunately! I know boys smell, but I was hoping not so soon

Agree with shower or at least a good wash in the morning and put the quilt to air over a chair for the day.

Would a washable mattress topper help?

Once you get rid of the smell could you use a thin blanket or just a sheet so he doesn't sweat as much, maybe preventing the odour🤞

Yes @DominicRaabsTravelAgent I think a new mattress topper is a good plan….. thank you

Shower or good clean every morning and every night. 2 bed sheets on the mattress if you can and maybe a mattress topper? Put some dehumidifer box things in his room, it may help if the damp from sweat isn't going away.

I’d get a gp check. Is he otherwise well? Drinking? Weeing?

A sweet or vinegar smell can be a sign of illnesses like diabetes or kidney issues. Of course it could just be bed sweat, but best get it checked.

Don’t write it off as “just boys”

Are you washing his duvet and pillow too? Is all the bedding 100% cotton? I’d get him a thinner duvet maybe.

Yeah, we don’t bath him every day at the moment as he has eczema and it dries his skin out. But if we can get him more used to the shower instead, hopefully it will be better for his skin than a longer bath. I don’t think he’s giving us much choice unfortunately!

It's not an aldehyde.. Pear drops smell?

@Colinthedog

Hmmm *@purplesequins* It’s hard to describe! It’s not like a BO smell if you know what I mean, the closest I can get to is vinegary! His Dad can definitely smell it, it’s really strong, unfortunately! I know boys smell, but I was hoping not so soon

My night sweats smell of vinegar. I get them due to a panic disorder. Smelling of vinegar is how someone else described the smell when they came in my bedroom after I had woken up.

@Nomoreusernames1244

I’d get a gp check. Is he otherwise well? Drinking? Weeing?

A sweet or vinegar smell can be a sign of illnesses like diabetes or kidney issues. Of course it could just be bed sweat, but best get it checked.

Don’t write it off as “just boys”

I agree a trip to GP would be a good idea. Teenage boys smell yes, a 6 year old not so much.

@Nomoreusernames1244

I’d get a gp check. Is he otherwise well? Drinking? Weeing?

A sweet or vinegar smell can be a sign of illnesses like diabetes or kidney issues. Of course it could just be bed sweat, but best get it checked.

Don’t write it off as “just boys”

I agree with this.

@Nomoreusernames1244 wow, I wasn’t thinking medical conditions! Even if his sweat doesn’t smell like that during the day? His normal ‘running around’ sweat doesn’t smell like that at all.

A 6 year old smelling this much isn't normal op. If he was 16, yes, shower more often etc - but not at 6.

Not to worry you but I would take him to the GP, like the pp said there are medical conditions that cause smells.

He doesn’t wee that much, but he never has. Eats and drinks normally, full of energy. Could that really be the only symptom?

Agree with PP. a strong smell that requires that level of washing to dissipate isn't normal at all. A GP trip is advisable.

@BodgertheJogger He is quite an anxious child, and I think he’s particularly anxious at night. We’ve done everything we can to make him more comfortable in his room, but the anxiety is still there.

Please be cautious and just get him checked with your GP, there are a few things that result in night sweats in children (most nothing to worry about but do please check). My ds (then aged 8) had long running Glandular Fever that was initially missed and I insisted on including the EBV test in bloods (lots of different things tested) after consistent night sweats and disturbed sleep and it showed up. Took several months to properly recover. There’s other things too they’ll check for so please do be sure.

How long have you noticed it for? Has your ds had a cold or anything that might have left his sinuses blocked? Dds always smell when they are ill and that often lingers in their bed in the morning. It airs during the day then they get right back in again!

My 4 year old smells like this when he's had a sweaty night. I had to wash the pillow in ariel and that dettol antibacterial wash to get it out.

Bit of a random idea, but could you get one of those tent bed toppers? To make it like an enclosed den but with a bit more air.

Maybe a summer duvet, or at least a thinner one and shorts/vest for pjs? But also working on why he feels scared, would he feel happier going to sleep with an audio book or something? I know at 6 they seem older but they're still quite small really.

Also sunlight & airing things outside can help with smells