Sleeping bag users

[Wildwaterfalls]

DD (10 months) is getting more and more mobile and I was wondering whether a sleeping bag might stop her from crawling/sitting up/standing up and all other activities that stop her sleeping.

When we tried sleeping bags before, when she was small, we struggled with the following:

• Her arms getting really cold (obviously not now but in winter); and
• Her being a bit difficult to pick up / rock / bf as the bag got all bunched up and her legs squashed.

So how do you solve these issues? And do you think a sleeping bag will help her sleep?

Ds is 11 months I'd say sleeping bag slows him down rather than stops him which is handy. I've never had any problems like the 2 you mentioned, I've always been so afraid of him overheating (particularly in early days due to risk of cot death)? So the poor lamb has probably spent his whole life slightly cold

It sounds a bit like you have the wrong size bag? If you go up a size, then they have enough room to at least stand up and plenty of material for when you pick them up.

DD does still stand up in hers, she finds a way.

What are your sleep issues at the moment?

Sleep is generally ok, but every now and then we struggle to settle her - she is happy in her cot but sits up or pulls herself up and gets too restless to go back to sleep. Similar in the morning sometimes - she starts practising her new skills as soon as she wakes up.

I think the bunching issue perhaps is a matter of technique when picking her up, although the bag was big enough when she was lying down if you see what I mean, when I picked her up it kind of slid up and got all twisted. But on the other hand we don't need to pick her up / rock her as much now during the night as in those early days.

Gro Company sells these things called Grosuits which are basically baby gros with snug padded arms. They're brilliant, but I'm not sure how big they go - I think maybe only to 12 months but check their website.

Otherwise two long sleeve things might work, like a long sleeve vest over PJs, but you'd need to keep an eye on temperature as obviously that's another whole layer

The extra fabric is slightly annoying but only when they're at the low end of the age range, and you get used to it frankly.

Oh also I found size varied massively by make. We had a supermarket sleeping bag that was tiny, the Grobags brand tend to be a lot bigger (and easier to put on a sleeping baby we didn't want to wake). I got a basic but cheap one in ASDA and TK Maxx often has them too. Personally I prefer the style that zips from the side rather than down the front.

DS is only 6 months and still manages to get his legs through the cot bars in his... Like another poster said it will slow them down but not stop them!

Thanks all. We will give the sleeping bags a go. I guess cold arms are not going to be a problem right now. I'm thinking long-sleeved vest and 1 tog bag for summer nights? We will see what we do about arms as it gets colder - I guess she is a bit more robust now as when we first tried a sleeping bag so may not get as cold. Thanks!

At the moment our DS (7mo) is in a 1 tog sleeping bag and just a short sleeved vest. He also has a fan on in his room. You might not need long sleeves in this heat.

Last night ds was just in a nappy and 1 tog bag. I wouldn't worry about cold arms when it's so hot

Cold arms never seem to bother DD. It could depend on their sleeping position - she sleeps on her front with her arms tucked underneath her. Her room is warm so she's generally in just a short-sleeved vest and a sleeping bag and is never bothered. I think I remember reading somewhere that they should have their arms cool, or did I make that up?