Who wants to know something I have done which is helping DS (22 months) sleep better?

[suwoo]

DS has always been 'high needs' in relation to his sleeping. He still wakes up crying every day and has to have it very quiet, but he is getting better. His record was waking 21 times before midnight. He goes to bed in his own cot, but we co-sleep from his 1st waking.
Anyway to cut to the chase, this may be elementary for some, but it was an epiphany for me and has cut DS's waking down to just twice a night.....
BUY A SINGLE DUVET!!!

I still put him in his .5 tog grobag (don't want him to learn to climb out) but he seems to love the security of the duvet and his pillow (which he had already). He had a cot duvet which I didn't really use but was paper thin, this is a proper single one with a duvet cover that he helped me choose.

Hope this helps someone.

oooh. having similar problems and was wondering about making a change. Did you worry at all about being woken more cos it was over his head? Mine is 17 months by the way, goes down like a dream usually, then around 11 won't settle at all again without one of us taking her onto the sofabed to sleep.

ha, you bring back such awful painful memories for me!
mine was like yours so my hv said to me "keep a sleep diary and we will see what we can do"
1st night woke up 28 times, 2nd night 30, 3rd night 17.
hv said " hm, dont think there is anything we can do about that, thats awful, how are you still standing!"
Helpful!!!
This went on till he was nearly 4.
i was a walking corpse.

I would have loved any tips, from any one.
just wanted to say that you are wonderful for just understanding how hard it is, and how great it is to have posted your solution.
From a walking corpse......THANKYOU

four littlefeet, we put dd in a bed with a duvet, and the problem isn't her going under the duvet but that she 'travels' round the bed in her sleep and always ends up sleeping across her pillow parallel to the headboard! If its any help, when you get the duvet, turn it on its side so its wider than longer and when you put your dc into bed tuck the duvet down the side of the bed and under the mattress so your dc is hemmed in, our dd, poss like suwoos dc, seems to enjoy the secrity of being tucked in!!

sounds good will try it! do you recommend getting a single duvet, or buying the cot duvet (seems a bit of a pain as they'll need a single one anyway)

DS is 18 months and have been wondering about doing this - he doesn't have a pillow and we use thin blankets. Will try it thanks.
Oh and deany, that's rough DS is nowhere near that bad, when not ill wakes once around midnight then comes in with us and helps himself to milk on and off for the rest of the night.

I would get a single duvet coz cotbed duvet bedding is extortionate!!!! To get a new set for a crappy cotbed quilt and mini pillow would be £25!

Also with single quilt just get a shallow normal sized pillow so it goes across all the top of the bed, dd's 'mini' pillow only goes across middle of headboard so her head rolls down the side!!!

plus my sis founjd with her two they slept better with single quilts because they were wider so dcs were better 'insulated' against cold at nighrt!

hope that helps!

thats great, thank you ... one more question on toggage - is it an autumn 10.5 or the full winter 13.5?

we've not got a 13 tog, t's a bit less, but i do use a vest and socks if its a cold night for dd to keep her warmer, also if v cold still chuck a blanket on over quilt during night. still use fleecy / brushed cotton jim jams in winter and when itr getsreally cold use long sleeved vests ort long sleeved tops as vests, then your quilt can be used during spfring time too!

Sorry all, I had no posts at all for over 24 hours and thought no-one was interested. Glad it may help someone. DS is not at all a 'mobile sleeper' and stays exactly where he was when he fell asleep, so no I don't worry- too busy sleeping to worry as deanychip could testify! Its a 10.5 tog(£6.44 in ASDA) but his gorgeous quilt cover which seems really thick makes it feel quite heavy. I would say as I did in my OP, not to bother with cotbed quilts as they are so thin, they don't have the same effect.

to Deanychip. Its not often I can help/advise anyone on here- so thanks back atcha for making me feel all special.....mwah.

I've seen a duvet in Bump to 3 which zips up the side and attached to the bottom sheet so should help with 'Mobile Babies'

Thanks for the tip Suwoo I'll rememebr that one xx

www.bumpto3.com/category.aspx?DISPLAYCAT=sleep&CAT=Products&CATGRY=Bedding_sets_and_duvets

Link to bump to 3 duvet

Grobag do one similar and so do La Redoute, they are quite pricey though.

And, and, and guess what???? He stayed in his own bed until 5.30am this morning! he had a bottle about 1 in his cot and stayed there til 5.30!! Result!