weighted / heavy blankets

iammumtoone

sorry if this is the wrong place for this thread, I wasn't sure where to put it

Does anyone have any experience of weighted blankets / lap pads? I am getting desperate in trying to find ways to help my ds get to sleep. I am also wondering if a weighted lap pad would calm him / help him sit still.

They are expensive. I don't mind the cost if it would work but appreciate there are no guarantees so can't justify spending that amount if it makes no difference or he doesn't like it. I am even considering making one :eek: it wont look pretty but would hopefully be functional, anyone made their own?

The other idea I had which might be better is when I was a kid I used to love sleeping at my Nan's house as she had thick heavy scratchy blankets, I can still remember the comfort I felt with the heavy weight of the blankets on top of me. Trouble is I don't know what they were called? and where to buy them from? nowadays all bedding seems to be lightweight.

Any feedback / suggestions for weighted blankets or ideas for something similar would be great.

Thanks

Mojisola

Ask on Freegle for old-style wool blankets or bedspreads - they will be heavier than modern bedding. Also check out charity shops.

Would something like Mum or Dad's winter coat on top of the usual bedding work? Little children sometimes settle better if they have something that smells of Mum in the bed - this could provide the weight and the scent.

Gigglepig

Perhaps you can attach the blanket with mitten clips?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glove-mitten-clips-black-elastic/dp/B005TT0RGO

iammumtoone

a heavy coat is a good suggestion, I will try that thanks. I am not sure if he will be happy about sleeping under a coat lol he will tell me that's not right he sleeps with blankets! However its certainly worth a try. Thank you.

Now I know what I am asking for I will look for wool blankets.

muffins

How old is your son? I used to put my sons quilt sideways and tuck it tightly under the bed to help give him the sense of being held in the bed. I have made weighted lap blankets for children using long socks filled with dry pulses. This is quite effective and I have also used heated wheat pads as weighted blankets ( not heated!)

sheramber

Ask in charity shops. They sometimes get them handed in but often can't sell them.

iammumtoone

muffins wrote: »

How old is your son? I used to put my sons quilt sideways and tuck it tightly under the bed to help give him the sense of being held in the bed. I have made weighted lap blankets for children using long socks filled with dry pulses. This is quite effective and I have also used heated wheat pads as weighted blankets ( not heated!)

He is nearly 8. I have tried tucking him in, in sheets with his quilt lying on top of the sheet. It doesn't last long he soon un-tucks it.

What a brill idea about the socks, even I can managed to make one of those I will take a look at wheat pads.

muffins

Use the sheet on top of the quilt, but sideways, so that you have plenty of sheet under the bed and it will help 'pin' him in!
I need to check regularly on my son in the night to put bedding back over him and he is eight, he always manages to wriggle out of any bedding! I ensure he has a fleece onsie in the winter and a cotton one in the summer so that he is covered with that. When he really struggled to stay under a quilt, I used a sleeping bag with a sheet over th top, again sideways to 'pin' him in!

Violetta_2

Has he tried a onesie I hate them but my dd likes them and it seems to help her get to sleep easier. Some of the throw type blankets can be heavier might be worth having a look in dunelm mill or tkmaxx.

z.n

Hi
Lots of kids age 8-9 seem to get anxious about things- and this can translate into bad dreams/worries that keep them awake. Rather than worry about the blankets, just wondering if you need to address the root cause? DS was really bad- he became aware of the dangers outside (earthquakes, floods etc) and his own powerlessness in the face of such things. Having asked around it was clear this was a developmental stage- and since then I have come across other families in a similar situation.

Sometimes they are so worried about something (eg do you smoke?) that they won't easily say what it is- and sometimes I think they don't really know themselves. They pick up a bit of information from somewhere and extrapolate to personal disaster on pure imagination.

Also look at the usual- nightlights, stuff making scary shadows on wall, curtains completely closing, wardrobe door completely shut, stuff under the bed.

iammumtoone

muffins - I see what you mean now I will give that a try.

violetta - he does not wearing anything to sleep, I don't know why, he will wear a onesie or pjs after bath but always takes his clothes off to sleep! this doesn't really bother me, it is up to him if he is more comfortable that way.

z.n I take your point and it is worth consideration, however this is not a new thing my ds has never been able to get to sleep. He just doesn't seem to have an 'off' switch his mind is always active, hence why I am looking for something I haven't tried yet that might calm/relax him at night so he is able to fall asleep easier.