weighted / heavy blankets

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

As somebody who has been claustrophobic since very young, any of those suggestions would have been horrible for me as a child - and as an adult.

I'd rather have a light cover - if I get cold, I'll make sure it covers my torso; 95% of the time, I'll have my legs sticking out from underneath it, even in the depths of winter. I detest pyjamas and nighties as well.

I think some of my problems with sleep as a kid (I'm told I just didnt, but never made any attempt to get attention or to come out, I just wasn't sleepy) were because of the old fashioned thing of having sheets and blankets and a counterpane. I am also told that I was the only baby on the ward that screeched my head off when swaddled. (My girls did, too, by the way!)

As soon as I got my first quilt (I'd guess it was a 4.5 tog nylon thing that felt about the same weight as a was of cotton wool), I started sleeping better. Probably because I didn't feel so trapped anymore.

With my ex #1, it was a complete nightmare, as he'd insist on having sheets and quilts and blankets and counter panes up to the neck and all so heavy and tight, you had to squeeze yourself under the things. I'd refuse to get in, preferring to fall asleep on too of all but the thinnest cover.


Maybe your DS doesn't actually need/want to feel weighted down?

Elsewhere

Witney blankets are still in business, but they're not cheap

http://www.witneyblankets.co.uk/collection/blankets/wool

I hate duvets and still use blankets and eiderdowns at home - I like heavy bedding. It feels cosier and I find with a duvet I am either too hot or too cold - you can't just fold back a layer in the middle of the night as with blankets.

Alleycat

Have you tried 'white noise' CDs? If the weighting of blankets doesn't work, this might help to focus his whirring mind without any added stimulus of a music or story tape which could help him switch off for sleep a bit easier.

iammumtoone

Jojo - I don't think it is that, at seven he is capable of putting on / taking off what covers he wants to make himself comfortable. He likes to wrap himself inside the quilt sometimes so maybe a sleeping bag would work, that's something I haven't tried at home.

Elsewhere - those look like the ones my Nan had you are right they aren't cheap I shall be asking around the charity shops If I can get hold of a few, might start using them myself, I think I would prefer to sleep where I can feel a weight on me.

Alleycat - yes tried that along with whale / sea noises etc. Anything that is suppose to be relaxing seems to simulate him.

Thank you all for you suggestions I think I will try some of them again like the white noise for example, just because it didn't work last time doesn't mean he wont find it relaxing now. Last night I gave him a heavy coat and explained it might help to go sleep earlier if he snuggled up under it and made him lie down with it over him, every time I went up to check him the coat was off I wont give up on it yet as he needs as few days to see if it works.

darrelljon

iammumtoone wrote: »

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

Only other thing you might be thinking of is a flannelette although you sleep on top of that not under it.

esmy

I had a sleepless child. By your sons age I'd given up all efforts to get her to sleep - nothing seemed to work and some of the things I tried just stimulated her even more, like your son.

In the end what worked for us was a bedtime routine as normal, then a deal that she stayed in her room with quiet music ( a chillout CD was a favourite) and could colour, read, play with her dolls, any quiet activity really till she put herself to bed and went to sleep in her own time, often after we'd gone to bed! Rules were that she did not come out,except for the loo, and whatever she did was quiet. She had very few toys in the bedroom and no telly.

She never seemed overtired, did well at school etc so seemed not to need a 'normal' nights sleep - still doesn't at 25!

iammumtoone

Thanks esmy, I kind of do your system now with ds, bedtime routine, upstairs between 8 and 9, I tell him he can read/play - the rule should be he has to stay in bed, he can get out to get toys/books but it has to be something he can do in bed - only this doesn't happen he gets bored easily and will find excuses to shout me/come downstairs. At 10 I go to turn the light out giving him a 10 minute warning. By then I must admit I have had enough I am ready to go to bed myself. Then comes the hard bit he doesn't actually sleep until gone 12 some nights! and that's with me constantly reminding him to lie down/keep still etc.

I can't relax and sleep until I know he is asleep. I am knackered myself I have to be up for work in the mornings and have to wake him early, he is a nightmare to get up and always grumpy Also from a selfish point of view I don't get a break as soon as he is a sleep, I sleep, I would love to just to have a bit of time to myself each night to relax.

It does have its plus points as you point out as a child who doesn't need much sleep when he gets older he wont need much either so will have plenty of time to study and do homework

DD265

You can get sprays to help you sleep too - I ended up with one that I think my dad picked up from a hotel. I just spray a bit on my pillow and I also have a balm that I can put on my cheeks.

Admittedly I am much older than your son, but when I have trouble switching off to sleep, I find writing in a diary helps. If it's written down I won't forget about it but because there's no chance of forgetting about it, I can relax. Also the process of writing down my thoughts usually helps me work through whatever it is too.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Ignoring him and pretending to be asleep can help, as you're boring rather than repeatedly talking to him (which you are if you're telling him to lie down, stop moving, close his eyes...)

And, if you can bear it, try getting him up two hours early every day. It'll be a nightmare, but he'll certainly be tired each night.

I've also read that warm baths (complete with bathroom lighting) are more likely to keep people awake, as it's darkness and body temperature dropping that triggers sleep.

If he's naturally a night owl, night lights, landing lights left on, talking, all encourage people to stay awake.

OH's daughter was supposedly not a sleeper. She had fairy lights, a nightlight, was woken up during the night to go to the toilet, had about half a pint of water by her bed to drink each night, blanket after blanket, socks, pyjamas, a dressing gown...Then he had to work late on a couple of nights, so I looked after her. Mum had forgotten to pack her night things, so she had to wear a baggy thin cotton top of mine. I have a quilt with a crisp, light cover on the spare bed, plus a very light blanket for when it's too cold (or too hot for the quilt itself).

No bright lights, no games or songs after six, one softly read story and she was out like a light all night. The second one, she tried kicking off but he was too tired to wake up.

By the fifth yelling episode, I told her nicely I was going to bed, all the lights were off, Daddy was sleeping and I wasn't going to wake him up, the cats were sleeping and it was her turn to go to sleep. It worked. He woke up at half eight in the morning with a start, because he was used to not getting more than a couple of hours at a time and had expected me to wake him up to take over from eleven to three in the morning.

The reducing stimuli seemed to work for her, anyhow - I was pretty much working from memory of what worked for me and for my girls, which was keep it cool, dark and not particularly exciting.

Violetta_2

Hi again, I saw this article on BBC news website about a sleep app developed by specialists at Evelina Hospital I don't know if it will help but might be worth having a look at, anyway you can download the app here http://kidssleepdr.com/