How do I intro a blanket to a crib-roamer? Update with new Q about Cold Hands

[Peek-a-boo]

I would like my 20 month old to start sleeping with a blanket or cover of some kind so that he will be warmer.  However, he's almost always standing in his crib when I leave the room and he tends to roam and play around the crib before falling asleep. 

Is it unrealistic to try to get him to sleep under a blanket?  Any strategies?

[Layla]

Bethany, I only gave Isabella a blanket when she was over 2. To be honest, she still stands up as soon as she leaves & will later find a comfortable position before she falls asleep so the blanket is 99.9% of the time not where it was when I left. What I do is go back to her about 30mins after she's asleep & put the blanket over her (unless she's fallen asleep on top of it... in which case I can't do anything ). Then I check the monitor again before I go to sleep & if the blanket is off again, I cover her up (again)!

hth
Layla

[JennŠ]

For the longest time I left the blanket out when she went in.  Then I went in and covered her after she was asleep.  Then checked when we went to bed as she was a sleep crawler for a bit.   

[Peek-a-boo]

Thanks ladies!  The way he roams the crib, I can't imagine how I'll ever get him in big boy bed either, LOL.  Oh well, all in good time.   

[Layla]

I know what you mean Bethany.... I am just finding now that Isabella will stay close to the same spot as she fell asleep in now... & she's 2.5yo. When she was 2, I was thinking the same thing...how is she ever going to be in a bed when she's moving around in her sleep all night

[JennŠ]

On that bit, I recently put a pillow in.  I put it under the sheet to keep it still.  Most often she sleeps on it these days.  It might help that she has a small cot at daycare, so roaming got cut down.

[Peek-a-boo]

Okay this is probably a dumb question  , but other than a blanket can you think of a way to keep his hands warm?  The weather turned cool and when I woke this morning the has was 71 degrees rather than 74 and his little hands were soooo icy cold.  I haven't tried a blanket because I'm chicken to go in his room after his sleep and I'm 99% sure he'll chuck it  out of the crib if I put it in there with when he's awake. 

Anyone think he'll sleep in mittens?   

I've been thinking of getting him even warmer jammies, but it seems like there's no point because his hands will still be cold, kwim?

[Layla]

Don't know about mittens... no harm in trying. Do you have a heater? Our previous house had no central heating & Isabella's room used to get extremely cold. I got her an oil based heater just for her room... not sure if you would be interested in anything like that .

[Peek-a-boo]

Thanks Layla.  A space heater just for his room is an idea . . .


We do have central heating, but to keep his room at 74, we have to keep the whole house at 74 which gets kind of spendy as winter here is quite chilly.