I know I shouldn't do this but...?

Question

My 5 month old daughter loves to sleep with her face shoved into her blanket. She sleeps on her back and with a pacifier but she immediately turns her head and wants to shove her face into a blanket. I have tried to not putting a blanket next to her head but she fusses and fusses turning her head to the side constantly (and I have a 3 yr old i must also tend to also). Once I place a blanket next to her face she right away falls sleeps. Sometimes she even grabs the blanket and pulls it on top of her face, I come in and pull it away but she loves the feeling and finds comfort in it. What should I do?

Answer 1

both my boys did this and still do, My husband dose it too.

Answer 2

Actually 6 months is the age when the risk of SIDS goes down but your child can still die of SIDS up to a year old. Stop your daughter's habit right away! Blankets in a babies crib should be limited and if you cover your baby with one it should be tucked firmly under their legs and not in arms reach. Although sleeping without the blanket to her face will be an adjustment, she will adjust. Have you tried a pacifier for comfort? Recent studies have actually been shown that pacifiers reduce the chance of SIDS so if you haven't already you should give that a try.

Answer 3

I would try flannel sheets in her crib. Maybe she just likes the softness. It also may be to bright in her room. She may be trying to block the light with her blanket. If you can give her any blanket to snuggle with, then it's not that she's attached to a specific one. I would let her have it until she falls asleep, then take it from her. It doesn't matter how old she is, she shouldn't be covering her face with a blanket. My kids are 13 and 16 and I still move the blankets away from their faces(they don't know this, though).

Answer 4

It's good that you've got her sleeping on her back; also she is 5 months old and past the age most recognize at the SIDS risk window. If she has good head control, can roll side to side a bit, *and* the blanket is either thin material or loosely-woven/knit, I would personally allow her to fall asleep like that, and remove it from her face once she's sound asleep.

I can see that it would be a danger to allow her to sleep through her entire nap or the night like this, but if you are watchful and remove it after a while, I don't see a problem with it. You're very lucky to have a baby who can be so easily soothed to sleep!

Edit: I just thought of those small, soft stuffy toys with a little square of satin/micro-velour attached. My youngest has one that's a Care Bear's head with a pink "softie" attached. It's only about 5 or 6 sq. inches of fabric. Something smaller like this would reduce the risk of it wrapping around her head or suffocating her somehow, and being so soft & snuggly she might accept it instead of her full-sized blankie.

Answer 5

Maybe you could stay in the room with her until she falls asleep then remove the blanket before you leave the room. Leaving her alone with the blanket in her face is a bad idea, it doesn't matter if she fusses or not, better safe than sorry.

Answer 6

My son was the same way. He would absolutely not sleep without a blanket over his face. Even when rocking him in a rocking chair we had to lay a blanket over his face. I checked on him often just to make sure he was okay. He is three now and doing fine.

Answer 7

Rooney, here in Taiwan, there was a case around two months ago involving a child who died under the blanket. Obviously, this child slept "all the way through" with lack of air. It is stifling and suffocating to be under a blanket even for a short time. I don't know what you should do to correct this habit, I just thought that I'd share with you the news we had here not many months ago.

Answer 8

I agree with DFireFox. You have to watch her because this will become a habit and, as she's still young, you've got to be careful. Try breaking her of this habit because she might end up suffocating (God forbid) from her blanket. Give her something else to hold onto that is safer, or hold her until she falls asleep and put her in her crib without the blanket.

Answer 9

I know it's hard not to take the easy road, by letting the baby have it's way, when you have another one to look after too. I think the blanket from the head should go. Maybe a very soft toy which can't wrap itself around her head would be better.

Answer 10

At five months i would not worry. Just make sure it is not too thick and not too big that she can wrap it around her neck. Children as early as 4 months need transition objects. The blanket is your daughters. My daughter has a stuffed pig. She won't sleep with out it in her crib. If you're really worried, wait till she is asleep and then move it off her face. She might be using it to block out light, make sure her room is dark enough for her. Try black out curtains.

Answer 11

Dont let her sleep like that. It might be hard for the first few days, but try to find another way to get her to sleep without the blanket in her face. I use to rock my son to sleep then lay him down. When he started to get to be about 5 months then I would rock him until he was drowsy and lay him down still awake so he could learn to put himself to sleep. He also cried himslef to sleep plenty of times. If your baby has a full belly and is not sick there is nothing wrong with babies crying to sleep. I also had to sit on the front porch sometimes while he would cry, but everyday he would cry less. I would deff. say that the blanket is not a good idea!!!!!!!!!