Encouraging toddler to sleep under duvet?

[Purpledoggy]

We just switched sleep bags for a (lightweight) cot duvet with our 21mo toddler. We’re planning on taking the cot sides off soon as he’s a climb risk so thought we’d get him used to the duvet first. We put him to bed under it but within minutes if not seconds he’s out from under it then usually goes to sleep lying on top of it. This means we can’t even sneak in to cover him once asleep. I can’t believe he doesn’t wake up in the night cold as he’s just in a sleepsuit but so far is sleeping the night (room temp usually 19-22C). I feel really guilty for him not having more than that on but also think surely if cold he’d wake and cry or go under it? He’s a really bright kid so I’m hoping he’ll figure it out but it’s been nearly a week. I tried giving him the duvet while we’re on the sofa but it just annoys him! I know we could go back to the drawing board and get a sleep bag with legs, I’m just wondering if there’s anything else we can try? He loves Thomas the Tank Engine so got him that cover, but other than liking the look it doesn’t encourage him to stay under it.

[NicoJono]

My DD is exactly the same. And we’ve been trying a quilt for nearly a year now! She’s a wriggle bum! Literally wakes up in the morning upside down and left to right in her bed!

I’ve now got her a Jojo 3 in 1 sleep bag. They go up to 5 years of age.

She starts under quilt and then wriggles around ends up cuddling her quilt and she sleeps on top of it!

We’ll get there! X

[Purpledoggy in reply to NicoJono]

Thanks, I will take a look at that.

My main worry right now is whether I’m being cruel leaving him without much over him. But if I put more clothes on him he’d be too warm if he does stay under it, plus maybe less impetus?! We have baby 2 due in 5 weeks so i’m wondering whether to bail out and go back to bags-I figure he probably can’t easily climb out in a bag?? So hard to know what to do for the best! Xx

[Gracem90]

Our similar aged toddler is the same and does have disturbed nights sometimes from being cold. We got him one of those soft blankets which he prefers to the duvet but still manages to get it off him 🤦🏼‍♀️ we went pyjama shopping the other day and he picked some nice waffle ones from Tu but we are yet to try them but they seem a bit thicker. I’ve also got him a fluffy onesie but again we are yet to try! I did wonder about getting him some vests to put under his pjs.

Every night we try to persuade him into a sleeping bag but he knows how to get it off so have started putting it on inside out. The past couple of nights tho he’s kept it on knowing he’ll get a reward for keeping it on in the morning (Pom poms in a jar and when it reaches the top he gets a treat)

Not too much help but feel your pain! I just love to be all snuggled up in bed and can’t understand him not being the same 😂

[Purpledoggy in reply to Gracem90]

I know, occasionally he comes onto the bed on a weekend and won’t get under the duvet with us, he seems offended by it 😂 xx

[Twiglet2]

we are the same we are about 8 months down the line and he still kicks it off most nights he has a wee soft blanket too that he prefers over him than the duvet (he demands this instead as he’s going to bed 🤪 ‘want wee cosy cosy 😂) so I let him fall asleep with that on him and push the duvet down nearer the bottom of bed then go back in and put the duvet on (until he kicks it off in the night again. Tbh a lot of adults kick off the duvet so I just let him do what he wants but he does seem to pull the little soft blanket back on to him in the night if he is cold in case that helps with your wee one too? The room is plenty warm and he has full length jammies on so I’m not too worried about the cold Xx

[Purpledoggy in reply to Twiglet2]

We have several of his baby blankets so maybe we’ll play around with those xx

[Peony85]

My 2.5 year old is the same. We practice with the duvet after nap time (getting in etc) but she does prefer to sleep on top most of the time. She doesn’t wake at night so I assume she’s not cold. I do think some kids (my daughter included) don’t get as cold as we think they might. She was also flat out refusing her sleep sack before this.

[Tigr]

We waited until he really really was not wanting to go in the sleeping bags anymore. Then we talked about how if he wakes up cold he has to climb back under the covers and he mostly does that. If he is really on top of it the wrong way we turn him and put him under again and he'll go straight back to sleep. Douvet is stuffed in really tight in the back and one side to a good amount on other side. We did find he randomly hated and loved specific blankets and "practiced" being comfy under blankets and douvets under the sofa. A friend said to buy a bigger cover and stuff all the extra cover under the matress to hold it in place.

[MrsOrangejuice]

My 18mnth old is the same - she gets absolutely furious if she wakes and finds the duvet on her and body slams it off I worried that she would be cold so I put her in warmer pj's (with feet) and I check whether her limbs are cold after she's fallen asleep (apparently their hands and feet can be cold and that's normal) and tbh they always feel OK, if anything under the duvet she seems to get overheated and them I'm the one taking it off... she never seems to be shivering or showing any discomfort and I think babies and toddlers can be their own little furnaces somehow. We have various sleeping bags that seemed to work too and some we were gifted say they're for use up to age five, by which point maybe they know how to get in and out of them. I'm just playing by ear and assuming she'll want a blanket or duvet at some point for comfort but until then as long as she sleeps I'm happy 😊

[alohalu]

Mine was the same, but she actually waking up cold these last weeks so I gave up and put her back in the sleep sack with legs.

[Purpledoggy]

Good to know it’s not just us! And I’m not being too mean leaving him to get on with it for now-sounds like he’ll let me know if he’s cold xx