I may be the world's worst mother but...

As the title says, I may be the world's worst mother, but I have found a solution to the struggle with sleeping for my 11 month old - unfortunately it has taken 11 months for me to find this out!!!!!! All the struggle in the previous months and I discover a little trick that works for Aricyn to get him to sleep - almost immediately!!!!!! He still has a morning sleep (9.30) and a arvo sleep (2.30) and sometimes it is difficult to convince him that he is actually tired and if he doesn't go to sleep then he will be really really grumpy and scream the house down later on.

So here it is....
When I put him in his cot, stick the dummy in.... I.... throw his blanket over his head.

Thats it. Thats the trick. Throw the blanket over his head. Now, I know that it sounds really really bad, and almost like I want my child to die of SIDS, but I wouldn't do this unless we had a breathing alarm thingy, which we do, and we do go in there and remove the blanket (unless he has removed it himself) from his head. I think perhaps it shuts him away from all stimulation, and maybe reminds him of being in the womb? Whatever it is, the most I have had to go back into his room is twice.. and then he's asleep.. for about 2 hours... its amazing...

And please don't judge me harshly!!!!!!!

hey, what ever works. But be careful coz he could still suffocate. Have you tried getting really good block out curtains? Might be that he likes a dark place to go to sleep. What kind of blanket do you put on him?

At the moment its Queensland, its getting hotter, so just a thin cotton wrap...... if its a tad cooler then his cotton blanket..

he he he... ha ha ha.... LOL!!!
Sorry i know I shouldnt have giggled... but the visual of me doing it to monkey boy made me laugh

Its soooooooooooo hot at the moment istn it!! Its like walking into a wet blanket outside!! at 32 weeks preg i am not enjoying this summer at all!!

we laughed the first time we did it too, cos it was out of frustration, and it bloody worked!!! amazing really........ I know its a bad thing, and i'm like tempting fate or whatever.. but I have an alarm at least, so there is a degree of care there!!!

My friends nephew always refused to sleep until his face was covered - Melany actually figured it out when she put her hand lightly over his face and he stopped crying! Now they put a muslin wrap partially over his face - he can still breathe, but he's also feeling comfortable enough to go to sleep!

You're not a bad mother - I think its very creative of you to think of it, and you're taking all the precautions so nothing bad happens. GOOD MUM!!

My god daughter is almost three & she has always loved having a sheet over her face! When she gets tired she asks for her sheet & over her head it goes LOL!

My friend used to have to do this to her DS,it was awhile ago as he is now 6.

I personally couldnt do it even with a breathing monitor , id prefer to spend the whole night up with a screaming tired baby but im sure I do things that other people shake their heads to or dont agree with.

Lindsay, I'm sure I wouldn't recommend it for most people!!!!!! And in our defence, we do check to see that he hasn't got it over his face all night (although sometimes he does pull it over his own head - must just be something he likes) I'm raising a weird child what can I say? ;-)
Plus, you must be younger than me, cos I sure as hell couldn't put up with a screaming overtired child.. i'd go insane!!!!! ;-)

My friends DS is 6 months and he pulls his blanket over his head for every sleep. She doesnt encourage it but he does it on his own and wont sleep properly until his face is covered. She like you goes in and removes it from his face once he is asleep.
I say whatever works, i'm sure you wouldnt do it if you felt it would harm him.

yep i worked in long day care and heaps of children did it!!! we did try and move it down once they were fast asleep though

My DS is in a Sleeping bag & doesn't have anything else in the cot with him but a thin wrap & he grabs it as soon as I give it to him, covers his face & rolls over to sleep. So hmmmm, does that make me bad too LOL.
Think it's just another silly baby thing. The things they will do for comfort. I'm glad you have found somthing that has worked for you.

Most nights i find DS alseep with the blanket over his head. I pull it off though when i see it. But i think he must just like it to sleep that way because i do it too! I just love to have my head under the doona to sleep. Maybe its like a security thing?

Sorry if it cam across like I thought you were bad for doing it, cause I dont think that at all. I get up and check on DD like evey hr or so.. I just worry too much thats all.

Doesn't work for us :( - but you're not a bad mum because I've done it too! I have my DS sleep on his tummy, I pat his bum and stroke his head and that works, he just has one nap around 12.30 now. My friend's lad does this with a holey crocheted blanket and self-settles, so jealous.

I must be the worlds worst too then because for the first 4 or more months DD had her daytime naps in the wrap (kari-me - like a hug-a-bub) with her head covered. I never did it in her cot but i did it when i was holding her, wrapped a shawl over her and up over my shoulder. If it works, it works!

Bx

Both my boys have always pulled a sheet over their face to sleep. Jack once, at about 4 months of age was in his bouncer while we were eating dinner. He reached over and grabbed a cloth nappy and put it over his head and promptly fell asleep.

Your DS is old enough that he will not suffocate, especially with cotton linen/blanket. I'm glad you have found something that works for you hun, don't feel bad at all.

...........

Lol ~ I think that's so funny!
You're not a bad mum at all, You need your sleep to be a happy mummy!

You are far from the worst mother, because if you are so am I!! LOL!! Olivia does this herself. I put her into her cot and the first thing she does is grab ahold of her sheet and pulls it over her face and then goes to sleep. The stubborn little munchins sleep however they like regardless of what we do or want. If it works YAY is my policy.

hehehe, Pip started doing this with a small square of blanket with a lion's head attached so we took the blankie away, and he now pulls his teddy over his face! Or his toy cube ... anything!

He'll move when he's asleep, if he's asleep he grows, it's all good!

Yes I definitely think it's a comfort thing. Infact I do it myself and find it hard to sleep without something covering my ears and I'm 35 ?? :redface: :lol: I don't know what it is but even in summer i have to have something covering my ears and then I can relax enough to sleep ? Maybe it's because as a baby we are completely enveloped in the womb and it's a safe environment so that comfort is there when we are covered.

Thanks guys for your supporting words... brought tears to my eyes.. could be pregnancy hormones?? heehee But seriously I was feeling really bad about it!! Didn't even tell my sister or sister-in-law, who both have 5 children between them because I was afraid of being judged!!! Thank you so much for your kind words everyone. I love this site!!!! :-)

It's funny...because my dad cant sleep without a pillow or quilt over his head...and neither can I..I wonder if my DS will be the same.=P

My daughter has a flat bear (a sheepskin teddy) and most nights she sleeps with that over her face. It is definatley a comfort thing because when she is upset she gets him and burries her fave into it. I am a strong believer of whatever works, and if that works then fantastic, certainly doesnt make you a bad mother.