Weighted blankets – are not safe for babies and young children
Weighted blankets are also called ‘calming’ or ‘sensory’ blankets and are often marketed as a sleep aid for babies and young children. Advertisers claim weighted blankets assist the child to go to sleep because they boost a sense of security and help them to calm. However, there is no evidence or proof that any of these claims are accurate. In fact, weighted blankets can be very unsafe and tragically, there have been babies and children who have died when being covered by a weighted blanket during their sleep.
Sleepwalking in Children
Sleepwalking is reasonably common in children – around 1/3 will sleepwalk at some stage. The most common age for sleepwalking to happen is between four to eight years of age. Most children outgrow it without any specific treatment or management.
Parents who were sleepwalkers themselves are more likely to see the same behaviour in their own children.
How can I get my toddler to sleep in their own bed?
Most toddlers and young children want to sleep with their parents at some point during their lives. The specifics of when, why and how vary, however, it’s normal and very common for parents to have at least one small child sharing their bed at some stage.
Night weaning and phasing out night feeds
Babies are biologically adapted to need feeding around the clock – both day and night, to support their healthy growth and development. There does, however, come a magical point in time when babies are old enough and developmentally ready to stop needing to be fed overnight.
