Bed tents?
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Bed tents?
| Sun, 09-11-2005 - 11:45pm |
My daughter had been sleeping under her crib for a couple months when we decided it had to go. For one thing, she's not potty trained and its really hard to keep the carpet under there clean. So this weekend we packed it away and shampoo'd the carpets. Now she sleeps with the sheet wrapped around her like a caul (entire head and face included), and I'm worried about her suffocating herself. So, we're thinking about purchasing one of those tents that fit over the bed for her to sleep in. Anyone had success with one? Any problems I'm not thinking of?
TIA,
Mary

Oh Oh, Me, Call on me!!!!!
Sorry, this is just one of those odd things I don't think alot of folks have really had to do. It is another odd family quirk.
Dave climbed out of his crib at 16 months. From that point forward he no longer slept it in, but rather under it or under Mikes bed. We tried a toddler bed and he slept under that too. So we got just a little play tent (we actually already had at home). Took out the toddler bed, put the tent in the corner with lots of things to cuddle with. A heavy cotton blanket, a thin pillow and lots of stuffed animals. If we didn't he pulled trucks and tons of stuff in with him anyway to be crowded. He slept like a charm until he outgrew the tent.
The boys have bunk beds that are de-bunked (for safety reasons) so Dave sleeps on teh "top" bunk. It has rails so feels closed in. He also still has about 3 pillows, a weighted blanket (not supposed to sleep with one btw but he is fine and doesn't sleep other wise) a ton of stuffed animals and a hanging toy thing in front of his bed. Oh, he bed is a little high so he loves to think under his bed is a clubhouse.
At the same time Dave slept in the tent, Mike slept every night on the floor despite having a bed. I nearly had DH convinced to take the bed out of Mike's room and give him a camping pad and a sleeping bag and let the whole room be for play during the day, lol.
Oh my odd quirky kids.
As for toilet training at night. They have some great pullup type things or overnights now even for larger kids. Maybe a good idea.
Renee
i tried those and found it was too hot for my son. just something to consider.
i've been looking into the separated bunks idea. pull ups are definately much easier then cleaning up a mess each morning.
valerie
I guess our situation is almost a bed tent one. Peter sleeps on a loft bed, it's about 3' off the gound, and we live in a Cape, so the ceiling is low at it's highest part and slopes over him. There are rails, of course, and he uses the popular "stuffed animals technique" to make a nest in the midst of which he sleeps.
Siobhan sleeps with a heavy cotton blanket, folded in four, which gives weight without technically being a 'weighted blanket', and about 27 of her closest furry friends.
I think a bed tent is a great idea. I was just looking at them in IKEA yesterday, wondering if I should get one for Peter. We are about to rearrange his room and take him out from under the eaves. I decided to wait and see (IKEA is only 10 minutes away).
I don't have one, but I am guessing at some possible disadvantage of a tent:
retaining heat, as Val pointed out
May possibly muffle sound, so it may be less easy to hear her if she wakes up
it may make access to and from the bed more difficult for her, particularly at first and if in a hurry to get to te potty
It could be a bit harder to make the bed.
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
Jack doesn't sleep in a tent, but it's sometimes hard to find him w/ all the stuff in his bed.
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Edited 2/19/2008 9:19 pm ET by littleroses
THANK YOU! I appreciate the all the input! We ordered one today from the web because I spent yesterday in a fruitless search around Albuquerque stores...including an ill-advised stop at Toy 'r us.
Those of you who mentioned weighted blankets and the like surprised me because I hadn't thought if it in those terms...I just thought she was hiding from something. However, I had dinner with an OT friend last night (and DH and Kivrin) and she kept returning to the thought that Kivrin was craving deep pressure, and how to meet her needs.
She was REALLY helpful, btw. The doctor we saw left me feeling lost and confused and very alone. My friend was incredibly helpful and gave me so many ideas on how to help my daughter. She taught me joint compression last night and we're going to meet again so we can start on a brushing/sensory program as a start until we can get services. She also convinced DH and I to get Kivrin into preschool.
Mary
Mary,
That is great that you have such a kind and helpful friend! Did she recommend the out of sync child?
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
I thought that it was normal for kids to sleep under pillows and stuff! all our kids do the "nest" at night. They all put pillows around their beds (each child has at least 4 pillows) like a wall. and have to have their special blanket(made w/ flannel on one side and fleece on the other) as well.
Weston sleeps on the bottom of the big boys' bunkbeds. I put curtains around his bed to make a cave. He likes it but it does get warm. He usually strips to his underwear. He also falls asleep w/ a large comforter tucked in on both sides and a body pillow over him to make him feel more secure.
Weston also wears compresion underwear when he his "muscles feel jumpy", this does make a difference in how much sensory input he can handle.
hope the tent works!
Betsy
No, she didn't, but I've seen the book at the local library. I didn't take it out because I'm still confused about the overlap between SI problems and ASD. Tomorrow is our library day though, so I'm going to look for it.
Mary