Sleeping FAQ: 3-4 Months – Other

How can I prevent my son of 14 weeks from waking himself by banging against the cot?

My son is 14-weeks-old. Since he was six weeks old he has slept in his cot. Following the CLB advice I put him in a 0.5tog sleeping bag which I secured under the mattress. I used a thin cotton sheet and cellular blanket over him secured with two rolled towels down the sides. All was well for about six weeks but he has now started to move diagonally up the cot and bang his head on the side. He sometimes wakes 3 times in the night. It could be because he has banged his head or maybe he is cold. I have tried not securing the sleeping bag under the mattress and not using any covers, but nothing seems to make any difference. I can’t put him to sleep at the top of the cot- or can I if I don’t use any covers? Someone on the message boards suggested cot bumpers but I am worried about this as he does get quite hot, and I am afraid that he would push into them. Removing the covers was also suggested as he perhaps feels restricted. Should I put him in a warmer sleeping bag?

Many babies of your son’s age begin to move around quite a bit during the night. Even in a sleeping bag they are able to move around quite well and some end up in very strange and to us, uncomfortable positions. Is he fully waking up in the night? It would seem from your notes that he settles back to sleep again very quickly, being awake no longer than ten minutes. Do you go in and move him back down to the bottom of the cot?

If you begin to use a higher tog sleeping bag with no extra covers, see if he will settle himself. He may cry out as he hits the bars but then just move himself to a more comfortable position. As the weather is getting warmer, letting him sleep in a higher tog bag with no covers should prevent him from waking with cold. Often babies hands are very cold, especially when they sleep in bags, but the best way to check that he is warm enough is to feel the back of his neck which should be warm to the touch.