Last week I heard a story about a 2.5 year old that was taking her clothes off at bed time. She was waking at night when she wore clothes, but her parents worried about her being cold. However, when they would try to dress her, she cried. If they snuck in and tried to dress her while she slept, she would wake up and cry. They could hardly get her back to sleep.
If your child isn’t wanting to wear pajamas to bed, try these ideas:
1. “If it is only at night and at home I would suggest a warm air humidifier to keep her room warm, and her bed clean with some plastic sheets. Cover her up when she goes to bed. No sense anyone getting hysterical at bedtime- – could be a phase.” ~Stacie W
2. “Let her sleep in just her diaper or underwear and tank top (you can buy these sets at the store). Perhaps the clothes twist up and bunch up at night.“ ~Holly P
3. “My children would wake up sweating at night with their pajamas stuck to them. They hated wearing anything to bed. I do not see a problem with it at all as long as they sleep through the night. If they are waking, can you add a zip-up comforter, to keep the blankets on them?” ~Celine A
4. “It could be a sensory problem. The texture could make her itchy or even make her skin feel like its burning. Also, she might be too hot. My son has this problem and we just let him sleep with blankets and a pull up because it is what makes him comfortable.” ~ Armeti S
5. “Pick your battles. If she is comfortable and sleeps well once her clothes are off then so be it. If she gets cold enough she will ask for them. She is old enough to know that clothes warm her. You could also keep a thick blanket in her bed.” ~ Gennifer A
6. ” Our bodies actually need to cool down to sleep properly. When we get into bed, we do want to be warm, but have you ever noticed that you push your own covers off if you are too hot later? People (especially women) often insist on putting too many clothes on kids because WE feel cold.” ~ Madonna F
7. “Get her a zip-up blanket and let her be. Or maybe her room is warmer than yours. Now if she starts getting cold at night or complaining/crying about it being cold, talk to her and say “how about we try a t-shirt? Or just pj pants?” Or whatever it is you think to suggest.” ~Angel T
8. “Just throw a blanket on her. My two year old is a hot-natured and sweaty girl. She never wants a blanket. She may just want to be cold while she sleeps.” ~ Rebecca S
9. “Pick your battles, put an extra blanket on if you are worried she will be cold. Follow her lead on how she is comfortable. ” ~Nicole E
10. “I would leave her be. She will instinctively wake up and cover herself up when she feels cold. She will teach herself to cover up, just make sure the blankets are on the bed so she can slip them over herself.” ~Kirsty M
Bonus: If your child is trying to take off her diaper, before being potty trained you may want to try getting zip-up pajamas and putting them on backwards, or getting button pajamas that button the top to the pants. Stop by our Facebook page for more conversations like this.
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Do you have some advice? Please add it in the comments below.
