We have an 18 month old who will be joining us in Scotland at the end of August. He's too tall for the Nitestar Baby sleeping bag, and we've discovered (after buying one on ebay - grrrr) that he is too big for a LittleLife Arc 2 travel cot really. So....alternative arrangements have to be made! What are your thoughts on the Vango Nitestar Midi - am I right in thinking that I've read on here that I can use a pony tail band to block off the bottom of the midi sleeping bag so he doesn't slide down inside it? Also, can you recommend a decent inexpensive (notice I didn't say cheap - there's a difference! ) sleeping mat for him? I don't fancy putting him on an airbed as he's likely to roll off and wake himself up.
TIA
Angela
------------- I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability!
My 18 month old sleeps on a Ready Bed, a Thomas the Tank Engine one :0) He sleeps in a vest, sleepsuit, blanket and his cot sized quilt. I did buy him a Vango Nitestar sleeping bag which he goes to sleep in but always seems to wriggle out of it but stays warm enough anyway.
Laura
------------- July 2010 Warren Farm, Brean Sands
July 2010 Hill End, The Gower
September Fforest Fields
We use that for our 16mth old and have never had any problems at all, she still sleeps in one of these aswell http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000YL5G1I/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&s=baby with long sleeve vest and a fleece sleepsuit she is always lovely and warm, we put a thick fleece blanket over the top of the air bed then a fitted sheet and roll mats and a picnic rug under the air bed. Hope this helps.
Thanks, Laura. Our boy isn't used to any bedclothes at all - he sleeps in just his pjs, so I'm not sure how he'd go on with a quilt even if we had one!
------------- I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability!
Try a google search of 'musuc bag kids'. I saw them on here I think but I'm not sure what age/ size they start at. My daughter's not great at keeping covers on even at home so we put plenty of layers on - vest, sleepsuit and then one of those oversized dressing gown type things with legs and feet. Then small cot duvet and blankets if necessary.
I've also read about getting a childs sleeping bag and 'tying' off the bottom so they can't get lost! Haven't done it yet but I'm sure it would be ok.
Our 2 1/2 year old son sleeps in an adult bag in his pj's.Self inflating mat unerdeath him and a fleece blanket laid on the floor next to it in case he goes off the mat.
Last week he was quite often found sleeping half in the bag and half on the mat but not one complaint.Also most mornings we had to wake him up about 8.30 -9 as he was sleeping so well !
We may take an extra mat next time so he cant move off at all.
Our 5 year old is happy as anything in her sleep cell adult bag which is really warm.
If you buy the right adult bag its better value longterm as you can always tie it off to stop them wiggling down.
Our kids all went from a travel cot + Vango Baby bag to a Vango Nitestar Midi plus a £15-ish SI mat. We also used to floor the pod they slept in with cheap cellular foam mats, cut to size. The cellular foam mat means even if they do roll of the SI one they're not on cold ground and it makes a firm warm surface to play on during the day. SI mats are considerably warmer than any sort of airbed btw....airbeds are just slabs of freezing cold air which need a lot of insulation on them top and bottom and then the child often rolls off it anyway.
It's better to keep small kids in kiddy sized sleeping bags till they're too big for them btw. yes you can tie off the bottom of an adult sleeping bag to stop them sliding down but adult sleeping bags are also wide, to fit adult shoulders, and that makes for a lot of dead air space inside for a little body to heat up. it's better to use the narrower kiddy bags. Also adult hooded bags have drawstrings...not good for small kids! Midi hooded bags have elastic in the hoods. Why have a hood at all? Well, hooded bags with shoulder baffles cut down on draughts getting into the bag. Tuck a camping pillow inside the hood and they'll be snug as bugs. Midi Nitestars are not that expensive and they can be passed down to younger siblings with any luck. Oh, and a Midi bag is easier to wash if the child has an accident at night!
I got one of the Kampa airbeds and find it great. I insulate the sleep area floor with blankets then drape an opened Go-Outdoors cheapy sleeping bag over the top of the airrbed and a Vango Nitestar baby for him to sleep in. If anything he is too warm and ends up peeping out.
He sleeps well in it and likes that it is a special one for him. Another plus side is that I cannot rollover onto him during the night!
These airbeds do take up a much wider footprint though and that would be my only downside.
As he will be out of his Baby Nitestar this season I am interested to others views on the Nitestar Midi in prep for next year
Thank you so much for all the ideas - I'm leaning towards the Kampa airbed, with a Nitestar Midi. Space shouldn't be too much of a problem as we have the Monty 6 and he'll be sharing one side of the bedroom pods with his sister who's 7 and has a single airbed. It'll take four sleeping mats to cover the floor in their sleeping pod, so we might consider that, too.
Thanks again.
Angela
------------- I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability!
My daughter (28months) uses the kampa airbed and loves it and always sleeps until late in the morning in it so must be comfy. And she uses her peppa pig sleeping bag and usually wears a vest and fleecy all in one pyjamas. I take her dressing gown just incase she is cold but have never needed it.