Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

How old should a child be before sleeping with a blanket?

Dannielle Beardsley
By

You waited so long to bring your baby home. You spent so much time decorating the nursery. From the color of the walls to the style of the furniture, everything has been planned. You’ve been so excited.

You have probably spent a lot of time and effort into choosing the perfect baby blanket. And you have probably collected so much more of these, all of which have now been plopped into storage. Blankets you got from your baby shower, from your parents, from your grandparents, ones you didn’t even put on your registry. All of the blankets.

Related Videos

But can you put them in the crib with your baby? Can your baby even sleep with a blanket when you bring them home? What are you supposed to do with all of those blankets? Now you are wondering at what age can your baby sleep with a blanket. Does it matter?

Related

Well, it does matter. It matters a lot. It is actually extremely dangerous for a baby to sleep with a blanket. There are a lot of things that can go wrong when a soft object and a little one are left alone together.

baby in blanket
Sarah Nickerson/Getty Images

What could happen

Babies have no control over what they are doing. They can’t tell if something is stuck in their mouth or not. Soft items like blankets, crib bumpers, and stuffed animals should never be left alone with a baby while they are sleeping. You shouldn’t leave your baby unattended with any of these objects while awake, either.

  • Take out the crib bumpers
  • No blankets of any kind in the crib
  • No matter how cute they look, get rid of the stuffed animals

Crib bumpers are weird. Do you think your 1-month-old infant is banging their head against the crib rails? Crib bumpers are mainly for show. While they do look cute and make the crib look more festive, skip them. They will need to be taken out every night. You have enough work to do every day, mama.

Loose blankets are a no. Even if you burrito wrap your baby, they can bust out of that in a minute. Then the blanket is free to cover the baby’s face, get stuck over their head, or get sucked in their mouth.

Those adorable stuffed animals might look precious when you cuddle them with your baby. But again, your baby loves to put everything in their mouth. Fight the urge, resist the temptation. Don’t put any stuffed animals in the crib. Leave those for play time.

The right age

So, what’s the right age, then? All we’ve done is tell you no about everything.

  • At least 1 year old
  • No ribbons or hanging tassels
  • Breathable fabrics are best
  • Smaller blankets are key, no large ones
  • No higher than their little chest

Yes, you can eventually give your little one a blanket. Be smart about the kind and size of the blanket. Anything that dangles off is a no-go. Again, your baby could accidentally get it in their mouth.

You want to make sure the blanket is in proportion to your baby. Though the big fluffy blankets look cute for pictures, don’t let your baby sleep with that. A smaller blanket the size of your baby is all they need. The more fabric, the higher the chance your baby could get wrapped up in it the wrong way.

When you do give your baby a blanket, make sure the fabric is breathable. Try to find one made with cotton muslin and stay away from polyester.

When you tuck you little one in, the chest is high enough. Never tuck the blanket under their chin or around their shoulders. Under their chubby little arms is perfect.

woman with baby in crib
Cavan Images/Getty Images

Other things in the crib

We went over blankets, but when can babies sleep with a stuffed animal? The same rules apply. Wait until your baby is at least 1 year old. Realistically, you shouldn’t have any toys in the crib at all. If you baby has a favorite stuffed animal, wait until after their first birthday to let them sleep with it.

When you tuck your baby in at night, tuck their favorite buddy in with them, under the arms like you would your child.

It’s simply better to clear the crib of any random objects before putting your child to bed. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

The reason to check the crib

What’s all of the fuss over what goes in the crib? Why is everyone so paranoid?

  • Suffocation
  • SIDS
  • Strangulation
  • Choking

There are some very scary and  life-threatening things that could happen to baby while they sleep when there are unnecessary things in the crib.

You baby could choke on a small piece of a stuffed animal, get stuck in the blanket and suffocate, or get a larger blanket wrapped around their heads.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, affects babies under 1 year of age. It is the leading cause of infant death in the United States. It is one of the most devastating ways to lose a child. Do all you can to help prevent it by practicing safe sleep measures.

As much as you want to give your baby a cute blanket to keep them warm, please don’t. They make really good baby wraps if you have to put your baby in something. But some good footed pajamas will do the trick. It’s OK, mama. You’ve been through a lot to bring your baby home, we want to take some of that first-year stress away.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
5 things you should never say to a pregnant woman
She's already cranky, puffed, and exhausted. Please don't make it worse with these common questions for pregnant women
Pregnant married woman standing in a floral gown

These lists are sometimes hard to compile because of the beautiful complexity and differences between women. What may be offensive to one may be exactly what another needs to hear. Women, particularly pregnant women, are multidimensional, deeply thinking, individualistic human beings, and there is no "one-size-fits-all" list that applies to everyone.
However, there does seem to be an invisible boundary of privacy that drops when a woman is expecting a child. In a time when she is very likely uncertain, nervous, and potentially bombarded with any number of questions, swimming in a pool of nerves, people think this is the time to invade her space.
Most of these are well-intentioned questions, habitual, even. Rightfully so, people are excited and happy at the sight of a pregnant woman, and sometimes in that joy, manners can slip. It's important to keep in mind that many women -- particularly the more introverted ones -- are uncomfortable with all the new attention they're probably receiving. For the women who don't relish having these conversations with their family members, friends, hairstylists, and strangers in the produce section, these questions can be very awkward. Keep reading to find out the things you should never say to a pregnant woman.

'Are you going to breastfeed?'
This one is usually said with an air of haughtiness that also says, "It is the best choice, you know. Any mother who doesn’t breastfeed is just the absolute worst and shouldn’t be allowed to have children if only because of her shocking selfishness."
Ladies (and gentlemen), think about this one for a moment. While, as mentioned above, your intentions are undoubtedly lovely and kind, you may very well be deeply offending the already uncomfortable pregnant woman you’re talking to. Take into consideration that there are many reasons her answer to this question may be (gasp) "No."
Perhaps she has a medical issue that prevents her from breastfeeding. Perhaps she has a deeply rooted psychological reason she’s chosen not to. Perhaps she just feels icky about the whole thing, and despite her best efforts, just can’t move past it. Whatever the reason, she already knows breastfeeding is the healthiest and “best” option without you telling her so.
She doesn’t need to know that it’s what you did and that your babies were just healthy little horses. She doesn’t need to hear that feeding her precious, unborn baby formula is the equivalent of feeding it Tang instead of freshly squeezed orange juice. She’s thought about her choice more than you have; whatever that choice is, it's really none of your business.

Read more
How to help your toddler adjust to a new baby
Is a child's reaction to a new sibling abnormal toddler behavior? Maybe, but probably not. What to know
A toddler holding a new baby on a white bench

Your first baby completed you. You loved them so much that you decided to have another.

Parents may worry their kids won’t hit it off. These concerns may be amplified for parents having children close together. Toddlers don’t have the language or empathy to understand why a new loud, tiny human is commanding lots of attention — attention that used to be theirs.

Read more
Talking to your kids about how babies are made – making it simple and comfortable
Tips on "the talk" with children
Mom and preschooler talking on a couch

Talking to kids about how babies are made can sound very uncomfortable -- the talk many parents dread. But if you make it a lifelong, science-based conversation, answering their questions along the way, it doesn't have to be so bad. Here's how to talk to your kids so you're not left scrambling when they're already hitting puberty.

Age-appropriate sex ed
There's no need to tell young children about sex to find age-appropriate explanations while talking to kids about how babies are made. There is no shame or lewdness in talking about science, biology, and bodies. Only adult minds put sexuality into these discussions, but we can talk openly about these issues with children without ever mentioning sex.

Read more