Can my child suffocate from sleeping under her blanket?

Question

My healthy daughter is almost 5 years old. I worry, because sometimes she pulls the blanket up over her nose when she's sleeping. Could she die this way? Could she lose brain cells or have other adverse health effects? Should I check her throughout the night?

Answer 1

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i doubt she could suffocate, but after she's sleeping you could pull the blanket away from her face if you're still worried. i think if she started to suffocate she would wake up though.

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Answer 2

What kind of blanket she has?

Suffocation sounds hardly possible, but if the blanket is very heavy/thick who knows. You can for sure suffocate anybody with a pillow. One other thing to keep in mind is that less oxygen and more CO2 cause sleepiness, so it can be hard to wake up. May be you heard or watched on TV about deep canyons: concentration of CO2, which is heavy, is higher there and animals and later vultures that got there fall asleep and die. Of course, before concentration of CO2 will be that high, your body gets the signal to get out. I am just wondering, if it is possible to miss this signal while sleeping, especially for a kid. Also, you right, hypoxia (lack of oxygen) affects neural tissues more then any other cells. I don't want to scare you, just some thoughts. I tried to run simple google search and did not find any blanket-related suffocation stories except for infants.

I guess if I were in your shoes I'll try to give her very light, breathable blanket, so even if she covers her head she still will be fine. If it's cold for her, maybe you could buy small heater to keep her room warmer.

I remember when I was kid, I used to cover my head with the blanket too. I survived, I think my brain is fine :). As I recall I was afraid of some monsters and I was hiding from them. It was completely dark in my room at night, so if she is also afraid of something, maybe some extra special night light can help.

She is pretty big girl, maybe you could talk to her and ask why she is doing it and also explain to her how concerned and worried you are.

Good luck!

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Answer 3

My kids do that all the time, since they were old enough to move their blankets! But I constantly check on them throughout the night, you have to remember that all kids are different and some are heavier sleepers than others. Sometimes my kids work in reverse and kick them off but never cover themselves back up without me going in while they are sleeping :)

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Answer 4

Don't worry, she'll be fine. Unless she has some sort of delay or condition (such as brain damage), she will know in her sleep if she is losing oxygen and instinctively pull the blanket off of her head. We all do it in our sleep without even realizing it. You only have to really worry with babies under the age of 1.

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Answer 5

i dont think she could suffocate like that...my friends four year old sister has been covering her head up since she was two...and shes still hyper, outgoing and bratty... if you are really worried about her, when shes fallen asleep, pull the covers from under her nose. and if you are still worried, then check on her every couple of hours...but you have to let her grow...good luck

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Answer 6

I sleep with the blankets over my head too.

Always have.....guess I always will :]

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Answer 7

I do think this can be a dangerous situation. Forgive me for not knowing the details. Possibly a build up of Co2? Call your Dr. in the morning maybe they'll know. Also, teach her to wrap her head allowing her nose to get fresh air, like a mummy. Good luck.

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Answer 8

Don't be silly.

It's like that thing they do holding their breath to wind you up; they have to breathe eventually, it's a basic reflex.

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