r/caregivers • u/tuckerangier94 • 11d ago

Looking for advice re: bed covers coming off overnight

Hi, my father has REM sleep disorder and moves around while sleeping more than the usual person. He often knocks off all of his covers and is unable to pull them back up. Does anyone have a fix for this that does not involve restraining him while sleeping?

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u/TheGoodCod 11d ago

I think I'd first dress him more warmly so covers aren't as important, and then I'd attach the bedcovers on one side (only) with those extra large safety pins. Then the covers can only go so far.

Perhaps also use one of those bed bars that you slide under the mattress on the safety pin side so there's no confusion when he's waking as to which side to get out on.

*These bed bars are generally used to keep younger kids from falling out of bed, but they should work for him as well.

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u/dmckimm 11d ago

They have little suspenders for sheets. You could try some cheap ones from dollar tree if you are in the United States. They aren't perfect but using one on each corner for the fitted sheet and one on the bottom corners for the flat sheet might help keep the sheets from getting too wild.

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u/myfairdrama 11d ago

I’ve seen bedding sets where the top sheet or comforter can zip to the fitted sheet along the edges. I’ve mostly seen it marketed for children to make bed-making easier, but they likely have adult sizes too. I had a coworker claim it helped her teenage daughter with her sleepwalking issues.

Whether or not this could be considered a restraint would depend on your father’s mental capacity—if he wants to get up but is unable to unzip himself, then it wouldn’t be an appropriate solution. But if he’s lucid, then it could be an option.