[echaos]

I can find a lot of books and articles on the benefits of co-sleeping for attachment and bonding, for parents getting more sleep, having happier babies etc... But I can't find anything that talks about the more practical side. So I have some questions for other families that co-sleep with their kids:

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?

Thanks so much for everyone's input!!

[echaos]

I'll post my own situation to these questions:

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
Liam is now 19 months old, and we have been co-sleeping with him for about 7 months

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?
He falls asleep in our arms after a bottle and some lullabies and then we move him to our bed.

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?
Not a hope in H*** of this happening!!

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?
Again, he falls asleep in our arms after a bottle and some lullabies and then we move him to the couch

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?
We have not been faced with this yet, but I can't imagine it going well!

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?
Oh yeah!! Luckily he seems to go back to sleep pretty quickly!

[tobeafamily]

I can find a lot of books and articles on the benefits of co-sleeping for attachment and bonding, for parents getting more sleep, having happier babies etc... But I can't find anything that talks about the more practical side. So I have some questions for other families that co-sleep with their kids:

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
21 months (started 6 weeks ago when Ryan transitoned from crib)

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?

Mostly one of us lays down with him in the bed and snuggles. Occasionally he still wants to be rocked and falls mostly asleep in our arms.

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?

Awake.

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?

We lay down with him, same as nighttime.

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?

We ask them to co-sleep = i.e. Ryan's used to sleeping with someone, can you handle this? Warning: He kicks and is a bedhog. His best friend is also a co-sleeper so when he comes over one of us sleeps with Ryan, the other his friend.

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?

Nah. Ryan's a deep sleeper.


Thanks so much for everyone's input!!

No problem. I wish we'd done this sooner, it's very rewarding. We were concerned when Ryan was smaller b/c we have big dogs and were afraid either us or the dogs would roll over on him. Niether has been an issue.

Regina, AMom to Ryan Joshua Thomas

[LegallyKim]

So do you all think cosleeping is a good idea? Any ideas on how to break the habit?

1. What ages are the kid(s) you sleep with? Cayla is going to be 3 years old next week.

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed? We have always just went to bed and she goes to sleep. (Sometimes she has to tell me lots of things first) On the rare occasions when she falls asleep somewhere else, I move her to HER bed and Mommy actually gets some good rest that night.

3. Do you put them in your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own? For the most part, but with some encouraging words like "Go to sleep Cayla!"

4. Cayla goes to her Grandmother's house during the day while I work. She has "her room" and Grandma tells her its nap time, gives her a sippy cup of juice and all her stuffed animals and she goes to sleep by herself.

5. Overnights? The only place Cayla has ever stayed overnight is at her Grandma's house. The first night was very difficult for Grandma because Cayla wanted her Mommy. Now, ironically, Cayla insists that she sleep in "her" bed (the guest bedroom where she takes her naps) and does not let Grandma sleep with her. I am having a hard time figuring this one out. We do not want Cayla to cosleep with us anymore but when I try to put her in her own bed she has a fit. She won't even sleep with her older sister. She has to sleep with me!

6. Waking up when I go to the bathroom? She used to do that and it was a night mare. If I was up, Cayla was up. She's not like that anymore. I can get out of bed and she doesn't automatically wake up anymore. She has never woken up when DH gets up for work, but then she has always slept right next to me. She does get mad if he has to leave for work before she gets up though. He must say good bye to the princess before he leaves!

This is a good thread - I'm not sure which direction the original poster wanted to take it, but I'm wondering if anyone has any good ideas on how to get the Princess to sleep in her own bed now?

[mckenna]

my son has been sleeping with me since his little sister came to live with us as a foster placement because at that time he lost his crib. it was the day after his 2nd b-day.

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?

almost 3

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?

i lay next to him and put my arm around him and once he falls asleep, i get up and do other things or i jus go to sleep

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?

i put him in bed awake but he does not fall asleep on his own

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?

at school, he goes to sleep all on his own, on his own cot. on the weekends, the same routine as night time.

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?

he really has only spent the night at my parents or my sisters and he sleeps with them

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?

he usually does not wake up but on occasion if i am not in the bed for extended periods of time, he will get up and find me

i, too, would like to transition my son to his own bed, but i don't see that happening for a while. what age should i start this?

[echaos]

LegallyKim,

I've often wondered the same thing on how to get them moved to their own bed. Especialy after the night I woke up with a black eye because Liam managed to turn sideways, between our pillows and whacked me in the eye with his heel!!!

I love co-sleeping with him, but occasionally feel like his is much more in charge then I would like. but I wouldn't give up cuddling him to sleep for anything. So I guess I'm torn.....


The only suggestion I've ever heard for transitioning them to their own bed is that they will eventually go there on their own. Not much of a suggestion..... but I've never heard of a 15 year old co-sleeping with his parents, so it must magically happen some how!!

[LegallyKim]

Echaos,

So there is light at the end of the tunnel for us - sometime between now and when they turn 15! LOL I too am awfully attached to "snuggling" her, plus I know she is safe all night long, as long as she is right beside me. I know that some of the transition issues are mine, and probably the reason I haven't pushed the transition already. I too, am torn.

[mckenna]

"sometime between now and when they turn 15! "


LOL i was just saying eventually he is going to figure out that sleeping with your mom is not cool!

[Decision]

I co-slept with all my children, now 11, 9, and 7.
When they were younger -under five I would have to "pretend" sleep to get them to fall asleep.
I didnt have a problem with them waking up at night unless they were sick.
My 7 year old still crawls into bed with me after my dh leaves for work 4:30 am.
To get them to sleep in their own beds I would sleep with them in their beds, I would lay with them until they fell asleep and then crawl into my own bed, this took a while because they would wake up but eventually they were sleeping in their own beds. With my youngest I had to give her my pillow or nightshirt to sleep with.
When they are sick I will sleep with them, except for my 11 year old..he is bigger than I am so this doesnt work well.
Co-sleeping is wonderful for bonding,
I didnt have a problem with sleep overs, as long as I let them take my pillow.
Hugs
Melissa

[Dragonfly82]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?

From birth to 3 and half years. My husband has been 'hinting' that he wants his bed back with his wife.

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?

Sometimes he falls asleep on his own and I carry him to bed OR we go to bed together and he falls asleep on his own . . . sometimes with 20 minutes of 'XX go to sleep', 'we'll talk about that tomorrow, go to sleep', etc. ~ other times, he's out like a light!

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?

Yes

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?

IF he takes a nap, he might fall asleep on the couch and I'll move him to his bedroom ~ but naps are pretty much a thing of the past now.


5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?

Never left him overnight . . . but he did take a nap while my dad was watching him. Fell asleep in my dad's arms and he just carried him to his bed. I asked my dad when I got home, 'Where is XX?' He said, 'Oh, I haven't seen him for a couple hours, was I supposed to be watching him?'


6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?

Our situation is a bit different, as my son's (not for use) 'bedroom' is downstairs while ours is upstairs. (We didn't plan on having a child when we built the house.) I couldn't stand the thought of him being downstairs even with a baby monitor. Anyway, when my husband gets up in the morning to get ready for work, I carry XX downstairs to his bed in his bedroom, as our bathroom is all part of our master bedroom and the light and noise of getting ready for work would wake him. He continues sleeping in his bed downstairs . . . when he wakes up in that bed, it's no big deal to him, he's used to it.

We bought a bunk bed for his bedroom to get him used to the idea of sleeping in his own bed around the age of 3. We mostly just used it for naps during the day. Most recently, we removed the top bunk from the bunk bed and moved it upstairs to our bedroom where he now sleeps. I too love to 'cuddle' with him and I think it was harder on me when he moved to his own bed. The transition was smooth . . . no problem, 'Good night Mama' Wow! He does still ask (once or twice a week) to sleep 'in the big bed' with us, but I have had to stay firm in telling him 'no', as I don't want to start a new habit now that he is sleeping in his own bed. The next step is having him sleep in his own bedroom instead of ours. That won't be for a while yet . . . I don't think he'll 'go for that' and I'm not so sure I can handle him being downstairs 'alone' He'll be 4 in May.

Also, I think part of our 'smooth transition' to the 'big boy bed' was plenty of warning . . . little comments for about a month ~ 'Pretty soon you'll be sleeping in your own bed, like a big boy' etc.

Note: I get my 'cuddle' in the morning when he first wakes up, we 'cuddle' (snuggle, tickle and giggle) and 'talk' for about 10 minutes before he gets out of bed. It's our special little tradition and I'm cherishing every moment of it, as time moves so quickly and soon he won't want to 'cuddle with Mama'.

[quote] Thanks so much for everyone's input!!

Hope this helped.

[4x4ski]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
almost 3 - we started when he was 2 and started clilmbing out of his crib
2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed? he falls alseep in bed with me and at times I have to tell him it is time to sleep or the questions and talking just keep coming

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own? Yes to bed awake

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?
Same routine as at night - ds is even at his nana's during the day and she has to lay down with him until he falls asleep
5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation? yes and he does fine and sleeps in his pak-n-play by his self.

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?nope - he sleeps like a rock

Thanks so much for everyone's input!! You are quite welcome

[BrandyHagz]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
I don’t co-sleep with my son any longer, but we co-slept together from the first day he came home from the hospital until my husband and I married and moved in together.

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed? Jerrett would fall asleep in bed with me. He just knew it was time…

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own? Awake, he would always fall asleep on his own.

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap? I wouldn’t make Jerrett nap in a bed. I’d generally let him take a nap on the couch…but when he got a little bigger (18 mos or so) I got him a kiddie sleeping bag, and he would pull it out to take a nap on the floor.

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation? Well, I guess I was lucky…because it never became an issue. He knew he slept with me…but when he went to papa’s house, he had his own bed. The only issue they ever had was he would stay up late, and wake up early.

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other? I’m pretty sure Jerrett could sleep thru a marching band parading thru the bedroom…I’ve never tested this theory…but even now, at age nine, NOTHING wakes this kid up…I mean NOTHING!


My biggest issue was transitioning him from our bed (mine and his, I was a single mom) to his own bed. I suggest making as few changes at “transition time” as you can. In my case, we moved 1500 miles away from my family, to a new house, with a new person…obviously, he wasn’t going to take to sleeping in his bed like I had hoped he would.

There was a lot of getting up, and being taken back to bed initially. He even started wetting the bed (age six) because it was just to much stress for him because of all the changes. Eventually, I’d say a month or so later, he was back to normal, and loving his room…but it wasn’t east, at all!

Would I change it? Heck no! My son and I are VERY close…but it isn’t for everyone.

[alicia hunter]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with?
3 years

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?
She just lies down with her cup and goes to sleep while I rub her back. I am usually going to bed at the same time.

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own?
Goes to my bed awake.

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap?
She just lies down in my bed for her nap or, while at daycare, she sleeps on her cot.

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation?
Only leave her w/ grandma or grandpa and they let her sleep with them.

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other?
She sometimes wakes up if I get up to go to the bathroom, but goes right back to sleep when I get back. The problem occurs if I get up early to do cooking or other chores- she will NOT sleep anymore.

[cathy102]

1. What age(s) are the kids that you co-sleep with? Lexi is 16 months and Sean is 6 weeks but I don't co-sleep with either of them..

2. How do you get them to sleep? Do they fall asleep somewhere else and you move them to your bed?

I just put them in their bed awake and they both go right to sleep..

3. Do you put them into your bed awake and they fall asleep on their own? No...They don't sleep with us

4. How do the kids who co-sleep at night handle daytime naps? Do you have to lie down with them? Where do they nap? Lexi naps in her bed only and Sean will nap in his swing during the day

5. Have do you handle having to leave your kids with someone for an overnight situation? They have been sleeping the night with both sets of Grandparents from birth and do great..

6. Do you have problems with the child waking up when you get up to use the bathroom, or one parent has to go to work much earlier then the other? No!! They can sleep through pretty much anything..

Cathy

[mom2jazzygirl]

All four of my children have co-slept at some point and for some duration or another. Right now, the 3 year old comes into our bed in the night and stays the rest of the night every single night. The 7 year old comes in during the early morning hours and stays for the rest of the night. The 17 monther and the 5 year old sleep through the night in their own beds. But, the 5 year old was coming into our bed until she was 3.5. And, the 17 monther is in a crib.

Generally, I transition them to a crib around a year. I find that they don't co-sleep much from that point until they transition out of their crib and then they seem to find their way back into our bed. To transition them to their cribs, I would get them sound asleep and the put them in the crib while it was in my bedroom. When they woke up, I would bring them back to bed. Then, I would eventually move the crib out of my bedroom and they would wake up less and less at night (not night-waking has only been going on for the 17 monther for about 2 weeks now).

When they come back into my bed, we've done several things to transition. We've laid down in their bed with them, or let them fall asleep in our bed and then moved them back to their room. Eventually, they just stop waking up and seeking us out most nights. But, all of the kids know that if they need us at night then they are more than welcome to come to our room.

Of course, if they all decide to join us on a regular basis, we'd have to add a full size bed to our King. We can comfortably fit 1-3 kids with us in the King. We cannot fit all 4 though.