2 Kids Under 2 Sharing a Room

While living in Georgia, my friend with 11 month old twin boys gave me her secret. Her pediatrician recommended the big square box fans for background noise. She said it worked like a charm and kept the boys from waking each other up. Also, when the boys did wake up, they where able to put themselves back to sleep on there own without a parent.
Good Luck!

I kept all 3 of my children in my room for the first 3 months of each of their lives. The truth is, I would never have trusted leaving one of my girls once they had the ability to climb alone in a room with any of my babies.

S.
When my kids were infants, they stayed in a cradle until they slept throught the night. All my kids shared a room.(6) My oldest son never had a room to himself. Including college and he is now married. He never minded and it really built bonding between siblings.
Blessings on your new one to come.
C. B

Our boys have always shared since the baby gave up night time feedings. It has never been a problem them waking each other up except when one wakes up early in the morning, they will sometimes wake up the other. Bedtime is a challenge now that they are both of the playing age, but we'll be adding sybling #3 in their room in July. I love how close the kids are from sharing.

This is kinda funny, but I have a 3 1/2 year old girl, twin 1 1/2 year old boys and a now 6 month old girl. The 3 1/2 year old and 6 month old share a room right now and have absolutely no problems. Both are good sleepers though. However, when my 6 month old was 2-4 months old, we were living in a temporary furnished apartment with only 3 bedrooms, a small living room and a kitchen. We only brought a basinette for the baby because there wasn't room for a crib. The basinette wouldn't fit around the furniture in my 3 year old's room, so we ended up having the baby sleep in the living room for the 2 months we were there. She didn't wake anyone up (except me) for midnight feedings during that time, then when we moved into the place we're in now, she moved right into the 3 year old's room. Since she's sleeping better through the night, they really don't keep each other up. Usually, one is asleep before the other and they both end up asleep all night. So, you might try having a basinette in another room until your baby sleeps a good amount of time at night, and then move them into the same room together. Maybe put the empty crib in the daughter's room from the start so she'll know what's coming. Hope this helps.

I know alot of people who will keep their new baby in their room in a bassinet until the baby's sleep pattern gets routine. If you do not want to do this then I would suggest having the two take naps at the same time maybe your oldest will just get used to the baby fussing and eventually learn how to block out the baby when she is asleep. Good Luck and I hope this helps

S.,
people think I Am crazy but I like keeping my babies in my room for about 9 mo. to a year. I sleep better knowing I just have to look over at the baby and not get out of bed to check on them, so my sleep is better, because I think my babies sense my nervousness when they are so far away and that can cause problems.
HOwever when hubby gets fussy for hubby reasons then you may want to re think the stayiong close to mommy thing, but sometimes it works to your advantage if you are not feeling responsive to him you can always say "not now honey the baby might hear!" LOL just kidding.....yes I have used it.

Hello S., If you find reading helpful, I very much recommend, "The No Cry Sleep Solution," by Elizabeth Pantley. She gives many, many sleeping arrangement suggestions for families and is respectful of the range of parenting styles.

I trust you will keep finding your way as your family grows and continually changes. ~T.

It is not as bad as you think it will be. I feared putting my kiddos together because of sleeping habits, but it turned out just fine. When my youngest was little he slept in a bassinet in our room, but after he grew out of the bassinet we had an extra room and his big brother who has never seemed to fond of his brother wanted him in his room. He wasn't a very deep sleeper and I really worried about it, but it has been a great thing for them both. Older brother loves to tell little brother stories until he falls asleep and has learned how to sleep deeper. And little brother just learned how to be a deep sleeper quicker.

I have three kids under the age five and they have to share a room. My advice to you is to get a bassinet or crib and have the baby sleep in your room with you and your husband. Once your other child turns the age of two and the other one is sleeping through the night they should be able to share a room with ease. And explain to your two year old they may hear noise and it's just the baby they will get use to sleeping with each other just don't give up they can sleep in the same room and you and your husband will be able to have some peace.

I was really worried about this with my two kids too. What I've found is that children, if given the opportunity, will adapt well to changes in sleeping situations. At first the crying from my infant would bother my toddler, but now she sleeps like a log when he cries at night, even if I let him cry for a long time. I kept my baby in my room for the first several weeks when he would wake up most frequently, but after he started sleeping for longer periods, I put him in his crib. When he wakes up to eat, I take him out of the room they share and feed him in my room, then put him back in his crib in the room when we're done and he's quiet. This reduces the amount of noise that your daughter will have to deal with. Hopefully she will learn to sleep through your baby's nighttime sounds - it's pretty much a matter of survival!

Keep the baby in your room for several months, in a crib, co-sleeper, or pack and play. This might help your toddler sleep and you can get the baby on a sleeping schedule before he/she is moved in with their sibling.

I am a mom of two and we recently lived in a two bedroom apt. while we were looking for a house. So my 1 year old and 3 1/2- 4 year old son had to share a room for 6 months. My daughter started waking again at night during this time. Most of the time my son slept right thru it. I was amazed. Usually she would go down at 7 and we would do his routine outside of the room and he would go in at 8. Sometimes she was not asleep yet (from getting her down to late or he wanted to go to bed early), then we had him sleep on the couch or in our bed and we carried him into bed. Overall, I was totally amazed at how much he slept thru (she really did better if we let her cry it out. It seemed to go on longer if we went in or she would keep crying even when we consold her.) Good luck but, keep in mind most of the time we stress about things and kids are very resiliant and we never needed to stress at all. My son does like having a room of his own but, ironically he is now scared and came to our room often the first month in the new house. It is now getting better (about week 6). good luck and congratulations.

Hi S.,

According to recommendations by the American Association of Pediatricians, your newborn should be sleeping in your room anyway for the first few months. After that, with the bedrooms so close your toddler should be used to any awakings that have occured and you can make a smooth transition for both children into the bedroom.

don't put your newborn in the same room as your 14 month old. Put a fairly loud fan in your 14 month old's room so she won't hear the baby cry. You can move your newborn either in your room or at the other end of the house and place a baby monitor in her bassenet or craddle bed.

How about a pack and play in your room near your bed...or even in the living room if you are having trouble sleeping with a monitor there? They make pack and plays with cradle options and diaper changing options on them so they make it easy to put right next to the bed. That's what we do (and our bedroom is quite small)!!! And when the baby wakes up at night, I go out to the couch and put the baby in his bouncer to sleep if he's keeping up daddy!

S., 25- mom to Tyrrone, 3 months

Have you considered using a cradle or Pack n Play in your room while the baby is still so little? I let my 2nd & 3rd children sleep in a Pack n Play in my room for several months, as to not bother the other siblings; until we got down to a decent routine. 2 of my children now share a room (they're 9 & 7) & they seem to do well, under the circumstances.
There are so many varieties on pack n plays to help your needs. Mine turned into a bassenet for the first while w/ a changing table ontop. It was so perfect for nighttime changing & everything!
Good Luck,
A.