Need Your Advice on This Idea I Have

Updated on April 24, 2011
M.P. asks from Orem, UT
11 answers

Ok so my son (18 months) part time co sleeps with me. I needed him to sleep in his own bed while I do homework and what not, but then when he woke up around 10 I would go to bed with him.
So now I'm wanting my bed back. BUT the kicker is that we can't do CIO at 10 because we live with family and they are all light sleepers and my dad is one of those overbearing protective dads/papa so when ever I do CIO at bedtime, he is the guy standing next to O's door begging me to go in and let papa take over bedtime. Which if I did that O would be falling asleep at 10 because papa is a 5 year old at heart and would just start playing with Thomas the Tank Engine. So that is why I can't do CIO anymore.
I am thinking (this is just and idea and tell me all the pro's and con's you might see with it) that I get a toddler cot like Regalo My Cot Portable Travel Bed and get my son used to sleeping next to me. He LOVES to just curl right up next to me and play with my hair (while he's asleep. It's pretty funny/annoying) So i'm thinking slowly ween him off of all the cuddling but still be right next to him and slowly move it across the room then eventually in his room and use it in there until he's to big for it get a big boy bed. It's only $25 so it wouldn't be a huge waste of money. . .
What do you think?
Oh I would just use our pack and play, but he LOATHES it. He's never been a fan then we had an encounter with a bad daycare and they kept him in a pack and play while he cried all day, so it has a negative past.
I"m going to probably get it anyway, just because we will go camping alot this summer.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Margie!!! I KNOW!! They look sooo awful!! I know babies are supposed to have a firm sleeping area, but that's tooooooo firm for me! I did read the reviews on this cot and they all say use a blanket underneath because it is a little stiff.
Thanks for the concern, but I've ruled it to be a habitual wake up since it's the same time every night. Some nights I'm lucky and it goes all the way till 1 am, but for the most part he's had an amazingly huge dinner, he has a sippy cup right by him (he often hugs it at night lol) and again it's always 10. In fact he's due to wake up anytime now.

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R..

answers from Chattanooga on

It's worth a shot. I partially coslept with my DD, and I finally got her back into her crib. (she's 11 months)

I started by getting her to sleep farther and farther away from me, instead of snuggling. Then I started waiting until she was in a deep sleep and moved her to her crib. When she woke up I would let her fall asleep with me again, until she started getting used to waking up in the crib. Then I started putting her more and more awake in the crib, until now I can put her in awake, give her a kiss, and tell her goodnight. :)

It sounds like you have the same idea... just in a toddler cot bed instead of a crib. It worked for me, so I don't see why it won't work for you. Good luck!!! (BTW... It did take me about 2 months, because I did it very gradually. But it did work!)

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

L.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I did basically exactly what you are thinking of doing... first, I removed the rail from my son's droprail crib, and sandwiched my son's crib between the wall and my bed... don't worry, I stuffed the 1" space between his mattress and the wall COMPLETELY so his mattress was completely snug against my mattress... so he had his little sidecar space to sleep, which worked terrifically for both of us. His mattress was a little lower than mine, so it actually kept him sort of in his space, while he could still lay right next to me, touch me, etc.

When my son outgrew his crib, we did the same thing with a twin bed. And again, his mattress is a little lower than mine, so he doesn't roll onto my bed, but he's still close enough to snuggle... this has been a wonderful solution for us. We get to be together, but with our own space. Best of both worlds, in our world!

We started cosleeping out of pure desperation for sleep (me), but it quickly became something that we found to be so comforting and natural. We continue to do it now (my son's 5) because his bedroom doesn't have windows, so I don't allow him to sleep in there... it's more of a playroom, I guess. We are moving this summer, and I plan to start him out in his own room when he has a room he can actually sleep in, but I do suspect that he'll often still wake up and come in my room, and I'm cool with that... :)

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.K.

answers from Philadelphia on

Give it a shot. Sounds like a nice idea.

If your son doesn't need to be up at a certain time, why not let him stay up playing with your husband till 10 sometimes too.

1 mom found this helpful

D.G.

answers from Lincoln on

I think it sounds like a good idea! and am curious if it ends up working for you! My 18 month old - oops 19 months! - is still in my bed but last weekend we got a handmedown toddler bed. It's up in her sister's room and so far she freaks whenever I try to lay her in it - asleep or not! But tonight she did spend about 15 minutes playing in it so that's progress right???? I think the cot is a lot like when people say to put a mattress or sleeping bad by the bed then gradually move it away. Good luck! and happy sleeping/camping!

1 mom found this helpful

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I don't know the exact bed you're talking about, but it sounds like a good idea. I know a lot of people that put a futon mattress or crib mattress next to the bed to do the same thing.
I fell into co-sleeping with my daughter and after she learned to walk at 12 montsh I put her in her own bed in her own room. People thought we were crazy because she was too young, and that she would have a hard time because she was so used to sleeping with me.
We had no problems other then waking up in the middle of the night on ocassion. So what works for one wont work for another.....see if this (your idea) works for you. =)
PS mine hated the pack n play too.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

Try it.
And if Grandpa really needs to help let him sleep with Ollie. :o)

It may also be those hard mattress wannabe's in those pack and plays. They always seem so uncomfortable to me.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Futons are awesome!

My son started climbing into bed with me as a toddler. LOVED it. I still do (he sleeps with me about half the time). I also have a king size bed and it's just the two of us... acres of space.

What 'worked' though, when he was a toddler and when I needed my own bed, and he was getting up to pee and climb in with me at some point (aka went down in his own room, but then came into mine) was to give him a choice: "Start out with mum, or start out in his room?" He could 'start out' with me, and then I'd move him. If he came back, then the next night he'd have to stay in his room. If he started out in his own room, he was more than welcome to pile in with me later. Took about a week to get down. He knew he was still 'welcome', but needed to pick which half.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

I think it's a great idea. It's exactly what we did for my daughter when she was younger. She coslept in our bed until she was almost 2, then we bought her a toddler bed and put it right next to our bed to get her used to sleeping in it (one reason being because our son was about to be born and I didn't want an infant AND a toddler in our bed). She was fine with that, because she had her own pretty princess bed but still was in the same room as us. Once she was asleep, she was asleep all night. Then when she was about 2 1/2 we transitioned her into her own room, with the same bed. Also, does he have a stuffed animal that he likes to cuddle with? That might help him as well, to have something to cuddle with that isn't Mommy. :-) Good luck!

Y.C.

answers from New York on

It doesn't hurt to ask, but I also wonder why O' is waking up, my sister was a good sleeper but at one point she wasn't sleeping well, and it was because she wanted more solid food a night to keep her tummy full for longer, as soon my mom stared give her more food she was sleeping all night again.
Btw, yeah, I also find the pack and play so hard, but they sell some sheets that have cushion on them, is not like wow, but it helps.

E.B.

answers from Fort Collins on

We have a toddler mattress on the floor next to our bed and my kids come in and sleep on it when they get scared or are sick. They get the comfort and I get the sleep. It works great for us!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Houston on

I think it is a great idea. We have a cot similar to that Regalo. My daughter regularly sleeps in it when I am on business trips. The nanny says that she sleeps just fine in it and she is now 4. Comfort has an entirely different meaning to kids.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions