Seeking Advice of Other Co-sleepng Parents

My son is 6 now, and we co-slept until he was around 2. We all liked co-sleeping, but if I had it to do over again, I would do things differently.
Like: having him nap by himself (I would nap with him)

And most importantly: Making sure that he learned to fall sleep by himself without one of us having to lie down with him. We delayed doing this until he was nearly three, and he was waking constantly and getting us up, and in general not sleeping well.

Once he learned to fall alseep on his own at bedtime, he was much more likely to be able to fall back to sleep in the middle of the night when he woke up.

What is co-sleeping?

Hi,

I practiced attachment style parenting with my three (had to stop for medical reasons -- long story that, with the third when she was eleven months old). We still have the three year old often needing mommy or daddy at night and just take turns being there with her. However, the six year old is very self sufficient and the fifteen year old is amazing.

Number one is your attitude and sleep reserves are essential. Keep a regular schedule and practice the SAME bedtime routine (not longer than twenty minutes, fifteen is good), e.g. getting ready for bed and limit to one or two stories and one or two songs.

"Let Me Hold You Longer," is a great book (along lines of "Love You Forever," and "Guess How Much I Love You") to remind you just why you're investing yourself so much. This is such a relatively short time of life, there's nothing so wonderful as a snuggly baby -- enjoy! Best Wishes!

L. D.,
mom of three
Great

My daughter who is now almost 10 still wants to sleep with me. Its a hard habit to break and wish we never did it. She will not sleep in her bed, she sleeps on the couch instead. My 8mon old does fine in his crib but I do take him out a couple times during the night when he cries to nurse but then I put him back in his crib.

Co-slept with all my boys, but the oldest was the longest at almost 4. My advice would be make sure you aren't co-sleeping on your bed; co-sleep in hers at this age, or you will never get her out of your bed. We had a double bed in the guest room, and that is where he and I slept. My husband slept in our room. I could leave my child's bed and go to ours for sleep, whatever. My son would wake up on his own, and eventually got used to it. He also was more understanding when I had to go lay down with the baby, because it was the baby's turn, etc. I eventually moved him into a single bed; then I only lay down with him to go to sleep.(till age 4-5)

I moved the other three (kids) out of the big bed when they were around 9-12months. Used a heating pad to make it warm like mommy. Took about 1 week to get them on their own at that age.

At her age, it may seem like you will never get tired of having her around, I felt that way, but at about 4, when they kick and move a lot, you do get tired. And eventually the hubby gets tired of it as well. It wreaks havoc on your sex life if the child is in your bed, too. And that will not bode well for your marriage. So I do not knock co-sleeping at all. Loved every minute of it and would do it again if I had anymore or had to do it over again. It's just like everything else in life, everything in moderation, and know when to say enough now.

Can't help you with naps, my oldest only fell asleep in his swing, and the other ones took naps on their own, or I'd let them fall asleep in their swing and then moved them.
Feel free to email me with other questions.

Well what is your ?.
I let my 2 year old sleep in my bed and when he is good and out like a light i gently lift him and put him in his bed. They say is it not good to let them get attatched and use to sleeping in your bed. So by the age of 2 get your child his or her own bed with guard rails and let them sleep there. Only when my child is not feeling well i keep him next to me :) but other than that he has to learn to sleep in his own bed :) But since your baby is still an infant, keep her crib in your room. Thats what i did with mine, at first he was in his own room, but being that he is an only child, he has become spoiled with getting all the attention so by the time he was 1 we had to move his crib in our room because he would cry to sleep alone.

My husband and I cosleep with our three month old. Yes, she sleeps in our bed, no we don't worry about SIDS, no we don't roll over on her or smother her with pillows or suffocate her with the comforter. When I worry most is when I put her to sleep in her co-sleeper. We've had it since her birth in case she rolls out of bed, but when she rolls at night she rolls towards me, not away from me. During the day when she falls asleep nursing, I lay her belly down (its the only way she'll stay asleep) in her bassinet/playpen. At night if she is falling asleep before I do, I'll lay her down for the night in her co-sleeper. She hasn't slept through the night yet in it, but she'll sleep through the nightin bed with us. I'm still nursing so usually if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she just nurses herself back to sleep.

my almost 4 year old and i co-sleep. i got a lot of negative feedback from friends and family and that was the hardest thing. my little guy still sleeps in my bed a lot of the time. sometimes he just wants to sleep in his own room so he does. when i first started this he slept with me at night and napped in his crib and later in my bed. i do however put him to bed every night alone in my bed with the same bedtime ritual of stories and music. i also put the bed bars all the way around it and still have them.

What kind of advice do you need? My kids co-sleep.

I have an 18 month old that still sleeps with me because nursing is the only way to get him to sleep. I planned to stop nursing at 12 months, but that just has not happened. My other son is just 14 months older than him and he started sleeping through the night at 6 months in his own bed.

J.,
What exactly would you like to know? I feel that whatever works for you and your family. My daughter still co sleeps and she is 5. Please let me know what questions you have.
K.

I planned on nursing for 12 months but it became 24 months. Some kids just need more attachment--the same goes for co-sleeping. My daughter now only falls asleep with me in my bed if she cannot go to sleep for some reason--then when she is asleep I gently place her in her own bed. I get a better nights sleep that way...oh so important!

can you be more specific with your questions?
My girls are all big now, but we co-slept for years..........