Transitioning from Co-Sleeping to Own Bed

I asked a similar question a few days ago.

Have you considered asking him? Honestly, (people may bash) I haven't asked my son because I'm afraid he'd say he does want to sleep in his own room and I'm not ready to give it up, lol.

I have heard a lot of people having success with fancy bedding. Personally, at 2 1/2 I'd skip a toddler bed.

Good luck!

I'd start him out in his own room. Put the mattress on the floor if you are afraid he'll fall from the bed. See how he does in his own space. When I decided to make the same decision I was beginning to see signs of independence. We were still using the crib and I started by rocking him then put him in bed. I'd let him cry a few minutes and go back in and comfort him. I did have to get up in the night to go comfort him. I kept this up for a couple of nights then slowly the crying stopped. This was wonderful for us but I was willing to let him cry as long as the crying wasn't distressed or hysterical and as long as it was only a few minutes. Either way don't make a big deal of it. Don't tell him all day that he's going to 'sleep in his big boy bed' tonight. It makes it an event he'll anticipate and since he's unsure exactly what that means he'll naturally fear it. If he's not ready for a whole different room then the mattress on the floor in your room is great. One thing to think about is who is having a harder time with the new arrangement you or him. Don't let the fact that you miss having him close change the way you proceed to independent sleeping. Go with your gut.

Hello,
We co-slept w/ our daughter until she was about 4. But we had her napping in her own twin bed (in her room) w/ a rail since she was 18mos and she would start off the night in her own bed by around age 3, then join us back in our bed around 1 a.m.. We loved it, you're so close to your child, but by age 4, our king bed just wasn't big enough for the 3 of us. One morning, my daughter woke up and asked, "Where's dad?" I started teasing her, tickling her, and said, "Dad had to sleep in YOUR bed last night because there is no room in OUR bed for him now!" And that started off the conversation of "now it's time for you to sleep in your own bed/room." Worked like a charm. At first, she would wake up 1-2 times a night and my husband would go into her room, settle her and she'd fall back asleep. After a couple of weeks, she now sleeps all the way through. Good luck!

When my older daughter (now 4) was around 18 months we put the toddler bed in our room next to our bed. She easily slept there because she was still in the same room with us. This lasted until she was about 2.5; we gradually kept moving the bed further away each night until it was in her bedroom ( I think it took about a month or so). It worked really well but I was in no rush. She will come into our room sometimes if she is startled (our sprinkler system @ 5am does that) and I think it is ok but I wouldn't want her there all night anymore.

We currently co-sleep with our 1 year old and he still nurses in the middle of the night so until that slows down we have no interest in trying to move him.

Hi. I was a single mother for quite a long time and couldn't afford alot of things. With that said, we co-slept until she was 7 (yes 7 years). I realize many parents disagree with co-sleeping, howwever, I'm a fan of it and so happy it worked out the way it did. The way I see it is this - our children will be young only once and so long as we are not enabling them, then why not enjoy them (also, as long as it doesn't interfere with your marriage etc... in my case, I was happily single). Anyway, the co-sleeping did not have any emotional etc effects on her, as a matter of fact, she is now 18years and still loves to hang out with me. She doesn't get "weirded" out when I go into her room and climb on her bed etc... Anyway, you know your children best and what works best for your family - if it is co-sleeping and nobody is being effected - then enjoy your babies because at a certain age, they will not want to sleep with you anymore. they are children for a short period and an adult for much longer! All the best

Skip the toddler bed and put a twin mattress on the floor in your room. If he asks you to "scoot over" again, invite him to sleep on "his" bed in your room. Eventually he will want his own space to sleep and you can move him to his room.

We co-sleep with my 2 and 4 year old daughters and have since they were born. We love it. We're all cozy and comfy and I know they're safe :) We do put the girls to sleep initally in their own beds (because I don't want to go to sleep at 7pm!), but they always end up in ours.

Here's how we got them started: we let them pick out their bedding and a nightlight; then we would read stories in their new beds (all tucked in and ready for bed) before letting them move to our bed for sleeping; then I would lay down in their beds with them until they were asleep...then sit on their beds until they fall asleep...then on a chair in their room...and now on a chair in the hall.

We're still not all the way into independant sleeping, but that's ok. I'm in no rush to kick them out of our bed and I know they won't want to sleep with us forever. Just take your time and be relaxed about it. If neither of you are ready for him to be in his own bed yet, then don't push it.