Sleeping Arrangements: What Are Your Family's?

For the first few weeks of Moanna's life she did not sleep. She would sleep for maybe 10 seconds at a time. When she finally entertained the idea of sleeping, she slept with us some. Most of the time she was in the infant crib beside our bed. Once she outgrew the infant crib, we moved her to a full sized crib. She still shared a room with us because we were living with my parents at the time to save money and for the extra helping hands.

Ever since we moved out of my parents house, Moanna has slept in her own bed with the door shut. We've had nearly no problems with her sleeping alone at night. On a few occasions we have laid her down with us if she wakes up because of a storm or something. That only lasts about an hour or two before she is ready to go back to her own room. She has made it very clear that she needs her sleep (thank goodness) and her own space. When we lay her down with us she tosses and turns and pushes us to give her room.

When we have more children, I'm sure for at least some period of time, they will share a room. If for no other reason, we don't have enough bedrooms right now for them to have their own room.

Mon, 2010-01-04 17:16

I have a 6 & 2 year old right now...I fully intended to do a co-sleeping thing with my babies...but after the first turned out to be the BIGGEST bed hog ever...she went right into the bassinet at night (it pulled up to the edge of the bed). She would flip herself sideways (she couldn't life her own head...but she could turn every which way to make my husband and I as uncomfy as possible!!) and give every else the worst night of sleep EVAR! Into the bassinet she went, then into the crib, and when she was 15 months, she no longer fit into the crib (she was too long all stretched out).

When I moved out when my husband and I got married I traded my full size bed to my sister for her twin daybed/trundle. (Hubby and I had bought queen, didn't really think we would need the full bed.) Anywho...put the baby in that, and she was fine from day one. Slept in it until just rencently.

When I had the second, I left her in the crib much longer, b/c my husband was away for about 9 months straight...and I couldn't disassemble and reassemble the crib elsewhere alone! Lol...So when I decided it was time for her to move up (and into the big sister's room), I had to either buy 2 new twin beds for them...or give them my queen bed and buy my husband and myself a KING. ...I wanted to ensure the beds could be used as bunk beds later if I went with twins...and the daybed could only go against a wall. I also had a conversation with my oldest child about it (she was 5.5 at the time) and she made a comment that she would probably sleep with her little sister anyway "so she won't get too scared". Hmm...I gave them the queen bed...and got myself and the hubby a KING bed. WOO! I don't regret it...they seem to enjoy it...yes, some nights are a little noisy, and there is fighting, but would there be less fighting if they were in seperate beds? Unlikely...I would keep them in the same room anyway. I put their bed & dressers in the smallest room when we moved...and gave them the dining room for their play room so their toys are confined to ONE space...and their room is for sleeping only. (So being sent to their room is an *actual* punishment!)

It wasn't something I really fretted over...And as soon as I heard my 5 year old talk about basically abandoning her own bed to share with her sister...I thought, heck...I might as well make it work for us ALL!!

Mon, 2010-01-04 13:50

Growing up I shared a room with my younger sister, we even shared a bed. I never had a moments peace, she broke my toys, I was a clean freak, she liked living in a pig pen… she was a bed wetter, need I say more. I remember saying, “when I grow up my kids would have their own room”. In addition to that I love sex and sleep! With that said our girls have always slept in their own cribs/beds in their own rooms. Everyone’s bedroom doors are open. It’s not like I have them locked up and put away for the night. This is probably the only parental area that I have held my ground on. And maybe it’s because they take after me and have always been good sleepers that it has never been an issue. There are those occasions, especially during a deployment, that someone climbs into bed with me. I’m fine with that, we all next some extra comforting from time to time. But when I hear my friend gratefully stating that her five yr old finally feel asleep by midnight after she laid down with him. OH NO THANK YOU! I don’t see how you can recharge, where is your down time, a grown up moment.
Now let’s talk teenagers! This is a whole new can of worms for me as our oldest is now thirteen. She went from a child who slept from nine at night till seven in the morning to this creature who is up till midnight and has to be up for school by six. The rule is all laptops off by eight and all other electrical devices off by nine. She reads till midnight or later, gets up by six on her own with no problem. I just don’t think that is enough sleep and I’m about to drug her or at least give her a shot of bourbon. (jk) Where’s the book “What to Expect the Teen Years”?
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Mon, 2010-01-04 04:34