i have a question about sleep...

every night we put the kids down in their co-sleeper for bed. in the early AM when we want to get some extra zzzz's, we pull them into our bed once they start crying for their next feeding. when they're in our bed, they can SLEEP! they sleep for HOURS longer than they would in their co-sleeper. we dont want to start any bad habits but how can we get them to sleep longer in their co-sleeper like they would in our bed?

 

I have no idea! I never had babies that slept better in the bed. I don't know if it's b/c I couldn't sleep when they were in bed with me so they never got used to it or what, but to this day if I bring the girls in my bed they think that means play time, not sleep time.

I would guess that they'll sleep better if you just make sure they are warm and cozy in the co-sleeper. Do you put them near each other so they can feel each other?

 

they aren;t too close, no. they are next to eachother on an inclined to sleep positioner.

 

we used to do that with our girls. they would sleep so much longer and it was amazing. i wouldn't worry about bad habits as they can't form them until much later (i would say 6/7months). at this point, it's all about survival and do whatever it takes.

 

We do the same; around 5am one or both end up in the bed. We all sleep better but I personally don't see it as a bad habit :unknw: . My 2 year old used to co-sleep but now sleeps in her own room and sleeps through the whole night. She comes in for a cuddle if she's up before me (7ish). I used to do the same when I was little and I have very fond childhood memories of crawling into my parents big bed. I like the cuddle time :wub: something about cuddling up to a sleepy baby/toddler- does it get any better?

As for getting them to sleep better in the co-sleeper... after I feed/change them I re-wrap them and put them down if they start to squirm I just lay my hands/arm across them and they seem to settle and go back to sleep.

 

What makes you think you will be staring bad habits?
What makes a habit bad?
Do you think you will end up with teens in bed with you? (you won't)

Co-sleeping, meaning sleepin in the bed with another person, is good for babies. Babies will get the rest they need when they feel secure. They will feel secure when they know you or another trusted adult is near by. They will also hear and feel your breathing patterns and mimic them, helping them learn to cycle through the various levels of sleep. One of the theories on SIDS is that babies fall into deep sleep and can't get out. Sleeping with an adult, eliminates that possiblity as the baby quickly adopts your breathing patterns and responds to the subtle noises and movements you make. You're body heat will also help them regulate theirs.

 

I did the same thing with all 5 of mine. They slept waaaaaay better & longer in my bed than in their own. They always started out in their bed but would end up in mine eventually. L&L still end up in my bed half the time in the middle of the night, they just get up, come in our room & crawl in. I can tell you from experience they do outgrow it on their own eventually. All my other kids stopped coming in completely by around age 4 (but by then it was only occasional, not an every night occurence).

 

are you kidding? i LOVE cuddling with my LO's. they are VERY warm though when i pick them up in the morning. is that ok? i think they love my feather bed and being under the comforter with me.

i just dont want them to not be able to fall asleep in their cribs when i move them in there. i'm waiting for them to STTN before moving them out of their co-sleeper.

 

I did it too with all 4 of my kids. My ds I had to throw him out of my bed at 10 months (he kicked me alllllll night long by then!), I had to do CIO to transition him to the crib. He'd always start out in his bed but by middle of the night he'd be in ours. It only took a couple of nights of crying to get him to settle back down in the crib. I did the same with my older dd at 8 months.

With the twins it was slightly different, although for the first 2-3 months if one was fussy I would take them to bed with me, if the other was fussy dh would take them with him. But it was fairly simply by 3-4 months to just not take them to bed with us in the middle of the night. They started sleeping better by themselves and now it's rare they are with me (unless they are sick or gassy).

I wouldn't worry about bad habits, enjoy that closeness because I sure do miss it already! :wub:

 

I do this too. I won't remember getting up in the middle of the night but apparently I do because they are in my bed when I wake up. :unknw: