Update on our New Sleeping Arrangement

Last week I wrote about co-sleeping, and how we had to end it because of all the kicks and bumps. We were excited to move little sister into big brother's room. She was less impressed. Even so, the first two nights went rather well. I just had to go in once a night to help her resettle herself after waking up around midnight or 1:00am (as is typical for her).

On the third night she revolted and woke up several times. Each time I laid with her in her toddler bed to get her back to sleep. It worked at first, but she failed to stay asleep. After a few tries I was too tired to keep it up and brought her into bed. The fourth night was the same.

This morning, after observing his sister sleeping soundly in our bed, I overheard my son sweetly tell his father, "I know why she doesn't sleep in her own bed. It's because her name isn't on the door." And it's true. My son's name is on the door. His great-grandma made him a sign over a year ago and it has been hanging there ever since. So today we made a sign for his sister too.

I have never had any luck finding all the right wooden letters at craft stores, so we used some cardboard from our recycling bin. In the morning when the paint dries we will hang it on the door with his, and maybe that will do the trick. I hope so, because as I write this she is sleeping snugly on my side of the bed.

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Co-sleeping

Ah, co-sleeping. Nurturing. Bonding.

Ugh. Co-sleeping. Kicks to the head, face, stomach, and back.

My son co-slept a little bit as a newborn. Usually if he was in bed with us he was safe in his snuggle nest, a little bed just for baby that fits in your own bed. Then he graduated to his crib. When we moved to our new house he co-slept until he felt more settled in the new space. Often he would start thrashing in the middle of the night so I'd transfer him to his crib and he slept beautifully until morning.

My daughter co-slept more from the beginning. After her first couple weeks she slept in a bassinet for a while. Around 6 months all her good sleep habits flew out the window and she was in bed with us all night. Recently, she did a brief stint in her crib, but eventually she refused even to do that. Back in the bed she came. She slept well until the wee hours of the morning and then would start thrashing, but forget the crib, that is torture in her view.

Then her brother--never wanting to be left out of anything--started coming in during the middle of the night too. I had to persuade him to sleep towards the foot of the bed (like the dog) so he wouldn't get kicked by his sister. I had a couple nights where I was half asleep and breaking up fights between my mostly asleep children kicking each other, while perched on the 8 inches of mattress my sprawling children afforded me. My husband retreated to a protective sleeping position with his head under the pillow to avoid kicks to the head by my daughter who took to sleeping perpendicular in the bed up where my pillow would normally go.

What our co-sleeping arrangement devolved into

Enough was enough. We converted the crib into the toddler bed and put little sister in big brother's bedroom. He was very excited to gain a roommate. I was excited for him to not sleep alone, but more excited for him to not sleep with me.

The first night of this arrangement went surprisingly well. Having no kids in the bed to kick me was the best thing ever. Let's hope this new sleeping routine sticks.

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