When to move siblings into the same bedroom

[nikkihoi]

Hi Everyone.

I have a 4 year old DS and a 13 month old DS.  DS1 is in his own room but he has place in our room to come and sleep if he wants.  The baby is in a crib in our room.  He sometimes sleeps in our bed but lately doesn't seem comfortable when I try to nurse him back to sleep lying down.  He still wakes frequently but we are wondering if this is more habit then hunger and if some his wakings might reduce if we moved him with his big brother or would we just be getting up just as much but having to walk down the hall.  DS1 has always been a challenged sleeper but he sleeps for longer periods of time most nights but still wakes up way before the rooster crows.  He ends up waking all of us up, sometimes only 30 mins. after I've gotten DS2 back to sleep.  My DH seems to think maybe DS1 will start to understand how often we get up with the baby by putting the baby in his room. I'm not sure but I'm feeling like it's time to try something different.

How do you handle the bedtime routine?  Since the DS2's been born, my DH usually puts DS1 to bed and I take care of the baby.

I would love to hear your experience with this or a similar situation.

Thanks In Advance

Nicole

[carmel23]

I think if the baby does wake frequently and you put him in with the 4 yo you will have 2 awake kids on your hands, which doesn't sound like more sleep for the parents to me!  Often when my 4/almost 5 year-old wakes, it is hard to get her back to sleep... she will often be awake for an hour or 2! 

If the baby is waking in your room, s/he will wake in another room. FWIW, my babies don't really sleep through the night (between developmental leaps, teething, growth spurts) until much closer to 2 years-old, and even then, it isn't 100 percent every night. 

The expectation that a 13 mo will sleep through the night--whether in your room or another room--seems a bit unrealistic to me. 

You might want to try something like the no cry sleep solution, but that takes a lot of work and commitment, and will likely wake your 4 year-old, since it is a process.

sorry I have no magic advice, but I hope it at least helps a little to know that it is not unusual for a 13 month-old to still wake at least once or twice, if not more, per night.

[Imakcerka]

We did this and it worked out great.  DD2 would wake a few times and cry and DD1 would come in to get us.   DD2 just needed to comforted.  Eventually DD1 started climbing into the bed with DD2 and together they would fall back to sleep.  It could work out you should try it atleast