Does co-sleeping mean mom going to bed at 8pm???

[Pasha]

I have an 8 year old son whom we're still cosleeping with. With the new baby, I started sleeping with her in her room because 1-our bed is not big enough 2- I don't trust that a family bed would be safe since my son is a wild sleeper. But more troubling issue is that baby just started a new habit, she feels and wakes up if i leave the room. It takes her forever to go into a deep sleep anyway. This means that I have to go to bed when she does. I can't spend enough time with my son, can't spend any time with my husband, forget about doing any other work waiting for me. I went back to work approximately 1 month ago. I think this may have triggered this. She's 5 months old and still nurses every 1.5-2 hours (only @ night, during the day she can go 3-3.5 hrs). Only if I could put her to sleep and join her again later. My husband was never OK w/cosleeping (and still sleeps with our son) and getting upset that I'm doung it all over again. Help!! Any advice is highly appreciated.

[LitMom]

The 8 year old is definitely old enough to have a conversation about his own bed. For the baby, I always had a place that he/she could sleep until I went to bed (moses basket, carrier, crib) and then we'd co-sleep the rest of the night. The moses basket and rolling bassinet were good because they were easy to move from room to room (don't carry a basket by the handles with a baby in it though!). The crib didn't work well for us until the baby was a good bit older, maybe 1 year or so. And even then, it was 2-3 hour solution for until I went to bed. If she's really clingy, keeping her asleep in a carrier until you're ready for bed is probably your best bet.

[Pasha]

Thanks for the reply LitMom. Arrival of the baby really threw us off with my son. And with the baby, i was able to do what you suggested when she was younger (as if she is ver old now ) but she would be too alert to sleep when life is going around her. Getting her to fall asleep upstairs when she knows we have company downstairs is even difficult. I'm in for it for another 8+ years aren't I.

[Pasha]

Are there any other suggestions? Would room sharing help with her getting into deep sleep faster? How do you change from cosleeping to room sharing? Any method for a less bumpy transfer?

[skycheattraffic]

Have you tried white noise to help baby sleep longer? We have a fan and have it running (not aimed at DD) and it helps disguise the fact that the room is quiet and she's alone, as well as drowns out noise from the rest of the house. Hth