At What Age Can Siblings Cosleep?

[NewMom610]

I have a 2.5 year old and a 8.5 month old.  At nighttime, my husband, baby, and myself all share a bed.  My 2.5 year old sometimes joins us, but more often than not he prefers his toddler bed in his room.

However, the past few nights he has crashed with me since my husband has been working in his home office late into the evening.  I've noticed that both of my kids sleep SO MUCH BETTER when they are sleeping together...right next to each other.  I'm always in bed with them so I know they are safe and what have you.

Last night my 8.5 month old slept 13 hours with her big brother right next to her.  The two previous nights she slept 11 hours and 10 hours.  Prior to these past few nights she was waking once or twice either to nurse or just to find her bunny.

My 2.5 year old is BEGGING me to let him share a bed with my daughter.  He said he loves cuddling the baby.

Would it be dangerous to move his mattress into our room and let them share it on the floor together?  Or maybe buy a twin or full bed for them to share and put up the rails?

Neither kid is a sound sleeper, so I am shocked that they sleep so well together.  They are both movers, but the most contact I've noticed at night is my daughter drapes her leg over her older brother.

Any ideas?

[HappyHappyMommy]

Anyone have suggestions to share?
 

[voxana]

Sorry, no suggestion here, but it sounds really interesting that they're sleeping together so well. Maybe try the twin mattress on the floor?  With you there to keep an eye, what is there to lose? Makes me want to try something like that too, but I'm not sure if I'd trust my 3.5 yo to be careful enough with the 16mo.  

[dovey]

My 3 kids coslept from a young age.  The first two are 2.5 years apart, and I would put them together on a king size mattress from the time that the youngest was about 6 months old.  I would check in on them and make sure that they weren't too close together when the baby was young.  Once I found my 1 year old nursing on her older brother's toes!

I think it's probably safe, but you might want to think questions like:  Is your youngest child crawling yet?  Is she strong enough to she get out of the way if he threw a limb over her?  Can you put them in a bed with plenty of space?  Can you put the bed close to your bed so that you can keep an eye on them?

I think that it really strengthens the sibling bond when children sleep together, at a young age and at an older age too.