Toddlers and co-sleeping

[TurtleMom]

I've heard a lot about people's experiences co-sleeping with babies and read lots supporting the practice for infants. However, the more often cited reasons to co-sleep seem to have to do with SIDS prevention and establishment of breastfeeding, both of which we are past (and grateful for having had co-sleeping to assist us with).

I'm wondering now about toddlers. We are alone amongst our family and work colleagues in our co-sleeping, so I don't get other perspectives.

If you co-sleep or slept with a toddler, I'm wondering how long did you did that and what prompted any changes? Also what advantages have you experienced from doing this (and if you have any other references/research, I generally can't resist that either).

Thanks, moms. I do feel very good happy with our situation (and DH says he feels like it has helped him immensely in bonding wiht DD, especially since he doesn't see her much during the week days), but would love to hear from those with more experience.

[Alkenny]

We're cosleeping with our current toddler (20 months), but we coslept with our older two when they were smaller too. They moved to their own beds at 4 and 6 years old, after we had moved here and bought them bunkbeds. It was the novelty of bunkbeds that they WANTED to sleep in. They still came to our room here and there (and they STILL do, my DD moreso than DS...and she's going on 13!) but no biggie.

[TurtleMom]

Thanks Alkenny. Obviously, everyone moves out of the family bed eventually, though sometimes it is hard to picture right now! When I think about it now, I know I will really miss it someday. As long as the kid or kids are interested, I think it will always be an option for everyone.

[Jilian]

Hi mama. My DS is 2 yrs 8 mos and still sleeps in my bed for part of the night. When he was around 2 yrs he got a "big boy bed" and started to sleep in there in the beginning of the night. I decided to move him into his own bed because he is a VERY restless sleeper and I was awake most of the night from him kicking me or laying on me (he weighs 30 lbs!).

He'll still sleep in my bed if he's sick or scared (he's afraid of pumpkins these days) but for the most part he sleeps in his own bed for the majority of the night. Some nights he won't come in until 6 am and some nights he's there at 2.

The advantages to co-sleeping with a toddler are being able to be close to him while he's sick. One night my DS was VERY sick and woke up throwing up and coughing on the vomit. I was right there to help him and clean him up. Hearing him talk in his sleep about cookies is always cute. Being there if he's having a nightmare and being able to rub his back and see him feel safe again. There are so many advantages, a lot are similar to those of co-sleeping with an infant (minus the SIDS risks).

[lisac77]

I co-sleep with my 28-month-old son. We will be co-sleeping until he decides that he is ready to sleep by himself. My mother co-slept with all five of us kids and we were out of her bed by the time the youngest was three.

My husband is from Iran, and kids sleep with their mothers for several years there. I have no problem with it, and I'm happy I can be there to make sure he's OK without having to get up. I co-sleeping!

[TurtleMom]

Yep, my little one is a bit of a busy sleeper right now. Begs the question for me of whether this is a stage I need to wait through or whether there is a better option for her. We'll just wait and see. I heard a lot of moms who say that their kids got more active at night from around 18 - 24 months on for a little while. So much developmental stuff going on.

Also, my DH is also from a culture where kids and parents (and siblings) sleep together and no one assumes otherwise. (Though some of that is changing with Western influences - odd how things like cribs and bottles may become status symbols.) Nice to have that influence to support us, as much as we love co-sleeping.

Thanks for the input so far.