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Floor Bed is Saving My Sanity!

1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  demeter888 
#1 ·
For 18 months now, I've repeatedly seen the suggestion to put your bed (or your child's bed) directly on the floor. For the longest time I dismissed it, because we enjoy our "real" bed in our room, and the baby's room doubled as a home office so she needed to be contained in a crib or pack-n-play. And then here I'd come, desperately reading all the "horrific sleeper" threads and nearly dying of sleep deprivation. We cosleep the second half of the night, but the first half was - and always has been - a nightmare. Actually, it's all been a nightmare, because once you're both that sleep-deprived, even the cosleeping and night nursing becomes overwhelming.

Well, a few weeks ago, after several sleepless nights and endless bedtime battles to get her transferred out of my arms, I couldn't take it anymore. I emptied DD's room, babyproofed the hell out of it, and plopped a crib mattress on the floor. Lo and behold, the child ran right to it, loved it, played on it, and... wait for it... slept 9 HOURS STRAIGHT that night. I just laid down with her, nursed her to sleep, and slipped out.

Since then, she's slept 8-9 hours more often than not, and any wakeups are quick and easy. A few times, her first "wakeup" has been after dawn! Bedtime takes 30 minutes or less, instead of hours. Not only that, but she has started ASKING for her bed when she's tired! She'll sit up while we're rocking and nursing, and point to the bed. I'm just blown away. Totally blown away. We still have a sidecar crib in our room, and we still enjoy cosleeping after her first nightwaking (and we still nurse to sleep) - but this has been a total transformation. After 18 months of acting like her crib was made of fiery coals, this child loves her bed!

Maybe it's a coincidence and she's just developmentally ready to sleep a little better, but it sure did seem like magic. It hasn't been perfect, but overall life has improved so much. Just wanted to share this for all you mamas out there looking for creative solutions. I really wish I had tried this, Montessori-style, when she was much younger (Google "Montessori bedrooms" for some of the cutest kids' rooms ever). And thank you, floor-sleeping mamas, for the great advice!
 
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#2 ·
I have a variation but a similar story.

I learned the hard way that I need to move our king size master bed frame out of the room and just keep a mattress on the floor, too. During the first year with my son I would wake up throughout the night anxious because I dreamed he was going to fall off the bed. I think infants also begin to sense as they get older that there is a dangerous edge when they are in a framed bed also. These anxieties feed between mom and baby very strongly with cosleeping I think.

With my next baby I won't waste my time with the bed any other way but right on the floor.

as for the crib, my son loves his regular crib and is now used to falling asleep in it before i take him to the little floor matress next to my bed. he is 2.
 
#4 ·
My DS was about the same age when pointed to an old futon we had rolled up in "sofa" position against the wall of his nursery (our former home office) and asked if he could sleep on it instead of sleeping in the crib. He happily slept on it for the next few years. I wish we had saved the money we spent on his trendy, brand-name crib and used it for something else.
 
#5 ·
Of course, as soon as I brag in a post, DD's sleep goes to hell. :) So much for 8-9 hours. But still, the fact that she WANTS TO GO TO BED is just so new and pleasant!

Last night, she had a wakeup around 11:00. I was ready for bed myself, so I just went in to get her to come cosleep. And - I couldn't believe this - she actually clamped her arms to her sides so I couldn't pick her up! Then pointed to her bed, and nodded when I asked if she wanted to lay back down! I crawled in with her and she quickly nursed back to sleep.

Now, if only I could sleep without HER...
 
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