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Original poster

How would you sort sleeping arrangements? Floor plan included.

34 replies

PickledElectricity · 02/02/2026 23:32

I am probably overthinking this, but only because bedroom #3 is effectively a prison cell. It's 1.95x1.7m! There is literally just enough space for a single divan bed and an IKEA tallboy. I feel bad for whoever ends up in there.

Photo attached, please bear with me if it's loading.

But here's my dilemma:

  • I am in master bedroom with 9 month old baby in cot. Wakes up c.3 times per night, meaning...
  • DP sleeps in box room
  • DC1 (2y9m) is in middle room in his cot still. He hasn't tried to climb out in earnest yet, but...
  • DP and I think we should move him to a bed soon, maybe around his birthday?

DP thinks it's a no brainer and we should put the single bed in toddler's room, put the cot bed in the box room, and he moves back in to the master bedroom.

BUT if baby keeps waking up in the night I won't have anywhere to feed, change, or resettle him, whereas the middle room has a rocking chair in it already. So I will likely be waking DP up if I bring baby back into our room at night multiple times. He has a medical NHS job so can't really afford to be a tired zombie.

But then it doesn't seem fair to evict toddler from his room - he's got used to the space and plays with his mega bloks in there etc. On the other hand, I think he would enjoy the box room because he can easily sit on the window sill and look out at all the cars. On the third hand. I don't want to give him additional reasons to hate his older brother.

Small side issue in that our new mattress gives DP neck pain but that's a whole other thread.

How would you sort sleeping arrangements? Floor plan included.
OP posts:
Cerialkiller · 03/02/2026 16:45

You can buy cots that have a changing surface that slots onto the top. Alternatively. Move the chest of draws you currently use for changing into the box room and put the tall boy in the master. You can swap them back in a year or two once baby us out of nappies.

Box rooms can be lovely if well designed I don't know what the issue is. When they are a bit older they can share.

Delatron · 03/02/2026 17:38

Stay as you are for now with a view on working on the 9 month’s sleep. At that age they shouldn’t need to feed in the night if they are eating in the day? So may be a comfort thing. But waking 3 times a night seems a lot and is hugely disruptive to everyone.

Once they are sleeping through baby goes in the box room in a cot.

TheFogsGettingThicker · 04/02/2026 13:57

As an aside, my DD had neck pain and we were buying her a new bed and mattress. The bed salesman said if the pain was in her neck, it wasn't a mattress problem - it was a pillow problem. She got a new, firmer memory foam pillow and her neck pain vanished.

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Original poster
PickledElectricity · 04/02/2026 20:18

Delatron · 03/02/2026 17:38

Stay as you are for now with a view on working on the 9 month’s sleep. At that age they shouldn’t need to feed in the night if they are eating in the day? So may be a comfort thing. But waking 3 times a night seems a lot and is hugely disruptive to everyone.

Once they are sleeping through baby goes in the box room in a cot.

My first didn't sleep through until he was 11 months so I'm kind of resigned to a similar situation here.

OP posts:
Original poster
PickledElectricity · 04/02/2026 20:46

Also the baby has started standing up when he wakes up at night and then just stands there crying until I get him. Whereas before we would fuss and then go back to sleep because he was still lying down.

OP posts:
Overthebow · 04/02/2026 20:54

I wouldn’t move your toddler, he’ll likely need the space once bye and baby are a little older and he can go take himself to his room to play and get away from baby fo a bit. My 5 year old would be lost without her own space to play. I’d move baby to box room, as he’ll be in a cot for a good while yet.

CactusSwoonedEnding · 04/02/2026 21:06

Move the wall between boxroom and middle room to equalise the sizes.

You sleep in one of these with the baby for as long as you are actually needed in there, but it's better for the baby to start thinking of that as the familiar place for sleeping and you can start making a tactical withdrawal and relocating for longer and longer sections of the night.

DP is in the master bedroom with you joining him for longer and longer sections of the night. In a new bed that is actually comfortable (unless its the pillow to blame rather than the bed)

BoarBrush · 04/02/2026 21:11

We had twins in the box room, we had an ikea chest of drawers with changing table on top in between the two, was nice and deep drawers with a small concealed drawer that was great for nappies and wipes, a comfy chair and small chest of drawers at the bottom of one cot.

Must say I much preferred that room to their rooms now 😁

Original poster
PickledElectricity · 04/02/2026 22:04

CactusSwoonedEnding · 04/02/2026 21:06

Move the wall between boxroom and middle room to equalise the sizes.

You sleep in one of these with the baby for as long as you are actually needed in there, but it's better for the baby to start thinking of that as the familiar place for sleeping and you can start making a tactical withdrawal and relocating for longer and longer sections of the night.

DP is in the master bedroom with you joining him for longer and longer sections of the night. In a new bed that is actually comfortable (unless its the pillow to blame rather than the bed)

We will not be knocking down walls, but that's a good idea about gradual retreats.

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