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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

by moving baby into 4 year old dc's room?

28 replies

burgatroyd · 02/10/2014 20:18

Baby is nearly eight months old. Sometimes baby wakes at two am in the morn. Sometimes five. After quick feed baby will go back to sleep. We live in two bed house and the children will be sharing. Should I take the plunge and move baby into other room and risk disturbing dc1 or keep baby in with us? If the latter for how long before I put the siblings together?

Any advice much appreciated.

OP posts:
AMillionNameChangesLater · 02/10/2014 20:22

We put ds2 into ds1's room at 3 months. Both children sleep better at night when they share.

Take the plunge, give it a go for a few weeks and if it doesn't work, move him back into your room. We found white noise works well, so if ds2 wakes up, it doesn't wake ds1

TheXxed · 02/10/2014 20:23

I wouldn't .

SunshineDaisiesButterMellow · 02/10/2014 20:27

I wouldn't as baby might go back to sleep straight away but the 4 year old might not be able to fall straight back to sleep.

LovleyRitaMeterMaid · 02/10/2014 20:29

I've been there and waited until the baby was sleeping through the night before moving him in.

ClapHandsIfYouBelieveInFatties · 02/10/2014 20:29

YABU. It's too soon and not fair on your older child.

Original poster
burgatroyd · 02/10/2014 20:31

Those who say no any advice on when?

OP posts:
loudarts · 02/10/2014 20:33

I wouldn't until ds2 is sleeping through. It's not fair on ds1 to have his sleep disturbed

TheXxed · 02/10/2014 20:35

When you are confident your baby can sleep through the night and not disturb his brother.

MrsMinton · 02/10/2014 20:38

If you think that your eldest can sleep through the waking bits then put them in together. I did at a similar age gap even though my youngest wasn't sleeping through. You can always move it back round.

ItMustBeBedtimeSurely · 02/10/2014 20:39

Give it a go. You might be surprised what your eldest sleeps through. I really worried about putting dd2 in with dd1, but she rarely woke her and settled into sleeping through quite quickly. They both find sharing reassuring now.

cerealqueen · 02/10/2014 20:39

Whatever you do, you do because you need to. I came from a family of five kids, three bedrooms. Pretty sure my mum wasn't wringing her hands with worry about us all sharing Grin - she just got on with it. I did it when DD was 1 and sleeping through she still wakes now quite loudly and regularly and DD1 hardly ever wakes!!

UpduffedFatty · 02/10/2014 20:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 02/10/2014 20:44

I wait until baby is reliably sleeping through too. It's probably not going to be too much longer :)

Original poster
burgatroyd · 02/10/2014 20:46

When did your babies sleep through? Co slept with dc1 and forgotten all the details.

OP posts:
seasavage · 02/10/2014 20:47

I did but dd1 was younger ... I did have to drag her out of the cot as she wanted to snuggle up to dd2 a few times.

whyhasmyheadgonenumb · 02/10/2014 20:51

I'm wondering this too.
Currently I share with DD (single parent) who is 3.3 and DS 20 months has his own room. We are moving on Saturday to another 2 bed and I'm thinking of putting them in the same room so I get my own room back!!
DS doesn't reliably sleep through yet tho...:(

ItMustBeBedtimeSurely · 02/10/2014 20:55

Trouble is, ime keeping them in with you means it takes longer for them to also through. I have no idea why, but both of mine didn't come close to sleeping through while they were in our room, but got the hang of it pretty soon after they moved out.

Swex · 02/10/2014 20:58

We popped 8 month old in with the 5 yr old even though second one not sleeping through. Eldest doesn't stir at all - sleeps like the proverbial, you could take a brass band in there and wouldn't raise a twitch. So I think it depends on your eldest's sleeping habits more than the younger child.

Original poster
burgatroyd · 02/10/2014 21:01

swex, any tips?

OP posts:
Bardette · 02/10/2014 21:05

I put ds2 in with ds1 when he was around a year old, ds1 was 3.5. They both loved it, ds1 slept better even though ds2 still woke for a feed.
I don't think the waking disturbs the older child as much as an adult. They know they're not responsible iyswim. Recently ds2 was sick during the night. Had the lights on, changing sheets, cleaning floor etc. Ds1 oblivious!

FruitbatAuntie · 02/10/2014 21:18

I have had this dilemma for a while now. DS2 still wakes at night more nights than not, but will go back to sleep after a quick pat on the head now, I've avoided putting him in with DS1 as his sleep was much worse before, but he is now 2.3 and if I wait until he reliably sleeps through he may be 15 at this rate! He's already getting too big for his cot and no way will another bed fit in my room (that just seems ridiculous to consider anyway).

I should just bite the bullet and do it, I suppose. I just know that a change of sleep routine (holidays, visiting family) usually means DS2 wakes half the night!

hollie84 · 02/10/2014 21:20

Mine were in together when DS1 was almost 4 and DS2 was 3 months. DS2 wasn't/isn't sleeping through the night but DS1 sleeps through anything and it hasn't disturbed him at all.

ithoughtofitfirst · 02/10/2014 21:21

Can't see a problem with it. Sharing a bedroom with someone is pretty standard at any age... apart from teenager i guess... and possibly student.

Dc sleep through anything as bardette says.

Bulbasaur · 02/10/2014 21:25

Depends on 4 year old's sleeping habits and if he'll keep the baby awake if he does wake up. The last thing you want is two cranky sleep deprived children under 5.

heartisaspade · 02/10/2014 21:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.