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Parents sleeping apart

63 replies

mears · 15/04/2007 14:49

I am amazed at how many parents sleep apart to deal with children during the night. I personally think that DHs and DPs need to get used to life with a new baby and sleeping in a separate room does not get them aclimatised IYSWIM?

It seems to me that this then leads to parents never having time together and their sex life goes down the tube.

My DH and I never, ever got into a child's bed to help them get to sleep, nor swapped beds during the night because a child came into the bed.

Is there not a danger that parents put their children's sleeping habits before their own relationsip?

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belgo · 15/04/2007 14:54

sometimes, sleep is just more important then anything else. My dh finds a baby crying at night very hard to deal with and he would stress me by getting stressed out himself.

BTW, our sex life hasn't suffered

FluffyMummy123 · 15/04/2007 14:55

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VoluptuaGoodshag · 15/04/2007 14:56

Hi Mears, not seen you on here for a whiley.
Me and DH did sleep in separate rooms for the first 4-5 weeks for both our kids. I felt that as I was b/f and he was going out to work then well at least one of us got some sleep. I knew that if he didn't then went to work knackered, he'd be no use to me when he came home. At least this way, he could come home and take over a bit to let me have a bit of a break. Also at weekends he would sometimes have the baby with him to let me get a solid night's kip. Have to say that after 5 weeks for both, I went back to my own bed just coz I missed it and then just got up when I had to. I can imagine that if it did go on for ages then couples could get too used to it and getting back to sharing a bed would be difficult.

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FluffyMummy123 · 15/04/2007 14:57

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Dottydot · 15/04/2007 14:57

Must admit it felt easier when we had a spare room and ds1 was a baby - dp would go and do the night feeds in the spare room with him and more often than not fall asleep. This probably lasted a couple of months - just while there seemed to be millions of feeds. When ds2 was born the spare room went so I'd get up to feed him in his room and then come back to bed - it was OK but slightly more disruptive for us all.

hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 14:58

I understand what you're saying, Mears, but for DH and me, sleeping apart was our saviour!

With DS1, he outgrew the moses basket at about 8 weeks, so we put him in the cot in his room. There was a bed in there, so I slept in there and bfed him in the night. DS1 wouldn't co-sleep - always, always wanted to be in the cot (or, on one interestingly sleep-deprived occasion, he fell asleep on the changing mat next to the bed and I left him there to sleep while I slept in the bed right next to him ).

When he was about 10mo, I night-weaned him. DH then slept in his room with him for a while (can't remember how long) and I had our bed to myself Then DH came and slept back in our bed and DS2 was conceived when DS1 was a year old

When DS2 was born, DH slept in DS1's room when DS2 outgrew the moses basket and DS2 slept in bed with me till he was about 7mo, then we put DS1 in a bed and DS2 went in the cot in our room and DH came back into bed with me.

DS2 still occasionally ends up sleeping between us in bed, but maybe once a month. He often wakes at night and I feed him to sleep, but this Will Change when we move house in a fortnight or so [determined]

For me, it was anything to get the sleep in the early months. Sex was the last thing on my mind - I was out of my mind for the first good few months anyway!

We are secure in our relationship and know that we love each other, regardless of where we sleep. I am one of those people who could quite cheerfully have my own bedroom and never actually sleep with DH though, as I don't think there's any statement of commitment in being asleep next to someone (esp someone who snores [frown]). It's the being awake bit I like when I share a bed with DH anyway [frisky]

belgo · 15/04/2007 14:58

voluptua - agree entirely

PrettyCandles · 15/04/2007 15:00

We occasionally sleep apart to get more sleep. One or two nights is blissfull, whichever of us has the baby, but more than that and I really miss dh. It'ds definitely a desperate measure for me.

Rantum · 15/04/2007 15:01

My dh occasionally slept in another room when ds was born as I was bfing in the night and dh needed to sleep so that he could get up for work and so that he could let me rest when he got home in the evening!
It only lasted until the night feeds ended and tbh I was completely disinterested in sex at that point anyway, so it was fine. Ds is 2, in his own room and we have our bed all to ourselves every night. If something as simple as sleeping in seperate beds for a short time rocks a relationship, how solid is it?

Londonmamma · 15/04/2007 15:02

You're absolutely right, in theory...
Sometimes you just do what you can in the middle of the night to get some peace. It's great to have ideals but if you have a baby who's not a good sleeper it could really stress you out to feel I MUST NOT SLEEP NEXT TO THEM, when actually that could get them back to sleep in a couple of mins.

Fillyjonk · 15/04/2007 15:02

um, really don't agree mears

different couples, differen focuses, different approaches etc.

you say

"Is there not a danger that parents put their children's sleeping habits before their own relationsip? "

tbh they are part and parcel of the same thing IMO. How you parent is an integral part of a relationship when you have kids.

And also, tbh, for me, sleep takes priority over sex when they are very little. So I am inclined to just go with it and maximise sleep for everyone.

I think, if people are happy, whatever goes. If they are not they will probably sort it out over time.

hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 15:02

Yes, Rantum, that's what I find so strange - why is being in the land of nod next to someone such an important part of your relationship - surely you're...asleep?! Or am I doing it wrong?!

FluffyMummy123 · 15/04/2007 15:03

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hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 15:04

Crap at sleep training? Nah, I just don't like mine sobbing and screaming for hours when we could all be asleep. I'm weird like that.

FluffyMummy123 · 15/04/2007 15:05

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Rantum · 15/04/2007 15:05

Also - we spent alot of our spare time in those first weeks in our bed cuddling with our new baby and each other- so we actually bonded with the baby and were intimate as a family, although not sexual as a couple for that short time, which was actually very special at the time IYSWIM?

Fillyjonk · 15/04/2007 15:05

am a bit puzzled by this tbh

people do what they need to do

why is it a problem for anyone else?

christ my life is complex enough without trying to tell other people how to run theirs

hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 15:06

Fuck off, Cod

mytwopenceworth · 15/04/2007 15:06

nah Mears. lack of sleep makes you bloody cranky. snapping at your other half all the time cos you're knackered - now that puts a strain on your relationship! sleeping is just sleeping, it's how you are with each other when you are awake that counts.

FluffyMummy123 · 15/04/2007 15:06

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hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 15:06

How did you make them, Cod?

DS3 is four now, right?

Want me to trawl the archives and find sleep-deprived posts from you 3.5 years ago? Hmm?

hunkermunker · 15/04/2007 15:08

Different children need different things though - DS1 would not co-sleep. DS2 loved it and I got FAR more sleep with him next to me than trying to get him to sleep in a cot.

belgo · 15/04/2007 15:09

Could never sleep newt to dd1, she was far too fidgety.

DD2 was a joy to sleep next to.

FluffyMummy123 · 15/04/2007 15:09

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belgo · 15/04/2007 15:09

next to, not newt!