Short term co-sleeping

[BaffledBerluga]

My DS is nearly 10 months. He's always been an OK-ish sleeper (waking usually twice a night then feeding back to sleep, often coming into bed with us around 5am). Recently his sleep has deteriorated - he was teething for a bit which I think has stopped now, but I guess it could be sleep regression or separation anxiety. He is getting much harder to get back in his cot, and waking much more frequently. I know the problem is probably that he is fed to sleep, but I'm back at work soon and tired and just don't have the energy to fix it right now.

I was feeling really unwell last week and really didn't have the will to resettle him, so after his first feed at 11.30pm I kept him in bed, and he slept right through until 4.30am and then had a quick feed and back down until 7am. It was the best he had slept in ages. Since then we've tried bringing him into bed after his first feed a few times and he has slept amazingly!

I am thinking about just going with it and co-sleeping after the first feed for a bit. It would get me through this sleep regression/back to work/him starting nursery stage. Then maybe at around a year trying to do some gradual retreat or something to get him sleeping in his cot. But part of me is worried if I do this now, he will be in with us well until his toddler years.

Just wandered if anyone else successfully co-slept just for a bit? How old were they when they went in their cot again, and how difficult was it?

I had them in bed with me at that age for exactly the same reason. Both get a bit more restless after a year and I put them their own rooms.

If they were ever ill, they'd come back in bed fir a bit and happily go bank in their own rooms once they were well again.

If you want an alternative to gradual retreat, have you read Dr Jay Gordon's night weaning method?

Yes! Probably from about 9-16 months DS was in bed with me from about 3am - 7am every day. He used to do most of the night in his cot and then I'd bring him in when he woke up & wouldn't settle back. He started sleeping through again around 17/18 months.

Following as I'm having exactly the same problem with my 9 month old! Also worried it will become a habit that's hard to break. It's reassuring to hear others did it and they slept through not long after

I've always coslept on and off according to need. There have never been any problems settling back down into the cot again after a cosleeping phase, usually because of illness, teething, growth spurts etc. It's fine and perfectly naturally. The norm in fact, in many cultures.

I have had mine sleeping in with me for a short period of time a few times whilst they were small and was able to get them back into their cot.

I always used to put them into the cot first and bring them in during the night so they were used to being in the cot still.

I co-slept with mine quite happily. We all had good sleep because of it.

Not for "just a bit" but my DH and I have bedshared with our daughter since she was born. She's now 14 months

Thanks for everyone's experiences. I know some people happily co-sleep for years, but I don't want it to go on that long! But happy to do it for a few months if it helps him and we all get a bit more sleep. We had a bad night last night and just noticed another tooth under the gum, so I think we might as well go with it for now.

@BunnyRuddington that link was really interesting thanks. Is this what you did? And if so, did you do it in your bed as he describes it or when moving them back into their cots?

Out of desperation and sheer tiredness we have allowed ds to sleep in our bed for the last 4 months or so. My only regret? Not doing it sooner! We (mainly me) spent so many hours resettling him and having broken sleep. I wish I'd done it sooner. I know many people won't agree with this and the amount of times I have been told we're "making a rod for your own back blah blah" but the fact is we are now all getting a full night's sleep so it works for us.

This is what we did except we dropped night feeds when he was around that age, if not before. He wakes at 10pm every night and refuses to settle unless we bring him in with us, where he’ll sleep until 6. He’s 1 and I don’t have the will to try and change it right now.

Do what works for you. The only time co sleepiyis a problem, is when the cosleepers have a problem with it.

It's actually quite bizarre that we insist on putting babies in a separate room from their parent. It's a modern, western notion.

I co slept for ages with DD, until she was 3 and sometimes still now. I prioritise sleep over anything else and luckily my other half agrees!

And if so, did you do it in your bed as he describes it or when moving them back into their cots?

I did it when they'd got used to being in their Cora for a short while although DD only woke once a night anyway once she was in her own room.

We have co-slept on and off since 5 weeks. She has had reflux and food allergies so has been quite an unsettled baby.
When she's unsettled she spends a large portion of the night in the bed with me. When she is happy and contented she goes back into the cot until about 5-7 am when she comes for cuddles