Where do you sleep when your kid is poorly - practical question

[sellotape12]

Hello, this isn’t a general question about a style of parenting. I’m talking about quite literally what is the bedroom setup on the days that your child is poorly and wants you to stay with them? Do you sleep on their floor? Do you squeeze into their bed? Do you keep a Z-bed or something?

My toddler is still in his cot, but as we are saving up for a big boy bed I’m wondering if I should get one with a trundle mattress in the drawer. I would like to stay with him on the occasions that he’s poorly (because he doesn’t like coming into our bed) However I don’t think I can sleep on the carpet because I have bony hips! Or do you just squeeze into the bed with them?

They sleep in my bed, partner sleeps in a different bed. They go back to their own bed when better.

I don't sleep with my kids even when they are ill.

I mean I obviously will if they are in hospital or something but not for just normal childhood illnesses

They end up sleeping with me on those tough days. It just works out better for us all.

They sleep in my bed but a trundle is a great idea if your child doesn't like coming into yours.

My daughter went from her cot bed to a small double - I spent many nights sharing it with her.

I would go with trundle seems like a fab solution.

I used to have a fold ouT couch in the room, now DC has a king single bed big enough for two. But if it's going to be all night, we go in the spare room (Queen bed)

I bought a small mattress that went by the side of his wardrobe and I use it a lot unfortunately as he’s ill all the time. So yes to trundle, makes it a lot easier.

Used to sleep on the floor on a folding mattress. Now they have double beds (still young kids) so I just get in with them.

Solo parent so I have no one else to displace, but my 5YO tends to come in with me. She has a mid sleeper in a tiny bedroom so not practical for me to go in with her! In our old house she had a standard single and I did get in with her sometimes. When she was in her toddler bed I had a couple of nights sleeping on a quilt on the floor in her room.

A trundle bed sounds like a good plan and will be useful for sleepovers when the time comes.

Um, I don't. Never have for regular illness. Why is everyone sleeping next to their children when they are poorly?

Tended to leave the doors open for them and listen out, but if we slept in there, we’d sleep on a mattress on the floor. Often a smallish one that we just slid under the bed. Couldn’t fit in the bed with them. And didn’t like them coming in to our bed.

Can you easily pull the trundle out? I always think they look good but you have to be able to hoick it out in the middle of the night in this situation, and bedside tables etc are in the way.

Mine both went from a cot to a double bed which eased the night-time routine for us all.

When they’re sick they come into my bed with me and DH goes into their bed. This stopped about 4 years ago for my oldest who is now 16 but my youngest, aged 11, had terrible flu at Easter and slept in with me for about a week.

What @exprecis said. I might have left the doors open but both in own beds

Is this a normal thing?

My parents just slept in their beds and occasionally shouted at me to stop coughing and be quiet.

DD often sleeps in my bed when she’s ill, it’s a superking so plenty of space (usually has 2 cats as well). But sometimes I sleep
in hers, she has a small double. If you have room for one it is much better than a single, she went in to it at 3.

DH and I have separate bedrooms, he also has a superking but DD always wants me.

To offer comfort when they are distressed by the illness in the night. I wouldn't do it every time but if they were waking up upset.

They always came in with me when unwell.

They were comforted and I could monitor how they were breathing/coughing etc.

When dd was little and not well, she slept with me and DH moved elsewhere. Depending on which age and house we were in that might mean the sofa, the guest room, or DD’s bed.

when she got older, we kept a camp bed for her to sleep on our bedroom floor when she needed to be close.

Co slept with DS1 until he was nearly 3 (in my bed) then moved him into single bed with bed guard so I can slip in and out if needed.
I've got a 9 month old in my bed now but if DS1 woke up particularly distressed I'd let him get in my bed. He generally sleeps through in his own bed though.
Partner sleeps elsewhere.

My children never shared a bed with us .it just wasn't a thing!
Granddaughter always bed shares with me. If really isn't a problem

In with me. DP sleeps on the sofa.

As for why? It's so much easier to have a bucket to hand and wake up at the first sign of her stirring and being poorly and shove it in front of her, than it is to clear up when she's woken up feeling ill and disoriented and been ill from the top of a mid sleeper bed...

In our bed. One of us went to the sofa/spare room.

When they are really ill yes it is. DD is prone to chest infections and when she’s rocking a 39.5 fever and is delirious she funnily enough wants to be near to me and I want to be near her.

I’m sure that won’t be the case when she is 14 but at 4 it’s hardly weird.

Perhaps you were never very ill or perhaps you just didn’t have very caring parents!

The come into my bed and my husband sleeps in theirs.