Kids sharing bedrooms - when/how did you go about it?

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We're in a 2-bed for the time being, so our DD (3.5 years) and DS (11 months) will need to share at some point.

After terrorising us for the first 8 months of her life 😂, DD is a fantastic sleeper (touch wood), already happily on the bottom bunk. She sometimes tries to delay bedtime but she has a well-defined routine and once asleep she typically only wakes in the night if she's ill, has a nosebleed, or she has a nightmare (rare). Even in all those circumstances she goes back to sleep easily. She wakes between 6:30 and 7:30am and has been known to take herself off back to bed if me and her dad are being boring. 😂

DS is still bf and has slept through once! So we're obviously not thinking of moving him yet. We were slow to 'sleep train' and night wean due to illness etc., but he's already much, much better at going down and staying asleep than he was. That said, we're not expecting him to be as good as sleeper as DD. Can't imagine being that lucky! He's waking around 5.30 atm, and I'd love to get that to 6am.

Any tips or tricks for the eventual move? When did you do it? What was your experience like, particularly if you had a similar (2.5 year) gap?

DD knows it's the eventual plan for DS to move in and seems keen on that. I'm expecting that she'll be very excited and disrupted/unsettled by it as she's not great with transitions. We'll see!

Same age gap, and sexes. DD is an excellent sleeper (once she's asleep anyway.....). DS did take his time to sleep through. Though he did it quicker than DD at least.

Tbh I just took the plunge and did it. Things were unsettled to begin with, but once the novelty of it wore off they both slept better. DD is a heavy sleeper and slept through most wake ups. Those she didn't, she was easily put back to sleep.

A small word of warning though, two and a half years down the line (DD6 and DS3 (4 in March), now that DS can converse, bedtime has become a bit of a nightmare. He's a true master of bedtime delay tactics. While DS's sleep needs are apparently the result of a caffeine fuelled unholy union between a lark and an owl, DD's more regular sleep needs are impacted by his shenanigans (though not entirely innocent of the same shenanigans herself) and she is tough to wake for school in the morning. I'm hoping once DS goes to school himself things will smooth out.

For now, I have to shove him in my bed when he's too boisterous to get him to calm down enough to go to sleep. Hopefully my DS is an anomaly and yours will be much more sensible about his sleep.

Thanks, @Dyra! I do think we have to take the plunge once DS has proved he can sleep through consistently. We're hoping to try in the new year.

Tbh, I'm dreading it, and am convinced he'll be a nightmare. He's really sociable and currently hates bedtime for no reason (we can determine) other than FOMO. Gets mad as hell when he sees that sleep sack coming at him! I predict he'll be the same way as your DS! 😅

I'm working on scoring a third bedroom for sure...

2.5y age gap here! My kids actually wanted to share a room. They were in their own rooms. Then temporarily moved the eldest's mattress on the floor in the toddler's room while toddler was in the cot. They both slept well and it made bedtime a breeze especially if you ever have to do bedtime as a solo parent. I think when toddler woke up during the night they were comforted by the sounds of someone else sleeping in the same room.

Now we have 2 single beds in there. They wake up and climb in each others bed for stories and snuggles before they wake me up. It's great!

Bedtime still fine, they get in and snuggle down. The eldest falls asleep first while the youngest is chatting to themselves lying sideways with their feet up the wall 😆 Eldest just ignores youngest completely.

Age 5 and almost 3.

ETA: youngest was still BF when they started sharing a room. They have since self weaned. No sleep training here either. Eldest started sleeping through at 2y3m. Youngest started sleeping more consistently just before 18m with occasional wake ups. Now none.

Twins are 5.5 and despite having their own rooms, have always shared. It works fine for us and makes bedtime easier. They do come into our room together in the morning though so must wake each other up.

I'm relieved to hear some positive stories! DD seems to like the idea at the moment, and it's my dream that it'll help them bond. I just... don't trust either of them to relax about it! I would love for DD to just ignore DS! 👌