2yo has cold/flu - OK to co-sleep for now?

[tiokiko]

Not sure if this is the right place to post but thought I would start here as I've had great advice in the past.

Our 2yo DD has just got her first cold/flu bug - I know we've been really lucky to have got to this age with nothing other than a few mild sniffles but it means this is all uncharted territory when I should be an old hand by now!

She is pretty miserable and not sleeping well (normally sleeps 7 to 7 with a 1.5hr nap at lunch). Last night she went down at 7 but was waking every 15 mins and I was up and down constantly until 10ish when I took her into bed with us.

She settled there straight away, didn't sleep brilliantly but was happy that we were there when she woke up and was much calmer. I tried putting her back in her room a couple of times when she asked for it but no joy until 6am when she slept until 8.30am.

So - we are pretty shattered but she's feeling a little better this morning (temp down and not as listless).

My two questions are - firstly, was this a bad idea as she had a temperature? We have a big bed and a light duvet so she wasn't overheated from that point of view.

Secondly - are we going to have problems getting her to sleep in her own bed tonight or when she's better? I don't mind no sleep/co-sleeping until she's better but not long-term.

If anyone has any advice or experience, I'd be really grateful.

In my experience, they need extra sleep when they are ill. I have a DS age 5 and DD age 2.6.

My DD has a nasty cough at the moment. It's waking her at night. She normally has a 30mins nap at lunchtime. Yesterday I woke her after an hour and regretted it as she was really grumpy for the rest of the day.

When they are ill, they need rest to recover. If they get rest, they should recover more quickly.

I don't think you will have problems putting her to bed as she will probably be tired.

They also seem to want a lot more cuddling when they are under the weather, imo.

Thanks Effjay, am sure you're right. DD is very cuddly and clingy at the moment which is understandable - the only upside of her getting the cold is that at least I can cuddle her now. When DH and then I had it we were trying not to pass it on to her but that obviously didn't work!

I'm just a bit concerned that she will want to sleep in our bed again once she's well, any experience of that?

Having said that, she has just gone down for a sleep in her own bed so maybe we're OK on that score.

My DD is always a nightmare after we let her sleep in with us, generally it isn't worth it unless she is finding it very hard to settle (she is 2.9).

She also recently had a temp and I thought it best to keep her in own bed as she was finding it hard enough to regulate her own temp without my hot body next to her but I did go in her bed until she fell asleep but if your DD was ok last night then I wouldn't worry.

I guess it depends on where you think she will get the most rest! I think short term happiness is important in these situation.

DD is 22 mo and had a bad cold before Christmas. DP was away and I just took her with me to bed as I felt better being able to check on her throughout the night. She was fine going back to her cot afterwards.

Is she in a bed or cot? If bed could you not sleep with her? If in cot could you sleep on the floor? so your not up and down all night?

No advice on the getting to sleep in own room from me, we play musical beds everynight!

DD is 2.10 and sleeps well in her own bed but we co-sleep either one of us in her bed or her in our bed whenever she is ill. Works well for us, she gets the cuddles etc she needs when ill and we get more sleep as only have to half wake to settle her/ pat back etc when she wakes up coughing. Usually takes a day or so to get back into her routine afterwards, ie having to lie with her until she falls asleep the first night but we get there. I think it helps we usually have a strict bedtime policy.

OK thanks all, that's reassuring on the whole.

She is still in a cot (moving house next month so waiting to move into a bed after she's settled there). We have a sofa in her bedroom and I usually lie there if she's unsettled but it wasn't working last night as she just wanted to be cuddled. As soon as she was in our bed she was much calmer and got some rest which she hadn't in the previous 3hrs.

We are pretty tight on the bedtime routine/schedule normally so I'm reassured by you winnybella and isw that we hopefully can click back into it without too much drama once she's over this.

DD was ill from 24th until 29th Dec, 30th put her back into her bed, the first night I lay with her until she fell asleep and last night she went to bed as normal. Hope all went smoothly for you too!