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Sleep

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Original poster

If you co-slept with your dc...

11 replies

DesperateHousewife20 · 06/02/2011 21:02

how did you go about getting them to sleep in their own cot/bed?

Also what age did you start trying this?

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Original poster

DesperateHousewife20 · 07/02/2011 07:51

Anyone?

OP posts:

Chil1234 · 07/02/2011 08:56

I've never co-slept with my DS but would suggest that any time's a good time to start once you're past the very earliest months. With anything new I think you have to 'sell it' to the child as being something wonderful and follow up with praise. If it's a toddler, for example, they usually respond very well to things that are for 'big children, not babies'. With cots I'd start with naps, if you don't do already. The more familiar they are with it, the less peculiar it'll seem when you pop them in it at night. Lots of smiles - no anxiety on your part. Expect the best :)

winnybella · 07/02/2011 09:01

I co-slept with DD til she was 6 months and then she went into a cot in her own room (before that we have been putting her in her cot in our room at bedtime and she would sleep there for a bit before I would take her to bed with me). She would wake up at 12 or 1, and I would take her for a bf to my bed and she would stay there for the rest of the night and at around 14 months she started sleeping through in her cot. So it was very gradual, but that bit of putting her in her cot in our room for even an hour or two in the evenings helped her get used to it iyswim.

Original poster

DesperateHousewife20 · 07/02/2011 09:03

Thank you, ds is 7 months so wouldnt understand me telling him things.

Smiles and gentle talking would be good though, I feed him to sleep which is fine for now I would just like him to be in his cot.

I feel it just takes ages to get him asleep enough to put him down which is why he sleeps in our bed as he falls asleep within mins.

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JoinTheDots · 07/02/2011 11:07

I am currently co-sleeping, and have read threads like this before. The oldest I saw was about 3 years, there was no youngest - it seems people do it for different lengths of time based on how happy they are with the situation, and also how willing the little one is to change to a cot / bed.

Most people with slightly older children (who were obviously happy to co-sleep until the LO made a decision to change) said it was a smooth transition because it was the LO choice, most who did it before this said they introduced when they needed to and had a few unsettled nights as LO got used to the change.

Sometimes you have to just try it, and see which is better, the co-sleeping (instant sleep and resettling, but sharing a bed) or the transfer to cot (a few (or more!) unsettled nights which lead to you getting your own bed back).

Original poster

DesperateHousewife20 · 07/02/2011 17:08

I replied to this earlier but its obv not worked.

He sleeps in his cot sometimes for the start of the night but that only lasts about an hour.

OP posts:

onimolap · 07/02/2011 17:12

When they were self-propelling - I started to worry they'd fall off when I was asleep. I imposed the change. Probably about 8mths, but it's a while ago, and I might be wrong.

matana · 08/02/2011 11:19

I heard it's best to make changes before or around the 12 week mark but don't know how true that is. Some babies might well adapt a lot later than that, depending on how adaptable and flexible your baby generally seems. I co-slept for 8 or 9 weeks i think as my DS was very uncomfortable at night and could only sleep on his tummy. As i didn't want him in his moses basket on his tummy i felt happier with him sleeping on my chest and we both got some sleep. I did, however, always first try getting him to sleep in his moses basket each night. If it didn't work, i co-slept. Then one night around 8 weeks he seemed less uncomfortable, and the following week even less so, so i began persevering with the moses basket a bit more. He now sleeps there all night every night (unless he needs a bit of extra help due to illness) and it was an easy transition.

JFly · 08/02/2011 11:25

What I wouldn't suggest is changing anything right now. He's about to head into the 8-9 month sleep regression and it probably isn't a great time to move him into a cot. Maybe try him in it for naps for a month or so and see how he gets on. If he doesn't seem to regress, then you could try putting him down in the cot at night, too.

FWIW, I co-slept/had a co-sleeper for about 5 months. I then put DS in his cot in his own room to see if it would work (assuming there would be a long transition time) and he went in it without a problem. Further down the line, we had him back in our bed, but that's another story!

Original poster

DesperateHousewife20 · 08/02/2011 11:37

Thanks for replies matana and JFly

Im way past the 12 week mark!

Ive started putting him in the cot for his first nap of the day (Im usually out for lunchtime/afternoon nap)

I put him down (asleep) at 10ish but he woke after 5 mins and didnt seem sleepy.
Ive put him down again now, hes been asleep for nearly 10 mins so far, fingers crossed he has a decent nap.

OP posts:

matana · 09/02/2011 09:36

Should have also said that i started putting him to sleep in his moses basket for daytime naps. Once he was comfortable there during the day, he cracked the nightime easily. Fingers crossed for you - sounds like you're trying the right thing. Even if he doesn't nap well at first, my guess is he'll gradually go for longer.

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