Does partial co sleeping work?

[KD0706]

I'm able to get 12 mo DD off to sleep in her cot at bedtime (can be up and down but overall it's ok).
But recently (since she's started at nursery) she wakes in the middle of the night and wants to be awake and with me. I often struggle to get her back in her cot so quite frequently I bring her into bed with me, generally sometime after 4am. She sleeps well in bed w me.

DH thinks I'm storing up problems and DD doesn't know the difference between Coming into bed w me early morning, as opposed to spending the whole night with me.

Does anybody have any thoughts or experience on this?

Thanks

My DC3 would sleep well until the early hours. Then would wake screaming and I would bring him into bed with me. I was fine with that until DC3 reached 10months old then he started to get wriggly/wake earlier.
So my advice would be do what you feel is best now but don't ignore the fact that you might have a fight when you want her to sleep in her own bed.
I don't regret for one minute letting DC3 sleep with me, but there came a point when it wsa too much for all of us.
He adjusted fairly quickly into his new bed (still has the odd moment) and I miss it desperatley (tho for selfish reasons)
My new rule is after 6am they can come into bed with me. Before that then no. Even tho they have no concept of time I find it helps me. DC3 slept in till 630 today and I was beyond delighted!

6 month DS adjusts just fine and always has. Still bring him in bed occasionally when he's having an unsettled night. Never has any problems going back to sleep on his own once he's feeling better and more settled. Always used to bring him in bed with us around 4am too. Loved the cuddles!

Thanks for your replies.
I will bear in mind that I might have a struggle at some point to make her sleep all night in her own bed. But it really is only when it's very early morning, rather than middle of the night, iykwim.

Anyhoo I ought to be sleeping now as she has decided recently that waking twice in the night is the in thing...

My son always starts off in his cot and usually ends up in bed with me anytime from 11 onwards. This morning I lasted til 3.30, but he'd woken up twice prior to that.

I think just do whatever gets you the most sleep at this point in time. I really wouldn't worry about storing up habits. Habits can be changed, and you can change them gently, at the time that you want to.

At 12 months if she's only coming in with you at 4am, that's better than most parents have it! Lots of toddlers come into their parent's bed at around 4/5/6am, most people don't even consider this co-sleeping, just a way of dealing with early waking. If you have any friends with older children, ask them if their toddler did/does this - you'll probably be surprised! :)