Any tips on how to get DS to sleep in his own bed before new baby arrives?

[Asquashandasqueeze]

DS (3.5) usually sleeps in our bed - mainly due to practical reasons (we live in a 1 bed flat so with DS in the bedroom it means we can use the lounge when he goes to bed). DS does have a bed in the lounge but only sleeps in it when we carry him there after he's fallen asleep.
I'm expecting another baby in the summer so I've got a few months to sort out DS's sleeping arrangements (it's getting a bit of a squash and a squeeze what with DH, DS, me and bump all in the same bed). We were thinking of getting him a mid sleeper bed for the lounge to give him more incentive to sleep in his own bed - I don't know if anyone else has found this to work?
Any advice on how to make this as painless as possible would be much appreciated. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he currently goes to sleep with me lying next to him - eeek! I feel like a case study for all those child development books for how-not-to-do-it .

Thanks

No suggestions, I'm afraid. We did the same with DS and he was 5 when the new baby arrived. I kept postponing doing something about it(although he only spent about 20% of the time in our bed, he could go into his own) so he had a bit of a shock when he was replaced with DD. It took him a few weeks or so but he's fine about it now and only comes in in the morning.

could you fit a small bed in your room and do it gradually? Perhaps if he was still in your room he could learn to sleep .. then over time you could move his bed into the lounge

think you really need to crack this .. and it probably won't be painless .. you have to be firm ..

I assume you have seen House of Tiny Tearaways and know all about rapid return ..although much harder in the same room I suppose

Thanks Cristina and Twiglett.

Twiglett, I haven't watched HoTT but would appreciate it if you could give me a quick summary of rapid return please. Otherwise I like the idea of putting his bed in our room.

Rapid return is simply put them to bed normally then every time they get up you pick them up put them back say nothing and walk out of the room .. you keep doing it every single time .. I think you can say 'go to sleep' but no eye contact and no cajoling / begging / arguing

they can get up loads of times (50 or 60) for the first few nights but within a week its normally cracked

but you MUST be consistent for that week

HTH

she must have a website that explains it better somewhere

Thanks Twiglett. Wish me luck!!!