Co-sleeping toddler needing to touch my skin all night long - how am I going to get him into his own bed?

[DoudousDoor]

DS has always been a poor sleeper. I've tried various things but none have worked long term. Usually there's an improvement then it gradually goes downhill again and I end up co-sleeping for a bit to recover from exhaustion.

Am currently pregnant with bad sickness so have been co-sleeping since August cos I can't face getting up in the night. DS loves it. He snuggles up to me and has to touch my skin.

Then in the night when he wakes, he snuggles up to me again and stuffs his hand under my top and goes straight back to sleep. If I roll over I can feel his hand patting the bed until he finds me again!

We want him in his own bed from January ideally (well, ideally before, but I want my sickness to be over before I'm having to get up in the night again) but I really don't know how we can do it seeing as he loves snuggling up to me so much.

Any ideas? (I can't face CC)

I'm afraid I have tried everything. My youngest is 4.5 and he still sneaks in to me during the night.

I had good success with a special cuddly toy. Well, DS has two actually. He now looks for them instead of me.

Llare dammit! A mate also told me that she rarely has a night when one or other of her girls doesn't come into bed with her!

We've tried soft toys. He's not interested. At the moment he chooses a new toy each night to come to bed with us Often trains which he insists sleep right up next to us and he wakes the second I try to move them

I think I'll try soft toys again. Anyway, he's been told several times today already that he is never again having a train in the bed (last night was awful with him waking up in panic cos his trains has detached themselves)

Ah sorry I know the non sleeping thing is far from funny but thank u very much for that just lol at him panicking because his trains detached themselves!! I won't be laughing soon wen i'm in the same position I need to get my toddler out my bed too!!

My Ds does this as well, he actually likes to touch my moles and sometimes shouts "where's mole?" :)
He does it mainly when he is first falling asleep and on his side, so I remove his hand and place it on top of the other hand so he is still touching skin (even though it's his own then). It doesn't necessary work first time round, but it seems to help (a bit).
If you don't co-sleep for naps then at least he is used to being on his own for some of his sleeping time and should get used to do it the rest of the time (or this is what I hope). Ds now starts the night in his own bed (in our bedroom) and then, depending on whether he has a good or bad night he stays there till morning or I move him to our bed with us halfway through.

Bless him, I'm sure the hysterics of a detached train in the middle of the night didn't feel sweet but that is soo cute and worthy of re telling at his wedding.

I am typing this with 2 DC squashing me who both want cuddles. So I simultaneously have no room to put my shoulder down and a frozen shoulder from cuddling them. Urgh. This is my plan though after we move to a bigger property.

Make his bed the coolest thing imaginable in his eyes. Give him stickers/ treats for sitting still in it whilst you read to him during the day or when he has a nap in it. Take pictures, show everyone. Praise him. Get him to tell everyone and them to praise him for having a nap in his bed.

Make sure your bedtime routine is all done in his room/ bed.

Leave your door open and a nightlight in the hall for him to climb into bed with you should he want to.

Ah well at least he's made some people smile!

He's had his train (brio, connected by magnets) in bed a couple of times but the other night was just ridiculous. THREE times he woke up, sat up crying, desperately trying to stick them back together again and balance them on the bed (they kept falling over).

We've bought him a thomas the tank engine duvet set for Christmas in the hope that it'll entice him into his own bed. He naps in his bed no problem.

We've made a "DS" bedtime story book showing him how he slept/ate when a baby (was also trying to stop BF when I made it) through to now and made a big fuss at the end about him being a big boy who has a glass of milk, then cleans his teeth then gets into his own bed to go to sleep. He loves books and photos of himself but unfortunately this hasn't been a hit yet. Think we'll have to push it a bit harder.

Have you tried one of those heat up wheat cuddly toys, if you cuddle them they actually stay warm all night and this may replace the comfort and warmth that you give out all night.

Nothing worked for me with ds2. I think once you start with co-sleeping you are stuck with it for a bit. Ds2 would fall asleep playing with my hair and then rest his hand on my face. If I moved he woke up instantly. However, he is now 10 years old and has been in his own bed for a very long time you'll be glad to hear. I think by 2.5 he was ready for his own space. He is still very cuddly and likes to play with my hair.
Hope you find a solution, the warm teddy idea sounds good.