2yo & 5yo room / bed share?

[Ellieboolou27]

Hi, I need some advice on room sharing!

5yo has a triple bunk in her room and sleeps alone with nightlight.

2yo sleeps in our bed and I lay down with her until she's asleep. She does have her own room but it's interjoined with ours so refuses to go into it as she can see our bed, I can close the door obviously, but it's part of an extension and freezing in winter, boiling in summer (and small).

Someone suggested putting both girls in the double bed bottom bunk in my 5yo's room, 5yo would like it but I'm not sure if my 2yo would settle without me, I don't want to get into another bad habit of laying with both of them in the room as 5yo co slept (with me laying with her to sleep) until she was 3!!!

I feel I'm done with all the laying down to sleep now, it's been 5 years of it, but I worry 2yo will keep 5yo awake and vice versa.

We are renting and hope to move in 18 months or so. 5yo went into her own room no problems once 2yo arrived when she was 3.

So should I just wait it out and carry on or get them both in the same room?

I'm so conflicted about it as everyone tells me 2yo needs to stop laying with me to fall asleep, however they said this about my 5yo and on the whole is a good sleeper now.

Any thoughts? Thanks

Could the 5yo go in the room joined to yours? Maybe decorate it for her especially.

I wouldn't put both girls in the same bed. They may keep eachother up all night. Also, I think they should have their own space.

Could you get a heater or two for the room in the extension so DD2 could sleep in there? And I would also close the door and be firm with that's where she's sleeping.

Or, you said DD1 has a triple bunk- does that have more than one bed so DD2 could sleep above?

Thanks for the replies, there is a heater in the room so maybe I'm making excuses, but as the room inter joins with ours she just pushes the door open as it doesn't fully and pushes outwards, there is a baby gate there, she sees our bed as it's only 5ft away , it's all decorated with bed (toddler one) , lamp, toys etc.

5yo has triple bunk so single at top, double at bottom where she sleeps, occasionally she'll sleep on top single.
I could put 5yo on top and let 2yo sleep in double at bottom.

They both hate sleeping alone and I agree it's good to have their own space but they don't seem to want it.
Soon as I'm awake 2yo who co sleeps is awake, it's so draining, soon as I get up she is up, so can't even have a tea to wake myself up

Top bunks all have an aged 6 plus safety rating in the UK. I would be inclined to wait a bit before putting the eldest at the top.

A sibling bed. I'm planning on doing the same as both mine need someone with them and both end up in our bed anyway! I'm just waiting until youngest is a bit bigger as he's only 17m. It's actually a very common arrangement.

your right fate That does worry me a bit, was thinking I'd take ladders off if I do put 2yo in the room, hence they'd share the double.

secret how old will you start this? Is 2 still too young?
Ahhhhh I need a sleep consultant

I think 2 is fine, the limited information I could find seemed to suggest from about 18m, when they're big enough to move/push away a bigger one laying on them. Depends on size/strength really.

My two share at the same age in bunkbeds. Eldest on top bunk and younger below. They love being together and has stopped them getting up so much as they are both together. I love listening to them chatting to each other before they go to sleep.

Take a look at this!

We moved our 18 month old into his brothers room 6 months back. He has a triple bunk. So normal bunks but another 3rd bed that pulls out from underneath. I used to put the 18 month old to bed at 7 & lay next to him on the bed that pulls out next to him. He'd fall asleep. Then my bigger son would get into his bed at 7.30. They now both go to sleep at the same time without me there. But they've got each other's company. He had his own room but they both seem to love sleeping in the same room. Photo attached for reference as I don't always make sense

You've nothing to lose by trying it. I don't think there's anything wrong with them sharing. I think it's really nice actually. Siblings sharing isn't uncommon. Eventually the 5 year will move up to the top bunk anyway.
Try it for a week. If it doesn't work then you go back to the drawing board.

Perfect sense out wish I'd gone for the option you have shown rather than double & single now - hindsight eh!

Thanks to everyone who's replied, it's really helped, I'm going to give it a try, I may leave it until the half term break as 5yo won't have to be up early for school if we get a few nights disrupted sleep!

That bed share looks amazing secret wish I'd have thought of it 5 years ago, 5 years of kids in my bed and I'm kind of done now with it

Also think putting youngest to bed first is good idea as she currently won't sleep unless I'm beside her.

When she's used to new room / bed etc then will aim to get them going to bed together.

Then the older one will get cross as they will not like going to bed at the same time as the "baby"! Greater age means a few privileges even for a child!

They go to bed at the same time now and have done for over a year, she's only 5 so 7pm on a school night is late enough for her at the moment.

At weekends she stays up until 8-8.30 whist 2yo still goes at 7 so will try and keep to that until she complains, hopefully by the time that happens 2yo will be sleeping ok in the room alone.

This too shall pass I hope

Goodluck! Hope all goes smoothly. My older son doesn't seem too annoyed about them going to bed at the same time. I've explained to him that his little brother naps for 1.5-2hrs a day. But once naps stop & he's at nursery I'll put him to bed earlier. My older son stays up a bit later on a weekend too. Seems to sweeten the deal 👍🏻