Baby moving into a room with toddler

[FiloFaxx]

My baby is just over 6 months old. Not a great sleeper through the night but I think she is getting too big for her crib. Her cot is currently in my toddler's bedroom where she'll be sharing when she's ready.

Problem is I don't see her ever being ready. I think I could just about fit the cot in my bedroom. Am I best doing this for now until she's ready to move?

Has anyone got any tips for moving baby into a room with toddler when the time comes? Really don't want my toddler being too disturbed. Am I best not even worrying about this until we've got baby's sleep on track 😂 I'm so tired and confused.

I think move the cot into your room and worry about the room share with the toddler when the times comes!

Keep the cot in your room until she's sleeping through.

We planned to move dd2 into the shared room at 6 months but she was not even close to sleeping through the night and I didn't feel it was fair on dd2. She lasted in the crib until 8 months at which point we accepted defeat and squeezed the cot into our room (it was tight!). She has just gone into the shared room at 18 months old 🙈 But she wakes earlier than dd1 and sometimes disturbs her so I am really glad I waited until she was sleeping through the night

We moved dd before she was sleeping through to share with ds. She was about 9 months.

It was rare that they disturbed each other in the night and it made bedtimes so much easier!

We moved out of babies room when he was 8 months and he finally started sleeping through. We slept in a mattress in our mezzanine study. We waited for both boys to settle, toddler was waking in the night for weeks etc. We moved younger into our 3 yr olds room when he was 13 months. It was a hellish two weeks, but they've been settled about three weeks now. We do a separate bedtime and wait for toddler to fall asleep before we put baby in cot. Think it's trial and error, little one wakes in the night and lets out little cries sometimes (he's been ill and had a cold). 3 yr old generally sleeps thorugh

Resurrecting this thread for a bit of fresh advice please!

DD2 is now 8 months and has been sleeping through so we bit the bullet and put her in with my toddler three nights ago and it's not been that great.

She's sleeping well in the room for naps in her own. I've been putting them to bed at the same time and initially one is singing and the other one making noises but then baby starts getting grouchy and has cried so I've went back up to put dummy in etc and this goes on for a while. Then my baby has been waking up a couple of times through the night and it sometimes disturbs toddler but not always.

I'm wondering if I should stagger bedtimes but who should I put in first? Or should I continue to put them up at the same time hoping it'll get better 🤔

Ds (18 months) and DD (3.5yrs) share a bedroom and have done since D's was 7 months old. I out DD to bed first and then put Ds to bed later. He's never been the best sleeper so I put him up once he's almost asleep so won't disturb DD. He still gets up once in the night but never disturbs DD as I think she's just used to it now

So we have a kitchen sitting room and a separate sitting room, playroom. Baby is now in there.

She wasn't sleeping well in our room, no way was she ready to go to shared room with toddler, so she's in the living room. She is sleeping so much better alone, but not at point where I can out them together.

It looks very strange but is working for now!

How old is DD1? If old enough to understand I had great success with putting the younger one down first and then the older has to be quiet. This usually results in the older one falling asleep pretty quickly too. If too young I'd put the older one first.

@stormelf I feel 50/50 about who to put first but it makes sense the way you've done it. My only worry is I can't guarantee DD2 will go down without a wee chat or moan 🙈 but I think I'm going to try one way tonight and see how it goes then try the other way in a couple of nights 🤔

@bookh I'm all for things that are workable so nothing seems strange to me! Not sure where I'd put DD2 though 😂

@whoami24601 DD1 is 3.5 so hopefully old enough to know to be quiet! She likes to sing herself to sleep so wasn't sure if she'd be able to contain that 😬 but as I say I think I'll have to try one then the other rather than putting them down at the same time x

Yes agreed. Mine like to chat if they go at the same time 🙄 and wind each other up. Mine all sleep like the dead once they're out so I don't think a bit of singing would wake them tbh! Maybe it will just take them time to get used to the noise from the other being there. I'd prepare yourself for a rough few nights but things should settle.

Thanks @whoami24601. I think I need to chill and just ride this out for a few of weeks as you say and hope if settles. Did you put the younger one down earlier than eldests bedtime or end up putting the eldest down later? 🤔

One slightly early and one slightly late!

Hi. Ours are now 16 months (almost) and 3.5. First two weeks were absolute he'll, don't forget your baby is adapting to new room and a change of surroundings.

We went for 3.5 first, he falls asleep and then 16 mnths 15 mins later. Sometimes he is awake and I have now convinced him to lie quietly and ignore his baby brother. It will take time. Initially we did a bit of settling. Now 1 year old sometimes cries for a minute or two and 3 year old doesn't wake.

First week is full of waking up, but then they get used to one another.

My 6 month old went in with her 2 year old sister now if one of them wakes in the night because of a cold, wanting water etc the other just sleeps through it

Persistence is key

We found this better for us because three year old has quite a structured bedtime which involves, book, talk through the day and then potty and say goodnight all in his bed which we can't do whilst baby is in there. He seems to sleep deeply once asleep whereas 1 year old is a light sleeper.

Thanks everyone. It kind of worked - I put baby down at 6:45pm and waited until she was sleeping to put toddler in. Both slept quite well but baby woke at 2am and it took me ages to get her down again but luckily toddler didn't wake up!

I'd see that as a win for only a few days in

Thank you @Opalfeet! I'm glad you said that as I started having doubts that it'll get better 😂 just so tired x