Co-sleeping versus night wakings - what would you do?

[Tinkjon]

DS (7mo) sleeps in his own room but wakes up several times a night. But when we bring him into our bed he sleeps really well and often sleeps through 'til morning. I really don't want to co-sleep and I want him in his own room, so what would you do in this situ? We're desperate for some unbroken nights and co-sleeping gets over that problem, but as I don't want him in with us long-term I'm worried about getting him out of the habit of sleeping in his own room. I don't want him to get used to only sleeping with us. I think bringing him into bed with us is probably a short-term answer which could cause a long-term problem, but I do love not having to wake up 3 times a night when he's with us! I was also wondering whether, if we let him in with us for a week or so, he might get used to sleeping through and then might do the same when we put him back in his own room. I doubt it but am trying to be optimistic

There are lots of people for whom co-cleeping has worked out fantastically well on here, but for us, we found that in the short-term it helped, then DS became such a wriggler, took up so much space etc. that we just couldn't do it. As lovely as it was to begin with, I don't think we'll go down that route at all next time.

Have you got a spare mattress you can put in DS's room so that when he does wake you can take it in turns to go through each night, so that you at least get 1 decent night sleep each?

Is he waking for a feed each time or does he just need help to get back to sleep? Does he fall asleep ok by himself at the beginning of the night? what time is bedtime and what time does he wake up in the morning? how does he nap in the day? (Just wondering if it's a self-settling thing or feeding or amount of sleep he needs).

If dc was 7m and slept through, with no wriggling or waking or disturbing (ie, me) I would seriously consider co-sleeping until that situation changed

DD2 was a crap sleeper at about this age but co-sleeping did NOTHING to change this, even with bf thrown in!

So we moved her in with dd1 at about 8m, IIRC and it worked out well (dd1 slept through dd2's racket and we got more restful sleep)

Sparklyshoos, he isn't waking for food but only food will settle him, iykwim. When he's in with us he doesn't need food but only a bottle will help him get back to sleep when he's in his cot. It is a self-settling thing (he can do it sometimes but usually can't). Bedtime is 6.30-7pm and he's started to wake at about 5.30am As for naps, it's too depressing to even go there

Bernard, LOL at your screenname! Glad your DD sorted her sleep out in the end. Am amazed other DD slept through the yelling though!

Tinkjon, our DS is similar (but 14mo ) in that he'll only settle with milk when he wakes at night. (I BF for 12mo and bitterly regret following the urban myth advice of give him a bottle at night when he wakes, "he's not getting enough from your milk" - PFB, I'll know better next time!)

DS is also a crap napper, only sleep in his pram. I panicked about going back to work as didn't know how he would possibly settle in nursery, but he sleeps fine for them (they do put him in their buggy).

You might find his sleep will naturally get much better over the next couple of months, as crawling everywhere will tire him out more, plus he'll start being fuller from solids, so fingers crossed it'll improve.

I'm going to start gradual retreat tonight, settling DS in his cot awake, I'll prob be on here for moral support later! I swear i've never known a baby be such a bad sleeper as DS, but even his sleep is improving slowly but surely. - And I could always go on mastermind with baby sleep as my specialist knowledge, the amount of books I've read on the subject to try and improve things!!!