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Attachment Parenting
Help-I'm over co-sleeping
Lurker here needing some help.
My daughter turned 2 in May we have pretty much co-slept from the beginning with a few exceptions. However now that she's getting bigger and tossing and turning more I'm just not able to sleep well, and I honestly don't think my DH or DD is either.
How do you wean off of co-sleeping? DD loves co-sleeping, loves cuddling, this will be very hard for her to give up, I feel like I've already missed the boat to be completly honest, maybe if I had done this sooner she would have an easier time of it?
Any advise? She doesn't have a crib because she is a houdini escape artist so we are working with a toddler bed here, may graduate to a twin so I can cuddle with her easier.
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Re: Help-I'm over co-sleeping
While I've not personally made the transition yet, my plan (based on others recommendations) is to get a twin bed so there is the option of laying down with LO.
Some people do it more gradual and start with the bed in their room and then move it to LO's room when she gets accustomed to sleeping in her own bed. Some just make the change all at once. You may find LO is more receptive to the change if you make it something fun for her - bring her with you to pick out the new bed and bedding set. Make a big deal out of her getting her own bed.
Another tip I've read is to make sure the room she's in is childproof because if she's in her own bed she'll likely be able to get up without waking you. So you want to make sure if she decides to get out of bed she's safe to roam about.
It's impossible to say if it would've been easier if you'd done it earlier, and really, what does it matter now? You can't go back in time anyway so try not to dwell on what could've happened. After all, it could've been an epic fail.
We started with naps in his room on a twin bed. We would lay with him until he was asleep. After a few weeks we started doing nights, still laying down with him until he was asleep. About 6 weeks ago we started having him lay down alone and it's been ok for the most part. We give him one chance to stay in bed before putting the gate up to his room, if he gets up the gate goes up. I take it down when he's asleep. He still climbs in bed with me (DH sleeps on the couch, snorefest style) in the middle of the night and most of the time it doesn't even wake me.If I'm still awake when he gets up I put him in his bed and he goes right back to sleep.
When he wakes up in the middle of the night he has access to our room and the living room but the rest of the house is gated off, otherwise he wanders down to my office and laundry room looking for me (half-asleep) because he's passed my room.
Good luck! It's a process. You just have to find what works for you.
I am not quite there yet so I don't have any "been there done that" advice but my plan is to switch gradually. First is to understand that sleeping is tied to feeling secure and comfortable. So make sure that DD knows that her room is a good place to be! Next I would start with creating a bedtime or naptime routine so she know that after story time comes pj's then bed... or however it works for you. You might want to start with naps in there and move towards sleeping through part of the night in her room before moving onto staying in there the whole night.
I also agree that she is at an age where making a big deal about it being HER room might help.
GL