Bed Sharing Fail, Need Help

kmcd23 · February 2014

I'm a lurker here, but I could use some help.

LO is 8.5 months old, and we've been bed sharing mostly since he outgrew the bassinet around 3 months.

Last weekend, for the first time ever, I didn't wake up when he did, and he fell off my floor mattress. I don't even know how it happened, because he fell off on my side of the bed, in the only spot where I didn't have anything covering our hardwood. The sound of him hitting the floor woke me up.

I had his crib pushed up against his side, a rug at the foot of the bed, and floor pillows in a few strategic places. Until then, I always woke up when he did, or when he rolled in his sleep. But I guess 8.5 months of 4+ wakeups a night caught up with me finally. And I have no idea how he got over/around me.

Dr. Sears says babies roll to their mothers, but he likes to roll into his own space after nursing. But still be close enough that he can reach out to me. So I doubt this would be the only mishap now that he's so mobile. He also sleep crawls.

Now, he won't go down in his crib drowsy or asleep. He used to for his first stretch until I came to bed, but not for the last six weeks. I don't want to CIO or Ferber. After a few nights of total failure at picking him up and putting him down for hours on end, we started taking shifts being awake while we hold him, and using the pack n play as much as possible. This can't last though. No one is getting good sleep.

Any ideas of how we can gently transition him to a safe sleep in his crib?

TiffanyBerry · February 2014

If that were me, I'd just be putting either a rail up (on my side too) or something soft on the floor, so he can just keep sleeping after rolling off.

ncbelle · February 2014

If you want to transition him, check out the No Cry Sleep Solution. Otherwise I'd ditto the suggestion to just put something soft on the floor - even the crib mattress by your bed.

Another option would be to set up a floor bed in his room that you can sleep with him as needed (or lay with him to nurse him to sleep). I kinda think if he's not in a crib at 10 months, there's kinda no point as you'll have to transition out of it soonish anyway

Plus if he has been used to sleeping in a bed, it will be easier for him to learn to sleep alone in a bed than in a crib.

Myaflowers · February 2014

Agree with PP. Also make sure your room is totally baby proofed so it won't matter if he decides to get up and 'explore.' I have a floor bed too and last weekend woke up to LO on the floor crawling toward the bathroom (attached to the bedroom). I don't know what she thought she was gonna do! Lol.

Mrs.AmyDylan · February 2014

We transitioned DD to a floor bed in her room for nap (she is 13mo). We started with a floor bed in her room. We would read books, nurse and snuggle in her big girl bed. Last weekend we pulled the trigger and she has slept really well. Her room is carpeted.

We still co-sleep at night. She hates her crib. Probably because she would rather be snuggled next to the all night boobie buffet.

kmcd23 · February 2014

Thanks everyone. I haven't decided yet if we'll continue trying to transition him, or pad the area around the bed and continue to cosleep. But for today, we are taking extra babyproofing measures in there, so that if one night we bring him to bed, it will be safer.

He's doing better in the pack n play than in the crib. He can't pull up in that like he can in the crib, so he stays put better, and doesn't fall over as much, which leads to better sleep. I hate to put him to sleep in that though, because his crib mattress is organic, and I'd rather that be what he breathes so close to all night long.

We'll figure it out. Thanks for all the help!

Bed Sharing Fail, Need Help

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