Tangerine Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 My 5 year old DD and my 3 year old DS sleep in the same bed (Queen). It wasn't something I planned on, but just kind of a natural progression from cosleeping for us. They go to bed and sleep. They don't keep each other up, and they like the arrangement. Tonight my DS went to sleep with Daddy, probably because Daddy went to bed at 7:30 and it was a good opportunity for snuggles. My DD got up and asked where he was, I told her, we snuggled for a bit and chatted, and then as I went to leave she said "I love snuggling with my brother." I melted a little. I'm interested in what a thoughtful and intelligent group (such as yourselves) thinks about kids sleeping in the same bed. Would you separate them at a certain age no matter what? Would you wait until one of them expressed a desire to sleep in their own bed? Does anyone else have this arrangement, or are we some kind of nutty family? I always picture the Ingalls girls sleeping in the same bed with their cotton nightgowns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 My 5 year old DD and my 3 year old DS sleep in the same bed (Queen). It wasn't something I planned on, but just kind of a natural progression from cosleeping for us. They go to bed and sleep. They don't keep each other up, and they like the arrangement. Tonight my DS went to sleep with Daddy, probably because Daddy went to bed at 7:30 and it was a good opportunity for snuggles. My DD got up and asked where he was, I told her, we snuggled for a bit and chatted, and then as I went to leave she said "I love snuggling with my brother." I melted a little. I'm interested in what a thoughtful and intelligent group (such as yourselves) thinks about kids sleeping in the same bed. Would you separate them at a certain age no matter what? Would you wait until one of them expressed a desire to sleep in their own bed? Does anyone else have this arrangement, or are we some kind of nutty family? I always picture the Ingalls girls sleeping in the same bed with their cotton nightgowns. I have the same picture. :) My girls sleep together in a queen loft bed so they can have room underneath for other things in their room. I actually never planned on separating them, so I'm not sure what I would do for a dd and ds. I would probably let the natural aging separate them, whatever age that ended up being for them. We still take family showers (me and the girls to conserve water) and the girls come and crawl in bed with us early in the morning. We miss them sleeping with us every night, but they really enjoy each other. It's fun to listen to them talk or sing to each other until they fall asleep. I guess we're a nutty family too. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Well, we're cosleepers too, so that may influence my opinion. Also, we tend to have musical beds around here sometimes. My opinion is that kids will naturally move on to their own bed when they need their own space. That's been my opinion whenever we discuss the transition from cosleeping to singleton sleeping, and is my opinion about sibling sleeping. Or maybe it's like opposite-gender bathing...there comes a time when you just "know" its time to move on to solitary bathing, and that time cannot be narrowed down to a generic, specific age but is rather based on your own knowledge of your kiddos. Tonight, my dd(5) wanted to go to bed right in Mama's bed. She's been having some night-time fears as she transitions to her own bed. About 50% of the time she'll start in her own bed, but end up in "the big bed." Very often DS8 will climb in with his sister "so she won't be afraid." How can I say no to that? sometimes, when I think everyone is in his/her own bed, I'll find DS9 & DS8 both in the top bunk together, and DD snuggled up in the big bed. I think it is sweet. So sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 We've been a cosleeping family since Day 1 when we brought our first DD home from the hospital. It just came naturally.....she seemed so tiny and sleeping alone seemed so lonesome....so she slept with us. Same thing with DD #2. We just recently moved DD #1 to her own bed on most nights (in the same room as us) because the bed was getting really crowded. DD #2 still sleeps with us. When DD#2 moves out of our bed, I plan on DD#1 and #2 sharing a bed. I'd love to be able to fit that bed into our bedroom. So I think that it is just fine!!!! I'm not sure at what age to seperate a DD and a DS, but I'm sure you will just know when it is time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 When we moved three years ago we made it a priority to have a room for each child. What a waste of space. They love being together and sleep like cats, all piled together, arms and legs everywhere. Even when we separate them for playing too late or being too loud after lights out, they wind up together on most nights. I suppose at some point the need for privacy is going to cause a change. Right now, I am thankful that my children really enjoy being together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plucky Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 It's too early to worry about. At some point either they will want to be separate or your radar will pick up the need and you'll make arrangements. No big deal. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 It's fine. They can keep each other warm. They are babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Our kids have all always had their own beds, but most of the time they end up sleeping together in one bed or another. They love to be close :) DS9 reads to DD7 most nights at bedtime. It is their special time together without the little boys bothering them :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Separate sleeping arrangements is a very cultural expectation. There is nothing intrincically better about it or wrong with co sleeping regardless of age. It's a non issue in many cultures. Both my sons (14.5 and nearly 11) still bunk together often. We have a 4 bedroom and while the youngest has had his bed in the 4th a couple of times over the years, it always ends up mutually decided that he'll move his bed into his brother's room. They sleep in the same bed often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 I kind of want to squeeze everyone. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Two of mine shared a queen until they were 7 and 9. The older one expressed a desire for her own sleeping space when the younger peed on her head in the middle of one night. It was an accident :tongue_smilie: My kids all now have individual beds, but a couple of them will still snuggle up on the pullout couch. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelmorris Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 My girls sleep together. I'm not sure what I would do with opposite sexes.... I think I would let them decide. When one of them express a desire to sleep alone I would move them. Otherwise until one of them reaches 10 or so?? 12?? IDK I don't really thing there's a "magic" age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 We are a family of co-sleepers. Sleep is a precious commodity in my house so people are allowed to sleep where ever they can. I wake in the morning and sometimes have to look around to find everyone. Sometimes they are on the couch, or the reading chair in my room or bunked with one of their sisters. My 17 year old slept with me for a few nights before she left home and we just recently ended the family tradition of everyone sleeping in my room on Christmas Eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Our family started out co-sleeping with the first baby. It made nursing easier on me. I did the same with the following 2 children and will do the same with the new baby when he/she arrives. Currently all the children have their own beds, but the older two sometimes ask if they can sleep together. At first I didn't like the idea because of their ages and sexes, but they seem to enjoy the company. They read together. If one has a nightmare the climb into one bed together. They are 16 months apart and were very close when they were little. I think sometimes it's special time together with their best friend that they don't get much anymore since we had the 3rd child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Would you separate them at a certain age no matter what? Probably not. But I grew up sharing a bed with siblings, parents, and even grandparents - big family, multi-generational home so nobody slept alone. It's not weird to me for siblings to share a bed; even siblings of opposite gender. It bothers my MIL, though, that my daughter and son share a bed (and prefer to share one while staying at her house). Would you wait until one of them expressed a desire to sleep in their own bed? Does anyone else have this arrangement, or are we some kind of nutty family? I always picture the Ingalls girls sleeping in the same bed with their cotton nightgowns. I'd try to respect a child's desire to sleep alone; I'd accommodate it if I were able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amydavis Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 I'm so happy to see so many people out there are like our family! Our kids had their own rooms, until just recently. We decided to put our boys in the same room so that we could make a guest room. However, their rooms are just a formality! When I wake up, I have to go and figure out who is sleeping in what room. Most of the time my two girls will sleep together in the oldest dd's bed. But dd5 sometimes sleeps with us. My oldest son may sleep in his bed or sometimes on the couch. He is 16 and has autism, so he has still been known to come into our room in the middle of the night! Thank goodness dh and I have a king sized bed! Other times I will find two children on the couch, or on a pallet on the floor. I even found my dd5 under the dining room table one evening. LOL! My ds9 will sometimes sleep with the two girls, or his own bed, or in any of the above-mentioned locations! Dh and I have even been guilty of falling asleep in the recliners while watching a movie! Musical rooms and musical beds! Oh, and we still do the "everyone pile into one room" deal on Christmas Eve. Oh, and since our house was built in 1930, and doesn't really have a workable heating system at this point...I feel that all this co-sleeping is great...body heat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Tonight I let one of the twins sleep downstairs near us because she's sick. Her twin sister just told me she can't sleep without her sister with her. :001_smile: It just melts this mom's heart. They have their own bedrooms since their older sisters moved out, but they still end up in the same bed. Sometimes all three of them (incl. older sis) will be together. We always co-slept, too, so it just seems natural to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 You know, growing up my brother and I had separate rooms but if we were on vacation or at grandma's etc. we shared a bed and thought nothing of it. I think we started sleeping with the same sex parent instead of eachother when DB was about 14 or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 My older 2 slept together from the time my son was 2 until he was 11. I think he only started sleeping by himself when my 3 year old wanted to sleep with my oldest too, and there wasn't enough room in the bed. When my husband is out of town, I used to sleep with a different kid each night. Now, only my 11 year old is really interested in getting in my bed, although my 15 year old will sleep with me if the 3 year old is not available. When my sister is in town, she always asks, "Okay, which kid is sleeping with me?" A few others might sleep on the floor in the room with her until it is their turn in the bed. I find sleeping alone to be an odd feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 I find sleeping alone to be an odd feeling. :iagree: My mom and I go away for a girls' weekend every now and then just to spend some one on one time together. We always sleep together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedfamily Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 .....When my sister is in town, she always asks, "Okay, which kid is sleeping with me?" A few others might sleep on the floor in the room with her until it is their turn in the bed. ...... :lol: Yeah, well when I was pregnant with dd, I slept in my niece's bed and had to LITERALLY block her flailing arms all night. I'm so glad dd is old enough to do the sleep-in with her cousin now. Let them karate chop each other all night. I'm surprised they don't wake up with a two black eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cammie Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Another co-sleeping family here! Now it is a revolving bed! Our DS 4 is with us every night (he did a brief stint in his own bed but now he has to be up higher so the dog can't reach him!) Our DD 9 sleeps in her own room about 50% of the time. Even she notices that there is not enough space for all of us to be comfortable together anymore! [it is nice to know there are so many like souls on this board!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Two of mine shared a queen until they were 7 and 9. The older one expressed a desire for her own sleeping space when the younger peed on her head in the middle of one night. It was an accident :tongue_smilie: LOL Hilarious. So sibling like. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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