What should I do about my son's sleeping habits?

Question

I usually let my 2 yr. old son fall asleep in my bed. When he goes to sleep we put him back in his bed. If/When he wakes up in the middle of the night (crying) he comes and gets in the bed with me and my husband. Should I allow him to sleep with us or put him back in his bed? Or not let him fall asleep in my bed to begin with? Oh, also his 3 mo. old sister sleeps in our room in her crib so he's a bit jealous of that. What should I do?.....help.

Answer 1

My son used to be like that but the difference is that I almost lost him when he was 8 days old because he would stop breathing and so I was scared to leave him in his crib by himself well he kept thinking he needed to sleep with me until I weened him off when I was pregnant with my daughter because my big belly and I needed more room and my bf was a bed hog also so the queen sized bed was just too small for the 3 of us, so we started by tucking him into his own bed and laying with him for a bit or until he falls asleep start a normal bedtime routine like take a bath, read a book maybe have a healthy snack (my kids like to have a few grapes or a couple of crackers or some popcorn) then have him brush his teeth and explain to him that tonight he is going to be a big boy and sleep in his own bed. If he needs a night lite get one for him or leave the hall light on or something to soothe him. He might not like this at first but if you explain it to him like he is a big boy because he gets to sleep in his own bed he will probaably like the idea of being a big boy! It might take a while to get him used to it but if you stay consistant every night with the bedtime routine he will stop sleeping in your bed on a regular basis, if he does wake up in the middle of the night let him crawl in. My 4 year old still crawls in sometimes! Good Luck!

Answer 2

He needs to learn to start falling asleep in his own bed or you'll never be able to break him of the habit. A little crying never hurt anyone. Try you laying with him in his room until he falls asleep, if he continues to come into your room make him a little mat on the floor, but let him know that he's a big boy now and that he needs to sleep in his bed.

You're in charge not the child, you need to be the parent and put your foot down and be consistent. How do you and your husband have any quality lone time with two kids in your bed?

Answer 3

He needs to sleep in his own bed. In fact, with a track record like that, I would start the 3 month old sleeping in her own crib. Otherwise, your kids will be 12 and 10, sleeping in bed with Mommy and Daddy. Not good.
Start off with letting him cry himself back to sleep in his bed, then work up to him going to sleep in his own bed. It will take time, but it is worth it.
I wouldn't let the 3 month old sleep with you much longer. It's much easier to break a habit like that now, than even six months down the road. The longer you wait, the more work you create.
Just know, that I do understand. I would love nothing more than to let my daughter sleep with me, but I don't want to have to deal with breaking the habit. So our "cohabitating" time is limited to early in the am when she wakes up to nurse (around 6:30), and Daddy is already at work. She's almost 7 months now, and doesn't fall asleep with me anymore, but we do have that time to just hang out in bed, and "chat". I cherish that time, as I know in a few short months, she'll be ready to run all over the house!

Answer 4

We let our daughter sleep with us until she was 5, and it was nearly impossible to get her out! Now she is seven, and has to have her three year old brother sleep with her. She's really never learned to sleep on her own. After saying all of that, I would still let him keep sleeping with you. He needs the extra comfort of you next to him, to adjust to the birth of his baby sister. His world has been turned upside down by this new arrival. In a year or so the two little ones can share a room.

Answer 5

I have heard that it is scary for kids to wake up in a different place than when they went to sleep. So either leave him in your bed or have him fall asleep in his own bed to begin with. Another option is for him to have a small cot or pallett in your room. Kids sleeping in their parents bed I think is a personal decision for each family, not a concrete right or wrong thing.

Answer 6

I don't think it's such a big deal having our kids sleep at the same bed with us..
i think it's the greatest thing. we feel so close together.

don't worry it ill become a habit, it won't last forever. when they are grown up ard 5 yrs old, they probably want to sleep by their own having their own room. until they are grown up til old, they never want to sleep in the same bed with us anymore..
so why are we so worried about it as it only happens for the 1st 5 years of their life.

Answer 7

No, that seems like he's getting ample sleep, simply going to mattress to overdue. Try waking him up previous for 2 or 3 days then positioned him to mattress at 9ish. Do it a part hour every day, then at the third day whilst he's woken at nine positioned him to mattress at eight or nine. so he doesnt get to overtired.

Answer 8

Put him back in his bed. Its gonna be tough, but thats what you get for letting him sleep in the bed with you in the first place.

Answer 9

He could be jealous of his sister. But a lot of kids have sleeping problems. I couldn't sleep in my own bed until I was in 8th grade. It's normal, he'll out grow it eventually.

Answer 10

put him back in bed...it can become a bad habit if he keeps it up! my bro did the same thing...now he is elleven and he is still scared to sleep by his self!