Be honest... did you co-sleep for your own benefit too?

Question

I dread her cry because I hate getting out of bed. She woke up last night and my husband had to tell me to get out of bed because I haaaaated doing it.

I did it, gave her a kiss, layed her back down in her crib, and she went right back to sleep and slept all night... but dangit- if she was in our bed I could have just given her a kiss right there. lol

Answer 1

Well, I was one of those parents completely against co-sleeping but my husband, man, if he had his way, all 3 of our children would sleep in our bed till they got married... LOL... and not for selfish reasons on his part.. just because he wants them near him! lol

So with the twins, they slept in bassinets in our room for about 5 months.  The first few months we had to because 1 was on an apnea monitor and they told us to have him within 15 seconds of reach from us at all times just in case.  After they got too big for the bassinets, I was finally able to get my husband to agree to put them in their cribs.. that was great until they were nearly 3... then we switched them to big boy beds and now, they end up in our bed every night somehow.  lol.  Usually around 1-3AM they creep on in.

With my baby... he has not slept in his crib once.. lol.. We started him with a bassient until he for too big for it.. Now, he sleeps in a playpen next to our bed... Again, this is because my husband doesn;t want to let him sleep in his room alone.  With the twins, they had each other and I guess thats why he was ok with it..  so I have no idea when he will feel comfty with having the baby in his own room.  

I sometimes think we need a bedroom the size of our entire house, with a bed just as big, lol.  It gets kinda squishy at night ;)

Answer 2

Nope  I have never done it with all 4 kids you have a awful sleep, as you say well rested mum is better mum and for me I could rest more with the babies in their beds !

I cant say I wouldnt with twins though that would be difficult ! Getting up to one is not to bad but 2 of them at different time yes it would be much easier to co sleep :) whatever works for the family  

Answer 3

I co-sleep because I love to fall asleep with my son. He is 14 weeks now and every night i fall asleep holding is little hand. My husband is currently sleeping on the couch.

I am one of those people that don't move when they sleep so I know it will be okay. I have a king size bed and he is pretty far away from me. I am not sure what I am going to do when he starts rolling... maybe I will put up a bed guard. I hope I figure out something... I work all week and that is our alone time.

Answer 4

I'm with you - I will happily admit it!

My reasoning behind it is this - my son sleeps better when he sleeps w/me, which in turn lets me sleep better.  Being a single mom, I don't have a partner who would be able to take turns with me getting up with Johnny in the middle of the night and I HAVE to work in order to provide for us.  So I need my sleep.  Purely selfish reasons, I'll admit it.  :)

Answer 5

With my 2nd child, we kept her in bed and I nursed at night laying down in bed.  Convenience was reason, less sleep lost (I have a high sleep requirement).  With my 3rd, we didn't mean to co-sleep, but I kept falling asleep while nursing, and then she'd wake up in a couple hours to nurse on the other side and she basically nursed all night.  So, with #4, I went back to consistently putting baby in bassinet/playpen and staying awake while nursing and then putting her back.  She slept much better at night, and was sleeping through the night (until 5 am) by 3 months, just like her older brother.  Much more convenient than not sleeping through until 8 or 11 months like the two co-sleepers.  So, I don't plan to co-sleep with #5 due in January.  Not worth it in long run.  But, they do sleep in our room until about 15-18 months.

Answer 6

yes. olivia is 3 1/2 months and shes still sleeping in her pack and play in our room. i sleep better when i can hear her. when she wakes up at 7am, we give her a bottle and she goes right back to sleep after that for another 2 hrs if we put her in the bed with us. i just enjoying it, their only this little once!

Answer 7

Yep me too. My son decided to start waking up a lot during the night. He was in his cot in our room. It used to be just him getting unsettled, but progressed into him becoming inconsolable in his bed. I got sick of getting up like 3 - 4 times a night, every couple of hours, and so begun co-sleeping. He tends to sleep better in our bed with us, although some nights will still become unsettled, but I just have to roll over to comfort him - not get out of bed and try and do it. It works better for us right now, I get better sleep like this and so does he.

I am so grumpy when I haven't had enough sleep - so I will do whatever I can to avoid it - if it means co-sleeping so be it. Plus its great to have him so close by! I think he wanted it as much as me, as soon as he hit the sheets in our bed his eyes would close - even though 5 seconds ago he had been inconsolable in his own bed! Cheeky little monkey.

Edit: He slept through (at least 6 hours a night) from about 1 week old, and if he has 5 milk feeds a day now, he will not wake up for a feed at night (about 9 hours straight now). Which is also great for me. But had he been a baby who needed feeding at night co-sleeping also would have been more convenient since he is breastfed. I was lucky he is a pretty good baby.

Answer 8

Well, I have one of those Arm's Reach Co-Sleepers and I love it, my daughter usually sleeps in it from the time she goes to bed until she wakes up for a bottle somewhere between 3am-5am then usually gets in the bed with us until she's ready to get up in the morning.

I, however do love co-sleeping, I was so afraid at first that I would roll on top of her, but you're asleep but alert that your child is in the bed (isn't that weird) I will continue to do so until she's around a year old though, then start trying *tear* to put her in her own crib.

Answer 9

absolutely. it was easier for me when she'd wake up for feeds, and easier for me to sleep because i didn't worry about her. then she called my bluff. at 6 months, she became restless, and by 9 months she was waking every hour all night long. she just couldn't stay asleep. we had to move her to her crib at 9 1/2 months. we all sleep so much better now, but i miss her so much in bed. i would love to have her back. we did it one night when she was waking a lot, and i got no sleep...stinks. she is a total cuddler by day, but i guess she needs her own space at night. :(

Answer 10

h**l yes,. I loved it. and it was so easier.

Answer 11

For us co-sleeping is all about sleep.  Lots of wonderful, peaceful sleep for the whole family.  

I'm fantasizing about sleep.  I think it's time to turn in!

Answer 12

Usually it is for the convenience of the parent but not all have such a simple transition.  My niece and her husband are having a difficult time and her son is six.  He will not sleep by himself.  She now regrets ever starting to co-habit sleeping arrangements.  

P.S.  I have heard way too many horror stories about the risks.  A few extra hours of sleep was just not worth the risk for us.

Answer 13

Yep I'm the same. I cant sleep unless I'm at least in the same room. Makes bub sleep better and myself.

Plus i get extra cuddles cause she's getting older and doesn't want them as much:(

Answer 14

Absolutely!  I will admit it and so does my husband =P  Our daughter wouldn't sleep more than an hour at a time in her co-sleeper 12 inches away from me, but once we put her in bed between us, she started sleeping 5-6 hours at a stretch - we need the sleep so we'll take it!  =)  Plus I love waking up and cuddling with her in the morning - I couldn't give that up =)

Answer 15

Yes and I do not think there is anything wrong with that. It helped me and I was lazy too! I still am.

Answer 16

My son sleeps with me and I tell everyone that it is for my benefit too but for a different reason than you.  My son slept in the bed with my husband and I right after he was born because I had severe tearing and it was just painful to get up and get him to breastfeed him.  After that he slept in his own  bed.  My husband took off and so the baby and I moved in with my parents.  I simply can not sleep by myself.  I have never been comfortable sleeping alone and my parents did not have a bed for him anyway.  I love to snuggle with him and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Answer 17

We did for our benefit!!!! I could roll over, let him latch on, and I could go right back to sleep. My husband didn't have to wake up 5 times a night worried and to go check on him. It worked for us.

Answer 18

heck yeah!!!. I really tried to be a good mom and sit up and nurse my kids so I could put them in their crib when they were done...the only problem was that I fell asleep first!! I felt that my kids were much safer if I just started out lying down. It is hard to drop them on the bed or couch next to you if they are already there:) I really tried to put all three of them in the crib at the beginning of the night. The first time they woke up they came into my bed. I would not have been able to function waking up every 2 hours for feedings then trying to go to work the next day.

Plus they are so warm and cuddly. My youngest had a habit of latching himself on and when he was done nursing he would roll away and have his own space. I have a waterbed so it is always nice and warm...and they always slept so good on it