Topic : Where Should Your Child Sleep?

Number of Replies: 264
New Messages This Week: 0
Last Reply On:
Created on : Thursday, June 30, 2005, 12:59:51 pm
Author : dataimport
Does your child sleep in a crib, his own bed, or with you? Tell us what works for your family.

As of January, 2009, this message board will become "Read Only" and will be closed to further posting. Please join the NEW Dr. Phil Community to continue your discussions, personalize your message board experience, start a blog and meet new friends.

User Mood
Weird

Message Emote
blank
October 15, 2007, 8:58 am PDT

Ready to get my daughter out!

 My daughter, Layla, has slept with me since she was born.  It's worked well for both of us BUT I would like her in her own bed before next year when she starts school.

I'm emetophobic and I fear that she will get sick on me, lol. Everytime I mention getting her own bed she starts crying! I don't know what to do. I wouldn't even mind getting her a bed and  keeping it in my room...but she cries that she wants to sleep with me. I don't know what to do. I don't want her to feel like I'm rejecting her.
 

Message Emote
blank
October 15, 2007, 4:04 pm PDT

Sleeping

Quote From: mybabylayla

 My daughter, Layla, has slept with me since she was born.  It's worked well for both of us BUT I would like her in her own bed before next year when she starts school.

I'm emetophobic and I fear that she will get sick on me, lol. Everytime I mention getting her own bed she starts crying! I don't know what to do. I wouldn't even mind getting her a bed and  keeping it in my room...but she cries that she wants to sleep with me. I don't know what to do. I don't want her to feel like I'm rejecting her.
You should just buy the bed don't talk to her about it until the bed comes. I know people use a reward system for chores and behaving well out in public you could try the same thing with sleeping. Give her a star everytime she sleeps in her bed even if its not a full night I would still say if she slept in it for a couple of hours give her a star, I would hope that before long she would get use to her new bed. My son hates sleeping in new areas even with me, it could just be that reason and she just has a fear once she understands she can still go to you anytime she will get use to it. Good luck.
 
User Mood
Happy

Message Emote
blank
November 3, 2007, 7:32 pm PDT

My sons

I let my sons (28 mos and 9 mos) dictate what they preferred from day one. I tried the bassinet in our room upon coming home from the hospital but neither of them liked it. So since I did want them in the room with me as I was nursing them, I put them in bed with me and they slept through the night immediately. When my older son was about 2months he didn't like being in bed with me anymore and I found he would sleep in his swing real well so that's what we did. (he hated his crib, it wasn't an option, yet). Then when he was about 4 mos I decided he was getting to big for the swing to be safe anymore and took a long weekend when my husband would be out of town with his army reserve unit, to get my son into his crib which was now set up in my room. Surprising to me he took to the crib immediately and that's where he stayed until this past August when I tried the toddler bed for about 2 weeks then went back to the crib and now he's in the toddler bed for good!

My baby co-slept with me for 2 months then went directly to his crib in his room without a fuss. He's been in there ever since.

Both kids have slept through the night from day one with the exception of when they were ill and just needed mommy snuggle time. As a matter of fact, we took a trip out of town twice with our oldest and both times we had a heck of a time getting him to sleep at night as he has to have his own space/room. He ends up sleeping in the hotel bathroom where it's dark and more quiet! It's not real convenient for me especially since the first trip I was pregnant with my second son but that's just the way it needed to be.
 
User Mood
Happy

Message Emote
blank
December 4, 2007, 10:09 pm PST

need advise

i have an 11 month old and just recently she started waking up about 11:30 at night and wont go back to sleep for about an hour.  i don't know how to change this, but it needs to change fast, it is making me so tiered durning the day.  PLEASE HELP ME

 
User Mood
Happy

Message Emote
blank
December 8, 2007, 8:56 am PST

Where Should Your Child Sleep?

Quote From: tinkerbell05

i have an 11 month old and just recently she started waking up about 11:30 at night and wont go back to sleep for about an hour.  i don't know how to change this, but it needs to change fast, it is making me so tiered durning the day.  PLEASE HELP ME

This is a developmental milestone.  I would when he or she wakes up to not go in the room right away.  babies sometimes often have arousal period from rem sleep.  they often sound like they are away and crying but they are just in an arousal state they usually if left alone will put themselves back to sleep.  My 6 month old does this and i usually just let him alone until he stops.  It usually takes a few minutes.  If your baby continues to cry go to him or her and them  let him or her know you are there but you won't pick him or her up.  Just rub the back and comfort but don't pick up and let him or her settle down, and leave the room.  I would wait a while maybe 10 minutes and see if he or she is back to sleep.  I would continue to go into the room every 10-15 minutes until he or she goes back to sleep.  Don't pick him or her up because he or she is learning to awaken and it is play time.  So comfort but don't pick up.  I would get Dr Brazelton's book and read it about sleeping. 
 
User Mood
Relaxed

Message Emote
confused
December 27, 2007, 11:52 am PST

co-sleeping? is it ok?

I'll try to not make this too long....I have a 2 yr old and her father and I have been separated since April, due to his infidelity and I just couldn't put up w/ it anymore. Even though I hated to split the baby's family, I couldn't trust him at all.
So, I started a new relationship with a friend of a friend about 5 months ago (4 months after our split) and things went really good there for awhile. We get along well and he's been basically living at my house for the past few months...his family even joke and refer to me as "the wife".
Problem begins when my 2 yr old won't sleep in her own bed. She wants to sleep in mommys bed.....she started this about 2 months ago and since I'm feeling so guilty about me and her dads split, I want to comfort her and I let her sleep in my bed. I probably like her there as much as she wants to be there. Well, my boyfriend was sleeping on the couch when she is at my house(and not her dads-which we do 50/50), but has now said he's going back to his mom and dads house because he doesn't agree with allowing her to sleep with me and he doesn't see me changing the situation. I told him that maybe she sees him as a threat for my attention toward her and maybe it would be best if he did stay at his parents til I can get her back in her own bed...which I'm changing from crib to toddler bed today...and he can call me if he wants to go out sometime, but he said if he moves his stuff out of my place, he can promise he won't be calling me, ever. He was full of advise he saw on Nanny 911, but I don't think he has a clue. He has a 1 yr old son that has no prob sleeping in his pack-n-play and my bf says he'll never allow his son to get away with anything less.
I don't want to lose him, but I also can't have my baby screaming and crying "mommy" every night to sleep. That totally breaks my heart! I'm afraid she feels the separation with her parents and a new guy (who she LOVES and doesn't stop asking about) coming into the pic and feels threatened w/ the whole attention thing. She means the world to me. I love my bfriend and want him in my life. I feel like I'm being forced to choose between the two. I need honest opinions and suggestions to help me one way or the other. Help!!!!!
By the way.....she sleeps w/ daddy when she is w/ him...he said he won't change that..he can't stand her being upset.
 
User Mood
Happy

Message Emote
blank
January 1, 2008, 9:22 pm PST

Where Should Your Child Sleep?

Quote From: kimber1869

I'll try to not make this too long....I have a 2 yr old and her father and I have been separated since April, due to his infidelity and I just couldn't put up w/ it anymore. Even though I hated to split the baby's family, I couldn't trust him at all.
So, I started a new relationship with a friend of a friend about 5 months ago (4 months after our split) and things went really good there for awhile. We get along well and he's been basically living at my house for the past few months...his family even joke and refer to me as "the wife".
Problem begins when my 2 yr old won't sleep in her own bed. She wants to sleep in mommys bed.....she started this about 2 months ago and since I'm feeling so guilty about me and her dads split, I want to comfort her and I let her sleep in my bed. I probably like her there as much as she wants to be there. Well, my boyfriend was sleeping on the couch when she is at my house(and not her dads-which we do 50/50), but has now said he's going back to his mom and dads house because he doesn't agree with allowing her to sleep with me and he doesn't see me changing the situation. I told him that maybe she sees him as a threat for my attention toward her and maybe it would be best if he did stay at his parents til I can get her back in her own bed...which I'm changing from crib to toddler bed today...and he can call me if he wants to go out sometime, but he said if he moves his stuff out of my place, he can promise he won't be calling me, ever. He was full of advise he saw on Nanny 911, but I don't think he has a clue. He has a 1 yr old son that has no prob sleeping in his pack-n-play and my bf says he'll never allow his son to get away with anything less.
I don't want to lose him, but I also can't have my baby screaming and crying "mommy" every night to sleep. That totally breaks my heart! I'm afraid she feels the separation with her parents and a new guy (who she LOVES and doesn't stop asking about) coming into the pic and feels threatened w/ the whole attention thing. She means the world to me. I love my bfriend and want him in my life. I feel like I'm being forced to choose between the two. I need honest opinions and suggestions to help me one way or the other. Help!!!!!
By the way.....she sleeps w/ daddy when she is w/ him...he said he won't change that..he can't stand her being upset.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to feel guilty and allow that to change the way you parent. Also just because you ex does one thing at his house does not mean you have to do the same at yours. Children are alot smarter than people give them credit for. They will understand we do this at daddy's and we do this at mommy's. This is not to say that they will instantly understand this, but you have to do what you believe in your gut is the right thing to do and stick to it. DO NOT let guilt or any other emotion change that. And here's a thought that you might want to consider. We start learning behavior at a very young age. Do you want to teach your child that it's ok for her to live with her boyfriends? Because whether you like it or not we lead our children by example. Every action your child sees you do they are going to learn it and think it's the right thing to do because their role model (parents) are doing it. And telling them to do what you say and not what you do won't change that.

 

Here's what I did with my daughter when she went to a toddler bed. Find her most beloved character in her life. Exa: My daughter LOVESSSSS elmo more than anything else. So the toddler bed I bought was an Elmo toddler bed. She loved the idea of sleeping with elmo on her bed. And on the rare occasion that she didn't want to sleep in the elmo bed, instead of letting her sleep with me, I layed beside her bed holding her hand until she fell asleep. I only had to do this 3 times and she's been in her Elmo bed for over a year now.

 
User Mood
Good

Message Emote
blank
January 14, 2008, 11:26 am PST

How to get my son in his own bed!

Alright, so i have a 14 month old and i am having the hardest time getting him to sleep in his bed. He shares our room with us and it has been hard getting him to fall asleep in his bed and just as hard to get him to stay in his bed. When he wakes up he can throw such a terrible fit! Leaving him in his bed to cry it out is hard because we live with other family, who need their sleep and he can cry forever! It seems that way. sometimes i have to walk outside our room just to get him to calm down.

Trying to get him to sleep in his bed is hard. We can't lay him in his crib without him crying. When he falls asleep, we have to be careful when putting him in his bed because the second he wakes up and realizes he's in his bed he throw that fit again until we pick him up and put him in our bed to fall back asleep.

Any advice, whats helped you?

 
User Mood
Stressed

Message Emote
blank
April 18, 2008, 9:24 pm PDT

Where Should Your Child Sleep?

Quote From: jdavid

Alright, so i have a 14 month old and i am having the hardest time getting him to sleep in his bed. He shares our room with us and it has been hard getting him to fall asleep in his bed and just as hard to get him to stay in his bed. When he wakes up he can throw such a terrible fit! Leaving him in his bed to cry it out is hard because we live with other family, who need their sleep and he can cry forever! It seems that way. sometimes i have to walk outside our room just to get him to calm down.

Trying to get him to sleep in his bed is hard. We can't lay him in his crib without him crying. When he falls asleep, we have to be careful when putting him in his bed because the second he wakes up and realizes he's in his bed he throw that fit again until we pick him up and put him in our bed to fall back asleep.

Any advice, whats helped you?

Hi! I don't know if this advice with help, but good luck with it if you try it! Do you have a nighttime routine with your son? Like reading him a bedtime story, tucking him in, etc? If not, maybe you should try that. How about a nightlight? I have a 16 month old and luckily I don't have any problems with her sleeping on her own.. but there have been a few nights where she just didn't want to sleep and I give her a few toys to play with .. She has a little jukebox music thing thats in her bed with her.. maybe you could try something like that with your son. Good luck and I hope you can get him to calm down.. :]

 
User Mood
Stressed

Message Emote
frustrated
June 12, 2008, 1:00 pm PDT

HELP PLEASE!

I have a almost 13 month old and I can not get her to sleep in her own crib for anything. She has been sleeping in the bed with her dad and me for about the past 5 months. I am starting to deeply regret ever letting her to start to sleep with us. I am also 5 months pregnant and my belly is getting bigger so I need more space to sleep. I have tried putting her in her crib during the day to take her nap but she starts screaming. I have tried just leaving her in there to see if she would cry herself to sleep. But she just cries and screams until she actually makes herself throw up. She will fall asleep on the couch if I'm holding her  or sitting next to her but once she wakes up and realizes i am not next to her she starts screaming. I am really desperate at this point, I don't know what to do. I need to get her to sleep in her own bed before the baby comes but I have no idea how to make that happen. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas that worked for them I would greatly appreciate it, thank you.
 

First | Prev | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | Next | Last