Four nights ago, we put Inga's crib in a separate bedroom in the hope that she would sleep better. The bedroom is very dark, we moved the white noise machine over, and no one else is sleeping there. Turns out that was the perfect combination: Inga has slept like a champion the past 4 nights! She wakes up once around 3 am to nurse but otherwise sleeps a full 12 hours. Wow.
She hasn't once stood up in her crib; I think the pitch-dark room keeps her more interested in sleeping than in trying to see what's happening. I haven't slept this well for a long time, probably since halfway through my pregnancy. I stayed in her room after she nursed on the first night, since I didn't know what to expect. But now I'm coming back to my bed after I nurse her, since I can expect she'll be asleep until at least 8 am.
I sleep so much better when my newborns are right next to me in bed. Even when they're in a nearby crib, I can't relax as well. Then the months pass and all of a sudden neither of us sleep as well when we're together. Zari has always been a sound sleeper, but she became more and more wiggly as she got older; she went into her own room around 20 months. Dio and Inga were both more sensitive to our noises and movements and left our bed around 5-6 months of age. So yes, I love co-sleeping until it stops working for one or both of us!
I probably could have moved her out of our room a month or two earlier, when she started to have longer and longer sleep stretches and before all of her developmental milestones caused her to wake up so often. But I'm just happy that we're both sleeping so soundly. Here's hoping the trend continues!
Hooray for restful nights!
ReplyDeleteYay for sleep! I'm with you, I sleep much better with my newborns in the bed with me, but then all of a sudden the sleeping goes downhill for both of us until I move them.
ReplyDeleteYay for a full night of sleep. We're bed-sharing too but my little guy (6 months) won't sleep without me (even for naps). I'm waiting for the day he sleeps better without me.
ReplyDeleteWonderful news! I am surprised that my 2.5 yr old is still bed sharing. I never imagined we would go this long when she was born, but she still needs someone to sleep with her. Sleep has been better since she weaned and I've been wearing ear plugs to keep me from waking up every time she makes a noise at night.
ReplyDeleteWe do the same thing you do. After nine children i can pretty well predict the pattern. our newest will be in our room for another 4 months, give or take. it works for us as well:-)
ReplyDeleteOh good...maybe now you can exclusively breastfeed Inga until two years or more. You'll get all kinds of attention for yourself--negative and positive--and that's what you're looking for, right???
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with the mean-spirited comment? Seriously, at least have the guts to sign in with your real name if you're going to be so insulting.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not nursing Inga to get attention or drive blog traffic up. Sheesh.
It's probably the same person who gave crap about withholding solids and supposedly starving Inga.
ReplyDeleteGlad that Inga is sleeping and doing well :)
How AWSOME you both seem to be sleeping better. How sad that people feel the need put out so much negative engery. We just moved into a new place and moved our daughter into her own room. She, too, sleeps better solo as she prefers to sleep on her tummy since she was 2 1/2 months old. As soon as she began rolling over, she just couldn't sleep with us. I miss it SOO much. I still sneak into our 3 year old sons room and lay with him when he is restless.
ReplyDeleteIsn't sleep great? My daughter is just under 9 months and when I read your post about the sleep deprivation I was thinking "me too!". Glad to know that there's hope it will get better (eventually). We're trying some tips from the "no cry sleep solution" right now and you may have just inspired me to try moving her crib to another room (it's in our room now and she starts the night there, then I bring her to our bed when she wakes).
ReplyDeleteThe most annoying part is that she's formula-fed and everyone seems to tell me about how formula-fed babies sleep through the night sooner and she should have been doing it a long time ago. Well, try explaining that to her! LOL
This is what I do - they sleep in bed with me until we both get more, better sleep with a little separation. I literally cannot imagine co-sleeping with an older baby or toddler, but maybe I've just never had one that would have worked for! Mine always moved out at a few months to the baby room right across the (TINY) hall. Perfect - I can hear the "real" stuff, but not every stinking snort, snuffle, and squiggle!
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