I have to admit it, my 9-year-old daughter still sleeps in the bed with me. Before you start to judge believe me, I’ve heard it all. And yes, it is possible that I should not have started co sleeping when my daughter was an infant, but like many parents I did it out of convenience and as a desperate attempt to get some sleep for myself.
Fast forward 9 years later and my 9-year-old STILL does not sleep in her own bed. There are no risks to bed sharing, and depending on the culture, many families share their bed with their older children. The one major downside to bedsharing is that since many children are restless sleepers and move around a lot during the night, parents who sleep with them don't get a good night's sleep and become sleep deprived.
That parent is me. I often toss and turn at night because of the little space left in my bed after my daughter (who is almost as tall as me and I’m 5’9) takes over.
Is anyone else having this problem? If so, keep reading. I’m no expert, however, I have found a great article on Parents.com written by Katie Stuhler that offers practical tips on how to get your child to start sleeping on their own and in their own bed once and for all.
The article reads; “Start by sleeping in your kid's room for a few days but make your presence as boring as possible. "Giving attention to your child, even if it's negative attention, will encourage them to repeat the behavior," Caro says. "Don't engage with your kid when they should be sleeping." For the first few days, simply return your little one to bed any time they wake up. Your proximity "gets them in the habit of sleeping through the night in their bed."
Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE for the full list of suggestions.
Good luck out there mamas. We’re in this together!
Comment below if you try any of these suggestions and let us know how they worked for you.