Is there anyone who co-sleeping DOESN'T work for?

[Elski]

Hi there

Basically, I was just wondering if there is anyone who has found that co-sleeping doesn't help their LO sleep any better?

My LO is almost 6m and has always woken multiple times throughout the night. I used to sit up feeding her each time and browse around on my laptop, then put her back in her co-sleeper until around 5am, when she'd come into bed with me until 7/8ish. I guess the sleep deprivation has taken it's toll now though, as I'm just too exhausted to sit up feeding her, so bring her in with me from her first wake-up (around 11.30pm ish) for the whole night. I've seen so many posts saying that this helps baby sleep much better, but it just doesn't seem to in my case and she still wakes 1.5-2hrly and is up for the day at 6am now it's light so early (black out blinds haven't made a difference). I know she's not hungry every time but recently I'm just so tired that I latch her on as it's the quickest way to get her to settle. Am I 'creating a rod for my own back'?

She goes to bed wide awake and settles herself to sleep alone with no problems and has done so for a good month and a half now, but just can't seem to settle herself when she wakes during the night. What am I doing wrong? And is there anything else I could try? I'm going back to work in a couple of months and don't think I can handle it on such little sleep (I'm averaging 4-5hrs of very broken sleep at the mo)

Thanks! x

 

[mommyof3co]

There are some kids that it doesn't work for. My oldest would have been one of them, he needed his space to sleep well, he would have never even fallen asleep. He had to be completely exhausted even to fall asleep with us holding him. He just liked his bed and slept best there. There are some babies that don't sleep well cosleeping even if they want to be close because every sound/movement you make disturbs their sleep.

Hayden though did wake very often while cosleeping/nursing. I know it would have happened had he been in our bed or not though. I would just turn over, pop in the boob, and fell back asleep lol

 

[Tiff]

Co sleeping wouldn't have worked with us either. Claire is too much of an active sleeper to be okay in a small space. She migrates all over the place in her crib, to the point where we can't even have her sleep in a playpen as its too small.

 

[leighbaby]

It only worked for the early morning for us (form 5/6am onwards). That was back before he was 6 months, but now doesn't work at all!!! LO sleeps much better in his own cot - when he sleeps with us, he doesn't sleep and we come away bruised, scratched etc

 

[DueMarch2nd]

well i only co sleep beccause it works for us, i never planned to xx

 

[Vici]

Imi would never have done well sleeping with us, mainly because our bed is so small but also because she doesn't like being unable to move around alot xx

 

[tiggercats]

I have the same problem as you. LO did sleep through the night until he got a cold and a growth spurt. Now he goes to bed awake in his moses basket (and last night travel cot in my room) and will sleep until anywhere between 11 and 4, then he comes in with me for a feed (again sometimes I know he doesn't need it but it is quickest way we both get more sleep) Once he has first woken it tends to be every 3 hourly after that. Being in my bed, his basket or travel cot makes no difference.

You are not alone.

 

[OmiOmen]

I never intended to co-sleep at all when I was pregnant and thought it was dangerous but now it feels quite natural. Every night I put him in his cot and sleep in the bed we put in the nursery but he never settles for the whole night. Some nights he stays in his cot until early morning and then wants to come into bed with me and some nights he will not settle in his cot at all. I basically have to pick between my son crying all night in the cot or us both getting some sleep in my bed. I try to get him back in his cot after feeds or nappy changes but he often just will not settle. My worry is that I intend to go back in mine and my husbands room at 6 months and I can not see him going to sleep without me.

 

[henny]

it didn't work for us either, i kept falling asleep whilst feeding which worried me and also Lo kept waking every 1.5hrs to feed. He went into his own room at 14wks and at the mo *touches head* he now wakes twice in the night for a feed and i feed him in his own room.

 

[MsEmski]

Co-sleeping is working well for us. Most nights I can only vagually remember feeding Oz. Lying down to feed definitely helps with that!

Our best nights, however, are when DH is away & it's only the two of us. In fact, he pretty much sleeps through then. I put it down to th snorIng levels

 

[chuck]

The best thing we did was put Dewi in his own room, although i wasn't BF'ing I would still feed him in bed and often fall asleep with him in bed and he would wake every couple of hours sometimes hungry sometimes not.

But I'm sure we would wake each other up just rolling over or snuffling etc.

Perhaps your LO is waking so often as they can smell your milk and are using the suckling as comfort.

How well does she feed before bed? If she is still hungry have you tried cluster feeding her towards bed time to make sure she is properly full before putting her down.

 

[winegums]

i would have loved to sleep with my baby but he hated it! even in his moses basket in the same room as up he was waking up all the time and becoming upset (probably due to my fidgeting and sleep talking and OHs snoring) the first night he went in his cot in his own room he continued to wake all night (me and OH slept on the floor next to his cot just to make sure he was ok) the next day we slept in our own room had the baby monitor on we even have cctv camera in his room so we can watch him haha and he slept through from 7-7 perfectly hardly even stirred... and its pretty much been like that every day since!!!! i think its the best thing for him though sometimes we go to bed and im like 'aww can we go get him and bring him up here for cuddles in bed' lol xx