# Cosleeping poll



## NightOwl (Sep 12, 2004)

I'm trying to figure out how we'll sleep when the baby arrives in June. Please answer these questions:

1. Why do you cosleep?

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

Thanks!!!!


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## sagira (Mar 8, 2003)

I like surveys.. here goes.

1. Why do you cosleep?
We cosleep because:
-this is how dh and I bonded even before our marriage
-it's easy and convenient
-no worries because baby is right next to you
-it's wonderful to wake up with baby

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
In the beginning, before ds was born, I used to say, oh, just one year. Now dh and I both love sleeping with ds, so.. we're playing it by ear. We'll be watching for cues and we're moving soon, so after we move we plan to get ds used to napping in his own room and on his bed. Since we're planning on having another in a year or two, we'll be co-sleeping for at least three more years. I think by 6 years old a child should be able to comfortably sleep in his/her own bed.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Just one. He's 19 months old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a king size bed. I'm 5'5" and 120 lbs. (and skinny according to many people) and dh is 6'1" and 215 lbs. He's a big guy with long arms and legs, but not in the overweight sense.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
We had one. Not anymore (and she used to sleep right behind our bedroom door)










6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
We're both bonded with ds more and love it, but we do miss cuddling. We also like the fact that sex (can I write this?) is more spontaneous, quick (I like fast!) and in different locations.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Not at all.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
We sleep so well.. wonderful. We don't have to worry about ds, checking up on him in another room or breathlessly listening to a monitor.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
No, just us. We keep ds in the middle most of the night and our bed is against the wall.

Glad to help,


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## chickadee79 (Jan 5, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep? I get more sleep(I don't have to wake up, get out of bed to nurse ds, then go back to bed)Ds sleeps longer I think because he knows I am right there, and if he stirs, I'm right there so he doesn't wake up too much and then me have to put him back to sleep, I love the closeness.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I'm not too sure. With ds1 and dd, we coslept for about 3mths each. Now, I kinda wish I had done it longer. Ds2 is currently 4mths and still in bed with us. No plans anytime soon to change that. Maybe has somthing to do with him being our last? I don't know. Maybe "when you know better, you do better"? I don't know, I just love how it is now.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? myself, ds(4mths) and dh

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? it's a fullsize mattress and boxspring, on the floor(no legs) im 5'2" 105lbs, dh is 5'8" 155lbs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? We have a squirrely cat, it goes in and out, sometime he curls up next to my side, or he wants to curl up next to my head, or ontop of ds(I usually bat him away when he tries that though-the cat, not ds..lol)or he is at the bottom of our bed where he can attack feet.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? no changes really.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? no, unless you count having feet attacked by the squirrely cat. lol

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? pretty good, considering we bf and I am DS' pacifier too, but I remember with our other 2, having to get up, feed dc, put them back tp sleep(because they woke up while waiting for me to get out of bed and get to them even if they were right next to the bed)then I had to go back to bed and back to sleep. Definitely more sleep now!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?I have a pillow between myself and dh, I use it for either an arm rest since sometimes ds sleeps on my chest, and I have a towel folded on the otherside(next to the edge of the bed) another armrest, and a just in case barrier. I usually sleep with my arm around ds since we usually fall asleep sidelying nursing.

I hope this helps. I have a tendency to ramble, sorry


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## mama*peanut (Apr 29, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? We co-sleep because it's convenient and we enjoy it.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? We don't have a set age at this point. DD is 28 months now.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Just me, DH and DD 28 months.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? Queen size bed. I'm 5'3" & about 140lbs, DH is 6' and about 190lbs

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? We have a cat who sleeps in the other parts of the house, those has been known to sneak into our bedroom and sleep with us every once in awhile.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? We've bonded with dd by sleeping like a family. Our sex life hasn't been hurt at all, that's what we have a guest bedroom for.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? No

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Yes. We're not getting up & checking on dd. Plus, I always get a leisurely wake-up by having dd in the bed with me.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? No


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## Vermillion (Mar 12, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep?

I sleep better, DS sleeps better. Well, I've never tried the alternative but I can't imagine him sleeping better alone in a crib! Nursing convenience. I've always felt safe having him so close. I enjoy the bond that we have from co-sleeping. I love the time we spend together playing and chatting before bed, very relaxing. I love waking up to his sweetness







i could go on and on









2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

I plan to co-sleep until DS is ready to sleep alone. Could be tommorrow could be several years. I don't have any set age on what I think is too old. As long as everyone is happy then there is no problem.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

Just DS and I. He is 3. DP works nights.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

Queen. Plenty of room for us. I am 5'3 with a few extra pounds.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

1 cat, wherever she pleases though not usually with us.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

DP works nights and sleeps in a separate bed so not to disturb us. Co sleeping has really had no effect on us.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

I've been kicked/slapped/poked in the face a few times, DS has never been hurt.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Honestly, I have never missed a night's sleep since DS was born. Not sure if it is co-sleeping, his personality, or a mix of both. I always get a great night's sleep, so does he.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

Nope. never have either.


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## zannster (Aug 12, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
I started because DS would not tolerate being put down to sleep (and would immediately wake up if asleep and laid down). I don't think it would be any different now, but I haven't tried in weeks, in part because I like having him in bed with us.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
I have no idea. I'm still playing it by ear. I'd like to say 2 or 3 years old, but I don't know how hard it would be to transition at that point.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Just me, DF and DS (3 mos)

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a king-size mattress in a relatively low (but still raised) platform frame. I'm still debating if I should put the mattress on the floor. I am 5'6"/190 lbs; DF is 5'8"/200 lbs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
I have a cat that usually sleeps on the bed with us. My dog sleeps on the floor or in a crate.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
It isn't going very well because he'd like to have sex in the bed (w/baby there) and I don't like the idea. DS doesn't nap well on his own, so there is seldom any opportunity for me to get away. Everyone says that will get better though...

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
No.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
DF sleeps like he always did. I wake up every 2-6 hours (usually three) to nurse, but soon go back to sleep. I wouldn't call it a great night's sleep, but it certainly wouldn't be better if DS were in a crib. I'd be up all night!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
No.


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## Starflower (Sep 25, 2004)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
We like sleeping with our baby. She slept in a Snuggle Nest between us in our bed or in a bassinet for a while when she was really little because I wasn't comfortable with co-sleeping due to DH's sleep apnea. (Now it's treated.) But after she outgrew the bassinet in our room, I wasn't ready to have her in a crib. In fact, I gave it away because we ended up never using it.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep?* Our DD will be 2 in June, and we are just now starting to put her in her own little toddler bed in her own room next to ours. But she usually comes into our bed after she wakes to nurse around midnight or 2 a.m. We still like sleeping with her because she's very cuddly and we just like being close to her. But she is also a bedhog and I find that she and I are waking each other up too much. Plus I sometimes end up sleeping in weird positions to accomodate her using up my share of the bed.

Last night we co-slept from the start. Night before, she went to sleep with a backrub in her own bed after nursing. She's showing more independence now so we just go with the flow. We're in no hurry to move her out.

*At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
I think it depends upon the child's and the parents' situation.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?* Just me and DH and DD, age 22 months (she's really big for her age though).

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?* We have a king sized bed which is on a box spring with no frame, so it's low to the ground. My DH is pretty big and I am 5'6 and a little bit heavy.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?* Pets - two dogs - used to sleep with us until we got pregnant. Now they are not allowed in the bedroom.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?* I don't think so. Just having a baby in general has changed our relationship. But I don't think co-sleeping has had any negative effects. If anything, we get some nice family time that way. (I'd rather have sex on the couch anyway - I think that's where DD was conceived! :LOL )

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?* No. Unless you count my back getting sore from nursing twisted and falling asleep, but I've corrected my side-nursing posture.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?* I don't. DH, sometimes. He doesn't really get disturbed by DD in bed. He's aware of her but she mostly is mommy's girl when it's nighttime. I get edged out of bed or pushed up against the rail sometimes. But mostly I don't get sleep because 1. I am an insomniac & 2. DD still nurses often at night. But one reason we started co-sleeping in the first place was because I was up to nurse then baby'd go back to sleep, but I'd be awake from sitting and nursing. I definitely get more sleep co-sleeping and nursing than getting up to nurse and trying to go back to sleep. It took me a long time (6 months) to master side-lying nursing with DD, but I can fall asleep with her latched on.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
We used the crib as a makeshift co-sleeper for a while but DD didn't like it after being used to sleeping right up against me for so long. We've always used rails on one side and had the other side up against the wall. Now the bed's not against the wall, but DD sleeps either between me and DH (or a pillow if he's not in bed yet) or between me and the rail. I would try a real co-sleeper if we had another baby, but the room does get pretty crowded with the bed extensions. As for rails, if you use the traditional type, be sure to check for safety. (Roll up towel to make sure baby can't roll in between rail and mattress. See www.askdrsears.com) Or get one of the newer ones that clamps OVER the mattress rather than next to it. I really like this one because it's much more secure, there is no space for the baby to roll under it or between anything, plus I can put the rail down if I want to without taking the entire thing out from under the mattress.

Great questions! Best wishes for you and your June baby!


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## ETW (Feb 18, 2005)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
We all get better sleep since no one has to get out of bed when DS wakes. We enjoy having him with us. We feel safer than we would if he were in another room (lower risk of SIDS, we are with him in case of fire or other emergency, etc).

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
We plan to cosleep at least until DS is sleeping through the night. I don't have a particular age in mind at which I want him to transition. I guess I would prefer for him to be on a separate mattress (though still in the same room is fine) before we have another baby which we are hoping will happen when DS is 3-4 yo.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
Me, DH, DS (12 months), and DDog

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
We have a queen sized bed. DH and I are both small (140 lbs and 115 lbs). The dog is on the small side (16 lbs) but he sleeps big! :LOL We also have a twin mattress next to the queen, but about 12 inches lower. It will be DS's first step towards independent sleep when he is ready and is a bailout spot for DH or I if we get too crowded.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
Our dog is in bed with us, the 2 cats come and go as they please but usually don't spend much time in our bed.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
I don't think it has. I get extra warm fuzzies when I see him snuggled in bed with DS and we have to plan ahead a few minutes when we want alone time, but there's no major change.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
No.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
Yes. I wouldn't mind less night nursing, but it's not too disruptive and certainly less so than if I had to get up.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
Not really. We moved our mattress to the floor when DS got mobile and we have the sidecar mattress as I mentioned before -- but it doesn't get much use.


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## mightymoo (Dec 6, 2003)

Quote:

1. Why do you cosleep?
It's easier on me, I believe its better for the baby, it eases my piece of mind. I couldn't imagine keeping my baby in another room - I woke up so many times to check on her and loved that she was just laying right next to me.

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2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
I didn't have a set plan in mind, as I don't think there is a set age. Really it depends on the child - I think all children will demand their own space at some point and will want to move out on their own. That said, we set up a room for DD at 18 months and she started going to sleep there and now (at 2yrs) she comes into our room maybe half the time, the other half she sleeps entirely in her room.

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3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
DH (31), me (28) and DD (2) half the time. Soon there will be a newborn.

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4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a King and a Twin side by side, DD sleeps on the twin and DH & I on the King. We all slept on the King just fine before, but I wanted DD to be seperated from the baby when he comes, so we put the twin down for her to sleep so I can have the baby either between DH & I or between myself and hte wall. (DD is on the other side of DH on the twin). We are pretty average sized.

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5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
We have 4 cats, all of whom have slept with us in the past since DD was born. Now, only 2 do since 1 is disabled and can't jump the baby gate at the end of the hall and the other has been relagated to the garage for beating up on the other cats. It has never been an issue.

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6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
It's hard to tell if it has done anything outside of the changes we've had to make as parents. I will say that it probably brings us closer as a family because there is nothing like all snuggling together in bed.

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7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
No, unless of course you mean when DD (now 2) decides in the early AM to use Daddy as a trampoline.

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8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
This is a hard one - yes now we do, we have at various times throughout our parenting, but at others we didn't. I think however the emphasis should not be on getting a good nights sleep but on the child. We got a BETTER nights sleep because we were cosleeping than if we had to get up constnatly to attend her needs. When she was little I just rolled over and nursed her and hardly woke up - DH hardly woke up at all. BTW, she slept through the night from 2 weeks to 3 months, so don't think cosleeping means your baby can't sleep through.









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9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
Yes, we used a contoured changing pad. As a baby, DD slept on the contoured changing pad between us (basically like the snuggle nest you can buy). I loved this and plan to do it again with DS. We always either slept on a mattress on the floor or mattress & boxspring on the floor, never used any rails, though we've recofigured our bed into a variety of positions over the 2 years to suit our needs at the time. Things like putting our Queen (at the time) on its boxspring next to a twin on the floor and sandwiching the twin between the wall & the queen, making a multilevel bed. DH & I slept on the queen and DD on the twin, and I moved up and down to nurse her. For me at the time and at that time in her development needed more space while sleeping and this allowed me that without having to move her into something else or into another room.


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## willowsmom (Oct 28, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
Because it's easier. No getting up when Willow was small to nurse, don't have to wake up all the way...just...simplicity.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
Haven't thought about. I guess we'll co-sleep until Willow doesn't want to anymore... I don't really know how to answer the second question...mainly because it differs for each family. What works for some may not work for others. Right now Willow in our bed works...I guess we'll stop when it doesn't work anymore....although I don't see that happening any time soon.









3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
There are 3 of us: Ken - 35 (in Oct.), Jenn - 27 (this month) and Willow - 2 (In July)

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Our bed is a king size... Ken and I could both stand to lose some weight.









5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
We have 3 cats and a dog. They have roam of the rest of the house at night.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I think, and I think Ken would agree, that it's better. We're closer when we can snuggle and take a moment to enjoy the simple things.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Only when Willow kicks me in the face...but no.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Ken can sleep through anything. Most nights I sleep really well....when Willow is teething or sick, of course, I don't sleep much. But we can catch naps during the day.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails
Nope. Our bed is on the floor...Willow can climb in and out now...it works.









Great survey!! Thanks!


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## AmandaBL (Aug 3, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
I realised early on with my first child that if I kept having to get up to feed him I was going to die from the lack of sleep (and he was only in the bassinette!!!) Pluss, it was just impossible for me to put him away from me. I felt much safer with him close where I could really hear him & reach out and touch him at any time. With DS#2 we never gave it any thought - we love cosleeping!!!!!!

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
DS #1 CS till maybe 3 1/2. At that time we had a queen bed & were getting crowded. I put his bed beside ours where he slept till maybe 5 when he got a cool new loft bed in his room & he was in it. He still sleeps with me & the baby when dad's gone, and lots of times he'll ask to watch a movie in the bed with us. It was an easy transition. I don't think there is an age the child should be in their bed. If it becomes a problem space wise, I reccomend doing something like what I did. That way there is no real forced seperation, yet they start to have their own space.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Mom, 27 Dad 39 (haha - I know that's not what you were asking) & baby Luke 5 months

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Mom is 5'7" 150lbs Dad is 6'3" 250 I guess??? Not thin or fat, bit of a belly. Baby Luke is a giant at 20lbs and we just got a King bed a few weeks ago & it's HEAVEN, although we were ok in the queen.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Jack Russell sleeps on the couch or guest bed. He's not allowed on the new bed as I have allergies & didn't want to ruin the new mattress.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
Are you asking if co-sleeping makes "relations" difficult? That is a really common concern if so. There's lots or places other than your bed you can try out (haha - if you've been together a while that might be fun again) although we're a boaring old married coupple & stick to the guest bed. I have the crib sidecar to the new bed for those :special" occasions too. But usually it's easier to move us than the baby. If that's NOT what you meant, sorry for the TMI & it hasn't changed anything. I do love waking up all togethar & also seeing dad & baby snuggled up together









7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
nope. Dr Sears website (askdrsears.com i think) has a good article on safe cosleeping. It's easy & requires no "special" equipment

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Oh yea. Just wait till you have your little one. Nothing drives this point home like trying to actually "use" the nursery like you're "suposed to" hahaha

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
I have one side of the crib off, and the crib pushed up next to the bed. This is helpfull as the baby gets bigger, but I don't use it much now. I put the baby in the middle, so no rails. (Unless you count me & dad)

Once I realised I could nurse laying down














, I don't think the beby ever left the bed - it was a matter of convenience for me. I didn't realise there were many other prooven benefits till MUCH later (like when my son was 3!!!)


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## Nurturing Mama (Nov 11, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?
We enjoy being together as a family. My son especially needs the security of knowing that we are close at night, and I love that he never wakes up scared.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
Until my son is ready to sleep in his own bed. I don't think there is an age where children should be in their bed. Every child is different.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
We only have one child. He is 2 and 10 months.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Full size bed, average size husband, "full" size me.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Our bassett hound starts off in bed with us and usually gets crowded out and moves to the floor sometime during the night.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
Cosleeping hasn't changed our relationship.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
My son rolled off of the bed twice when he was around ten months old. The box spring and mattress were on the floor, so it was about a 10-12 inch fall. Each time I was able to catch him mid-fall because I was aware of him even though I was sleeping. He usually slept between my husband and I to prevent this, but these two times I had fallen back asleep nursing with him on the outside of the bed.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Yes, much better than before we started co-sleeping. My son was always in the room with us, but at eleven months, he was waking up every hour and wanting to be held, so I brought him into our bed, and that's pretty much when he started sleeping through the night.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
No.

Carrie


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## cuqui (Apr 14, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? I was getting no sleep waking and checking my newborn every 5 minutes, no kidding! Besides bfdg was much easier.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? My 4,5 yr old just moved out on her own last month, my 6.5 yr old moved out at 5.5 yrs. We were exclusive full time co-sleeping family w/ no cribs ever.
At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I let them decide & they did, they are welcomed back anytime.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? none but #3 is coming in Sept 05!









4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? DH is 6', 160lbs, i am 5'4", was 130 b4 pregnant, we have a king, but we did 4 in the bed in a queen.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? mine used to sleep w me b4 kids got moved out when i was pregnant, now dd is allergic so they live in a lovely custom space in our finished basement. They are 3.5 & 6 lb yorkies.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? Honestly, it has, it feels weird to sleep beside him w/o kids in the bed, but i got over that quick & now we are expecting an unplanned #3









7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? dd #2 fell out on dh's watch at 8 months, mattress got put on the floor that day, she was not hurt.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? yes!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? no

Hope that helps! Let me add that my dds have no nightmares, no bed wetting, no security issues, do not need to suck thumbs for comfort, no loveys to go to sleep. They come to our bed for a book at night than go off and put themselves to bed and go to sleep, no bedtime fussing in this house! I thank the family bed for this!


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## Tummy (Feb 24, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep? *never thought of using a crib or other bed for my infants/toddlers.*

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? *I co-slept my boys til they self weaned from nursing. I had believed all my DC would be in their own bed by weaning, not the case with 2.5yr old. I feel comfortable with her still in my bed.*

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? *two DC... 2.5 and 4 mo*

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? *We have a king. DH is medium build and I am small build.*

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? *yes, one cat*

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? *can not at this time answer that question in all honesty.*









7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? *not anyone getting hurt, but one of my DS did one time (6-8mo) tried to back off the bed and got stuck between the bed and the siderail we used. It was actually kinda commical.* :LOL

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? *yes*

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? *yes, I used a siderail during co-sleeping once my DC were in motion.*

hope any of that helps ya, I think co-sleeping is the best. I was just having a conversation with two friends night before last. They BOTH have toddlers that crawl in bed with them EVERY night. I asked them why dont they just let them go to bed with them in the first place :LOL


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## mom2wed (Jul 9, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?*It just felt right from the beginning - I don't think I ever thought DS would be in a crib.*

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? *DS still BF at night; until that stops he will be in the bed with us. I slept with my mom until I was 7.*

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*Two adults and one child - DS is 2 1/2.*

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? *King, but we started off in a queen until DS was about 16 months. We are small people.*

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*No pets.*

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*I think having a child changed our relationship. Cosleeping has made our relationship with our DS stronger. We do have to be more creative about when and where we have sex.*

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? *No.*

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? *Yes, but I think that depends on what you consider a good nights sleep. DS has never slept thru the night, but I feel well rested most mornings and if I need to I take a nap with him in the afternoon.*

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? *We used a cosleeper with DS until he was 9 months old, but he always ended up in the bed with us. The cosleeper did give us a little more space, I enjoyed having it.*

Once I was able to nurse lying down (by week 3 or 4), my feet never touched the floor and I felt much more rested in the mornings.


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## kristyn (May 17, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?

because it feels right.
i wouldn't want my babies/children far from me in the night.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

until they ask for thier own bed

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

myself, my husband, daughter-29 mos, daughter-12 mos.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

double futon. we are average, dh is tall.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

no pets

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

part of the positive changes of parenting.. it is really special to snuggle now and we relish it..

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

absolutely not

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

yes

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

nope..


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## InochiZo (Aug 17, 2004)

1. Orginally because I am too lazy to get out of bed. Now because I am too lazy, we don't own a crib, and I like to snuggle with DS.
2. As long as DC are not kicking and failing in their sleep. However, I am willing to make extra space close to the bed as long as they need it.
3. Me, DH, and DS
4. King sized bed. DH is 6' and over 250lb. I am ave 5'6" and a little overweight. We plan to have room for a #2 eventually.
5. The dog keeps trying to sneak up on the bed but she sleeps like a log on the cover and i get stuck. We kicked the cats out of the room because we got a new kitten and she liked playing in the middle of the night.
6. No change due to co-sleeping. We both lost sex drive after the baby but it had nothing to do with co-sleeping.
7. No one has ever been injured.
8. About 2x week because DS is a terrible sleeper. I know there are good sleepers out there but DS is not one of them.
9. We used a bassinet for naps till about 5 months but nothing else except a monitor because we are in the basement frequently.


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## jacksmama (Sep 19, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?
*Not cosleeping doesn't seem natural to me. Also my ds sleeps more soundly with me next to him and in the very beginning I would have slept in the bathtub with him if it meant that I got some rest! Now that we've co slept for almost 2 years - I think some serious bonding happens when you sleep together. I honestly can't imagine not having my little guy right there. My dh wasn't too sure about in the beginning and now he wouldn't do it any other way.*

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
*I plan on letting ds sleep in our bed as long as he needs to. My son turns 2 in July. We are planning on bringing a toddler bed into our bedroom and offering the option of sleeping in his own bed. If he doesn't want to then that's fine.*

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
*Just my dh and I - both in our late 30's and my ds who is 20 mos old.*

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
*We have a king sized bed. We need to! I'm a size 1x and dh is also and XL. our ds, however, is a little peanut!*

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
*Our dogs sleep right next to our bed on their own mats. They used to sleep with us whenever they wanted but they are big dogs and we all can't fit now.*

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
*It hasn't changed our relationship. However, sex isn't as spontaneous as it once was.*

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
*Never.*

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
*It took me a while to get used to having ds there. Now that he's bigger I sleep great. He doesn't have the need to be under my armpit all night. He still likes to sleep right up against me, but I can push him over a bit to stretch out now. When he was a baby it was a little harder. BUT - because I could nurse him so easily at night I think I slept better than bf'ing moms who put their babes in a crib. I would wake up when he nursed but I would go right back to sleep. Now he doesn't even nurse that much. maybe 2 times. which is no big deal.*

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
I have a side rail on my side of the bed. I can't sleep soundly if I don't have one because I'm worried ds will roll off. It's a bit of a pain to get out of bed in the middle of the night but I feel better having it there.*


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## violafemme (Oct 18, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?

Originally to make nighttime breast feeding easier, then it was because I couldn't bear to be away from DD for that long, it's so much easier to wake up and just roll over and check for breathing or plant little kisses on their cheek if they are right there........I sleep better and she sleeps better when we sleep together

2. How long do you plan to cosleep?

untill she wants to stay in her own bed

At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

when she feeld ready

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

Three: me, DH and DD 16mo. Though some nights H goes and sleeps in the guest room if it's a rough night and he has to work the next day or if between his snoring and her nursing I'm getting NO sleep, I'll banish him for a night

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

Queen........190 and 140

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

no pets

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

no big change for us, though he'll pout if we spend too many nights not in the same bed. He doesn't like sleeping in the guest room but we agree it's for the best sometimes

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Once DH rolled over on DD the first week but she wasn't hurt. He was jet lagged from flying half way around the world to get home after dd arrived a month early. I caught it immediately and I stopped putting her between us and just put her on the other side of me or in the cosleeper. DH can evidently sleep through anything but now he's figured out he can't have the whole bed like he use to so after she became mobile I went back to putting her between us and we've had no more problems.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

I think better than if we tried to keep her in a crib. I know we did better then our crib friends in the first few months. Now I'd say it's the night nursing and not the co sleeping that deprives me...........and DH's snoring but that's nothing to do with the baby

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

We used the Arm's Reach cosleeper untill she could crawl out of it (9mo). Now we put her to sleep in her crib for the first part of the night since she goes to bed 4 hours before we do, but when she wakes up between 2 and 4 I bring her back to bed with me, we nurse and snuggle back to sleep until 7 ( 8 if I'm lucky). So at this point she spends about half the night in her crib and half with us. She sleeps in the crook of my arm. She doesn't move much so if she gets restless I wake up and make sure we are all in safe places. I'm comfortable with her sleeping between us now so we don't use rails..

Thanks!!!![/QUOTE]


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## Plummeting (Dec 2, 2004)

1. *Why do you cosleep?*

Because I can tell my baby loves it and it is how we all get the most sleep. And I love that morning cuddle!









2. *How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*

We will co-sleep until she moves herself out. I don't think there is a specific age at which a child "should" be in his/her own bed.

3. *How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages*?

Just me, DH and DD. She is almost 11 months.

4. *How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
We have a king size and I am super tiny. DH is average/tall.

5. *If you have pets, where do they sleep?*

Our pets have never slept in our bed. They sleep on the floor nearby. Well, sometimes the cat jumps in our bed, but I've always pushed him out if I notice. He's not a good groomer. Yick!

6. *How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*

I can honestly say it hasn't.

7. *Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
Nope

8. *Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*

Absolutely!

9. *Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*

We have siderails on one side.


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## merpk (Dec 19, 2001)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
Because I love cuddling with our children. Because DH loves cuddling with our children. Because there is nothing more beautiful than laying awake with your partner and just listening to the sound of your children breathing. Except maybe actually watching them sleep.









*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
As long as they want to be with us, they can be with us. I don't think there is any set age. _That said,_ DS#1 is ready to get his own bed, which we are in the process of shopping for. He's b'H 7yo.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
b'H 7yo, 5yo, 3yo, and 10mo. Oh, and me&DH.

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
We have multiple futons on the floor, right up against each other, a queen and two twins. DH and I are overweight, thankyouverymuch.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*







No more. I miss them, too.









*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
Nope.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
Well, for a time DS#1 would flail in his sleep when he was having bad dreams, and often he would be kind of upsidedown where his feet were near heads, and he kicked DH in the head a few times. So we removed the bad-dream-impetus (a particular TV show), the bad dreams stopped, as did the head-kicking. That was a long time ago.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
Absolutely.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
No. Futons directly on the floor. Good for the back, only a few inches off the ground (so nobody has too far to fall :LOL) ... only drawback to futons on the floor is you've got to be strict with a no-shoes-in-the-room-or-on-the-bed rule, otherwise when they run in the room they'll just run right over the bed with shoes on, which makes me nuts.

"Cosleeping" is *not* complicated or a big deal. It feels right ... so just do it.


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## guest9969 (Apr 16, 2004)

Good survey. Here goes....

*1. Why do you cosleep?*

Because my ds insisted early on that it was the only way.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*

DS has made it clear that HE is in charge of this decision. :LOL I would like him to sleep in his own bed by around 2 but we are flexible on this.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*

DS - he's 18 months old.

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*

We have a queen sized bed. DP is 6'4" (and around 200 lbs) and I'm 5'9" (and around 135 lbs).

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*

We were really strict about them (dog and cat) sleeping elsewhere until ds was 1. Now they are in and out of our bed. This is hardest on me as our golden retreiver seems to think he can't sleep unless he's pressed up against me. I kick 'em out if it feels too crowded but they always come back.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
Um, well, _parenthood_ has changed my relationship with DP so this is a really hard question to answer. We both agree that cosleeping is right for us.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*

Only me - I sometimes wake up with ds's foot in my face. :LOL

Of course, there was the time that I woke up in the middle of the night and thought dh was on ds's arm (he wasn't) so I shoved dh onto the floor. I was completely exhausted at the time and dh was un-injured. He still gives me a hard time about it though.









*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*

Yes - much better than when I was trying to get ds to sleep in his "own" bed. I hardly wake up at all during the night unless ds needs something. I bf and can basically do it without ever really waking up. To me, this is one of the main benefits (to the parents) of co-sleeping.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*

We did have a cosleeper when ds was little. Nothing now. Depending on his age when he moves to his own bed, I'll put rails on that.


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## TchrGrrl (Nov 15, 2003)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
-so I can sleep! both of my boys NEEDED momma to sleep, instead of fighting that very obvious fact I just go with it. Also I am really parinoid and like being able to see/feel my baby breathe at 2am - much easier to do when he is in bed with me!
-because their is no better way to wake up than to the coo and smile of your baby!

*
2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
I slept with my first until he was 6 months old (he was ready to sleep in the crib and the transition was soooo easy), I really hope our new babe wants to stay in bed with us longer! I don't think there is a magic age - it totally depends on the child and the family.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
2 adults, 1 11 week old

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
We have a queen and we are both quite wide.







: DH also sleeps with a CPAP machine for sleep apnea so DS2 stays either on my side of the bed or in the middle, in my arms.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
a huge dog and 2 cats... they were all kicked out of bed looong ago

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
It makes nighttime more peaceful because I can just roll over and tend to DS2 vs. one of us having to tromp through the cold house to get a screaming baby (and ultimately getting pissy with each other because our sleep is so disrupted). It does make spontaneous woopie more of a challenge for us.







:

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
When DS1 was 6 weeks old he was sleeping on my chest and rolled on to the floor







BUT my situation was unique in that we were co-sleeping in a hospital bed after I broke my leg and I was doped up on Vicodin







:

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
As good as anyone with a 2 year old who still night wakes a couple of times a week and a newborn can get









*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
We have a co-sleeper on my side of the bed. Honestly DS2 spends most of the night in my arms in the bed with me but I really like having the co-sleeper there as our safety net. It also holds bottles of water and burp cloths quite nicely. If I could have convinced DH to take apart our crib, move it across the house and side-car it to our bed we would have skipped the co-sleeper option.


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## eminer (Jan 21, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?

It doesn't feel "right" to me to have a child further away from me, while I sleep, than I believe she is mature enough to handle comfortably without help from monitors, crib bars, gates, etc. For an infant, that means the only place is in bed next to dh and me. (They need a body, and close proximity in order for us to be able to waken to their signals before they become distressed.) At 3yo, my dd has no trouble navigating space alone at night, but she would still get scared and feel separated from the rest of the family if sleeping in a separate room.

I love how co-sleeping encourages night nursing *with little effort from me*. If I had to fully awaken and keep track, I would not have been able to nurse my dd many times a night during her first 2 years, and remain happy, well-rested, and unresentful. It has also facilitated our very laid back approach to sleep routines. Sometimes if dd1 is still not asleep by the time dh and I are ready for bed, we will get in bed together and read books. I realized recently that it can take as long as an hour before dd falls asleep this way, if she's not especially tired, but I don't notice or mind, because it's pleasant and cozy to snuggle in bed as a family and read. Oh, and once we realized that dd1 was certainly not going to need a separate bedroom within the next lease period, we were freed to move from a 2br apt (which we'd thought we needed for her) to a 1br, which is cheaper (and thus helps allow us to continue to stay/work at home) and easier to keep clean.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

Until a mutually agreeable (mostly child-led, but if guided by a clear insight I would nudge it along) time.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

Dh (33), me (25), dd1 (3.5 years), and dd2 (3 weeks).

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't mind...what size are you and DP?

We have a queen and a twin, in opposite corners of our bedroom. About half the time, dd1 starts out the night in the twin, then comes into the queen with everyone else when she wakes up (could be middle of the night, or not until morning). Sometimes, dh wakes up early in the morning feeling squished, and moves into the twin to finish sleeping. Dh is pretty large, I am about average, in size. So yes, that is one cozy queen sized bed when we are all sleeping in it.









6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

Having children has changed our relationship, but I don't think co-sleeping per se has...

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

When dd1 had first learned to crawl, she crawled out of bed several times. Around the barriers I erected -- she was clearly determined and trying to learn how to crawl out, which she did by the end of the several times. She got some bumps on the head in the process, but nothing serious.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Yes. I don't remember waking up for most nursings, and am back asleep almost immediately after I have my newborn securely latched on (or after I take off her wet diaper and trek into the bathroom to see if she still wants to go in the sink and return to bed and replace the diaper and get her latched on







...)

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

When dd1 was younger (say, from crawling age to 21 months? I can't remember exactly), we had an old comforter folded in quarters, covered with a "crib" quilt, on the floor next to our bed. We sometimes put her down on that when we wanted to be intimate, then brought her back into bed with us. We never used siderails, but we did try to have something (e.g. a chair, a small table) blocking dd from rolling out of bed. Now we have our mattress on the floor, which is fun and cozy and helps us allow us to all fit comfortably (I feel comfortable being, or putting a kid, much closer to the edge -- I mean, we can hang off of it onto the floor, if we like).


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## RosieTook (Sep 4, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? *Because we believe it is the best and most natural way to sleep...the thought of leaving my dd in a room all alone just scares me..plus it sure makes night nursing easy







*

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? *Until she is ready to sleep alone...I am hoping that this will be sometime between 3 and 5, but honestly I don't know...I am planning on having her sleep with her future next youngest sibling..I think that co sleeping with siblings is also a great idea...perhaps they will sleep on a a seperate mattress in our room first, we'll take it as it comes I guess.*

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*Only one..our dd is 7 months old*

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? *Our bed is a double and dh is very slim and I am heavier, 200lbs and 5'3'' ...we seem to fit alright, but I do have a cosleeper that dh made along with out bed fram that fits next to the bed to give me or dd extra room depending on which side I am nursing on.*

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? *We have 3 cats and although I love sleeping with them I am sensitive to their fur so they were kicked out of the bedroom long before dd came along, mores the pity







We wouldn't have let them sleep in the bed with dd though, not enough room and I don't like the idea...plus they would probably wake her up, knowing our cats.*

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? *Yes we have to baby dance outside the bed mostly. The cosleeper helps, but she likes our mattress better...and we don't snuggle as much cause we are both snuggling her, but we both sleep just fine.*

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? *Not one.*

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? *Yeah he doesn't even wake when she does and I barely do most times. I have problems getting to sleep but that was the way LONG before dd came along.







*

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? *Dh built a cosleeper on the side, mostly because we only have a double and he is a sprawler...when we get a king we probably won't use it. It is a great place to put books and an extra pillow though!







*


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## Datura (Mar 18, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep?
It just seemed natural. He was born in our bed, and when on his first night he snuggled in with us. We could hear him breathe, we could check that he was ok. If he woke up and needed us, we were there. He learned not to cry because there was no need. All he does is ask for help, and he has it.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
He'll sleep with us as long as he likes. When he asks for a bed, he'll get one. The plan is to get him another little mattress to put near ours, then when he's ready, his own room. I don't really have a set age, I think every child's needs are different.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
My husband (25), myself (24) and our son (17 months).

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have two queen size mattresses on the floor. So we have tons and tons of room, which is great.







We're both tall and fairly substantial people, but we're not obese.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Animals got booted out, dander/overlaying concerns. Not to mention the possiblity of them waking little man up.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
Its made us closer. We love to watch our little cherub at night. Sex is also waaay more fun, as we have to sneak around the house like naughty high schoolers.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Nope. Just use common sense.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Ryder started sleeping 5 hours a stretch at 2 months old. Now he sleeps 12 hour nights with two wake ups to feed, then a 7-8 hour stretch from latenight to morning. DH doesn't even wake up, and truthfully, I barely wake up. He just attaches and is back to sleep within the minutes.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
As we're on a mattress on the floor, there's no need. We butt the side of the mattress up against the wall, so he can't roll off.

I can't say enough good things about co-sleeping.

Good luck!


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## Slackermom (Jul 23, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?
Because it felt right, right from the first night she was born. I loved having her close to me, and I got a better night's sleep, as I could BF her in bed and doze off.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
At this stage, DD is almost 17 months, and we're co-sleeping for part of the night. She starts out in her own crib, and comes in with us around 3am. I don't think there's a set age when a child should be in her own bed. It depends on the child, the parents, and the family.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Me (36), DH (39), DD (16 1/2 months)

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a king size bed, but when DD was born we had a queen. I'm very small, just 5 feet, and DH isn't big either (he's a bit tubby, but he's only 5'8).

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
We have two cats, and most nights they are curled up at the bottom of the bed, on my legs, or next to DH.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
DH was uncomfortable sleeping next to a tiny baby, so for the first few months he slept in the spare room. He still got up to do all the diaper changes, etc, he just wasn't comfortable being in the bed until she was a bit bigger. That didn't really affect our relationship, though. If anything, co-sleeping has made us closer, because it's such a lovely, snuggling thing to do as a family.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Never. Well, except for one morning last month when DD jumped off the bed! But that wasn't really a co-sleeping incident.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Yes. I wouldn't have survived the first 6 months or so if we weren't cosleeping. The only time I don't get a good night's sleep is when DH snores.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
My parents bought us a bassinette co-sleeper, but we didn't use it much, except for naps sometimes. The cats enjoyed it, though!


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## mahogny (Oct 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NightOwl*
1. Why do you cosleep?

Several reasons - it's easier to breastfeed during the night, and I just don't want to be separated from my little baby!!! I can't sleep alone, why do I expect a baby to be able to? I just can't stand the thought of my baby all by him/herself in another room! I don't know how I could be an effective parent if I willingly separate myself from my children!

Quote:

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
It's totally up to each individual child. DS slept in our bed until he was 20 months or so, then he decided he wanted to be with us but not in our bed, so he slept on a pallet on the floor for another 10 months or so. When he was 2 1/2, he was ready to sleep in his own room. He often comes into our bed in the morning. We'll let DD make up her own mind, too.

Quote:

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
two adults, one 5 wk old, and in the morning, a 3 1/2 year old, and a very large cat. OY! I will honestly say it does get crowded!

Quote:

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a queen. I'm postpartum now so I'm still 10 lbs over what I normally am of 145 lbs and 5'8". DH is 5'10" and 250 lbs. He also sleeps with a CPAP.

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5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
A cat, and he sleeps on top of my legs, between my legs, next to my legs, etc.

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6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
Of course it's changed our relationship - but that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just different. We have to get creative about our sexual life, I don't get to snuggle with him in bed as much as I like, as we've got children between us, and we don't just get to lollygag around in bed and talk about whatever, but I think that's true of anyone with children, no matter where they sleep.

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7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
never.

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8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
As good as anyone else with small children! I'd even say we get more sleep than people who don't co-sleep. I don't have to get out of bed to nurse, so I know that I get more sleep!

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9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
Right now we have a co-sleeper on my side of the bed. DD is never in it, but it's used as a safe guard in case she should roll off the bed. We used it for that for DS, too, and he NEVER rolled off the bed, and I don't expect DD to, either. But better safe than sorry, y'know? Probably in a few months, we'll take the co-sleeper down and put the guardrails back up. Some people put their mattress directly on the floor, but I've got too much stuff stored underneath my bed to be able to do that! :LOL


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## sevenkids (Dec 16, 2002)

1. Why do you cosleep?

It's the easiest way to night time parent. No getting up to nurse, baby falls asleep faster, sleeps longer, I sleep better with my baby close to me.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

I have co-slept for 22 almost 23 years. My kids went into their own beds when they felt like it, some where as young as 2, one still comes in occasionally (9) and one's still here more often than not.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

My 5 year old is still in my bed more aften than not. He starts out in his room and migrates back most nights.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

I have a queen. I'm rather fluffy, but dh is a rail. Doesn't matter, they both end up on top of me anyway.







:

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

My cat sleeps with my ds (20) who does not co-sleep anymore (whew!). Although, when my kids (even the teens) are bothered about something, they'll come lie down with me and discuss their issues. They see it as a safe space for them to be open and they must feel protected there. The dogs sleep in the kitchen. The iguanas sleep in their cage.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

No. _Parenting_ has changed our relationship.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

No.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Dh never woke up after the first few weeks of co-sleeping, except to roll over and throw an arm over both of us while I nursed the baby, sometimes plant a kiss on baby's head. I slept much better after a few weeks when I didn;t have to sit up to nurse.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

No, mattress on the floor with young ones, bed pushed to the wall.


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## jillene (Apr 8, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep?
I've always felt more comfortable with DS right there. It made nursing and night feeds so much easier. DH and I both slept better and got a lot more rest when cosleeping than we did the few days we tried the crib. DS is a lot happier and more secure than the children we know who don't cosleep. There are a ton of reasons but those are the biggest.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
We still cosleep and DS will be 2 at the end of May. We've begun trying to transition him to his own bed but he still comes and gets into bed with us about halfway through the night, and that's perfectly fine with us. The only reason we're doing that is I'm 31 weeks pg with #2 and DS and DH are both big bed hogs and it's just getting uncomfortable with that many people in the bed and no room for me to move much. lol

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Just DS atm, and he's almost 2yo

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a California King.  I'm 5'5" and normally around 130. (currently 170 and hugely pg). DH is 5'9" and about 200lbs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
We have two dogs and they sleep in their crates next to our bed.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I think it's made us both appreciate time with each other more. We still cuddle as much as ever but we generally sneak off for adult activity during the day instead of at bedtime, primarily because I'm way too exhausted by then. The afternoon romps are more exciting though because it's this whole big rendezvous and it's more spontaneous. I have definitely fallen more deeply in love with DH since cosleeping. There's nothing more heartwarming than seeing my son snuggled up to his daddy with them both sleeping in the same position and everything. It's the cutest thing!

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
nope.  Unless you count me getting kicked by DS. lol

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
yup!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
we used siderails when ds was rolling a ton but not big enough for DH to feel comfortable with him in the middle. DH is a pretty heavy sleeper and he was worried about rolling onto him. We don't use anything now though.


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## kavamamakava (Aug 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NightOwl*
I'm trying to figure out how we'll sleep when the baby arrives in June. Please answer these questions:

1. Why do you cosleep?

Because I'm lazy and don't want to get out of bed int he middle of the night. And because I don't like buying all sorts of furniture for babies when I have this huge comfy bed to share with them. And because I miss my babies at night when I can't cuddle them. And then there's all the other good stuff.

Quote:

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
I plan to co-sleep as long as we are all comfortable in bed and needing it. I don't think there is an age that a child SHOULD be in their own bed. We offer an alternative bed around the time they start sleeping really well at night and not liking to cuddle much. My son got a single bed with his own pillow and blanket when he turned one. It was pushed up against ours so it was just an extension of our big bed but he had his own space and loved it. My first daughter slept with me off and on her first year because she liked having space to spread her arms and legs and also liked having the resistance of a body to push on with her legs or a wall to push on. She was pushing us out of the bed. She slept with us for her 2nd year and now sleeps with her brother.
Baby is with us.

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3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Three
Sometimes four. Nadia will join us in the early hours because she wakes up and wants to nurse. Then she stays there until we all wake up.

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4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
King
I'm 5'4" and when pregnant get up to 200 and when not pregnant, around 145
He's 5'10" and around 180

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5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Doggy bed in the doggy room

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6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I don't think it has changed anything. We never considered NOT sleeping together as a family. Or maybe it has brought us closer? We really enjoy getting into bed at night with a baby between us to cuddle together.

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7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Nothing major. But an elbow here and a nudge there. A few falls too. But no injuries - just a little crying that was quickly soothed.

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8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
If it's a rough baby night, he goes to the couch. If it's a rough baby night, it wouldn't matter where the baby was sleeping, I still wouldn't be getting good sleep.

Quote:

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
No. We used to have a co-sleeper but those are only good for the first few months because they can easily climb out once they get mobile. It kind of served as a shelf and bedrail anyway.
We had a twin pushed up against our bed to make it bigger back when we had a queen size bed. But now that we have a king, we have plenty of room.

Thanks!!!![/QUOTE]


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## Itlbokay (Dec 28, 2001)

1. Why do you cosleep?

When our first baby was born I just could not see putting him to sleep in a room all by himself. Then it continued because it was just easier, easier at night to nurse, easier for me to go back to sleep, and it was what suited us all best. We all slept better that way.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

We never really made any rules, they have always had their own bed/bedroom and knew they could sleep wherever.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

King size, started with full. DH is 6'4" 200 lbs, I'm 5'1' 110 lbs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

Before kids, on the bed or under it. Now our dog sleeps in our room or downstairs, his choice....even he knows it just ain't gonna work









6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

Not sure, I think becoming parents in general was what changed our relationship, all for the better. Cosleeping was just another parenting choice that came naturally to us.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Never

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

I can tell you have no children, once you have children you never sleep the same no matter where they sleep. It's just a different kind of sleep than before. My biggest complaint is with DH, he snores and some nights it drives my CRAZY.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? Our bed was really low to the ground when our children were babies. If I recall correctly we put our mattress on the floor after the birth of our second.

Good Luck with your new baby


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## dnr3301 (Jul 4, 2003)

I'm going to answer before reading the other responses so I'm not bringing in other people's ideas into mine, like "oh yeah, that too!"

1. Why do you cosleep?
it's so easy. I sleep better with my family right next to me. I don't have to wake up all the way if someone needs me, I think I get more sleep this way.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
I have no idea. I guess until my kids leave the bed. I'm planning on starting to indroduce the idea of sleeping in her own bed to my 4yo this summer. She really wants to have sleepovers with her cousin, and my SIL and I keep teling them when they can sleep all night without needing a grownup next to them they can have sleepovers. I don't think there is any set age that a kid needs to be out, but I am personally uncomfortable with a teenager sleeping in my bed on a regular basis. I have no problem with any kids of mine, regardless of age, needing to spend some time in bed with me. I'm reminded of a story I heard when dd was about 6 weeks old and I went to a co-sleeping conference put on by James McKenna. He told the story of his 16 yo son coming into their room after a nightmare and crawling into bed iwth them for 5 minutes or so and then leaving. I think that is so sweet, to have your children trust you enough that they will come to you when they are scared, no matter when it is. I hope my kids feel like they can do that with us.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
four of us, me and dh (you need our ages?







), dd, 4, and ds 1.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
we have a king size bed with a toddler bed up against it. Dh is skinny, I am not.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
no pets.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I don't know that it has changed our relationship, but we used to lounge in bed, talking and making out, on the weekends, and we can't do that so much anymore. But that is more having kids than actually the co-sleeping that put a stop to that.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Ds has fallen out of the bed three times, but never gotten hurt, just woken up and a bit scared. That's all I can think of.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Better because the kids are with us, I think. I don't wake up much to nurse, dh takes care of dd if she has a bad dream right there, with no one having to get up.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
We have a cradle in the living room where I put ds for naps, but he is going to be too big for it soon, really is right now but I don't know what to do about it. I think it will be easier once we move our bedroom to the main floor (planning on doing that soon, that's when we'll starting noticing that there is a bed in dd's room as well).


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## LoveChild421 (Sep 10, 2004)

_1. Why do you cosleep?_ It just feels right instictually- I don't leave my 1 month old alone for hours at a time during the day why would I at night? Plus I'm paranoid about SIDS and it really helps to just be able to look over and see he's ok- not to mention I'm not fond of getting out of bed 4 times a night to feed him!

_2. How long do you plan to cosleep?_ At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? For as long as it feels right and everyone is happy- but I do think kids should sleep on their own by puberty

_3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?_ just my 1 month old DS

_4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?_ full size I'm 5'4- 130 and DH is 6'5 160- it gets a bit too cozy at times- DH was smashed against the wall the other night.

_5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?_ 3 cats- we close the bedroom door at night- they sleep anywhere else they want

_6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?_ not at all- we just put sleeping DS in the co-sleeper (which otherwise gets no use) when we umm...want the bed all to ourselves







not sure what we'll do when DS becomes "aware" and that isn't an option.

_7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?_ nope, DH did almost roll over on DS but I woke up just in time and now he doesn't sleep in betwwen us anymore- just beside me.

_8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?_ as good as can be expected with a 1 month old

_9. Do you use anything other than your bed?_ I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? We have a co-sleeper but end up using it as a changing table- he sleeps in bed with us.


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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*

I cosleep because I honestly believe that this is a very important part of parent-child attachment. I strongly feel that cosleeping is the very best way for us to sleep.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
As long as my son needs and wants to. A child should be in their own bed from the day s/he wants to and feels ready to be.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
We are 2 persons in bed. Me, age 32, and Noah Matheo, almost 4 years old. I share a house with his father. He sleeps in his own room downstairs. Noah cosleeps with his dad during the weekend, and with me monday to friday.

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
Umm... Eeh. It`s 140cm wide. But, I have no clue what that is in inches.
I am a big woman. Not tall, just big.







(200 lbs)

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
No pets.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
No DP.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
No, never.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
Yes, we both sleep great. I am awaken by Noah several times every night, but it doesn`t bother me. It`s just what feels normal to me.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
Nope.


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## KnitterMama (Mar 31, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep?
I hate being away from my DS, and cosleeping allows us to spend not only every waking moment, but every sleeping moment together. I love waking up to his sweet little face babbling at me, it's the best most beautiful thing I've ever seen.









2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
As long as DS wants to and DH lets us. I don't think there is a specific age a child should move to their bed - if they move to their bed at all.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Two adults, one babe (11weeks), one cat (9 months), and ocassionally one dog (5 years)








4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
It's a full size mattress laid on the floor (comfy!). We're both average in size (I'm 130ish and DH is 185ish).

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
The cat sleeps with us always. The dog usually sleeps in her bed right next to us, but since our bed isn't elevated she's not really *out* of our bed either.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
Well, we have sex in the livingroom a lot more now. Does that count? :LOL

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Just me when I wake up with a numb arm from sleeping in one position curled up against DS all night.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Absolutely. I don't think DH's sleep habits have changed *at all* since DS was born. I just wake to latch the little guy on and he nurses while he, I and DH sleep. Very easy.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
Nope.


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## sparkprincess (Sep 10, 2004)

Yeah! I love polls. Here goes.

1. Why do you cosleep?

Much easier to nurse! Bonding is great, too.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

I would think around age 2, but we'll see how it goes!

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

Just one, 9mos old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

It's a queen and we are both small people.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

2 cats and they often sleep with us!

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

It is very cozy for both of us and we love it, but it does make us just a little bit sad sometimes that there is ALWAYS a little person between us.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Nope.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Not always, but that is due to the frequent nightwaking and nursing.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

Nope. I would like a co sleeper with the next one though.


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## Louma (Mar 30, 2005)

*Cosleeping poll

1. Why do you cosleep?*

We cosleep because we get more sleep that way. We tried torturing ourselves with a bassinet beside our bed when dd was little, but I was up and down all night with her. One night when she was a couple of months old, I fell asleep in bed while she was nursing, and we slept through the night. I woke up a new and happier mommy and never looked back.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*

I have no idea. I'm hoping to gradually transition dd out of our bed when she's ready.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*

Three, dh, dd 9 months, and me.

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*

We have a king now, but we had queen for the first 7 months. A king is muuuuuch better. DH is 200 pounds, I'm 130, and dd is 23. We have tons of room--enough to scoot dd over by herself so that dh and I have snuggle room.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*

We have a small dog that sleeps at the foot of the bed.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*

If anything, the family bed has added to our relationship. The family snuggle time is unbelievably sweet and tender. I cherish mornings when dd wakes up smiling and dh hurries back into the bedroom to share the best moments of the day with us. It's probably tmi, but not being able to be alone any time we want to has added to our physical relationship. It adds anticipation to the mix; it's like being teenagers again or something.









*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*

No

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*

Yes

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*

No


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## loomweaver (Aug 17, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?

Easier to sleep and breastfeed, we all get more sleep

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

As long as needed, (myDH says by 3 or 4 or when the next one comes...)

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

1 DD, 11months and 19 days!!

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

Queen size, we are both medium build

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

2 dogs, on the floor next to bed

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

Not, we actually talk more during family time in bed.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Just my aching back some nights,

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Yes, unless DD is not feeling well

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

We started using a crib sidecarred about 2 months ago, DD loves it.


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## ombra*luna (May 1, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep? When I started it was because my baby (at the time) was two months early and had health issues, and I didn't ever want to put her down, to lie in a crib alone, I just couldn't do it.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I've probably been doing it a long long time longer than I ever planned to, just sort of playing it by ear now. I don't have a specific age for when a child "should" be in his/her own bed - all my kids have had their own beds since around the age of two, but don't always sleep in their own beds.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Our 4-y-o sleeps with us every night (except Christmas Eve when he sleeps w/ big brother and sister the last two years). And the other two (14 and 11) sometimes. The 11-y-o has been in our room a lot lately because of some sleep stuff he's been going thru, he's dealing with some fears and we are open to him being there so he is.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? A queen and a twin, pushed together on the floor. He's 6'2" or so, probably 220 lbs, and I'm 5'6" about 160 lbs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? We have only one cat and she sleeps here and there, sometimes in dd's room on the bed, sometimes on the couch. Our old cat (RIP) slept with us sometimes.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? I don't think cosleeping has caused any changes in our relationship.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? No one has ever gotten hurt in our bed that I can remember. Oh wait, I got hurt the other day because I put my knee down on a the very sharp tail of a little plastic stegosaurus, which someone had left in the bed after being asked to take it out, but it was nothing serious.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Sometimes we do, sometimes we don't. If not, it's more likely to be each other keeping us awake than the kids. If one of us has a bad night, the other will likely also.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? No.

My trick is that when the baby is little and likely to nurse a lot, I would cradle her/him in my armpit, and when I had to roll over (either to switch sides for nursing, or just for comfort switching positions) he/she would roll with me (on top). That way I always knew exactly where the baby was and it alleviated dh's concerns of him accidentally squishing the baby, too.


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## wednesday (Apr 26, 2004)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
It made it easier to nurse at night when DS was tiny, and then we just kept doing it. He never got to like the crib much and seemed to like it less and less as he got older, util eventually he wouldn't even nap there. We also just really enjoy having him close to us all night.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep?*
No real plan...he is 18 months now and I guess if we'd thought about it a year ago we wouldn't have expected he'd still be sleeping with us. But we still like it and everyone's happy so why change?

*At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
I have no idea...I would say it really depends on the individual family.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?* Me, DH, and DS (18 months).

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
King-size bed, and DH and I are "average" size adults. We were a lot happier when we sold our queen bed and got a king.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
No pets.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
I don't think it has made a difference. I love to see DH cuddle and nurture DS tho.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
No.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?* I don't always--the night nursing can be a little much sometimes. But I know other parents who don't co-sleep and are having to get OUT of bed several times a night to cope with a wakeful toddler...that sounds harder to me than night-nursing in bed.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
I used a siderail when DS was tiny but we started teaching him how to shimmy out of the bed on his tummy when he was 9 or 10 months old. We also took the bed off the frame so that it was only about 18" off the (carpeted) floor. I found the siderail annoying and DS didn't have a habit of rolling/moving around much so we stopped using it. At this point I think it would be a hazard b/c DS would have to climb over it and drop down to the floor instead of just sliding down on his tummy, if he wanted to get down. He mostly sleeps between us so it's not a big concern.


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## jondee0 (Mar 13, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? It feels right! Babies are meant to be close to their moms, whether it's 2 am or 2 pm. It makes night nursings much easier, laying down to nurse is a simple way to get the baby to sleep, I don't have to worry about a baby off in the next room, and everyone in the family gets the sleep they need.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I wouldn't presume to know a specific age for all kids at which they should move into their own beds. What's worked well in our family, though, is to start moving the co-sleeping toddler out and into their own bed in a sibling's room at 2-3 years of age. They are still welcome to come into our bed if they wake up in the middle of the night, which they tend to do until they are around 4 yrs of age.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Currently, one 9-month old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? We have a blessedly big king-sized bed. We are both average-size (I'm on the short side).

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? Pets are always outside.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? I wouldn't say that co-sleeping, in and of itself, has changed it. 24 years of marriage and many children have changed it







, but overall for the good.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? Dh has had the tendency to overestimate an older baby's ability to judge distances and to slide safely off of the bed; several older babies have slipped off the bed while dh was "watching" them, but no one's been hurt.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? 95% of the time, yes.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? Siderails at times, depending on the age of the baby/toddler, but that's it.

Joni and kids, incl. Micah, 7-16-04


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## boatbaby (Aug 30, 2004)

OFF THE TOP -- I want to say something about the pets. When people ask us critical questions about our family bed I point out the following. WHY IS IT that in American culture nobody flinches if they hear your cat or dog is in bed with you but they freak if your baby sleeps with you?? Why do we allow our pets in bed and keep our babies in cages down the hall?????







:

On to the poll...

*1. Why do you cosleep?
*
Because we love being close to our babe. It's easier to nurse at night. It gives us extra family time and bonding, especiallly for DH who is away at work all day.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
We'll do it until it doesn't feel right anymore or until DS wants more independance.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
Me- 32
DH- 38
DS- 10 months

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
Queen technically, but it is slightly smaller (we live on a boat, nothing is normal) We are fairly avergae sized people. DH is long and thin. I am short and round.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
*
On the floor in various spots, but usually in our room. We have no space for him anymore and he is too old to get in bed anymore.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
Yes we have less sex, but I think that's normal with a new babe, not just b/c of co-sleeping. We usually go to another room to fool around, after DS is asleep.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
*
No.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
Once I got comfortable nursing lying down (when DS was about 4 months) I sleep great!

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
no. we never owned a crib. when DS was a newborn we used a snugglenest for about 3 months.


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## kate~mom (Jul 21, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?

Started as ease of breastfeeding, and ened up liking it!

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

As long as everyone is comfortable. 18?

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

3 - dh, ds, and me - dd used to join us on a regular basis but hasn't since ds came home.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

queen - i'm small (5'5" and about 105 prepregnancy), dh is tall and lean (6'3" and about 190, i *think)

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

dog beds on our floor

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

not really!

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

dd fell out 2X - not hurt, just scared.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

yes

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

bed rail for dd between the time that she started rolling over and about 18 months (dh works until 11, and we are often asleep before he gets home - and he doesn't like sleeping right next to tiny ones). bed rail the first few days for ds, until the cosleeper arrived for ds, but he is not liking it sofar - too far away from the milkies.

[/QUOTE]


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## chel (Jul 24, 2004)

*[*B]1. Why do you cosleep?
[*B] dd would only sleep with someone beside her so it was either I sleep with her, DH sleeps with her, or we all sleep together.*[/B]
2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
by the time she is married
3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
DH, 4yr dd, and me
4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
king size bed was very low to the ground but we just bought a high one, we're slightly above average
5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
cats no longer with us do to death (old age), but when alive they either slept in bassinet or at the foot of our bed.
6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I think having a dc changes things to begin with. I don't think that co-sleeping caused anything in itself.
7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
dd has been know to flop a hand across my face and pop me in the nose, but nothing of medical concern. dd has fallen out of the bed 3-4 times around the age of 1-3yrs.
8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
in the beginning no. DH actually slept away from us for a couple of months 1m-4m when dd schedule was so off that someone had to be with her late at night and DH wanted to go to bed. now we sleep better than most parents I know.
9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? [/B]
our nightstand was very large and sorta blocked dd in. Looking back I could have used a guardrail.


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## Shaunam (Oct 8, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?

We didn't intend to co-sleep, but it worked out that way. Both DS and I sleep better when we are close. It's also great for night-time nursing.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

I don't have an age in mind when DS *should* be in his own bed, but I'm hoping he will be in his own bed by the time he is school-age (about 5 or 6). I certainly won't kick him out if he's not ready by then, though.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

It's just me, DH, and DS. DS is almost 3 months.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

We have a full-size bed, but need a bigger one. It is a tight squeeze. DH is a big, 220 lb guy. I'm medium sized. I solved this temporarily by side-carring the crib to the bed. I can keep DS between me and the crib and DH still has plenty of room.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

We have cats, but we only trust one of them to be in the room while we are sleeping (the others run around like fools). The cat sleeps at DH's feet usually.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

I don't think anything has changed. DH loves to watch DS nurse though. I think that has brought us closer. If we want "grown-up time", we put DS in his swing while he's sleeping.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Nope.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Yep. DS wakes to nurse, but he always falls right back to sleep.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

The crib is side-carred to the bed.


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## honeybee (Mar 12, 2004)

NightOwl said:


> I'm trying to figure out how we'll sleep when the baby arrives in June. Please answer these questions:
> 
> 1. Why do you cosleep?
> 
> ...


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## woobysma (Apr 20, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? ease of breastfeeding and it lets us both get a full night's sleep - plus I like to have him close by









2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? my seven year old sleeps in his own room or on the floor in my room - I think a child should have his/her own room by the time they are 3yrs with a bed and space for toys, clothes, etc, but may continue to use parents' room if needed for sleep

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? me (26) and ds2 (7 mos) - ds1 (7yrs) has a sleeping bag permanantly in my room that he uses about 1/2 the time

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? Queen-size, I'm 5'3" and 117lbs - ds2 is 21lbs - we have lots of room

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? no pets

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? our relationship ended on it's own, but we had a sex life before he moved out - just not in the bedroom

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? no

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? I do, very much so

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? no, I put a pillow between ds and the edge, but he's not a big mover at night.


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## treemom2 (Oct 1, 2003)

1. Why do we co-sleep?
--The closeness with our children, it makes bfing way easier, we like to do it

2. How long do we plan on co-sleeping?
--As long as our children want to co-sleep. DD is 3 and DS is 5 months, we will let them make the decision when they are ready to move into their own beds.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
--There are four of us sleeping in our bed right now. I am 31, DH is 31, DD is 3, and DS is 5 months

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
--We have a king sized bed. DH is pretty normal sized and I am a large woman

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
--We have two cats who also sleep with us most of the time

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
--We don't cuddle as much when we are sleeping and we have had to be more creative in finding places to have sex. I think sometimes DH would like to have the bed back to being just us, but he wouldn't change our sleep situation for the world.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
--NO, Never

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
--DH is the first one asleep at night. It takes me a little longer since I am bfing and I bf DS to sleep. Then we all seem to sleep great (I still nurse about every two hours during the night and I can't imagine having to get up out of bed every time to feed him--all I have to do is roll over and give him the breast)

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
--Nope, DH sleeps on the edge of the bed, then DS, then me, and DD is against the wall. During naps, I put a body pillow on the edge of the bed in case DS rolls.


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## Bleu (Mar 6, 2004)

_1. Why do you cosleep?_
Because it's nice and cosy; because it beats the crap out of those ridiculous sleep-training tricks that I would never, ever have patience for; because I breastfeed him to sleep; because when he was wee he would wake up if I tried to put him down; because in my postpartum weirdness it was the one way I could relax and sleep without being consumed with worry about my baby; because I had significant breastfeeding establishment issues and had to nurse all.the.time while I was recovering from a c-section. Oh, and because eEvery toddler nursling mom I know who doesn't co-sleep has either weaned, nightweaned or is like a zombie.

_2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?_
Eh. Can't tell yet; my kid is only two. It's very hard for me to see that far ahead of where he is now.

_3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?_
Three. One 30something mom, one 40something dad, and Bleuet, aged 2.

_4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?_
Oueen/dead average.

_5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?_
N/A

_6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?_
The co-sleeping is *NOTHING* compared to having the actual kid.

_7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?_
Real problems, no. Minor irritations, yes. Bleuet sometimes kicks and he has sleepwalked on top of us a couple times.

_8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?_
No, not compared to what it was like before we had a kid. I have revised my expectations of sleep. I also think I am getting more and better sleep than I would if I had to get up out of bed, trot down the hallway, breastfeed (or otherwise comfort) a howling baby while sitting up, and then go back to my own room to sleep. When Bleuet wants to breastfeed, he just _does_ -- without waking up. He rarely cries, wakes up or even fusses in his sleep because he doesn't have to.

_9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?_
Yes. The overpriced but wonderful Humanity Infant & Herbal Cosleeper. Their site also has info about safe sleep sharing practices.


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## nannymom (Jan 23, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
It is best for the whole family. The baby feels more secure and once you maste rnursing laying down you will all sleep better.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? as long as dd needs it or it untill it becomes a problem for us. I think they need their own bed when they show you they don't need you at night.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? one baby 4 months (almost) old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? it's a double! I am 5'2" and weigh 144 Dh is 5'9" and weighs 170

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? on the floor in our room

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? it's made it better because we don't resent each other in the middle of night when one of us is up and the other is snoring in bed.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? no

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? yes. Not at first but now we all sleep great

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? we have a crib sidecard to the bed that dd has never made it in to

Thanks!!!!


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## laurajean (Nov 19, 2001)

I'm trying to figure out how we'll sleep when the baby arrives in June. Please answer these questions:

1. Why do you cosleep? We cosleep because it feels right to us. In the beginning, ds slept right on my chest - it felt natural. We exclusively breastfed, so sleeping with us meant never having to leave our bed to nurse.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? DS turned 4 in January and we are still cosleeping. When the child request his/her own bed, then they should get their own bed.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? 3 (35, 32 and 4)

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? We have a queen size bed. A king would definitely be more comfortable. DH is very long and very lean. I am short and curvy.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? Hamster... in her cage.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? DH loves to cosleep. He can not sleep if ds and I are away. Whenever we discuss ds getting his own bed, DH says "he's not ready yet."

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? At 4 months, ds rolled off the bed onto his head - but he was fine. We changed the position of the bed by pushing it up against the wall and rolling a blanket up between wall and bed.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Most nights. Our apartment is too hot and that causes issues.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? We had a cosleeper that we never used for it's true purpose. It became the midnight diaper changing station and the place to pile things up.

Thanks!!!!


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## JCEmommy (Mar 22, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?

We do it because it has always been a natural thing for us.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

We plan on doing it as long as they want to.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

3 kids 6, 4, and 1

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

We have a calif. king. I am 5'3" and DH is 5'10"

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

We don't have any dogs but a cat that joins us during the night.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

It has made us closer.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

My 4 year old fell out for the first time a few weeks ago. Other than that, we have never had anyone fall out at all.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Yes we get the best sleep with them in bed.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

yes we have siderails


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## Mama Bee (Aug 20, 2003)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
Because we all get more sleep that way!

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep?*
Until DS no longer 'needs' to be in our bed or 'needs' us during the night
*At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
I think it's different for every child. In my ideal world, the baby I'm carrying now and DS will transition to their own room & own bed together. I don't expect that to happen for years, though.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
2 adults- 30ish
1 three year old
1 baby due in May

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
We have a queen mattress and twin mattress pushed up together into a corner of the bedroom. DH is average- 5'9, 180ish. I am almost 9 months pregnant and plus-sized normally.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
Our dog has a bed on the other side of the room from ours but often she sleeps on a rug at the foot of our bed. She weighs about 85lbs, btw.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
Well, it's hard to say if our relationship has changed because of co-sleeping, having a child, or just life. There is less 'private' time- intimacy has to be fit in as opposed to just happening. It has to happen in the deep of the night or in other parts of the house when DS is asleep. We still talk at night in bed (where we have traditionally done a lot of our 'staying in touch' with each other but there's a three year old in the middle now so usually we're both touching him as opposed to each other.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
Only me trying to crawl over everyone trying to get to the bathroom! :LOL

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
As opposed to what? I think having a child changes your sleep expectations regardless of whether or not you co-sleep. Frankly, the reason we decided to co-sleep is b/c we moved into a new house and DS was awake many, many times a night screaming b/c he didn't like his new room. We were moving him back and forth between rooms or one of us was sleeping beside his crib... no one was getting any sleep. Now, if DS wakes up, one of us rolls over to comfort him and usually everybody is back asleep within minutes and no one has to leave the bed.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
Not exactly... our bed is in a corner so there is wall on two sides. At the foot of the bed is a long, low table of sorts with pillows wedged around the base are pillows to keep DS from rolling out. Occasionally, he still rolls out (he's a very active sleeper) but since it's only a few inches to the floor he never even wakes up.

HTH! Good luck with your decision!


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## CallieA (Oct 22, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
Started cosleeping because I wanted to keep an eye on my newborn, but kept cosleeping because I love being close to her and being able to reach over and touch her! I also don't have to worry about her all night - I can just look over and see that she's safe and sound!

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
I plan on cosleeping until DD is ready for her own bed. She'll decide.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
1 baby, seven months old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
DH and I are "normal" size. Right now, we have two twin beds pushed up together plus an Arm's Reach cosleeper. Soon we'll switch to just one twin bed and one queen bed pushed up together.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Wherever they want, just not in the bedroom! We keep the door closed.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
It hasn't.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Nope!

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
I sleep better than I would if DD was in another room. I'd constantly be getting up to check on her!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
Arm's Reach cosleeper. It's been great for the infant stage. We'll be phasing it out sometime over the summer as DD approaches the weight limit.

Hope this helps!


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

1. Why do you cosleep?

Initially, to find other ways to bond after we failed at breastfeeding.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

With Abi we co-slept "officially" until she was 2.5 but realistically she still joined us in bed in the middle of the night on a regular basis until very recently (age 4).

With Nitara we had a waterbed for her first couple of mos. and she was in the cosleeper for safety reason. After it broke we put our queen futon on the floor and she slept in it with us. I usually started her in the crib and took her to bed when she woke up at night. Also, sometimes her reflux was bad and she had to stay in her crib all night be elevated. At 10 mos. old she made it clear that she preferred space and liked her crib better than the family bed. She squirmed a lot and couldn't settle in our bed. So she officially moved out for good at 12 mos. old.

We still enjoy early morning snuggles with both girls.









3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Right now, just dh and I.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Queen size. At one point we had a queen and a twin pushed up next to it. Dh and I are both thin.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
On the floor.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I honestly don't think it has changed our relationship.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Abi was a big, hard kicker and she did hurt us a lot. But she herself never got hurt.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
In infancy we all did. As she entered toddlerhood and kicked harder no one got very good sleep. But there was no alternative really. She would not have been the kind of child who would have been happy in a crib. She was, and is, very high-needs

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

Except for the brief time using the cosleeper, we have never had any rails or sidcar with the crib or anything. Just put the mattress on the floor when Abi was at risk of hurting herself by falling out.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep?

I started co-sleeping because I read Our Babies, Ourselves, and about James McKenna's sleep studies. These convinced me that co-sleeping offered a protective effect against SIDS. That was my main reason, but I also enjoy the fact that we all three sleep better this way, and that I don't have to haul myself into another room every time my DD wakes up. I just have to reach over. It has made night wakings into less of a big deal. Also, I enjoy having her close to me.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

I plan to gradually "parent-led" wean her to her own bed somewhere between 9 and 18 months. I know that is a long span of time; I trust myself to know when it's time. I don't think there's any set age for moving a child to her own bed. I still slept in my mom's bed occasionally until I was 10 or 11. But I would like to have Julia in her own bed while she's still very young, although I may still keep her in the same room for much longer.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

Just me and DH, one cat, and DD who is 7 months old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

DH and I are both relatively thin folks, and we have a queen size bed. We have a lot of room. A double bed would be a little small even for us, but that's because DD doesn't like to sleep in physical contact with anyone. A cuddlier child would be happier in a smaller space. Also, my bed is just a mattress on the floor, since DD falls out of bed on a regular basis.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

One cat sleeps by my feet, the other two in the basement because they're noisy. I didn't let the cat back in bed until Julia could roll and lift up her own head; I worried about the cat being TOO snuggly and blocking DD's breathing. Turns out he objects to having his ears pulled, so he stays far away from her.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

Having a baby has changed our relationship. We work much better as a team, now, and we've learned to communicate better, because we don't want to lose our tempers or fight in front of DD. How much of that is due to co-sleeping, I couldn't say; we've never tried any other way.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Unless you count DD kicking people during the night (doesn't really hurt, just annoying) no nobody has gotten hurt.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

We both sleep a solid 9 hours every night. It wasn't so while DD was very young; she woke a lot to eat. But it started to improve gradually around 3 months, and has gotten steadily better.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

No. Just the mattress on the floor. Although if DH and I wanted to have sex while DD was still very young, we would move her to a blanket on the floor. Now we can't do that anymore. She's old enough to notice. So we go to the pull-out couch in the basement.


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## rgarlough (Jul 18, 2002)

1. Why do you cosleep? _Because from the get go, I had the support of our homebirth midwives that it was the proper thing to do







and that helped convince dh that babies sleep where the food is







_

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? _Honestly, I can tell that dh and I disagree but he will not voice his opinion quite yet... But I'll cont to allow ds in our bed until he's initiating sleeping in his toddler bed which is right outside our door (its in our little office area which is now his little space) As for what age, I think it depends on the child. Mason's 20 months or so and he isn't emotionally or physically ready yet. He still Bfs a lot during the night to make up for our working situation and I know the lack of time together during the day is the major reason he's still in our bed._

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? _So far, its just ds, 20 months, dh 36 and me 28







_

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? _We have a queen on the frame with ds' crib sidecar'd to my side. We used to have the Arm's Reach but I wanted some more space for myself and ds. I usually end up in the crib by morning... As for us, I'm 5'2" about 148# and dh is 5'10" and barely 200#. Ds is about 28#_

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? _We have two German Shepherds that sleep in their crates; one by choice and the male has to because even at 4 YO, he still doesn't quite know to let someone know he needs to go potty...







We also have 4 cats. Only the female kitten Lily (7 months) sleeps with us or rather in Mason's sidecar. I'd rather not allow her in our room but she's such a little sh** that she will physically remove the carpet outside our door if we shut her out... The other 3 males sleep on their cat tree, the couch or terrorize each other during the night







_

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? _I would say that it does make us closer as a parenting unit since dh really doesn't DO much with ds during the week







Dh has a physically demanding job and doesn't have much to offer either of us until the weekend. Being together as a family in bed, allows for that bonding that we miss out on during the week. I know that dh would rather have more room in the bed since he is a total bed hog and I have told him its a lot easier and more comfortable for ME to sleep on the couch rather than to fight him for space and warmth. That CRUSHED him







So we all cuddle at night unless ds is too loud (he talks in his sleep LOUDLY) then he and I will move to our comfy couch._

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? _Nope, we always start off with ds, then me then dh. Dh will roll over onto anyone in his path so I have the mommy sense to keep ds away from him._

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? _Dh is a super sound sleeper and will only rarely say he heard Mason the other night. He does snore SUPER LOUD so I don't always get good rest but I have adjusted to not getting 8 straight hours of sleep since getting pregnant (always waking to tinkle







) and than after the birth, I was very comfortable getting sleep in little chunks. The only nights that are rough are usually from teething, illness or lack of a nap during the day for ds. Plus, if ds is too disruptive, we'll just go on the couch so dh can sleep._

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? _We did sidecar the crib. That works great for us... and the cat._


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## HelloKitty (Apr 1, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? Well it started because the only way DS#3 would go to sleep was if he was cuddling me and well then we just loved it so we decided to let him stay with us









2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? We plan to co-sleep for probably at least 3 more years unless DS#4 decides he wants to sleep somewhere else. I think DS#3 will want to be in his own bed soon - he doesn't wake up at night anymore to cuddle really and he likes to strech out a lot. I don't think there is a certain age - whenever it's no longer working for the child or the parents.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? 2, ages 2 1/2 and 2 months

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? We have a King sized bed. I'm 5'8" and 140 pounds, DH is 5'10" and around 230 I think.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? We have two dogs and two cats - one dog sleeps under the bed, the other next to it - the cats sleep wherever they want :LOL

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? I don't think co-sleeping has changed anything.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? Other then a toddler foot to the head you mean?! Nope.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Well the baby is still waking every 2 hours so... not really... but much better then we would if he was in a crib!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? We have a snug tuck pillow on the side


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## streetkitty (Feb 6, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep?
BF convenience, don't have to worry about dd in another room, feels right

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
At least until dd is 2. (she is 20 months now) We do plan to buy her a toddler bed that we will keep in or room prior to the new baby coming (so like in the next month!) In their own bed once they are ready- I think it greatly depends on the kid

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
3.3- me at 5 months pregnant, dh and dd At the end of August we will have another baby that we plan to co-sleep with as well...
4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Eastern king on a low platform (we have a rubber mattress that we LOVE), me- 5' 6", 153 lbs and pregnant, dh- 6' 3" 220lbs

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
5 cats that have the run of the place- usually 3 sleep on the bed with us

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
made us all bond as a family

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
one my cats threw up on me a few weeks ago while I was sleeping- does that count? Thankfully the baby didn't get hit or wake up!

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
dh always does, I've had a few winners- although it would have been worse to actually ahve to get up to nurse. For the most part I am the most well rested of all my friends- esp those who do not co-sleep. Now dd is not nightnursing anymore so I am just having pregnancy trouble sleeping!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
We use the arm's reach co-sleep until about 4 months, then move the baby into the bed. I have a mesh side rail on one side.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?-- because I can't imagine not having her there. also, I don't wake up easily and if she was in another room, I wouldn't hear her until she was wide awake and screaming her head off.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?-- We plan on getting her into her crib full time as soon as she stops waking up in the middle of the night (at the moment, she starts off in the crib.) Then, we'll keep her in our room until she's about 2. (That's the plan anyway. I don't think it'll work out that way.)

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Three. Matthew's 23, I'm 22 and Sarah is 4 months.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?-- we have queen. Dh is huge. He's 6'3" and 180lbs. I'm 5'3" and a 140lbs. We need a king though because both dh and dd are bed hogs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?-- we have a dog who sleeps in the garage.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?-- it really hasn't. Matthew gets kicked out of the bed when Sarah comes in because I can't sleep between the two of them and he can't sleep next to her (he has rolled on top of me in his sleep before) so we don't sleep together as much, but we also don't fight in bed now (I used to wake up on the edge, always uncomfortable.)

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?-- no

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?-- yup

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?-- the crib is right next to the bed, but not attached (we can't get the mattresses to line up) The crib is inbetween the wall and bed so it can't move.


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## Belle (Feb 6, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep? _It's more convenient, Both me and dd get more sleep, I feel safer that I know she's alright._

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? _I'd like to play it by ear and see how she does, my dh wants her out before she's two._

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? _Me, dh, dd 8 months_

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? _We've got a queen sized bed. I'm 5'11" and 140lbs, my dh is 5'10" and 230lbs._

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? _Our cat comes and goes. Sometimes he sleeps curled up behind my knees. Our dog sleeps on a mat at the foot of our bed. If my dh hasn't come to bed yet she'll get up and put her head on his pillow. If the stars align just right we all fit on the bed, but most of the time she gets kicked off. She's a German shepherd_.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? _I don't think cosleeping has chaged our relationship as much as just having a baby did._

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? _no_

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? _Yes, that's the best part_

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? _I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? No, but when she's ready we'll bring in a sidecar to wean her to her own bed,_


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
I can't imagine not having my baby next to me

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
When she's a toddler, I think we will get a toddler bed in our room, and then transition her to her own room when she's ready. I want her to be old enough to get out of bed and come to us before I put her in a separate room.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Me and DH and our 2 month old.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Full size bed and we're full size, too. :LOL

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Two cats, sleep in the living room.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
The baby in general has changed more than the cosleeping has.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
We get cramped up sometimes.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The bed is uncomfortable anyway, so I don't think the baby is a contributing factor.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
Nope, not yet.


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## KariM (Mar 13, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? Because my babe needs to be close by me and it makes nighttime breastfeeding easier. Also I get more sleep.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? Until DD decides she wants us out of her bed. When they're ready to wean from the family bed.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
DD - 7 1/2 months
mom (me) - 37 y/o
dad (DH) - 40 y/o

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have two twin mattresses placed together. DH is 5'9" tall and about 290lbs. I'm 5'2" tall and about 180lbs.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? In our bed

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
It hasn't. How would our bed change a relationship????

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? Only me when DD was teething and occasional bit while nursing.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Yes!

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? Nope. We're not in our bed, btw. We're in DD's room on the floor on her two twin mattresses. Our bed is still in our room. When the time comes that DD is wanting to sleep alone we'll be leaving her room and returning to our room. Her mattresses will be put up on her daybed frame and trundle bed.


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## katallen (Jan 4, 2005)

1. Why do you co sleep? Because shortly after my DD was born I figured out that we got more sleep when we co-slept.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
I plan to co-sleep until my daughter moves out.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
DD is 2 1/2

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
We have a queen size and I am medium build and my husband is small.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Our dog sleeps at the foot of the bed when my husband is deployed, otherwise on the floor.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
It hasn't.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
No. I put a pillow where the crack between the wall and the bed was to prevent any falling through.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
We get very good sleep.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
No, but we put our mattress on the floor when she turned one.


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## clothcrazymom (Sep 13, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?

Because it works best for us! It makes life MUCH easier







I'm sure people have already listed all the benefits.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

I think it depends on the child. They will know when they are ready. I can promise you that they won't ALWAYS want to sleep in the same bed as their parents! There are all different types of co-sleeping...so it depends on what you are talking about specifically. I have had children sleep in the bed with us all night, go to sleep in their own bed in the beginning of the night and then come in to our bed, sleep on a sleeping bag (or whatever) on the floor, etc. We have an open door policy and my children are welcome to come into our room at night if they feel the need. Usually around the age of 5-6 or so they have seemed to not want to come in any more to sleep on the floor.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

1 child with dh and myself. He'll be two next week

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

We now have a California King. We used to have a queen. We've had all different types of set ups over the years though. We've also been all different sizes over the years!

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

Our pets either are outside or sleep in their own areas.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

Well sure - just like anything in life...it's another growing experience. It's made our lives much easier.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

Nope.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Yes.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

We have a crib next to the bed that has an opened side (it's one of those covertible cribs) But no one is ever in that part.


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## Mama2ABCD (Jun 14, 2003)

*1. Why do you cosleep?* because when that new baby was put into my arms, i didn't want to let go.
it's good for me and my children.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep?* as long as possible.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?* my dd sleeps with me...that's a given. she's only a yearling. my 3 1/2 ds is good at sleeping thru the night, but on his restless nights he will come find me when he wakes. my 5 y.o. wakes several times, he finds me the first time he wakes. on cold winter nights all of us will get into bed together! and dh!

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?* we have a king. and there is a full in the other room nearby. it's not unusual to play musical beds.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?* outside. too many to be in.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?* it makes us more appreciative of spooning







but, the morning wakeups are so worth it. i'm not much bigger then my oldest, my dh is 5 9, 150

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?* the kids...never! but the other night..dd was a little pistol. me and dh were constantly being kicked and hit by her until she finally got into a non restless slumber. she's cutting molars

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?* i do. i love knowing my dc's are withing arms reach. as for dh, that's what the other bed is for!

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails*? no, i just push the bed up against the wall since dd is moving a lot now. she alernates sleeping between me and dh, or me and the wall. i don't usually put her next to her brothers.


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## Rach (Nov 11, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?-- Because she made us!! When she was born, she would not sleep alone. She'd wake up seconds after putting her down. We were so tired, I kept her on my chest and we have been co-sleeping ever since.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?-- We plan on co-sleeping for as long as she'd like. But we do put her in her own bed from time to time, so we can have special time to ourselves. [No, this isn't the only time we have special time!] Since being put in her bed, she sometimes climbs on it to sleep all by herself.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?--Mommy, Daddy, Eva. Baby #2 will be added around October.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?-- we have queen. Adam is average 5'10" and I am a little shorter. But we're getting a king sized bed next, because Eva is all over the place!

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?-- no pets, but we may get one someday. Not sure where they'll sleep, most likely with us though. 

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?-- It hasn't. I love him, we love Eva, it's just made us a happy family.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?-- No hurts other than kicks to the face from Eva!

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?-- It's much better now, than it's ever been. We just managed to adapt to sleeping with a wild sleeping toddler.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed?-- Her crib mattress is on the floor next to the bed. Sometimes she crawls down to sleep on it by herself. Sometimes, we put her there for *ahem*. She's always welcome back in the bed when she wakes up.


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## NinaBruja (Jan 19, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
at first it just didnt feel right to have her away from me
now its just so convenient, bedtime is a fun thing for her because she knows were right there with her, and so easy to breastfeed.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? forever!








whenever they feel like having thier own bed. and then of course still welcome at any time. im still welcome in my mothers bed







and im nearly 23 :LOL were a cuddle family

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
6-ish. three humans-22,21,18m...3-4 animals-three teenage cats and sometimes a 2 year old dog.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
we have a king size bed. dp and i could stand to lose a few pounds, cats are small, baby is upper 90's in percentile, dog is a medium size pitbull.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
by our feet. one of them likes to cuddle sandrel sometimes, it rarely is a problem. she squeals with delight if she wakes to see shes been cuddling a kitty. sometimes he tries to clean her head and it makes her mad. dog also likes to spoon with dp









6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
i dont think it has...weve always slept together...maybe were more touchy during the day because sandrel likes to sleep between us so we cant spoon









7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
dp got kicked in the genitals :LOL kitty got squeezed by an excited baby
all of us at one point have fallen off the bed, baby likes to push us off... sometimes she rolls after us but our mattress is on the floor so its not as scary as it sounds.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
usually. one of our cats doesnt understand that we dont want to play if were sleeping

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
we tend to diaperfy the bed... sandrel has a history of sleep stripping. oh and we wear clothes now too...


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## HRC121799 (Aug 8, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep? We get more sleep this way and we feel better having the boys in our room (and bed) with us. They sleep better too. We have no battles.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? Until they're ready for their own beds, whenever that may be. At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I think family bed (Or bedroom) for as long as people want is great.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? In the bed are me, dh & ds 21mos, older ds (5) has a mattress pushed up to ours.

4. How big is your bed? Queen And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? We're both about 5'7. I'm 112lbs. dh is hmm...155?

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? 1 cat on our pillow, 1 between me & the edge of the bed, 1 at the end of the bed..

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? We make it a point to find times to cuddle more often when the boys are asleep, like out in the living room watching a movie.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? Never

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Yes.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? In the beginning with baby ds we had da mini-co sleeper, mainly for peace of mind that I could have him on that side of me and he wouldn't fall off the bed. Now we have a snug tuck pillow that is AWESOME, I love it. I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?


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## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

1. Why do you cosleep?

to promote attachment...
to facilitate breastfeeding...
because i don't sleep well with my baby(ies) far from me...
and because it's nice!

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

whenever. however long.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

myself (22 y.o.), my partner (24 y.o.), my daughter (8 months old) and occasionally my son (4.5 y.o.)

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

we sleep on a full futon... i am 5'4" and 125 lb., and my partner is about 5'10" and 220 lb.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

no pets. when we had our pet rat, he slept in his cage...

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

it seems like it's strengthened our relationship.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

nope (unless you consider being kicked by cold baby and little boy feet "hurt"







)

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

usually, yes.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

nope







~ not for sleeping anyway.









we do have the bed pushed against the wall.


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## amyjeans (Jul 27, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
_
my boobs need the company_

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
_
until everyone has mutually agreed to go to our respective sleeping places (presently one place hee hee)
children should sleep in their own beds when they have their own kids in their own beds_

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
_me- 32, dearest love 50 (yep), Sara 2.3, Sydney 6 mo
4 total!_

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
_
King size bed with attached arms reach cosleeper (just in case it gets too hot)
Me- 260lbs/ 5'9" DH 275lbs 6'
5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
_
non yet!

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
_
Ther's a lot more physical space between us, but emotionally...we're tight_

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
_typical roughhousing - got a few bruisers in bed!_

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
_
mostly_

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

_sure- co-sleeper and Sara has a full size bed in her room, for mommy and me nights.
_


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## organicbanana (Mar 25, 2002)

*1. Why do you cosleep?* for the closeness it affords us and the kids - they feel more secure, and i just like cuddling with them - it's very much a bonding thing for us. additionally, it's been just simply more practical while i've been nursing to have the babies in bed with us - less disturbance and nightwaking for everyone. i would never have felt 'right' about having any of our babies anywhere else - especially not in another room.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?* until it becomes unnecessary or too disruptive to everyone getting healthy sleep. i don't think there needs to be an age cutoff, per se. it's more of a question of readiness.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
just me (29) and dh (32). none of the kids regularly right now, just the occasional night visitor - we just this week moved our 27mo into a toddler bed right next to ours, since i'm big and pregnant, and ds is a very restless sleeper and has been getting a little violent in bed... he thrashes around a lot.

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?* queen sized - and dh and i are pretty average sized (except for my big pregnant belly







)

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?* no pets

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?* if anything, our relationship has been changed positively - dh gets the chance to be a more active part of nighttime parenting, since he's _right there_. and i think he likes getting to be close while the babies nurse - usually that's such a 'seperate' thing; i'm on the couch, in a chair, getting to be close to the baby at a time when he's typically not.
sex is a little more tricky - at times we go into the living room on the couch to avoid disturbing whoever is sharing the bed. and dh has had grumpy issues at times about losing some of his sleep space, but overall, he's been very supportive of cosleeping - especially while i'm bf'ing, which i'll be doing again come june as well.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?* just the occasional kick from a sleeping child to dh or myself. nothing at all serious.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?* on the whole, yes - it seems that after weaning though, the children have been more active sleepers, and that's been a little more challenging.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?* nope - just the bed. we've seemed to have developed a 'sixth sense' as far as cosleeping children are concerned, and it's never been necessary.


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## BeanerBabies (Apr 18, 2005)

I'm trying to figure out how we'll sleep when the baby arrives in June. Please answer these questions:

1. Why do you cosleep?*Because sometimes the kids want to sleep with me and Daddy and I think that's just fine.







*

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? *Well, Bean is 6 1/2 and we co-sleep 3 nights out of the week. I co-slept with my gums up until he was about 1 year. He's now 3 & 1/2.*

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? *Normally, me and DH unless Bean decides to squeeze in.*

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? *We have a queen.*

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*Our eldest dog Scoobie (12) sleeps in "her apartment" (her kennel) that is beside our bed. Our yellow lab puppy Winnie (7 mths) sleeps in her kennel in the laundry room. Our cat Sophie (9 years) sleeps wherever she darn well choses. Usually at the foot of the bed or on my chest. The hamster and the hermit crabs have their own lovely abodes.*

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*No. He loves sleeping with Bean as much as I do.*

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? *Nope.*

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? *Sure do. Unless DH snores which drives both Bean and I nuts so we'll scoot and go into her bed.*

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? *No.*

Thanks!!!


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## MamaFae (Sep 24, 2004)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
--becasue the thought of getting up and going down the hall every 1-1/2 to 2 hours all night long to breastfeed seems ridiculus to me.
--I like sleep and as soon as I figured out how to sleep through nursing at night I was a very happy mama!
--I like to snuggly with my kiddos
--I felt reassured that they were ok when they were next to me.
--It just seems the natural thing to do.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep?*
--Until they are ready to leave my bed or I am ready for it to end it is as unpredictable as when you will go into labor.

*At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
--It depends on the child. DS#1 still likes to have someone with him all night long, before it was DH or me now it is his brother. DS#2 could care less and would sleep alone at around 16 months.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
--none right now. My 3.75 year old and 2 year old share a queen size bed in their own room though, and DH spends a few nights a week in there with them. Or if they wake up in the middle of the night they are more than welcome in our room.

*4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*

--We have a double now with a twin side car. We did have a queen with the twin, but it is too soft for me now that I am pregnant again.
--We aren't big people, except when I am pregnant! :LOL But we both like space, so the sidecar is perfect for whomever is feeling crowded to escape to or for the kid who wakes up in the middle of the night.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
--When we had cats they would either sleep on the foot of the bed or on the foot of the twin. That is if I didn't kick em out in the middle of the night. Funny story: I woke up one night at about 3am with DH plastered to one side DS#1 on the other and the cat trying to get comfortable by pawing at my feet. I was ashamed to say the cat flew a few feet before I realized what I had "kicked" out of bed!

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
--we have had to be creative when it comes to being intimate, but since one of our couches is a futon, that isn't a problem!
--we didn't have the wind down chatting as we cuddled in bed much after the boys joined us since they were light sleepers and would wake up with too much talking.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
--not while we were in bed with them. Each of the boys has rolled out of bed once but that was a nap time and no one was there. After that we put rails up on that side of the bed.

*8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
--I did most of the time. Once I learned how to sleep through the nursing, it was great. If one of the boys had a restless night it was hard though. DH usually ended up on the couch that night since he had to get up early.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
-- we a have regular bed rail on the twin which is where the kiddo would sleep if not between DH and I.


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## momofelise (Apr 13, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NightOwl*
I'm trying to figure out how we'll sleep when the baby arrives in June. Please answer these questions:

1. Why do you cosleep? Because I want my dd to feel secure, and it's easier to bf her

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? not sure; we've been co-sleeping three months (since birth)--we'll go to 6-9 mo. or maybe 2 yrs... playing it by ear

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Just me, dd, and dh

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? king bed and PLENTY of room (I'm 5'4" and DH is 5'6"; we're both thin)

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? yes, but the two dogs sleep on the floor

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? hasn't changed it much; hasn't hurt it

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? no

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? dh does; I do for the most part, especially now that I bf lying down

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? no; dd sleeps in between us

Thanks!!!!

overall, we love co-sleeping


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## mandalamama (Sep 1, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
i love having my daughter right next to me where i can care for her easily. i know i couldn't stand for her to be in another room. and i just knew she'd sleep better if she slept near us, if she learned from how we sleep (we wake up, go to the bathroom, go right back to sleep). she sleeps so well, i know my instincts were right.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
whenever she wants to. i can't imagine her going past 5, other than an occasional night when she needs comforting. she may surprise me and want her own room early. it's up to her.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
besides me and my husband







Willow age 6 months. and then there's Toby age 4 years, Karma age 8 years and Nikki age 18 years ... OH! you probably meant just the humans :LOL

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
queen size, and we're both big people. that's one of the reasons why we chose a bedside co-sleeper. although she ends up in my arms after her one wakeup to eat.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
at the foot of the bed.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
we're bonding in ways i never dreamed of. even when things are really stressful, the family bed has become an oasis where it's just the three of us.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
other than Willow accidentally picking my nose a few times, nope!









8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
he does. i have a sleep disorder so it's not due to co-sleeping. actually i sleep best when she's in my arms.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
the co-sleeper, so far. we're going to sidecar the crib when she outgrows it.


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## kadm16 (Apr 11, 2005)

1-Why do you cosleep?
Because I want DD to feel safe and secure and know that
I am there to meet her needs. Also because, after a long
day of chasing after a 4 yr old, it is nice to have some time
just for her, to cuddle and love.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep?
UNtil she decides she wants her own "space" or
bed or whatever she wants....I feel like it is
a commitment in the long term, that it would be
cruel for me to decide when she is ready to stop.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Hubby, me, and 7 week old daughter. Occansionally, our 4 yr old
son comes in.

4.How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
A queen size, I am petite, but hubby is not








we amnage just fine

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
on the couch-a dog

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?


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## kathipaul (Sep 24, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? Because dd refused to sleep in her crib from day one. She slept in her car seat until she outgrew it and then we started cosleeping. She needed to have the feeling of being snuggled, still does at age 2. It is easier to do this than be woken up all night long.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I think a child should be in their own age by puberty and it is up to them what to do before that.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Just me and my two year old in our queen bed. We kicked daddy out a long time ago so he could get a good night sleep. He works outside of the home and cannot take a nap during the day like we can.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? I am a size 14 average height gal and dd is a skinny, average size 2 year old. However, she takes up 2/3 of our queen bed with all her rolling about.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? Dog sleeps on his bed and cats sleep wherever they want, often in bed with either dh or with dd and me.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? Not really. He always went to bed before me and never liked fooling around before sleep so all that has changed is that he sleeps in another room.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? Nope. I always followed the safety guidelines. As a little babe, dd slept in a sleeping nest and now we use blankets and a bed rail to make sure she cannot fall out.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Yep.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? I wish I had used a cosleeper when she was a newborn. Maybe she would have like that option. We use a siderail on her side of the bed because the bed is in the middle of the room. We used a nest when she was very little. I recommend a nest for newborns.


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## desertpenguin (Apr 15, 2005)

1. Why do you cosleep? Mostly because ds and I sleep a whole lot better if we do. Ds didn't like it when he was *abandoned* in his bassinet! It makes bf a lot easier and I like cuddling with him too.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? I'm not sure how long this situation will last. He keeps kicking me in the stomach/crotch when I'm nursing him to sleep. I suppose he will sleep with us as long as we're both getting a good night's rest.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? DH (20), myself (18), and DS (almost 5 mo.)

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? We have a queen size bed, but I would love to have a king, dh likes to "sprawl out" hehe. DH-6'4, 220 lbs , Myself-5'3, 125 lbs , DS- approx 26 in, 16 lbs

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? No pets right now, except for fish, and I'm not sure I would want to share my bed with them! :LOL

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? DH not too crazy about sleeping with our son, but does like the early morning cuddles. DH and I have to be more careful to not wake our ds when "having relations" but other than that it's pretty much the same.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? I get kicked a lot, but that's nothing new!

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? DH always gets a good night's sleep, but sometimes ds keeps me from getting a good night's sleep because of teething/gas.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? We have a siderail for a precaution with a blanket stuffed in the crevice so ds won't get stuck in it.


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## feebeeglee (Nov 30, 2002)

1. Why do you cosleep?

Because it makes breastfeeding and nighttime parenting much easier.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?

As long as they like. I think they should be in their own bed after they move out of the house.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?

5yo dd 3yo dd 2yo ds 6mo ds 31yo me and sometimes 38yo dh

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?

We have a queen and a twin, both on the floor, and a soft pallet next to the other side of the queen.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?

We have one dog and he sleeps in the livingroom because he's uncomfortable sleeping with toddlers.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?

I don't think it has.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?

We put the mattresses low so it would be safe. My oldest daughter got stuck in a bed rail the one time we used it.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?

Absolutely.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?

See #7


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## Periwinkle (Feb 27, 2003)

1. Why do you cosleep?
It's easier, I get more sleep, and it feels good.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
Currently I'm a cosleeping newbie and am taking it one week at a time. I *plan* to cosleep until it is no longer working for us, i.e., until it is messing with my sleep or baby's.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
3 - me, dh, and baby (2 months). Older siblings (almost 3) have their own bed.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Queen. We're kinda big. He's 5'11" and 180, and I'm 5'7" and let's just say I haven't lost the pg weight yet.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
No pets.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
Too early to tell.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
No.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
YES! I cannot imagine walking down a hallway to feed my baby.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
We have a Mini Cosleeper that I almost never use. It has the diaper stuff in it and sort of acts as a siderail too I guess.


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## Plady (Nov 20, 2001)

1. Why do you cosleep?
Originally because it was a lot easier than lying awake worrying about whether the baby was still breathing and because nursing in bed was more comfy than dragging my exhausted self out of bed to do it somewhere else. Recently because we are used to snuggling and we haven't made any other arrangements in 3+ years now.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
We are just this week beginning to have dd sleep on a mattress on the floor (her idea), she still usually climbs back in with us around 5 am.
3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
3 - me, dh, dd 3.5

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
king, dh is a pretty big guy 6'2ish 200lbs, and he insists on using a body pillow which is about the size of a 7 year old kid. I'm not huge and I sleep in a pretty compact position

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
they sleep in the living room, aviary and fountain.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
It hasn't, dh was never a nightlong snuggler anyway.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
No.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Yes although I am okay now with dd moving to her own space.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
nope


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## daisyem (May 12, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep? *It felt strange not having my babies by me, so co-sleeping was the only way for us. It was also the easy way to nurse a babe who enjoyed nursing all night long







*

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed? *Dd co-slept until age 2 and then we set a toddler bed up right next to our bed to see if she would like it (I was 6 mo. preg and she was a wiggle worm all night lol). She loves sleeping in her own bed and so she still does. Now that ds came along, he co-sleeps with us and we will go with the flow*

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
*Me, dh and 8 week old ds*

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? *Queen, really wish for a King. Dh is 6'0 180 lbs. I am 5'6 140*

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? *no pets*

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*We just find different places to go







*

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*NOPE*

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? *Yes. I never had trouble until my dd was 2 and I was pregnant, which is why we set up the toddler bed*

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails? *No*


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## MamaHippo (Dec 4, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
-I like being close to DS when he cries, and not having to get out of bed. I also cant shake the nightmare of a fire in my house and DS being down the hall, and not being able to find him in the smoke.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? I would cosleep for a lot longer if it were just me and DS in the bed, but DH is anxious to 'have our bed back'. We are beginning the No-CrySleep Solution to wean ds from sleeping the whole night in our bed (he will still sleep with us for the wee morning hours).

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages? Me (24), DH(27), and DS(9 mo).

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP? We have a king bed. DH is 5 ft 7 and 150 lbs (not too large), and I am 5 ft 5 and a size 12. DS is a perfect 17 lbs, but he too takes up a lot of room cus he likes to sleep diagonal (insert Phish lyric here).

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep? 2 cats - they used to sleep with us but now they sleep in kitty beds in the hall.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it? I think DH resents the intrusion a little, and being frequently woken by DS's fussing. We do argue about it a bit.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt? DS has begun pulling hair and scratching, not intentionally. And DS did roll off the bed once when i was in the bathroom and DH fell asleep.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep? Dh sleeps ok but since DS is up hourly to nurse, i dont sleep too well. But far far better than if i had to traipse down the hall hourly.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? We have an Arm's Reach Co-sleeper. We used it a lot more when DS was under 6 mo, but now he can climb out of it, so we only use it occasionally at night if i am right next to him. We cant find any bedrails to fit a king bed, so we use lots of pillows to make a "Moat" around the bed.

Lisa


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## ma_Donna (Jan 11, 2003)

I didn't read1. Why do you cosleep?
- because I like my sleep and this is the best way to get it








- I can't imagine DS being in the other room
2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
- We said we'd do it for 6 mos and see how it goes, it's a year later. We're just going to see how we feel with it
3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
1 DS, 18mo
4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
Queen, DH and I are XL
5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
1 cat sleeps with us, she used to sleep under the covers in front of my chest, but she won't have anything to do with Noah, so now she sleeps on top of DH's chest or between our heads (if we leave her room)
6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I don't think it has had any changes, except maybe increased our sense of well being and joy of being a family
7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Nope








8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
DH is oblivious and I sleep better than if Noah was elsewhere - he still nurses fairly frequently
9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
We have a co-sleeper with 5" foam under the 'mattress' so it is the same level as the bed, you can do this with a crib, too and avoid the stupid rail


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## dinah (Aug 12, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
I can't imagine I'd sleep well without knowing my baby was there with me. The morning cuddle is great.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
Don't know - whenever it feels right to stop.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
3 month old son, me and DH.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?
King sized - We're both tall but not "large" if you know what I mean.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
Once cat, sleeps on the bed occasionally. I kick him off if he settles where I want to lay.

6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
I don't think so. Having a baby has but not co-sleeping per say.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
No

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Sometimes - but certainly better than if baby was in a crib.

9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
We have a snuggle nest (and it's great) but he's starting to out grow it and we'll soon have to stop using it. I like to sleep with the blankets over my head and I'm afraid I'd suffocate him so the snuggle nest takes care of that.


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## KyleAnn (May 24, 2004)

1. Why do you cosleep?
For the closeness, the snuggeling, and we love to wake up every morning as a family.

2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?
We will cosleep until ds wants to move to his bed. He has a big boy bed and lays in it from time to time, but always gets up and comes into our bed to sleep.

3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?
Just the 3 of us, dh, ds and me.

4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and
DP?
Queen. I am 5'9" 134, dh is 6'4" 230, ds is 2.

5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?
No pets, but he drags about 3-4 stuffed animals into bed with him...does that count?









6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?
We don't agree on the subject-he loves having ds there, but doesn't feel like there is enough room for the 3 of us....hasn't changed our relationship though.

7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?
Nope, never...unless you count dh getting kicked in the "boy parts" a few times.

8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?
Ds and I sleep like babies...dh says he gets kicked all night long, causing him to not sleep well.









9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?
Nope.

Hth.


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## liam's mom (Jun 18, 2003)

*1. Why do you cosleep?*
Lots of reasons. It started off because I didn't want to have to get up when ds wanted to nurse; also, I had done a lot of reading and talking to people and I believe that *usually* the best place for an infant was with his mother. Now, although he still nurses at night (he turns 2 in three weeks), I love the closeness cosleeping affords us.

*2. How long do you plan to cosleep? At what age do you think a child should be in their own bed?*
It's totally up in the air. We'll cosleep until ds lets us know he's ready for his own bed. I don't think there's a magic age at which a child should sleep solo.

*3. How many are sleeping in your bed now, what are their ages?*
Just one, and as I said before he is about to turn two.
*
4. How big is your bed? And if you don't don't mind...what size are you and DP?*
California King. I'm pretty average sized (ok, I have some chubb!) and dh is a bit larger than average.

*5. If you have pets, where do they sleep?*
We have three dogs. Two sleep with us.

*6. How has cosleeping changed your relationship with DP or has it?*
Nope! It really hasn't.

*7. Ever had any problems with anyone getting hurt?*
Nope.
*
8. Do you and DP get a good night's sleep?*
Pretty much, yes.

*9. Do you use anything other than your bed? I mean, like a cosleeper or siderails?*
No, but we did put our bed on the floor.

HTH.


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