Can a 4 year old share the same room as a newborn?

[Nelly4]

We have a son who turns 4 in May and Baby #2 due in November.

Our old house is only 2 bedrooms and we are debating whether we need to convert one of our loungerooms into a bedroom or if our children can share a room. Ideally we would like them to share. We are also getting built in robes made for our bedrooms at the moment so this will be able to clear some of the toys etc on the floor and make room for an extra bed.

I know of children that share a room when the age gap is closer - is 4 years too much? Will my baby be waking up DS too much during the night?

I think bubs will sleep in our room for a couple of months first then I'd like to move them into the same room as DS.

I'd love to hear from ayone who was in this situation - Thanks!

[*Belle*]

I would say no to newborn hon, I kept my newborn with me in our room until 6 months and then my girls shared a room. If they share a room at newborn you are going to have 2 kids up all the time at night, I wouldnt recommend it.

[Cranky Kitten]

I'm on the flip side here - when my DD was born, we put her straight into her cot in the room she shared with her sister, who was 8 at the time I think. Mind you, Older Sister was only with us every second weekend, DD had the room to herself the rest of the time.

I found that OS was quite a heavy sleeper and DD very chilled out, so was lucky in that DD rarely if ever woke OS even when kicking up a fuss. I think it comes down to the individuals - if your DS is a light sleeper or has a tendency to wake in the night you could be letting yourself in for a few headaches, but if he's generally a good sleeper you should be fine.

[wysiwyg]

We will only have 2 years gap, but in a 2 bed apartment - but my intention is that number 2 will be in with us until feel his waking over night is suitable for him to go in with my DD. If he is like her that will be at 3 months (as I think if waking once a night will be ok with DD as based on how she reacts to noise now this won't bother her) but he may be in with us for much longer. My mum will be staying with us for a while 8 weeks after this one is born anyway and she will be in with DD so DS has to be in with us (if my dad visits for a few weeks too, is going to be very cosy :-))

[mbear]

I wouldnt....i would prob have newborn in with me for as long as possible. I couldnt think of anything worse if baby woke at 5am for their morning feed, and i had a 4 yr old to settle back to sleep too. What would happen when baby has day sleeps ?Does your son play in his room during the day....coz him having the opportunity to do that would be very limited, esp in the first few months, when all they seem to do is sleep. I dunno, its a tricky one. I personally would keep newborn in my room.
GL .....

[LimeSlice]

DD2 is in with us at the moment, and we have her nursery set up in a different room, but the plan is at the moment seeing how she sleeps after 9-12 months and then they will most likely share a room, and we will use the other as a toy room for them, and I can reclaim the 'activity' room.

Anyway, my newborn is a very good sleeper, and my 3 year rarely wakes overnight anymore. The newborn is a light sleeper, but sleeps through most nights and has done for a month.

I think the only way you will know is to wait and see what type of baby you will have. DD1 cried when she woke as a newborn, DD2 only grunts, DD1 woke at the latest every 4 hours, DD2 wakes once overnight only most nights.... They are both different, but I am hoping that the 'good' sleeping trend continues and they can both go into the same room when DD2 moves out of our room.

[~clover~]

I had all mine in my room for a few months.

DD2 went into DD1's room at 9 months. DD1 was almost 4. Didn't bother her.
Then (Coz DD1 is difficult) DD2 & DS have shared a room on & off since he was 8 months.

I don't know what to do next, coz there are no more rooms & DD1 & DD2 clash massively! I might just keep DD3 in with me & move DD1 into the garage... It is built onto the house, off the loungeroom...

[Nelly4]

Thanks everyone for your comments. My son is quite a sound sleeper and always has been since he was a baby but I don't think it will work straightaway.

I have come to the fact that although I would like No. 2 to go straight into his/her cot when they are born, its not practical so we will have to get a bassinet to have in our room.

Also, my DH will probably have to sleep in our back loungeroom as he works shift work and I can't have him waking up all the time during the night.

Arrrh, its such a dilliema but when we bought the house we hadn't really planned on kids yet - we were kids ourselves!

[~clover~]

It'd be alot easier for you having bub in your room. Getting up for every feed will be so much harder if you have to go to another room to do so.
Thats why mine are in with me for so many months

DH was ok to sleep in bed, because I wake before DD starts really crying & she's fed & back to sleep before he'll even stir

Its frusterating the next day though... when he doesn't realise just how many times I'd been up over night!

[Nelly4]

Thanks Clover. I'm not sure that DH would be ok in the same room as the baby and I. When we had our first son, we actually had a queen size bed in his room so I slept in there for the first month or so just to make it easier and we preferred DS to be in his own cot from the start. When he started sleeping through after a few months, We got rid of the spare bed in his room and I went back to sleep in with DH.

Its hard becasue DH works 3 shift, days, afternoons & nights and also weekends most weeks so I'd rather he get the sleep - especially if I am staying home for a while this time.