Advice needed re lack of sleep and bedroom configuration in 5 yr old

[*Ang*]

DS has just turned 5 and is still not consistantly sleeping through the night. This has been ongoing since he was around 8-10 months old. He used to have night terrors but these ended a long long time ago (ie 3 years ago) yet he still wakes.

We have tried everything from reward charts to sleep schools to different comfort items, lights on, lights off, music on, music off, sleeping next to him, EVERYTHING you could think of has been tried! And now we are exhausted.

He has been known to come into bed with us which generally isnt a problem except as he is getting bigger there is simply no room. DH is 6'5, I am 6' and DS is the height of an average 7-8 yr old even tho he is only 5. We have a queen sized bed and unless one of us adults moves it simply isn't doable every night. We have also been known to sleep in his bed with him (king single) so that we get some sleep but whichever adult is in bed with him ends up stiff and sore the next day. Quite simply put its just not working.

DS will also go into DD's bed in the middle of the night and sleep with her which then disrupts her and she ends up complaining but he sleeps through. We just can't win!

So I am after advice re bedrooms. We are contemplating putting DS and DD's beds together in the one room and making the other bedroom a book/toy room (we already have one playroom so this would be really for their desks, knick nacks and books which are currently in their bedrooms). The reasoning behind this is perhaps, just perhaps DS may sleep through the night if he knows there is someone else in the room with him...this has worked in the past when we have slept on the floor next to his bed.

So what I am really asking is those with 2 kids in a bedroom together - do they disturb one another? Are there any problems with them sleeping together in the same room that I havent thought of?

Any advice is much appreciated as we really are at the end of our tether.

[Jellyfish]

I have no first hand experience but my parents had a similar issue with my brother. They ended up getting a small mattress to put under their bed and he would bring his pillow and blanket, pull it out and sleep there as needed. I used to use it too if I was sick. Eventually he grew out of it but it meant in the meantime it wasn't such a disturbance.

[MummyDuck]

I don't have any experience either but think your idea is a great one, worth a try. If it doesn't work u can always move things back as painful as it would be.




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[Olive]

my friend did it with her 2 and 4 yr olds as the 4 yr old would really only sleep in their bed..is working really well for them! both boys are sleeping much better.
do it tonight, you've got nothing to lose

[Rivlas]

When small my grils were in the same room and there was no problem with they keeping each other awake. That is after the novelty wore off. My grandsons are in the same room and it's not a big problem Sure some nights they play but if one is tired and goes to sleep the other is usually not far behind.

Give it a try, you have nothing to loose and everything to gain if it works

[~Kim~]

My 5yo DD and my 2yo DS share a room. DD gets really cross when he doesn't sleep in there all night lol. I did it to get DS to sleep in his bed and so far it's working great. We even have night terrors to deal with. They are not quiet. Both my kids get them (lucky me - at least they're at different times a night). Still works. Occasionally DS wakes up (DD is far noisier with hers) but it's rare, and he's a light sleeper. If he does he usually is happy to go back to sleep as long as we tell him Darcy's still there and she's OK.

[RhiChiChi]

I think putting them in the same room would help him sleep. My sister & I slept in the same room until we were in our early teens. I remember having nightmares as a child but she never woke - mum heard me (their room was next to ours). You can only give it a go & see what happens - you have tried everything else. Perhaps do it on the weekend & decorate the room a bit & really talk it up.

[toomanyshoes]

DS 9 and DD 5 share a room, from time to time we have to remind them to stop talking and go to sleep but generally its fine and we have no troubles.

DD is sleeping a lot better now she has her brother in there with her. Her bed is on one wall with DS on the opposite, with a chest of draws in the middle.

[*Ang*]

Thanks for all your replies ladies.

Last night we gave it a shot, DD1 has a trundle bed under her bed so we pulled that out and set it up with DS. Talked it over with him that now he was sleeping in same room with DD that there was no need for him to hop into bed with anyone, that he was "safe" etc etc. He responded well to all that and besides a bit of intitial giggling they were soon sound asleep.

Not a peep was heard from him all night and I thought, yippee, its working...that was until 5 am and i poked my head in the room and guess who was curled up in bed with his sister.

Oh well we will still keep persisting and see if it makes any difference!

[Nai]

Ah well if they both sleep well like that then maybe they can share the bed My 2 girls sleep in the same room and they sleep better that way too. I think they like the comfort of knowing the other is there.