thread: school age and toddler in same bedroom... how to get them to sleep

  1. #1
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,341

    school age and toddler in same bedroom... how to get them to sleep

    SO we have had to have DD and DS in the same room since we moved to a smaller unit.
    And it is having issues.
    DD is so tired in themornings for school as DS is awake and full of energy until about 830pm, DD could easily go to sleep by 7pm.
    but if i put her to sleep first them take himup at 830 he then wakes her while we are trying to get him to sleep.

    if i put him to sleep in our room and then move him , he wakes in the night and comes back down because he thought he was sleeping in our room


    who has this set up at home,. how do you manage it?

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Member

    Dec 2005
    3,130

    we have a 3 year old in with her 5 year old sister. they go to bed at the same time. sometimes the 3 year old will go to sleep first and i will let the 5 year old stay up. she will go lay with her little sis until she falls asleep and then come out to the lounge room later. occasionally my 5 year old will fall asleep first and her little sis will crack up a bit and say she cant sleep and cry but she doesnt really wake her older sis up. it has happened a couple times and i just get them to lay in the same bed together and that usually works. this usually happens if my youngest has had a nap during the day.

    could you hold off on your DS day sleep? or wake him up extra early so that he goes to bed earlier?

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jun 2007
    93

    We have our two in the same room too. Our little one was starting to muck up, so she goes to bed first. I tell her once she is asleep her brother will come in. This seems to work because my daughter doesn't want her big brother up without her! Maybe it will work for you as well?

  4. #4
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber & MPM

    Feb 2007
    Melbourne
    5,462

    Is your DS still having a nap during the day? If so, maybe that's what's making him wide awake at that hour? I had to cut my DD's daily nap down to one hour or she would be wide awake until 9pm. If your DS is still having a nap, it might be worth trying to either drop it or cut it down in length?

    Hope you find something that works for you all soon!

  5. #5
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,341

    We have our two in the same room too. Our little one was starting to muck up, so she goes to bed first. I tell her once she is asleep her brother will come in. This seems to work because my daughter doesn't want her big brother up without her! Maybe it will work for you as well?
    Problem being DS still has a little nap - so he isnt ready for bed by 630/7 and DD being at school is quite exhausted.
    So putting DS to bed first wont work

  6. #6
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,341

    we have a 3 year old in with her 5 year old sister. they go to bed at the same time. sometimes the 3 year old will go to sleep first and i will let the 5 year old stay up. she will go lay with her little sis until she falls asleep and then come out to the lounge room later. occasionally my 5 year old will fall asleep first and her little sis will crack up a bit and say she cant sleep and cry but she doesnt really wake her older sis up. it has happened a couple times and i just get them to lay in the same bed together and that usually works. this usually happens if my youngest has had a nap during the day.

    could you hold off on your DS day sleep? or wake him up extra early so that he goes to bed earlier?
    I have tried not to let him sleep but if he does to bed before 7pm (even with out a day nap) he is up at 5am

    DD crys because Ds is making too much noise at bed time

    i keep thinking i should just sleep in ds's bed with my daughter and DH can sleep with DS

  7. #7
    BellyBelly Member

    Dec 2005
    3,130

    how long does he nap for duing the day? i think it might be a matter of cutting it back to even half an hour during the day and putting up with a bit of an early rise. you might find that he starts to sleep in a little bit longer after a while.

    dont start sleeping with dd and your dh sleeping with ds because it will start a habit that you will find even harder to break. (i speak from experience there) LOL

    will he stop crying if she hops into bed with him? will they fall asleep together after having had a little chat and cuddle together?

  8. #8
    Registered User

    May 2007
    3,341

    he hasnt had a day sleep in about 6 months, but he is exhausted by 4pm that i usually just keep him up and unfortunately he will fall asleep on the after school run.
    so if he does fall asleep it is usually about 40 mins then i wake him up (this might be 1-2 time a week)
    so i guess doesnt really have a day sleep.

    it is so hard as we play musical beds as it is through the night so night sleep is exhausting for all of us.

    She wont hop into bed with him (there is only a Metre between beds anyhow) as she wants to sleep and he is a very restless sleeper and gets frustrated with him.

    omg i cant see any other option than putting her to sleep first and letting him stay up with Dh and i until 8 and then let him fall asleep next to us blah!!

  9. #9
    BellyBelly Member

    Dec 2005
    3,130

    the only other thing i can think of is if you put your dd to sleep in your room to begin the night and your ds in his own bed then he can carry on as much as he wants to without disturbing her. then when you go to bed take your dd into her own bed?

    you could even put a single mattress or a cot mattress on the floor in your room that way she isnt actually in your bed??