Co-Sleeping and Bedtime

When you Co sleep, does baby/toddler/child go to bed the same time you do? Or do you settle them in your bed and then join them when you got to bed

• I have co slept with all my 6. Im currently still co sleeping with my 11 month old triplets. I settle them to bed by laying down feeding them in bed. They go to sleep between 6:30 and 7:30, then I get my mummy time awake. I join them in bed later, but with three I go in and resettle a bit by the time it’s my turn to sleep. I have two todler bed rails and I block the gap. And I line the floor with cushions Jess

•  Starts off in bassinet or cot then when they wake about 11pm to feed they are in bed with me for the night n open buffet (demand breastfeeding) Teagan

•  Some days I put my son in our bed if really unsettled & he goes to sleep straight away but most nights he falls asleep on the lounge will spend a few hrs in his bed them come into ours Natasha

•  We co sleep but the kids go to bed in their own beds at their bedtimes and come in later. Sometimes if the kids want to they go to bed in our bed but we just settle them (read a story all together) and go to bed ourselves later. I think you just do what works for you. I love my family all in the same room and getting to wake up with my three greatest loves within arms length is awesome Ingrid

•  I put my 12 mo to bed in his cot then he wakes about 2am then I put him in with us. Have done this since day 1 with him. Janelle

•  Our 15 month partly co sleeps with me atm as he wakes multiple times (5-10) during the night., day sleeps in his cot and night he is settled in his cot and I bring him to bed with me the next time he wakes after I have gone to bed. Tenille

•  When I was co sleeping I would put bub in cot/bassinette then when bub woke for first feed of night (usually 10ish) I would go to bed, feed in bed and we would sleep the night away it made it easier to transition fully to a cot when bub (& I) were ready. Melissa

•  I settle them into bed then join them later or on nights I’m super tired just go to bed at the same time Rose

•  I breastfed/lay with him until hes asleep and get up if Im still awake lol Heather

•  I have co-slept with my 10 week old since birth. She goes to bed at 8:30 with me. She is noisy but it seems the most natural arrangement to me Catherine

•  9 month old falls asleep in our arms around 7pm and we put him in his cot (in our room) around 8pm. We go to bed around 10pm and whenever he wakes for a feed (anytime between 11pm and 4am…) I put him in bed and we just fall asleep there. For his day sleep we have a snooze together on my bed Fi

•  goes to sleep in his own bed and usually hear the pitter patter about 5 in the morning lol if I lay down when he does I fall asleep! Georgina

•  Depends. Normally I would nurse her to sleep and then lay her into our bed and then either go to bed when I was ready, or if she’d wake up for a bottle, then I’d make it and usually just go to sleep then. I didn’t start co-sleeping with my daughter full time until she was 14months old, and from that day, she went from waking 4-6time a night, every night and taking over 30mins each time to settle back to sleep, to waking once a night and either wanting a bottle or to go to the toilet and then would fall straight back asleep. She is 3 now and sleeps in her own room. We have a mattress on the floor next to her bed so one of us can sleep on it if need be. Chantal

•  co slept with all 4 of our children until 2 years, they go to bed at 7 in their cot in our room then when they wake for a feed they’re in with us for the night. I’d never leave a baby sleeping alone on a bed, couch or where ever. Tammy

•  I co slept with my son from almost week one. I had a lot of trouble settling at first unless he was cuddled which resulted in it. Now at three months I’ll put him down in his own if he falls asleep earlier rather than our bed in case he wakes and rolls, which he often likes to do. He normally joins us around 3am when he wakes to feed and I bring him back to bed with me.Phylicity

•  my 2 yr old n 5 mth old both go to bed in their own rooms n join me n hubby thru the nite if needed Jodie

•  I settle my son in his cot in our room bout 7 he sleeps through til 4-5am then he comes into our bed just for those extra few hours. He’s 5months Belle

•  We co sleep with our 8 week old, we bath him, feed him, and put him into bed in his swaddle.. He settles himself to sleep and we join him later. We have a king size bed so plenty of room and he only wakes once or twice a night.. We’ve been pretty lucky with a good bub so far, hopefully it stays that way! Sheree

•  I would settle my bub in their own bed and then if I’m already in bed the next time they wake up they come in with me. With my first she didn’t have her own bed so I would put her in our bed and put pillows around her until I went to bed. It’s up to you how you want to go about co sleeping though. I found an hours sleep before bub came into my bed was great.Cherie

•  we have a 14 month old, he goes to bed about 7 and we go to bed later. We always make sure that the bed is set up so he can fall off (up against a wall on his side) we have a queen bed for us and he is in a single next to us Amelia

•  i usually take him to bed with me then wait til he’s asleep & move him to his cot. But half way through the night he usually ends up back in bed with me. Lol. Alysha

•  He goes to bed in his bed then when he wakes, comes into bed with us. Jess

•  When my boys were babies I’d lay with them until they fell asleep then get up and leave them if I wasn’t ready for bed or I’d put them to sleep in their beds and then put them to bed with me when i went to bed Skye

•  We’ve always settled baby in their cot then when he wakes through the night he comes to bed with us. That way I can have some alone time to clean up, shower, get ready for next day etc. Natalie

•  I pop my daughter in her cot for the first sleep of the night & she comes into bed with us when she wakes – anywhere between 11pm and 5am. I used to put her to sleep in the middle of the bed, surround her with pillows and line the floor with pillows on one side and an old doona on the other. We have a video monitor so I can see if she wakes and starts moving stealthily Bec

•  Settle then I go to bed when i want Rachael

•  We have always co-slept. Baby falls asleep at the breast or in the carrier, and I transfer him into the sidecar then go to bed later on Never had a problem.Monique

•  Starts in cot then will go back after approx 1am feed but when next wakes to feed (around 4am) will join us Julia

•  my dd goes to sleep before us so we cuddle up in bed, read her a couple of bed time stories then wait for her to fall asleep then get back up. Usually my husband is in charge of her bedtime as we also have another daughter who doesn’t co-sleep so I do her bedtime. Louise

•  i co sleep with a 2 yr old and a 2 month old. i settle the littlest one when hes ready for bed and then usually the toddler and i go at the same time as im in bed by 8.8-30 anyway! yay for co sleeping Ashlee

•  My son was feed to sleep & then I would either pop him in the bed when he was too little to roll off, but when he started rolling, I would put him on his day bed in the lounge until we were ready for bed. Now he goes in his cot but still comes in with us when he wakes during the night. Skye

•  my only child (& miricale as was told I couldn’t conceive) is 8 he is special needs and has sensory issues so tucking him in I rub his back till he is asleep bout 15minuets he is fine until lights and noise go off then bout 45 minutes later he wakes bed hopping into mine, night lights and radio don’t trick him either it’s not his body clock I have tried various times of going to bed you may find your child especially if not sharing a room difficult to get to sleep by him / her self I do think they grow more confident and thus out of this stage. Lucy

•  my daughter is 3 and have co slept since she was born, I use to just go to bed with her but wouldn’t sleep straight away. When she got about over 2 I would settle her in the bed and then sometimes go back to the lounge room or do some cleaning and go back and join her. Amanda

•  My daughter is 7 now and she’s been in my bed almost every night since about 5 months old and pretty much the whole time I’d put her in my bed on her own then go to bed when I was ready but then if she was having trouble sleeping I’d just got to bed early with her and read my book till I was ready to sleep…Leonie

•  we would always settle her in her own cot so eventually when we would go to train her back into it the relationship with it was there. Then when she woke the first time, usually about 11pm we would bring her in with us. If she woke before we were in bed, we would quickly go to bed and all snuggle down together! Kelly

•  my 18mth old co sleeps with us. He sleeps at 7. N we’d join him later Serimz

•  We have has several attempts to get him in his own bed but he just will not have it Ashlea

•  we have co slept with # 4 since birth, he is now 2. He goes to bed with the rest of the kids at 7.30. We just put him in our bed, give a goodnight kiss and cuddle and he snuggles in and goes to sleep. When we come to bed he will stir but just cuddles into one of us and goes back to sleep. Things were done a bit differently when he was younger. Ashlea

•  I settle my little miss, then join her when I go t bed Q4 my friend is a community midwife and they always suggest SMA formula Rebecca

•  In the early days I would try to put bubs to bed earlier than me purely so I could get a bit of me time. But some nights she’s really hard to settle so I go to bed along with her. It’s really up to you so long as you look for your child’s tired cues & respond accordingly as well as making your bed as safe as possible while you’re not there to supervise. Now that she’s of an age where she’s rolling around & crawling I put her down in her cot until Im ready to go to bed & only bring her to bed with me when she wakes overnight. Katerina

•  I coslept my first two girls, id put them to bed when they were ready, I usually got up to do other things but occasionally fell asleep with them. Both were in their own beds at 2.5-3 but one still come back in occasionally in the early hours of the morning. My twins didn’t like cosleeping. Karla

•  We co sleep with our 10 month old. He goes to bed when we do & sleep through most nights Melissa

•  If bub falls asleep before I do, she’ll be in her cot but will come to bed with me when she wakes for her next feed. Kristie

•  i co sleep with my 5 month old. She normally falls asleep in the lounge room. Ans when im ready for bed i move her into our bed in her sleep positioner. Kelly

•  We would co sleep with my LO early in the morning when LO woke for feeds from 5am or when sick. Now we get sleep through most nnights LO is in the cot most nights Sami

•  With our first i was a mix of everything. For a while i had her sleep on her little fold out couch in the tv room until i went to bed and moved her to our bedroom. Then i allowed her to stay up. And then after that i would settled her in our bed. We also went through a time where i put her in her bed then moved her when i went to bed. All worked for a period of time. I say if you want to go the co sleeping method then be prepared to change as their need does. Thats basically what this style of parenting means. With our second and third it was completely different because they were and so was i. With bub 4 its different again! Kristie

•  I’d never leave my ds in our bed without me there coz he’d crawl off and hurt himself… I always get him to sleep in his cot if I’m not ready for bed, then I bring him in when/ if he wakes up.. our bed is also positioned so that the only way he can crawl off is over the top of me Zoe

•  I co slept with both my boys. Each time was for around 3 months. I used to just put them to sleep in my bed and join them whenever I went to bed. Natalie

•  my bubs cot is attached to our bed so he is settled in his part and during the night if he wants a feed he comes into our side might sleep there for a bit untill i put him bck on his side or he goes back himself. he is put to bed several hours before we go to sleep Tanya

•  I have a VERY attached nearly 10 month old velcro baby who falls asleep while I feed her sitting in the lounge room doing work on the computer. Depending on how settled she is and when I finish my work, I will transfer her to our bed which usually involves more feeding. Then I usually get up to have some time to myself, clean the house up, get ready for tomorrow etc before I join her in bed when I am ready. Mel

•  We co slept with our first born who is now two. But when she was little meaning a baby we would put her to sleep in our bed after her last feed and we would join her at that time. She’s now in her own bed. With our second born she sleeps in her cot to start off with and when she wakes during the night for a feed usually 3-4am we put her in our bed for the last few hours before getting up for the day. She’s 1 next week! Hope that helps Cassandra

•  I partly co sleep… I put ds in his bed and when he wakes he usually comes into our bed for the rest of the night/morning… But if he is having a bad night I go to bed with him as he would fall out in his sleep…Ashley

•  We do a combination of co-sleeping and bed sharing with our almost 1 year old. If he falls asleep early we will put him in his cot, which is next to our bed, and if he wakes during the night I’ll bring him into the bed for a feed and then he will stay sleeping with us until morning. If he’s up late or we go to bed early then we will take him in the bed with us from the start. During the day he sleeps in his cot. El

•  my 2 yr old still co sleeps, he has had a bassinet, cot and now its a toddler bed, but at some point in the night he wants his nappy changed, few sips of water and a cuddle. as im pregnant with twins theres very little room so once asleep i put him in his bed, or sometimes he cuddles up on daddies side for entire night. i have never put him in our bed to join him later but have never worried if he ends up in our bed. its completely natural even at 3yrs old to want that comfort with mum/dad its not just a newborn things Charlotte

•  My 9 m.o starts off in his cot, then joins me when i go to bed, or, i put him to sleep in the bed, then sit there and watch tv or fb via mobile Peta

•  When we co sleep we fall asleep in bed with him, if its early we watch tv for a bit Jayde

•  Me and my little boy bed shared for a few months. It was great for us and I think it is perfect for both mum and baby if it is done safely. Sometimes I would stay up and read or watch tv next to him and sometimes we fell asleep together. Nights that I wasn’t ready to lay down, he went into his crib because I didn’t want him in a big bed alone. Thinking about it now, he would have been fine. Zach is almost three and we still have days where we sleep together. I love waking up to him. Kelley

•  Toddler goes to sleep then I join her but ATM I’m trying to get her back into her own bed Melissa

•  Ours is nearly 2…we have moved her to a cot connected to our bed with one side down as she is a small ninja…she goes to bed about two hours before us…if she wakes we resettle her but because it smells like Mummy and Daddy it’s unusual to get lots of wakeups before we get to bed. Jacqueline

•  I go to bed at the same time, I might watch telly or like now go on my phone if my little one won’t settle but if he settles on his own I let him sleep before I get into bed too we have a really great my first little bed love it any more info Lauren

•  have done both with my son…he’s about to turn 3 and generally we all go to bed at the same time. But when he was a little younger, we would settle him, leave and then join him.been co-sleeping since 5 1/2 months, stays with me the entire night. We have a queen mattress and single mattress on the floor next to each other. Hubby on the single, and my son and I on the queen.Melissa

•  I put her to sleep for 6.30/7pm then join her later when I’m ready Jessica

•  I sometimes co sleep. Put him in the bed at his bed time. He usually puts himself to sleep if not I cuddle him then I go to bed later. But he always sleeps on the side with a wall. Never had issues Sally

•  my DD goes to bed when I do. If she naps before then, it’s either on me in her carrier or in her bassinet in the living room Katiee

• I Co sleep in the same bed with my 3 month old. I have ever since he was 1 week old. He sleeps in my arms. I have had a lot of people chastise me for it but he is my baby and I do what works for me and this does. I don’t fear rolling on him as I don’t think I go into a deep sleep. I wake as soon as he stirs.Ally

• When DD was little we would put her into her cot until we went to bed, but now she is 2 & if she is cosleeping we put her into our bed on her own but surrounded by pillows. (Our bed is off our lounge room & she can be seen at all times Nikki

• settle in bed then come to bed myself a little later. Jasmine

• my nearly 1 year old has fallen asleep in lounge room or been put to sleep in lounge room, I then leave him there till I go to bed then take him in with me. Jody

• Falls asleep in my arms and I can get her into her cot for a while.. When she wakes for a feed through the night she comes into bed and goes straight to sleep Karen

• same time. Tahnee

• When I use to co sleep, I always went to bed with my daughter as I fed her to sleep. Kristen

• I cosleep with my toddler and have my baby in a cot in the same room. I settle my bub in the cot first, then both my daughter (2 yo) go to bed at the same time when she is tired. Michelle

• we had him in the lounge asleep until we went to bed then took him with us! He slept with us till 6mths then in to his cot Caitlin

• When we co sleep I cuddle with my toddler till they fall asleep at their bedtime then once asleep I leave and come back when I’m ready for bed.Lauren

•  Was only thinking the same thing today. Yes, we do naps and bed time together! Jen

• I put him in the portacot which is upstairs where I spend most of my time, then take him to bed downstairs with me when I go sometimes it’s when he wakes up or else I’ll just grab him and if he sleeps, great, if he wakes up from being carried I feed him in bed to sleep Rebecca

• I put my 19month to sleep in lounge room n once asleep she has a fold out lounge I lay her in. When I’m done doing everything n ready for bed a take her with me. I feel safer having her in her lil lounge on the floor then her waking in the room or falling out of the bed. I’ve also got a single bed ensemble up tight with my queen bed. That way she’s next to me but I have my own space too. U will find what works and wats right for ur lil one xx Missie

• My bub is 11 months, but have only been co sleeping since separation anxiety kicked in a couple of months ago. I put him to bed between 6/7 and I usually feed him in bed. Then he drops off and I get back up. Pile pillows round him and have the monitor on. He usually wakes once or twice more before hubby and I join him Tess

• I use to go to sleep with my kids if I was getting them to go to sleep in my bed, sometimes I would sneak out but only if they were in a deep enough sleep Katie

• I put him to sleep in my arms then put him in bed. I go in later, hes 2 1/2. Leah

• My daughter started going to bed in her own bed at 10 weeks then would come into my bed after first feed. She is 20 months and still comes into my bed if she wakes during the night. Kate

• I lay down with bub and play around on my phone while she goes to sleep then get up for a while and go to bed when I’m tired Or I let her fall asleep in my arms before I lay her down.Rachael

• I co-sleep with my toddler (not my choice though lol) I sit on my bed on my laptop or watching tv once he is asleep but that wouldnt work for everyone if their baby/toddlers are light sleepers lol Ash

• I did both sometimes he was ready for bed before me sometimes we would just go to bed together just depends what time he was tired we had no routine until 15 months Georgina

• we didn’t sleep in the same bed but she slept in the arms reach cosleeper and we went to bed at our time and the bubs went to bed at her time that was til she was about 8mths Alicia

• I settle then in cot beside our bed then they come in later or not…such a flexible approach means there is no stress, no crying or sleep training and they just go to sleep in their own beds when they are ready..#1 at 3yrs old and #2 still cosleeping with aged 16mths… Natalie

• Co sleep I Put him to bed in his bed but he wakes and ends up with me every night.Taiya

• I’ve done both, depends on the day and what the next days plans are etc. I’m an insomniac so my kids always fall asleep long before I do though. Lucinda