How Do I Get Back to My Own Bed???

How about putting your son on a mattress on the floor of your room until he learns to sleep alone in his bed (although not in his room)? This won't solve your longer-term sleep problem of not having your own space at all, but it might start the process for your son to get used to being alone in his own bed. Good luck.

This is not the time to force your son out of your bed. It is going to create way more behavioral problems. You do not want him feeling like he is being replace by the baby. What you need to do is try to figure out a sleeping arrangement that makes EVERYONE happy. There is nothing wrong with co-sleeping. What you have created is what is called a family bed. It is very natural, normal and NOT a bad habit. It is also something that is practiced in more countries around the world than crib sleeping is. You have a lot of options at this point. What worked for us was having my DH take over the night time wakings (he also does the bedtime books and snuggles until she falls asleep but I am a SAHM so I'm okay with them having this special time together). My DD will wake at some point around 4 ish or so and come into our room. DH will just walk her back to the room and crash out on her floor. He could come back into our room if he could only stay awake for the 2 min or so it takes my daughter to fall back to sleep but he normally just passes out. This is working for everyone and everyone is getting plenty of sleep. I am currently co-sleeping with my almost 14 month old son so that is why daddy to over with our daughter (we side cared our crib just like you would use a co-sleeper so he still has his own space when he wants it). Some other things you can try are putting a sleeping bag or mattress on the floor of your room so your son can sleep there when he wakes in the middle of the night. Just being in the same room may be enough for him and he won't even need to wake you up. Just crawl into his spot. You could also put your mattress on the floor in your bedroom and then put the full sized mattress on the floor next to it creating one huge snuggly bed for everyone. Your son can snuggle with daddy and you can snuggle with baby. Everyone gets the sleep they need and you get all the extra snuggles with your children you could want. Before you know it your son will be asking for his own room and his own space as he matures and wants more privacy. It's the natural order of things and a far easier transition for you son then just sticking in his room and forcing him to "grow up" before he is ready.

I can totally empathize. I have an almost 5 year old that I've co-slept with since he was a baby. For the first years of his life, it was just the two of us, so it was really easy. Now, I'm engaged, so that presents a little problem.

Currently, my son has his own bed in my room, which is sandwiched between my bed, and the wall. His mattress is about 4 inches lower than my mattress, so that keeps him from rolling onto my bed. I still lie with him in his bed until he falls asleep, and he, too, will wake sometimes in the night for either a drink, or from a dream, or just to be comforted back to sleep. I do have to say, though, that he does fall asleep pretty quickly, and when he wakes, he goes back to sleep quickly, too. This actually works pretty well for us. I am in no hurry to push him out of my room because his room doesn't have any windows, and I will not allow him to sleep in there for safety reasons. So for now, our arrangement is the best it can be. Just an fyi, my dad built an apartment for me on his property when I was a young, single adult, and with the lay of the land, the one tiny spare bedroom/office room was built back into a hillside, so it couldn't have a window, which didn't matter at the time. Plus, I do enjoy our snuggle time, and I love him falling asleep close to me. I have no regrets about that, whatsoever. He was a high needs baby, and although before I had him, I swore I'd never put a baby in my bed, when I realized how much better we both slept when we slept together, well, it was a no-brainer. Anyhow, we will be moving into bigger home in the spring, and I plan to start having my son sleep in his own room then.

I have the same worries you do in terms of him feeling pushed out. I plan to have another baby, God willing, and I have felt that he needs to be sleeping on his own prior to that because I can't have him on one side, and the baby on the other, and the husband, well, wherever he can fit. So I plan to try to transition him as soon as we move. I will still make a place for him near me to come in the middle of the night if he needs to, but I will have him at least start out in his room.

Your situation is a little different, but maybe the best solution for you would be to actually move your son into your room, something like I have now with a twin bed next to yours? If you have the mattress height difference like I do, that would keep him in his bed, you could still be with hubby in the big, comfy bed, and have the co-sleeper on the side by daddy. Or, you could put the co-sleeper on your side, and just put the twin bed in your room, but not next to your bed.

I know you will get some grief here for co-sleeping, and you will be told that you created this dilemma by co-sleeping, but don't beat yourself up about it. You did what felt right to you and your son, and only YOU know what that is. Let the rest roll off your back. I do.

Best wishes to you...

maybe just do like a 20 min bedtime story or whatever and after that he has to stay in his bed alone if he gets up nothing to drink but water and then he has to go right back to bed maybe even keep a water bottle in his room on his nightstand for him and this way if he is thirsty he can take a drink and go back to sleep but if he come gets mommy he needs to go back to bed asap and not sleep with mommy and daddy. as for baby maybe look into getting a crib or something and put it right beside your bed so you still feel close but as baby gets older it does not cause a problem

Since you're asking how to stop sleeping with your son that is what we should be helping you with, Set it up as he has reached a great age, an age where kids sleep in their own rooms, combine it with new sheets or something new in his room, glow in the dark stars on his wall, something.Your first goal is to get him to go to sleep in the evening by himself, dont work on the middle of the night thing yet. Tell him stories and read and cuddle and make sure he has what he might want, nightlight, stuffed animal, water bottle, etc. If he gets up quietly put him back to bed, if he calls you in just reassure him you are still around but dont lie down with him.
I'm surprised you give him milk throughout the night Isnt that really bad for his teeth? Maybe that should be your first goal switching him to only water throughout the night. Have a nice water bottle that he keeps next to his bed and can sip throughout the night. Good luck, I know I'm a better mom with a good night's sleep I hope you and your hubby can get back to sharing a bed you need that connection! and you need a good night's sleep