All families have different sleeping arrangements that work specifically for them and I think it’s safe to say I’ve tried nearly everything between both girls in hopes of getting better sleep. Between both girls I’ve put them to sleep in a crib, Pack n Play, Rock n Play, bedside sleepers, my bed, the floor…you name it, we probably tried it.
With my first, I was determined to get her to sleep in her crib at three months old after she grew out of the Rock n Play. We had a two-bedroom apartment at the time so I set-up a perfect princess nursery for her to sleep comfortably in. While the nursery was beautiful, the idea of having her sleep in it was a lot nicer than her actually sleeping in her own room.
I spent countless hours in her nursery every night; rubbing her back, rocking her, feeding her, singing to her, etc. Once I would finally get her back to sleep, I would put her back in her crib and head back to my room to sleep (or so I would think). She’d wake up every few hours and the cycle would continue. I did this for months…11 months to be exact. 11 months of sleep walking into her room, patting her back, rocking her, etc. it was exhausting.
When Ari was almost a year we took a family trip down to Cabo. I ordered a crib for the room to keep her on her same schedule of sleeping on her own and she absolutely hated it. The first night of our relaxing vacation consisted of her standing in the crib crying for me. It was terrible. And then I gave in. I brought her into the bed with me and she instantly fell asleep.
When we got home from vacation, I dropped her bedtime routine that clearly wasn’t working for us. I brought her into my bed to sleep next to me and it was amazing. We all slept better, felt rejuvenated and it was nice to have her close.
When I brought my second baby home, I knew co-sleeping was going to be the best option for us. We started her off in the Rock N Play for the first two months and once she outgrew it, we brought her into our bed.
Of course sleepless nights are to be expected with a newborn and all families are going to find something that works for them but co-sleeping is what works best for us.
Tips for safe co-sleeping:
Never co-sleep if you’ve been drinking or smoking
Sleep on a firm mattress and don’t use blankets or pillows (area should be clutter free)
Place baby on back and don’t over/under dress baby
