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A few weeks ago we made the decision to convert little man’s cot bed into a bed (though we have only taken one side off as he will be getting a full size single when baby needs this). He hadn’t started climbing out, but we were having issues with him going to bed and his bedtime and wanted to get him into some kind of routine before baby arrives. Although if he has nap, especially late in the afternoon falling asleep in the car or something, he just will not go to sleep early no matter what! He doesn’t usually nap though, he hasn’t done since just after he turned 1.

Our usual routine went like this – there was none! 


He was such a nightmare to get to bed on his own and would usually go to bed when we went and then co-sleep with us all night. Anyone who knows me knows I love co-sleeping but it was just getting too uncomfortable for me and I couldn’t actually sleep at all. 


If he did go in his own bed, it would be after falling asleep on either of us with his bottle. And sometimes that didn’t even work because as soon as you put him down (having to lower him down) he would most likely wake straight up and then not go back to sleep, so he would just end up in with us anyway. 


So the reason we converted his cot bed into a bed, was so that it might feel a bit more like ours and he would go to sleep in it and stay in it a bit longer – if not all night. To add to the big bed ‘feel’ we also bought him a proper duvet and a pillow. 


For the first 3 nights, he still had his bottle with us, and then we would put him in his bed, but it was easier because we could just slide him in. He slept in there ALL night! And then he got ill. So he started coming in with us again as it was just easier. 


Fail.


When he was better, we decided that giving him his bottle in bed might be easier – if he fell asleep with it, that is. One of us sat with him though as I think he prefers someone to be there. 


Success!


He fell asleep. Miracle.


Ever since then he has gone to sleep in his own bed. At a reasonable time too – between 7pm & 8pm. I cannot actually remember the last time this happened. Sometimes though, he does still wake in the night and I wake up to find him in our bed – I must get a gate on his door! 


But I am just so glad now that he has a proper bedtime routine, as this is what was stressing me out and upsetting me the most. As well as him being incredibly grumpy because he was so obviously tired, I would often be in tears as we never got any downtime to relax or time to ourselves in the evening, but now we do, almost every night.


Thanks, little man. (Please keep it up!).


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Stacey

I’m Stacey, in my mid-late 30’s, from a tiny village (officially a hamlet) in Lincolnshire.

I’m a mum to two handsome boys. They’re both diagnosed autistic but that only makes them different, not less. Barney, a Frenchie x Beagle, is my furbaby. Owner of a husband too!

Blogging about lifestyle and books with a bit of everything else thrown in!

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