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So there is a very good chance we will be relocating and we will not be able to afford a 3 bedroom. Even if we don't relocate, we got notice that rent will be going up if we renew our lease. So we'll be moving to a 2 bedroom no matter what.
My dilemma- my children are young. One still sleeps in a crib and they wake up at different times and go to bed at different times. Both are very light sleepers. We need white noise in both their rooms plus a fan running just to help buffer any noise and help them sleep. They aren't the kind of kids where you could sneak into their room to put the other child to bed or else they'll wake up.
How would you go about transitioning from 3 bedroom to a 2 bedroom? I fear that they'll be waking each other up and be even worse sleepers than they already are.
Anyone dealt with this? How'd it work out for you? Any tips you can offer?
Mine have always had their own rooms, but we had a period of time during a relocation while in temporary housing where they slept in the same room for about a month. They were 5 and 2 at the time. What I did was take the 2 year old into bed (in a pack and play/crib) and let her fall asleep, or at very minimum, get drowsy. Then, I would bring the 5 year old to bed. The 2 year old would often stir, but the 2 of them would quickly settle and go back to bed.
I think the trick is to stagger the bedtimes and make sure they are both tired. Mine learned pretty quickly it wasn't play time, and they wanted to sleep.....
My kids started sharing a room by choice when they were 2 and 5 so that we could make the other bedroom into a playroom. It actually helped them sleep better by being together. Instead of waking up in the night and trying to get in bed with me, they got in bed with each other. Eventually, we started just putting them to bed at night in the same bed, which they chose to do for years. When my oldest was almost 8, she decided she wanted her own room again, so we moved her bed out into the other room and they slept separately for a while. Now they are back to sleeping together about 70% of the time, but sometimes my oldest decides she wants to sleep alone instead. It's unpredictable now whose room they will sleep in each night when they sleep together.
Overall, I think that having them share a room was really great because it really helped them bond and become very close. We have not had a big problem with them getting to sleep at night, though sometimes we do have to go in after a while and tell them to stop chatting and just go to sleep.
The white noise machine and fan both sound like good options, but I feel that if they are young enough, the transition will not be that difficult, and they will get "use to" having the noises the other might make after a short while.
Without knowing the age of the one in the crib, and the frequency he/she gets up during the night, it is really difficult to tell. If both sleep thru the night, should not be a huge issue after more than a week or so.
I read a sleep book a few years ago and it said studies show people in general sleep better when sleeping next to someone else. She even recommends having a sleep room with a big bed for everyone to sleep together in. If the baby is at least 18 months you can try to have them sleep in the same bed. Two of my kids are currently sharing a room, because my son's room was having electrical issues. They've been sleeping next to each other for well over a month and like it that way, so we'll let them for as long as they want. My son is also sleeping better and not getting up every single night like he was before. The baby sleeps with me, which I love.
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