How to set up a side car sleeping arrangment for a 16 month old?

[purplecat]

Hi I am just wondering if anyone has any suggetions on how to set up one of those side car cot set ups next to the bed for a 16 month old to sleep in? Do you just get a cot, remove one side, put something under the mattress to make it level with the main mattress or is there more to it than that? How do you stop it moving away from the main mattress? and plug up the gaps?

where do you put your glass of water and the alarm clock if the cot is where the bedside table normally is?????

I saw some side car beds online but theyare for up to 5 months old only.

OUr little darling has never been a great sleeper, but is still waking between 1 and 3 times per night and seems really scared when she does. She now stands up in her cot too so will never just wriggle around and re settle herself, which she has done in the past. A quick feed normally works, but I am finding now that I am back at work I am just so flippin exhausted all the time - 1 wakeup I can manage, more than that and I am toast. We have worked out by bringing her into our bed that all she wants is for someone to hold her hand. Naaw. Trouble is, I just cant sleep with her in the bed. She kicks and wriggles and ends up on my head. I could def. sleep with her next to the bed in a side car though. I cant see her growing out of this need anytime soon - in fact as soon as she can work out how to climb out of the cot or goes in to her own bed I am pretty sure she will be coming in to our bed every night!!! The side car option just seems the best compromise. It will make those night feeds easier too; she def. still seems to need one if she wakes anytime after 4am (and sleeping to 4am is an awesome night in our house!!).

Any ideas on the practicalities of how to do it? and whether it worked for you?

Thanks

[minties]

Click here (http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/turn-your-crib-into-cosleeper.html) for some ideas of what others have done.

Instead of securing the bed and cot together we pushed the cot against the wall and the bed right up to it. Our bed is heavy enough that it doesn't move. You could get a bit of foam cut at clark rubber to fill the gap. I've also heard of ppl filling a smaller gap with a pool noodle but i don't know how safe that is. Since there is no bedside table I just have a bottle of water in the top corner of the bed, DH has an alarm clock on the other side but I don't need one.

This worked well for us for quite a while. Now DD is on a mattress next our bed and comes in to us when she needs. She is a night cuddler and hand holder too:goodvibes:

[naebie]

We did exactly what you are saying, took off one side, and leveled it with our mattress with pillows and filled the gap between the two beds with a wooden board topped with pillows so DD wouldn't fall through. We placed it a bit further down the bed so I could still have my bedside table going. To feed I'd just wiggle down the bed a little more.

[purplecat]

Excellent, thanks! Also, what about day sleeps? Did you buy a new cot for your bedroom, or sleep bubby in a portcot in own room for day sleeps and move big cot into main bedroom ?

[naebie]

DD slept in her sidecar cot for day sleeps, because by that age she could get up and down from our bed, and I usually fed her to sleep.

[Bubbles10]

I think i have gone the povo version. We took one side of the cot off and this side is up against the bed. I still have a bedside table, and the head of the cot butts up against it.

The cot height is below the bed height and we haven't changed this. Didn't fill the gap with anything either, the cot mattress is up against the bed mattress and doesn't move. The gap is minimal on the other side and hasn't been an issue. DD was 12 months when we set it up like this, with a younger bub i'd probably be a bit more pedantic.

My DD hated the cot before we took the side off. I think it was just too closed in for her.

Having our set up has allowed us to get her used to falling asleep in the cot, with either DH or i lying on the bed next to her. Much more comfortable for us! I can reach in and settle her before she gets too worked up. Also, she is able to crawl in to us when she needs a cuddle or a feed.

Most nights DD now doesn't feed at all, and more recently she will stay in her cot all night. I think this has come about because we have made it an ok place for her to sleep.

If she sleeps during the day, she will either sleep in the cot (if she feeds to sleep on the couch and i transfer her) or in our bed (if i feed to sleep there and then sneak out). Either way, she will either call out when she wakes or just crawl to the edge of the bed and slide off backwards.

[Laksa]

Heheh, you co-sleeper you! :laughing::goodvibes:

Mine just slept with me but I would have jammed the cot between the wall and one side of the bed. Day sleeps were same place as night, with a barricade of pillows lol

[bada]

We've got an Ikea Gulliver cot which converts to a toddler bed by removig one side and next time around intend to use it as a side car in this way http://www.freewebs.com/sidecarcrib/

[trishalishous]

we removed the side of our cot, and put it against the bed.
I hang my glasses off the rail, and pop my drink bottle up one end of the cot.
I dont have a bedside table anymore (which is what I miss most)
for day sleeps DD goes in our big family bed :)

[purplecat]

Haha laksa don't tease!!!! James McKenna would be proud yeh? I am not anti co sleeping, just anti having her IN our bed, as I just can't sleep. One of my little idiosyncrasies is that I don't like to be touched by anyone when I am sleeping!!!! :laughing: before sleep? Fine. When I wake up? Cuddle me stupid. Just don't touch me while I am asleep... It wakes me up and makes me grumpy!!!!!! So I thought if she was next to me in her own space where I can still hold her hand, reassure her, say shh and feed easily that could work. I just can't imagine this situation improving anytime soon, in fact if anything I expect it will get worse as she gets more vocal, more determined and starts having nightmares. Even DD1 who was an incredible sleeper started coming in every night from 18months (she was in a big bed so could get out), but as she could talk and was very co operative I just put a mattress on the floor and told her to sleep there when she woke up, but don't wake mummy up, and she just did it!!! Freak.

I like the idea of the ikea cot, it looks really simple an compact and is a shed load cheaper than buying another one like we already have.

I really think this is going to work... I will be able to sleep if she is next to me but not touching me, and she will be happy and reassured I am SURE!! won't have room to swing a cat in our bedroom but hey small price to pay....

[purplecat]

well we've been off to ikea to get a gulliver cot today (thanks for the tip caritas!!!). Havent set it up yet though. DH has been sleeping on her floor the last 3 nights holding her hand from 2am to the 5am (feed), as it seems she just wants someone near and holding her hand. I have had the flu so needed a few nights solid sleep to recover.

Just wondering when people bring bubs into the side car cot - ie from the beginning of the night - 7pm in her case? from first wake up? etc. I'd rather put her to bed in her own cot, mainly so we can use our bedroom up til our bedtime; then I was thinking bring her in when we go to bed, give a quick feed and settle her there. Or alternatively just bring her in if she wakes up before her feed at 4-5am. (We have confirmed she need this feed still, as DH says up to this time she is happy to hold his hand and go back to sleep, but after 4am she starts getting cross and pushing him away!!! so thats when he's been bringing her in to me for a feed). What do others do?

Not sure how this is going to work on weekdays when i need to get up at 6 to get ready for work and she normally sleeps to 645.. Hmmmm.

[Bubbles10]

we only have one cot and it is the side car one in our room, so she goes in there when she goes to sleep.

what goals are you trying to achieve? if it is to get her to sleep in her own room all night, i wouldn't wake her when you go to bed. i would let her sleep as long as she will, and then at first wake up move her to the side car cot. hopefully over time she will increase the time until she wakes.

my LO has always been in our room, and so our first goal is to get her to sleep in her own bed all night, and then hoping to move her further from our bed and then into her room. so, for us it is better tht she goes into the bed at first going to sleep.

[purplecat]

Gosh, I don know what my goals are. To get more than 2hrs sleep in a row. To not have to move so much when she wakes up. To not be so desperately exhausted every day.

No idea what my goals are for HER!!??

[Laksa]

When mine was around 17 months, he got a single bed. So I would boob him to sleep there, and he would come running down the hallway to me when he woke up.

Fingers crossed it works for you! I think just being able to lay there and slide bub over is much less tiring than actually getting up :)

[purplecat]

So at 17 months was he out of a sleep bag and under a doona? How old do they need to be before that's safe? She has nearly grown out of all her sleep bags and was wondering about using a little doona instead

[Bubbles10]

My DD is 15 months and uses blankets. It might depend how much your kid moves around, we sometimes have to fix the blankets when we go to bed but she usually stays under them.

I have DDs king single bed set up and deciding when we will do the transition. I am hoping she is comfy in there (cos she seems to like our bed!).

Have you read the No Cry Sleep Solution?

[purplecat]

Yep have read no cry and sleeping like a baby. It was a while ago though so might have another look. If I can find them!!!

She was up on and off between 2 and 550 gain last night with DH on the floor. Will probably set up cot today sometime..

[Bubbles10]

I found more ideas to try in NCSS than sleeping like a baby. The 'progress' was slower than the stories in the book, but it is getting better.

Some developements though have had nothing to do with anything we have done, just something that has clicked for DD. Up til 12 months, i hadn't slept more than 3 hours in a row since she was born. Then just after 12 months, she slept a 5 hour stint for the first time ever. :smiliedance: I would like to claim credit, but i think it was just that she was ready. Again at 15 months we had another shift and some nights she no longer needs a feed and if she wakes up she is ok with a cuddle to go back to sleep.

Does your LO sleep in the day? Could she be getting too much sleep in the day?

[Boobycino]

Yep, as a wonderful coincidence the cot was the same height as the bed! But yeah, we just wedged a rolled up towel on the other side of the cot mattress to make sure it stayed pushed against the edge of the bed neatly.

We did it at 8 months till about 11 months for a bit of sanity.

& I agree NCSS is a great book.

[purplecat]

Hahaha too much sleep in the day, I wish. She has one sleep for 1 to 1.5hrs max. She is a little fireball.

I can't find my ncss!!!! Waaaaaaaa!!!! Gonna have to wait til I can get to a library, not buying another one. Bum.

Yes i agree most babies just sleep longer when they are ready and it has very little to do with what we do; she did have a period for 6 weeks from 9 months old when she slept til at least 5am every night. Again just recently from maybe 14 months to 15 she would go til at least 4am. The latest phase of waking drom 2am onwards has only been the last 4 or 5 weeks, and seems to coincide with molars coming down. I guess I just want to make her secure and maximize my own sleep by putting her next to us, as I am sure once this phase passes and she sleeps better again it will only be a matter of time before the next phase comes and she needs us close again. At least if the side car is set up we have options, and can just brig her in

WHERE is my flippin book???

[purplecat]

Boobycino what did you do after 11 months?

[Bubbles10]

Hahaha too much sleep in the day, I wish. She has one sleep for 1 to 1.5hrs max. She is a little fireball.


mmm, maybe you have my LO's twin! Day sleeps are only new here (we were having none) and an hour is awesome.

My LO certainly has more energy than me, she is just go go go

[purplecat]

...well we tried out the side car cot properly last night and it was GREAT! Olivia came down with a temperature and a runny nose at about 5pm, and was really upset, so I thought hmm we are in for a long night.. DH has been sleeping on her floor the last 10 nights as I have been sick, but since I am feeling a bit better I said I'd do night shift. Anyway, took me 1.5hrs to settle at bedtime (which is very unusual, she normally goes straight down), but put her inher own room to start with. First wake up 1120pm, so brought her in to side car. I also had vapouriser on in my room as I still have a cough, and she now has a cough too so I thought that would help as well.
Anyway, she woke up about 4 times, but each time I just said shh shh and stroked her hair or held her hand and she went straight back to sleep! She was coughing all night which kept me up a bit.. and also I slept lightly as I was a bit worried she would try to climb out of the cot and I wouldnt hear her (but she didnt), so i kept checking on her. At 530am she woke up and sat up, then crawled over for a feed (which I did lying down), then I thought she might cuddle up and sleep next to me, but she grabbed her bear, crawled back to her cot, did a few puppy dog laps and fell asleep til 7am! Very cute. I thought she might come over for more feeds than normal as I was right there next to her, but she didnt. It appears she really only wants/needs that 5 ish feed now.

So even though I am a bit tired as I didnt sleep as deeply as normal, I am not nearly as tired as I would have been wtih 3-4 wakeups. Being able to stay in bed and not actualy get up, put dressing gown on, walk to her room etc. makes a huge difference. Because even if I wasnt sleeping, I was still laying down resting.

I LOVE the side car cot!!!!!!!! Who would have thought I was a closet co sleeper hehehe. I think its going to get a lot of use. :yes:

[Bubbles10]

Awesome!:smiliedance:

[Kooglekat]

That's great to hear! Love a success story! :)

[HJL5mum]

My DS sleeps in a co-sleeper / side cot that DH made. Have a look at my display pic.