“I can’t be bothered.”
“It’s all too hard.”
“They won’t remember anyway.”
These are some of the things other parents have told me when talking about getting out of the house with their kids. Hell, I’ve said them myself too… sometimes it is all just too hard. But what can make it significantly easier is starting your day off well, by having some decent sleeping the night before. Decent sleep for everyone.
So how do you get more sleep with two children who don’t sleep through the night?
Co-sleeping. Oh no, I said it. That taboo phrase in parenting that can divide a mother’s group between calling it gentle or mums going rouge. And by co-sleeping I mean sharing a bed with you bub/tot/kid.
We have a nearly 4yo and a 1yo in our house. The nearly 4yo starts in her own room and joins us sometime around sun up, so not too bad. Sometimes as early as 3-4am, but I’m not clock watching.
The 1yo starts in her cot and I usually move her in with us once I go to bed… it’s just easier for everyone. I can feed her without really waking up, settle her without moving, and sshush her back to sleep without even opening my eyes… bliss for this sleep deprived mum.
You absolutely don’t have to co-sleep. Do what works for you. Right now, this works for us.
Soo… if you haven’t tried co-sleeping before there’s a few essential things you need to consider.
Your bed.
We have a kick ass super king! Plenty of space for the 4 of us. Consider pushing it towards a wall if needed to stop kiddos falling out, or getting a side rail. Because, well… kids!
Your mattress.
If you have kids you will be inevitably covered in wee, vomit, snot, breast milk, and who knows what else? You need to protect your bed and invest in a mattress protector. Why aren’t these given as babyshower gifts?
Anyway, we have a Protect-A-Bed mattress protector which I love. It is completely waterproof, doesn’t feel like you’re sleeping on a plastic bag, and protects from dust mite, mould, and bacteria. Should your little one in undies try to wee the place down, it will hold 1L of fluid too. I love it and wouldn’t be without a mattress protector, especially as my bigger girl sleeps in undies.
Your linen.
Make sure to keep bubs head free of pillows, doonas etc. You might need to change your bed set up a bit (eg. less pillows) to make space for everyone safely. Think about the way you set up a cot for safe sleeping and replicate that as best you can.
With all these tiny bits of extra sleep you’re going to get by not getting up, and kids sleeping better you will be ready to face the day and adventure away!
Do you co-sleep at your house? What are your tips and tricks to get a better night’s sleep for everyone? Tell me in the comments below.
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Thanks to Protect-a-Bed for the gift of our mattress protector! We all get more sleep because of it!
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