Siblings Sharing a Bed
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Kids, 2 and 3, sharing a bed
Aug 2010
We've recently started putting our kids (a 3 1/2 year old boy and 20 month girl) to sleep in the same double bed in their room. When I check on them, they have plenty room between them and seem to be sleeping well. We didn't really plan to do it this way...it just sort of naturally happened and seems to be going well for the kids (and for us, the parents). I just wondered if anyone wanted to weigh in with their experiences of kids sharing a bed, like How long did you do it? Anything negative about this sleep situation that we should consider? anonymous
I think that it's great that your kids are sharing a bed. They will sleep better, feel more secure, and be closer when they get older. My kids, two years apart, old boy and younger girl, shared a bed until my son was 10 (I think). There were two beds in the room and he start sleeping on the other bed on and off until they were sleeping apart. Then in 6th grade, my daughter wanted her own room which was fine with me. The kids are now both in high school and very close and get along extremely well. Keep doing what you're doing!
Our two boys, 2 years apart in age, decided on their own to share a bed off and on between the ages of 5 - 10. They have always been very close. They slept in the bottom half (full size mattress) of a bunk bed. The top half was available to them, as was another bed room, which was decorated per the guidance of the younger boy. They eventually stopped sleeping together. But they still remain close. Mom of two
So sweet! I think as long as they can choose to sleep alone if they don't like it anymore, there is no problem. It could go on for years. anon
Siblings 3 and 1 Sharing a Bed?
September 2003
I am considering having my 3 year old and 1 year old share the same bed sometime down the road. And I was wondering if anyone else out there has had any experience with this - pro's, con's, at what age would you consider it safe. Thanks. patricia
We did the family bed with both of our children, and though our firstborn moved out quickly and easily when he was a toddler, our second child was really needy at night and terrified about sleeping on her own. So, when she was about 2 1/2, we started putting her to bed with her big brother, who was 5 at the time (and who, fortunately, had a hand-me-down queen-size bed). It made the bedtime routine much easier, since we could read stories to them both at the same time, and our younger child felt much more secure sleeping with her brother than she would have being put to bed on her own. Our son enjoyed it, too, and took pride in ''taking care of'' his little sister when she needed attention after lights out. Three years later, they still sleep together, and both love it (most of the time) -- we hear them whispering and giggling in there, and sometimes our son takes over reading the bedtime story out loud if we're really beat. Sadly, I think we'll need to move our daughter into her own bed pretty soon, as her brother is starting to want his own space and I can envision questions of propriety coming up before too long. I'm eager to read what other parents of bed-sharing siblings have to say about this! Anonymous
My sons, ages 4 and 8 years old, share a double bed. They have been sharing a room for about 2 years. They started off in separate beds: the youngest in a crib; then transitioned to 2 separate beds and only recently have they routinely shared the bed. I think only recently would the older child ALLOW the younger to regularly sleep in his bed. Before that, it was on a ''permission requested'' status only. I believe they will continue to share the bed, as they both have nighttime fears and this seems to help them both. It is difficult at times for me, because they have separate bedtimes, and the older likes to wake the younger when he goes to bed. However, I am actually thinking of getting rid of one bed for now, for more floor space, until they request separate beds. eve