Co-sleeping is something that many parents experience, even if for just a short time. Whether it’s part of your master-parenting plan or it just sort of happened, you quickly become aware of the pros and cons of sharing the bed with a toddler.
Here are some things that may happen at some point if you find yourself with a little human cub in your bed:
Sure, when you let your toddler sleep with you, you may be in for a night filled with bloody noses (yours), tears (again, yours) and interrupted sleep. But spending those hours snuggled up with your baby boo, filling her warm little breath on your cheek, watching her dream, hearing her night giggles and just knowing she is safe and sleeping peacefully by your side is all worth it (or that’s what I tell myself). They won’t be this little forever, and the throat kicks will hurt so much more later on.
1. You will wake up at least once in the night to move your child, who is sprawled out like a spider monkey across your bed
5. You will not have sex
And if you go for long stretches of co-sleeping nights, “Nurse Naughty” will turn into “Nurse Never Waxes Her Bikini Line Anymore ,” and your husband will take long, long showers.
6. You will wake up with drool on your face that’s not yours.
And the worst part is, you’re not sure if it’s even your toddler’s. Ew. But c’mon, we’re parents now, enduring gross things should be like breathing at this point.
7. When you take that much-needed night away with your hubby, you will wake up startled and spend the next half-lucid 30 seconds frantically looking for your toddler.
You will break into a cold sweat, scramble around on all fours on the bed, frantically patting down lumps in the comforter and then spring to the floor darting around like a squirrel on speed looking under and around the bed until you fully wake and realize that you are on a romantic, kidless vacation. You will collapse back in bed, heart racing and missing your baby. And your husband will sleep right through it.
8. You will decide to quit telling people that you let your toddler sleep with you
Not because what they think or say will have a bearing on whether or not you continue to sleep with your toddler, but because your ears will bleed if you hear one more, “you really shouldn’t do that” or “she needs to be sleeping in her own bed.” No one else knows what’s best for your family or situation. And no one wants their ears to bleed.
9. You will use your toddler as a source of warmth on cold nights.
Toddlers radiate heat like the sun’s core. And on those chilly winter nights when the down comforter is not enough, you will drape your toddler over you like a big bear (cub) rug. You’ve given up hours of sleep for their well-being and comfort, so this is the least they can do for you.
10. You will miss snuggling them at night when they get too big to sleep with you.
