My 21-month old and 4 yr old have just started to share a room-first time to sleep in same room. (the baby was sleeping in living room before) The problem is the 21-month old many times wakes at 6 am, then 7 am, then 8 am only to fall back asleep after crying a little bit. this wakes up the 4 -yr old not to mention myself as the boys room is closer to my own room then the living room. The interrupted sleep is taking a toll on me. what do other moms do with young children that share a room? Before I could just conveniently close the living room door and I wouldn't hear the baby and he'd always go back to sleep on his own really well. But now I can't figure out how to "drown" his noise out even with a bedroom fan on. He's outgrown his little pack n play bed that he used to use in the living room. Any suggestions will be helpful to me!
I've had the same problem forever. My daughters are now 4.5 and 3.5 and share a room. And now we have a 7 month old baby. I still can't figure out what to make bedtime be smooth, not to mention how they awake during the night here and there, but the older they get, the more things quiet down, so hang in there!
Have you tried a sound machine in the kids room? It won't completely block the baby sounds for the 4 year old, but it might help and it might help the baby too. Plus, we hear the kids sound machine through the baby monitor and it helps us sleep. Good luck.
Back in the day when my kids were young, this is what I would have done: At first sound of baby, I'd go get baby and take back to bed with me. I'd nurse and we'd both drift back to sleep for a couple of hours in a "snuggle-bunny embrace". Don't do this if either parent drinks heavily or uses drugs = danger of being unconscious and rolling on top of baby. If worried about rolling on top of baby, now they make an ingenious bassinet-like baby bed that slips up right next to your mattress. Even in sleep, as a mother, I was fully aware of baby's breathing rhythms and movements. Read: "The Family Bed"
Maybe your son is ready to wake up and start his day at 6am. My daughter woke up at 5am for the first 3 years. She is 5 years old now and still wakes up around 6am.
