Kids Sharing Bed on Vacation for First Time?

[NorweJenNY]

Just curious... how old were your kids when they shared a bed for the first time on vacation?

Mine will be 6 & 4 on our next trip, and with no more pack n plays, it looks like it's time for them to try sharing a double bed. It's kinda hard to think that they'd actually sleep and not giggle, chat, pull off each other's covers, etc. Of course, dh and I could take separate beds, one boy with each of us... but maybe we like giggling, chatting, and pulling off each other's covers ourselves!

Anyhoo, all joking aside, did your kids surprise you with being good about sleeping when you tried them in a double together? Or was it a nightmare? Any tips?

 

[brymolmom]

My kids have done it on vacation...And I will tell you that the first night is a little touch and go - but after that it gets better. Especially on this next trip - since we aren't going to a park on arrival day and want to get them to bed at a decent hour cuz we have a LONG day the next day - so it'll be a bit of reminding 'quiet now - time for sleep' - but they'll tire out eventually.

Mine are 5 and 7 (girl and boy) and I like getting them used to it now because Mommy doesn't sleep at all with either of them in bed and they need to get used to it becuase there will be lots of vacationing in the upcoming year.

Just be sure they both know that they will be sharing a bed and what is expected of them.

 

[tweedlemom]

I think vacations can bring out the best in kids, because our boys were 3 and 4 and they jumped right in bed together, no problem. Same when they were 5 and 6. Plus, they're exhausted from the trip so they sleep very well. Good luck!

 

[mjantz]

You might try putting the 4YO down about 30 minutes before the 6YO. My kids just stopped sharing a bed a few years ago but when they were that age that worked really well.

Honestly they'll probably be so tired that they'll conk right out.

 

[VBAndrea]

I have a ds7 and dd5 and they often love sleeping together. Each has an extra bed in their respective rooms and sometimes they'll sleep in the extra bed and sometimes they just hop in the same bed. You might see if introducing a "sleepover" in each other's room at home might work, or try setting up a small tent one night and letting them sleep together in that, just so they do it at home first to make it easier on vacation.

I also agree with the other posters that the kids will be so tired it won't matter.

And you and dh will probably be even more fatigued, so you may find up that if you each end up sharing a bed with a child it won't matter either!

 

[DISNEYNV]

At that age they will most likely he so exhausted they will just fall asleep without much fuss, but if not just let them watch TV with the lights off ( if you allow that sort of thing) in bed till they fall asleep. That's what we did with ours when we shared beds and it didn't take more than a few minutes for them to fall asleep... Us too

 

[ilandrazdsw]

My kids have shared a bed on vacation/at grandparents' houses since DD was 2 (out of a crib/pack n play). DS (nearly 6) is really good about sharing a bed *usually*! DD (nearly 4) is a little talker and night owl. DD sometimes keeps DS up but not for too long or tells her to be quiet and when he is asleep she clams down and/or talks/sings to herself til she dozes off. They don't steal covers, kick, push etc. We found the hardest thing with them sharing a bed/room is that DS wakes up DD too early in the morning...early bird+night owl=cranky kids after a couple of days! But on vacation (Disney World) they are usually so tired by the end of the day *maybe* 10-15 minutes and they are out til I wake them in the morning.

 

[sohappy]

My boys love to sleep together. They have since they were 2 and 4. They are just now starting to sleep in their own beds. They much prefer sharing one bed- their choice as there are 2 beds in each room. On vacation, they are sooooo tired that they just fell asleep. Some nights they wanted to sleep with me (single mom), but I wanted a bed all to myself!! Some nights they were soooo tired they went right to sleep. Other nights, they couldn't stay up long. Disney wears you out!

 

[HerdOHuds]

You know we did this unexpectedly on our way to Disney last year. We checked in late at our hotel in Alabama and they never sent up the roll-away. (DH and I had 2 in our room while my parents had the other 2.) We figured DD and DS2 (both 4) could share a queen bed. My parents had a Readybed in their room but we were tired and lazy and just wanted sleep.

2 hours later DD and DS2 were kicking each other in their sleep and crying. Of course DH never woke up with the fussing. After a little bit I moved DD to DH's bed and I tried to sleep with DS2. And by then I couldn't get back to sleep. Hours later I finally relaxed enough to doze off, but the next day I was pretty darn cranky!

I vowed to never do that again.

 

[Erica09M]

I've been thinking about this too, except mine will be 5 and almost 2 on our trip. DH and I are either going to have to sleep in separate beds, or have our youngest sleep with us. She can't sleep in a bed alone, incase she rolls off or something.

I also thought about making a small blanket bed on the floor for her, next to our bed... but I don't know that she'd want to sleep on the floor, and I can't blame her.

We'll be gone for a week, so hopefully we eventually get the sleeping arrangements worked out to where we can get a good night sleep LOL It might take a few nights.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

We use an aerobed. My oldest will not sleep in the same bed with his little brother. They just fight and kick eachother. If we don't bring the blow up bed then we make sure to get a pull out couch, or cot. I don't want them tired and cranky on vacation, and it usually isn't hard to find a way around it.

When I was a kid, my sister and I always slept in the same bed on vacation. It was never a problem.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

I've been thinking about this too, except mine will be 5 and almost 2 on our trip. DH and I are either going to have to sleep in separate beds, or have our youngest sleep with us. She can't sleep in a bed alone, incase she rolls off or something.

I also thought about making a small blanket bed on the floor for her, next to our bed... but I don't know that she'd want to sleep on the floor, and I can't blame her.

We'll be gone for a week, so hopefully we eventually get the sleeping arrangements worked out to where we can get a good night sleep LOL It might take a few nights.

For a child under 2 you could just ask the hotel for a porta crib or pack and play.

 

[Erica09M]

For a child under 2 you could just ask the hotel for a porta crib or pack and play.

Right, but I'm 99.9% positive that she'd have nothing to do with that! We'll probably just each take a kid and a bed.

 

[EthansMom]

Mine will sometimes sleep well together in one bed and sometimes not. When they don't, I'll share a bed with one of them and DH will share with another.

DS7 kicks during his sleep and DD5 curls up close to your body and ends up sleeping on top of you, so they are both difficult sleepers.

At home, DH and I share a king size bed. We find the double beds at WDW a bit snug for the two of us so there's a bit more room when one adult shares with one kid. Sure, it's not a sleeping arrangement most suited to intimacy, but we aren't sharing a room with our kids at WDW for romance and intimacy.

 

[Elmo888]

I hadn't thought of this - good question!

You might try putting the 4YO down about 30 minutes before the 6YO. My kids just stopped sharing a bed a few years ago but when they were that age that worked really well.

This seemed to work best for us when they have slept in the same room in separate beds. This summer, they try to have "sleep overs" in each other's rooms, but that never seems to work (currently DDs are 9 and 4). We'll try this when we go later this year. It will be the first time that the younger one isn't in a PNP.

Right, but I'm 99.9% positive that she'd have nothing to do with that! We'll probably just each take a kid and a bed.

We went to WDW when our younger one was 2 and again at 3, and she slept in a PNP both times. So, maybe you might have some luck!

 

[grace&philipsmom]

To be honest my 5 yo DD sleeps with me and my 2 yo DS sleeps with my husband - only on vacation though!

 

[Lovin' Disney]

Usually DH sleeps with ds6 and I sleep with dd4. She has never slept in a pack and play...always with me. There are always extra pillows in the rooms, so I tuck the sheet into the side she's sleeping on all the way from the bottom to her neck and put the pillows right next to the sheet. It does reduce the amount of sleeping area, but without fail she rolls off the side of the bed without a barrier.


This year we might try the 2 of them in one bed, though. They will probably mess around for a few minutes but crash shortly thereafter.

 

[Tiggs14]

We have tried this in the past and it has never worked. Our boys fool around, wrestle, talk and anything else they can think of to keep themselves awake.

We find it's better to break them up. I sleep with one and hubby with the other. This way we all get a quiet night of sleep.

 

[Fall1]

At that age they will most likely he so exhausted they will just fall asleep without much fuss, but if not just let them watch TV with the lights off ( if you allow that sort of thing) in bed till they fall asleep. That's what we did with ours when we shared beds and it didn't take more than a few minutes for them to fall asleep... Us too

This sounds great, that's exactly what we are going to try! Thanks!

 

[ilandrazdsw]

When we stayed at ASSp DS and I shared a bed, DH had a bed to himself (He and I wouldn't fit comfortable on a full) and we had a blow up mattress for DD. She slept fine on the floor and with a little rearranging we had plenty of room even with the single size blow up on the floor.