How we reclaimed our bed after eight years sharing with the kids

Last week, for five days in a row, I woke up in bed lying next to my husband Mark. In many homes, this would be utterly unremarkable, but for us it’s the first time in two years. I’m more used to waking up with either one, two or three children snuggled next to me.

Regular readers will know that Astrid, eight, Xavi, six and Juno, three, have slept in bed with me for most of their lives. This wasn’t out of design but a pragmatic drift to co-sleeping , because ultimately, we all need sleep.

While in Norway, co-sleeping is widespread, here in the UK it’s rarely spoken about, though far more children than we imagine are still sleeping with parents long into primary school. More than a third of anxious school-aged children co-sleep with their parents between two and four times a week, a