Sleep (with your baby) while your baby sleeps?

My baby, who's now just over 10 months has never had a successful daytime nap in her cot. And i'm beginning to worry!

As a tiny baby she'd nap in her moses basket in whatever room i was in, or in her buggy, or sling and of course the car was always a sure way to get her to snooze. 

As she got older i tried putting her in her cot for a nap - i worked hard at it. I tried sneaking her into her cot, she'd invariably wake up. I tried putting her moses basket, with her in it asleep, into the cot. I spent time playing with her in her room so she felt that it was a safe, nice place. I'd sit for hours next to her stroking her, singing to her, all in an attempt to get her to drift off. I tried controlled crying and hated it. Nothing worked. 

So i decided to get creative...

Someone said to me that I should sleep when my baby slept, and i decided to take it literally. When i could see a snooze brewing i'd take her into our room and snuggle up in bed with her, it worked a treat. If i was feeling tired i'd drop off with her and we'd both wake up fresh and ready to play. Sometimes i'd wait 'til she'd dropped off and then i'd get up and do stuff. You wouldn't believe how productive i could be knowing that she'd be asleep for a couple of hours. 

We don't have the struggle with the cot at night time. Don't get me wrong, it's hard to get her to sleep at night - one of us has to be in the room with her 'til she falls asleep and this can sometimes take hours.

So why am i worried? We've got a little pattern that works for us right?

Well i'm scared she'll roll out of bed for one. She usually just hollers when she wakes up. We live in a one level apartment so i'm never far away. But she's getting more mobile and it's bound to happen one day. 

I'm scared that i'm creating some sort of sleep dependency in her, that she'll think it's normal to be in bed with either me or my husband and that she can't sleep on her own. 

Mostly what's scaring me is a tale my friend told me...

Whilst away on a couples with kids cottage break my friend, who currently has no kids but is pregnant, watched as all the mums and dads started their bedtime routines. There were baths being ran, books being read, special toys being located, boobs being monched on. At last all the kids were in bed and all the parents, apart from one, were back in the living room. So wine was poured, cheese and biscuits were pounced upon and an air of relaxation descended on the room. Three hours later the missing mum - whose husband hadn't seemed disturbed by the disappearance of his wife - appeared, with a wild look in her eye hunting for the bottle of wine. The poor woman had been in bed with her six and four year old kids stroking them to sleep. She wasn't 'allowed' to leave the room until they were firmly in the land of nod.

This is why i'm scared!!

My precious bundle is off to nursery for part of the week in a couple of months time and I'm secretly hoping that the napping in the cot, alone, thing gets sorted out there. 

In the meantime I'm continuing to enjoy my naps and cuddles, it's special and i should probably quit worrying...

What if i'm still having to do it in five years time though? If i am i'll be sure to take the bottle of wine into the bedroom with me!

Advice and similar stories most welcome.