2.5 year old suddenly wants to sleep with mommy

My toddler recently started saying at bedtime that he wants to sleep in our bed or wants me to sleep with him. He hasn’t expressed fear of the dark or anything, and has been in a big boy bed for months and had a smooth transition. I really want to respond to his need for comfort, but I can’t sleep in the same bed with him. 1. I don’t go to bed at 7:30 2. I am a very light sleeper and won’t get a wink next to him especially being 6 months pregnant and 3. We have a new baby coming soon how am I supposed to be up with that baby all night and sleep with my toddler. Just not in the cards for our family. Last night I laid in bed with him for about 5-10 minutes to give him that connection and when I left it was even more difficult for him. He woke up at 4:15am this morning crying for me. I went in to rub his back and left when he was asleep.

He takes a long time to fall asleep at night and i remember also taking a long time as a kid and laying there terrified every night until I eventually fell asleep. My husband did this too as a kid. I don’t want that for my son. Idk how to be there for him though.

Did anyone else’s toddler or young child start doing this all of a sudden? How did you respond? Did you have to break the habit? I felt like an expert on baby sleep and now im once again 1st time momming it now that he’s growing up and sleeping more like a kid.