It's not impossible.

My one-bedroom with my much younger (at the time) child had an office space that for some reason didn't count as a bedroom. It was tiny, but perfect for a toddler. It fit a bed, a dresser, and a box of toys. That's about it.

It just depends on how you can set up the space. Get creative!

My friend is doing it with her 12 year old daughter. They share the bedroom as it's big enough for a queen and a bunk bed. It works fine for them. Obviously some apartments are better for it than others. When she was looking we found that the three story walk-up style apartment communities generally had more square footage for the money than the high-rise communities. They also tended to have more playmates for her daughter.

Yep. Single mom to a 12 yr old in a one bedroom apartment. This is a step up from the studio we used to live in.

She has the bedroom.

I was planning on this, but was able to get a cheap two bed in a not-as-great (but still okay) neighborhood. My plan was to get a small ikea bunkbed for the kid (although in practice she would love to sleep in my bed) and share the bedroom with her. I think 7 is still young enough that most kids are happy to share, particularly if you pitch it as "won't it be fun to be together!" Totally workable-particularly since you can get some privacy when your child is staying with your ex.

Shared one br in a 2 br house ages 0-5 post divorce so that the teen could have the other br to herself. And yes, it gets better.

What is your budget and where is work/school?

I am a single parent and I have one DS who is 6. We live in a 2 bedroom apt. I can count on my hands the number of times he's slept in his own bed. He actually refers to his room as the guest room with his toys in it.

A one bedroom is absolutely doable for the short term. Once he gets a bit older, you'll want to do something for privacy such as giving him the bedroom and moving yourself to a sofa bed. So that is something you may want to think about when you are moving. If you need to buy a couch get a sofa bed. You can use it or you can have it for guests.

Good luck OP.

I lived in a 1-bedroom apartment with an 18month and 4yo for a year. You can do it. The little one was in a crib and the 4yo and I shared my bed or I slept on the couch. It was just fine. It was nice to be so close while going through a nasty divorce. Moved into a bigger place the following year, which was obviously less "cozy." Hang in there. It gets easier.

Thank you all for the ideas so far! I'm pretty stressed about this, and knowing that others have done it and made it work gives me some much needed peace of mind.

If you're getting a one bedroom, you could get an inexpensive bed like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Twin-Over-Full-Metal-Bunk-Bed-Multiple-Colors/11004672

My DD and I stayed in a studio apt (there was a half wall separating the "bedroom" from "LR" from age 6 - 9. I had a queen bed, so we slept together. In the LR was a futon. She was still able to have playmates stay overnight. That half wall gave us enough privacy/separation so I could watch TV while she slept without disturbing her.
I have a friend that had 2 DDs in a 1bedroom apt all through their MS/HS years. They even had a slumber party. The girls had the bedroom and the mom had a daybed in the LR (that was used as a couch when not used for sleeping). It is totally workable!!

Can you find a one bedroom with a den? If not, what about using screens to partition the bedroom so each has their own space?

Hopefully in the short term, I'll stay in the house. But I'm anticipating needing to move to an apt after that, and need to try to keep expenses low while I get my bearings with the changes that have happened.

Can you arrange to stay in the house you are currently in?

Do you see this as a short term solution or long term?

for sleeping arrangements, you could share the bedroom if you are used to that or your child could have the bedroom and you could do a sleeper sofa in the living room.

Getting divorced and trying to work through the future. Money is likely to be tight and I'm likely going to have 50/50 custody with my ex. Has anyone been in this situation and ended up sharing a 1 bedroom apt with your child? How did you handle sleeping arraignments, etc? Any tips to make the transition workable?