When Is My Child Ready to Sleep In Their Own Room?
Rebecca Parlakian is ZERO TO THREE’s Senior Director of Programs at ZERO TO THREE, where she directs a portfolio…
A. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents sleep in the same room as their baby – but not in the same bed as a baby – for at least the first six months, if possible.
When you do decide to transition your little one to her own room, help her prepare for the change by making her room a safe, familiar place. During her alert periods, make sure she spends some time in her room with you playing and reading. And use her bedroom for diapering and for bedtime and naptime routines. You might also want to gradually get her used to the crib by starting with naps and then to bedtime which is often the harder transition. With these warm and nurturing experiences, your daughter will learn to connect her room with cozy, safe feelings.
So, the secret is to create a loving and nurturing bedtime routine with lots of cuddling, talking, and singing together but when you put your baby to sleep, you put her down awake. She will soon learn how to soothe herself to sleep—a skill she’ll use all the rest of her life.
While most babies are not able to sleep through the night without feedings until they are between 4 and 6 months old (ask your pediatrician to be sure), you can help your little one begin learning how to put herself to sleep now. Because babies are so incredibly adorable and cuddly we hold them, rock them, feed them, or sing them to sleep. This is great for both parent and baby, since it makes the two of you feel close and bonded. (It also makes it easier for them to fall asleep!) The problem is that when babies connect these actions with the process of falling asleep, when they wake up during the night (as we all do), they need that rocking or singing or feeding to fall back asleep. So, the secret is to create a loving and nurturing bedtime routine with lots of cuddling, talking, and singing together but when you put your baby to sleep, you put her down awake. She will soon learn how to soothe herself to sleep—a skill she’ll use all the rest of her life. And in the short-term, you might even get a little more sleep, too!
