Moving your baby into their own room can be a big step, both for your little one and for you. But for the sake of both parties and their ability to get sound sleep at night, it’s important that everyone has their own sleep space.
To help you, you may want to get a baby monitor so you can keep an eye on things going on in their room. But for helping your little one, here are three tips for moving your baby into their own room.
Look For Signs That They’re Ready
For helping facilitate most changes in your baby’s life, there really are some opportune times to start introducing the change, and moving into their own room is no different.
According to Korin Miller, a contributor to The Bump, there are some signs you should be on the lookout for to see if your baby is ready to make this move and if moving them into their own room makes sense for your lifestyle. Generally, if your baby is moving more, like rolling from their belly to their back, this could be a sign that they’re also ready to move into a bigger bed and into their own room. Also, if less nighttime feedings are requested or required, it could be a good idea to start transitioning with the move.
Start With Naps First
Once you’ve got the baby’s room all set up and ready for them, it’s a good idea to go about this transition slowly, if you can.
To do this, Dr. Dan Brennan, a contributor to WebMD.com, suggests that you start with naps first. This can get your baby used to sleeping in a crib in their own room when there’s less at stake for you, meaning you could be losing precious night sleep while your little one gets used to sleeping in a room alone. But by getting them used to the idea during their daytime naps, nights should come easier, too.
Keep All Other Routines The Same
Any kind of change in a baby’s life and routine can be unsettling. Knowing this, Louisa Fitzgerald, a contributor to VeryWellFamily.com, recommends that you try to keep all other routines and rituals the same in your baby’s life when you’re trying to move them into their own room. Especially around sleep times, it’s best not to cause too much of a disruption to what they’re used to, as this can make adjusting much harder for your little one.
If you’re thinking about moving your child from sleeping in your room to sleeping in their own room and in their own crib, consider using the tips mentioned above to help make this transition easier on everyone involved.
