Is it time for siblings to share rooms?
Perhaps your family needs to maximize the space in your home. Or, maybe the bond between the siblings is so strong you believe it will be a great move for them. Either way, siblings sharing a room is possible!
The AAP recommends “room sharing—keep baby's sleep area in the same room where you sleep for the first 6 months or, ideally, for the first year”. While I do not suggest going against the AAP’s recommendation, I do understand that families choose to move their baby into a separate or shared room before their first birthday.
Check out this blog that discusses how to transition your baby into their own crib. There is no “right” age to move your child, discuss the move with your pediatrician and remember, while I am a certified sleep consultant, I may not be YOUR child’s sleep consultant.
There is one big factor that I would encourage you to consider before making the final decision; can both of your children fall asleep independently and put themselves back to sleep during the middle of the night? If the answer is yes, then the transition may be easier for your children than not. Now, that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to get them sleeping in the same room if they can’t fall asleep independently throughout the night. It might just mean a longer transition while both adjust to the other while learning how to put themselves back to sleep.
Do you need to sleep train one or both of them before making the move? Let’s work together, check out our options here.
Ready to move forward with the siblings sharing rooms? Here are my top suggestions for your family to adjust to a new normal.
To begin with, each child needs to have their own safe sleep area whether that is a crib or toddler bed. If your children are old enough, have them be a part of the process in decorating the room. It could be as simple as picking the type of sheets they want or even as large as picking paint colors and themes for their side of the room. This will allow your child to take ownership of their sleeping space.
When it comes to naps, keep your routine consistent. You may need to be creative with different locations for naps if your children do not have the same nap schedule. This could mean a pack ‘n play with a SlumberPod (use HEAVENSENT10, for $20 off your pod purchase) as well as a portable sound machine.
Napping may give you some anxiety; but a simple solution would be to nap them in 2 separate rooms. I know my toddler would LOVE the privilege of napping in mom and dad’s bed! I suggest giving napping in the same room a chance though before deciding it definitely doesn’t work before making any changes. Let some of the newness wear off.
Honor their individual sleep schedules. If you have 2 kids who are on different schedules (one goes to bed a little earlier than the other, for example), that’s totally fine! One may go to bed at 7pm and the other at 8pm.. Enjoy the extra hour just like you would if they weren’t sharing a room. This may mean bedtime routine is in a different space than their room for a time. Once they’re on the same sleep schedule, bedtime routine can be done together!
Bedtime routine will also need to be taken into consideration. For example, who goes to bed first and who will go into the room last. Your family may need to adjust to doing bedtime routine in a different room so the child who goes to bed earlier is not disturbed. White noise is a must for anyone sharing a room, ever. While it’s important for your child to get used to the noises from their sibling sleeping in their room, it’s just as important that they don’t get woken up unnecessarily by a toddler midnight potty break!
Determine your sleep rules! Is it “lights out, no noise”? Do you allow some bedtime giggles? A middle ground option may be to send them to bed 15-30 mins early, let them get the giggles out and then it’s lights out and quiet for bed! In that regard, I’d also keep their room fairly boring; no extra toys or anything to distract them.
Don’t share too early; a younger toddler is a wild card and unpredictable. They may try to feed the baby, give them a toy in their crib, or cover him with a blanket. While the intentions are great, they aren’t old enough to understand the “safe sleep” rules. At that point, it’s better for you to share with the baby if needed.
Change is never easy, right? Room sharing is the same thing. It’s an adjustment for everyone so give it some time! They may wake more often at night, wake earlier in the morning, or sleep a little restlessly initially. That’s okay, it takes time to work the kinks out! Once the adjustment period is over, they may prefer it and sleep best with each other in the room!
The best way to make the transition is to 1) talk to your toddler about the changes and new rules! Keep them involved in the process. 2) be prepared for the bumps in the road. What’s your back up plan for a regression or sickness? Will you move baby to a different room temporarily, like back to yours perhaps?
Are you afraid one of your children may wake their sibling up due to a sleep regression or illness? Sleep regressions can and will most likely happen for the first two years of your child’s life. Again, it may be a good idea to break out the SlumberPod for either child who may be struggling with sleep. Keeping them in the same room during a sleep regression or illness may seem daunting. Although it is possible, you will need to consider that both children need to adjust to one another’s sleep patterns.
Ready to take the plunge? Remember that transitioning siblings into the same room may take a while to become accustomed to, but with the help of you and your partner’s consistency your children will get into a rhythm with their new normal.
