Are you expecting another baby or needing to move your babies into the same room together due to space limitations? 😰
This can often cause some level of anxiety, particularly around bedtime if one baby wakes frequently overnight, has a negative sleep association, or is going through a developmental milestone or sleep regression! 😫🆘
To help ease the transition, our top tips for room sharing are to:
⏰ Stagger bedtime by 20-30 minutes
This approach allows your first baby to fall into a deep sleep before* you bring your second baby to bed. Once your first baby is in a deep sleep (assuming they aren’t over or under-tired when going to bed), they are less likely to be disturbed 🤞🏻. This strategy also reduces the chances of them being playful after bedtime or keeping each other awake if they were put to bed at the same time 🤪
😴 Put the “good sleeper” to bed first
If you have a toddler who tends to fall asleep quickly, put them to bed first. This way, they will be in a deep sleep by the time your next baby goes to bed 👌🏻. This reduces anxiety if you need to spend extra time settling the second baby for the night 🩷🌸
🎶 Position white noise between their beds
Placing a white noise machine between* their beds aims to reduce noise disturbances that may inadvertently wake the other baby. This is even more important if one baby is going through a sleep regression, still wakes overnight for feeds, or is in the process of being sleep trained 🥰
📏 Separate their beds
Position their beds as far apart as possible within the room to minimise the chances of them waking each other during the night 👏🏻 (taking into consideration the location of electronic devices and outlets, as discussed in our “The Hidden Danger in Your Baby’s Room” reel) ⚠️☢️
What other tips have you found beneficial for your babies when room-sharing? 😄
If you need support during this transition, are sleep deprived, wanting to break a current sleep association, or looking to consolidate your baby’s sleep and say goodbye 👋🏻 to catnaps and night wakes, please reach out and book a consultation at www.settletosleep.com.au so we can support you in restoring sleep for you and your family 🩷🌸💫