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Transitioning from Co-sleeping to Separate Beds
Author: Samantha Cummings
Co-sleeping can serve parents’ purposes for a while, such as making it easier to breastfeed or allowing for important bonding, but there may come a time when you’ll realize that having your baby in his or her own bed and room is beneficial and practical. You may have heard horror stories from other parents about getting their children to sleep in their own beds, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous about the process. However, if you take it one step at a time and keep your end goal in mind, it will make things easier and go more smoothly.
The Ferber Method
The Ferber Method is a controversial method to help your baby sleep in his own bed and room because it encourages you to allow your baby to cry. While many parents abhor this method, it centers on a loving bedtime routine that is designed to teach your child to ‘self soothe,’ and to learn to go to sleep on his own. Each time you put your child to sleep, you will place him in his bed awake. After spending a few minutes patting his tummy or rubbing his back, you will leave the room. The key is to make sure he’s still awake.
Your baby will most likely cry, but you should let him cry for about fifteen minutes before going back in to comfort him with words and touches. You should not pick him up, but after spending a few minutes comforting him, leave the room again. Each time you leave the room, you should stay gone a few minutes longer and eventually your child will fall asleep. It’s never easy to listen to your baby cry, but Dr. Ferber claims children must learn to self-soothe, and that it will be beneficial for them as children and throughout their lives. Of course, for parents who would rather not try this method, there are certainly other ways to teach your child to sleep in his own bed.
Gradual Transitioning
Some parents feel that moving their baby gradually into his own room works wonders. You can start by placing his crib or bed in your room, so he becomes familiar with it, even if he doesn’t sleep on it right away. Show it to him, let him sit in it, and let him have a few minutes of ‘play time’ in the crib each day. After a week or so, put him down for a nap in his crib after he’s already sleeping and allow him to wake up in the crib.
After doing this until he’s comfortable, start putting him to sleep in his bed at night, either before he’s asleep or after, whichever is more comfortable. You can gradually increase his time in the crib and then move it into his own room. Start the process over again by putting him in the crib, in his own room, after he’s down for a nap. With time and patience, this method should eventually have your baby sleeping in his own bed.
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