You wake up in your bed to find a tiny human inside of you. How in the world did this happen? and how in the world can I stop co-sleeping? are probably among your questions. Or perhaps you fall into the category of what seemed like a good idea at the time.
Perhaps you and your child have outgrown co-sleeping and it is now time to move on to a separate sleeping area such as a crib. It’s acceptable regardless of why you started co-sleeping.
If you would prefer to have your bed back now and it worked for you at the time that’s okay. It is acceptable if at the time you were so overcome by the fog of sleep deprivation that you had to turn to this method of survival.
In either case, when it is time to bid adieu to the ribcage, kick toddler breath in your face in the morning and little (but powerful) bed sots (that didn’t originate from your significant other) Here are a few effective ways to how to safely co-sleep stop co-sleeping and make the switch to a crib, but first learn about co-sleeping.
What is Co-Sleeping?
Bed sharing or allowing your infant to sleep in your bed with you is often confused with co-sleeping. When a baby is put to sleep in a separate bed in the same room it’s known as co-sleeping. And the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) gives its blessing to do that.
What Age Is Ideal To Stop Co-Sleeping?
The ideal age to stop co-sleeping doesn’t exist, to be honest. This is the best time if you’re ready to help your baby or toddler sleep through the night in the crib and fall asleep on their own. Don’t waste another sleepless night believing that waiting until your child is older will make things easier—that’s not always the case.
To lower the risk of SIDS and provide the safest sleeping environment for your infant it’s crucial to move your three-month-old to a crib as soon as possible. Again there is no reason to wait until your baby is nine or twelve months old to move them to a crib as some parents would have you wait. The best age to transition is whatever age your toddler or baby is at that moment!
Check out the below tips to help you get back on track and cease co-sleeping if you believe you are experiencing the 11-month sleep regression.
How to Go From Sharing a Bed to a Crib?
A bedside bassinet is a practical choice for the newborn stage even though a crib is a wise long-term investment. The best bedside bassinets keep baby comfortably and securely nestled in their sleeping area yet conveniently accessible for nighttime feedings. The best transition options are listed below.
A Soft Transition
This is how you can be approached with your five-month-old. You can start it by getting the baby used to sleeping through the night without needing to touch you. You then transferred her to the crib. She can experience sleep training in her bedroom after that. For parents who are anxious or depressed about giving up co-sleeping, this method works well. It is also beneficial for infants who have previously rejected the crib.
1. Lay Your Baby in Bed one to Two Feet Away
As you normally do assist your infant or toddler in falling asleep. After that carefully move to the other end of your bed to sleep. By putting some space between you and your infant this gentle move helps your baby become accustomed to not sleeping right next to you. If your infant wakes up assist them in falling back asleep and moving on. Do this once or twice a night.
2. Position the Baby’s Crib Adjacent to your Bed
Place the travel crib—such as the Pack n Play Guava Lotus or Baby Bjorn—or your infant’s crib next to your bed. Without them noticing, you want to help your infant become acclimated to sleeping in a different location. Feeding rocking or lying down together are all acceptable ways to aid your baby in falling asleep.
Once the infant is asleep, transfer them to the crib with caution. Your infant is already asleep when you put them in the crib. As your baby wakes up during the night, assist them in falling back asleep. Then put them back in the crib with gentle care. It’s okay if, after two hours, your toddler or baby wakes up and refuses to go back in the crib.
You did it! Your baby is now sleeping in the crib for at least half of the night. Try aiming for three hours of crib time tomorrow night and then increase each night for the next week. That’s a significant victory. A little separation from their parents helps many babies sleep better. And when parents can’t hear their infant or toddler rustle or poop all night, they sleep much better.
Check to see whether everyone sleeps better if you move the crib away from your bed and into a room corner. Before starting sleep training, this step acclimates infants to sleep in the crib. It also reassures parents that their infants can pick up new self-sufficient sleeping habits.
3. Get Started With Your Sleep Training
It’s a given that your baby or toddler will sleep soundly in their crib if you can teach them to do so on their own. If you don’t support your baby’s transition back to your bed they will most likely return to it very quickly. Helping your baby to bed, and to rest all alone is the most critical period of rest preparation.
This requires putting your kid in the crib while they are as yet alert and permitting them to nod off all alone. Your baby must return to sleep the same way they went to bed each night when they wake up. Your child will begin to rest for longer timeframes when they can nod off all alone and awaken during the evening.
You can take care of your child in their room or in the room you share with them. As long as you adhere to your sleep training regimen consistently either approach works.
An Expeditious Strategy
Besides sleep training your infant or toddler, you will also prepare them for the crib. Using this method, the first night of sleep training is spent in the toddler’s crib. This means that your bed is off the menu. First things first: after a peaceful best bedtime bassinet routine, put your baby in the crib and use a sleep training technique to teach them to fall asleep there. Your infant will remain in the crib the entire night, and you will use the same sleep training technique for any nighttime awakenings. Sleep training is conducted concurrently with reducing or weaning off of night feeds.
Final Words
A significant turning point in your relationship may come when your toddler moves into her room and bed. You should expect that your cutie will eventually adjust even though it’s normal for the change to be difficult. After that, everyone will benefit from deeper sleep as well as a little more privacy.
