Tips for how to stop co-sleeping
I have met many families who have ended up co-sleeping out of desperation, and while it worked for some time it has eventually become unsustainable. Many of these families never intended to co-sleep and have experienced more stress because of this. Safe sleep note, the AAP does not recommend bed sharing with infants under a year. You can find more information about the AAP’s safe sleep guidelines here.
If you are co-sleeping with your child, please know that I am not making any judgments of you or your family. I have been there myself. My daughter got in the habit of co-sleeping when she was a toddler. We had recently moved and the pandemic had just started, so there were a lot of changes and stress for us all. Co-sleeping worked for us, until it didn’t. So, if you’ve been in or are currently in this situation, I get it!
If you are looking to transition away from co-sleeping, here are some tips and strategies to help with this change.
Spend time in your child’s sleep space during the day
If your child isn’t used to their room, you will want to build a positive association here. You can do this by spending some time playing, reading books, cuddling, just having fun in their room.
Praise any time spent in their crib or bed
We want to celebrate every little step! Offering praise when your child has been in their crib gives them that positive reinforcement. You can do this when they are in their crib while they are awake and also any time they spend any amount of time asleep in their crib.
Use a transitional object
For little ones over a year, they can have a comfort item, such as a stuffed animal. with them in their crib or bed. Having some sort of lovey to be there during the transition can be very helpful. To make it even more helpful, you can try sleeping with the item yourself first or keeping it in your closet with your clothes for a few days so that it can pick up your fragrance which can be really comforting for our little ones.
Stay close
I generally recommend taking a very gentle and slow approach for this change as it can be a big one for us all! I find it can be helpful to stay nearby at first. You may want to consider sleeping on an air mattress next to your child’s crib or bed initially and then gradually moving yourself away. If you have space, you can also keep your child in your room and set up their crib or bed nearby. For babies, bedside bassinets can be a great option for keeping them near while still in their own space.
Address all areas of sleep hygiene
Transitioning from co-sleeping is a big change and it can be challenging. With this in mind, it’s important to look at sleep hygiene and see if any adjustments can be made to support sleep. Making sure that healthy sleep hygiene habits are already in place and that there’s not anything underlying going on can help make the transition go a little more smoothly along with making sure the room is set up to optimize sleep.
Be patient and consistent
The transition from co-sleeping can be challenging as it is a big change so it’s important to be patient and understand it will take time. During the transition, there may be some nights where your child, and you, end up getting less sleep than usual. I know this can be hard, but it’s normal. Being consistent as you make the change will help with progress.
I generally find this transition to take a couple of weeks to see consistent progress, so just know it’s totally normal for it not to happen overnight.
If you want support with this transition, I’m here for you!
Book a free discovery call and let’s chat about how we can work together to support your family to make this change.
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