Moving your baby to their own room is a poignant moment: it’s one of their first big milestones, one that signals their developing independence, and reclaiming a bit of yours. For some of us, this is a happy moment; for others, it’s more bittersweet.
Regardless of one’s feelings on moving your baby to their own room, parents often have questions about the best approaches for transitioning their babies to their own rooms. Common questions include when should I move my baby to their own room, what should I do to prepare my baby for moving to their own room, and what does a baby’s room need? Here we’ll answer those questions and more.
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When Do I Move My Baby to Their Own Room?
The optimal age for transitioning a baby to their own room, according to many health authorities, is at 6-months-old – at least.
For example, the AAP recommend room-sharing until at least 6 months, ideally 12 months. That said, every family is different. Some families find it better to move their baby sooner, around 4-months. Some parents prefer their babies sleep in their own room from birth.
The benefit of moving around 6-months is you can hopefully settle your baby in their own sleep space before they start experiencing the 8-month sleep regression caused by separation anxiety. Also, your baby may be sleeping longer stretches and is now biologically able to fall asleep on their own without your support. Typically age is the main sign your baby is ready to move to their own room.
Why to Wait on Moving Baby to Own Room
When you room-share with your baby, it is exactly what it sounds like: having your baby’s crib or bassinet in your bedroom at night. This is different from bed-sharing, which is dangerous and not recommended. When room-sharing, your baby has their own space, their crib or bassinet, and you have your own, your bed.
There are many reasons why it’s recommended to wait on transitioning your baby to own their room, and move their crib into their own room, until they are at least 6-months-old.
Room-sharing can prevent SIDS
While we still don’t understand what causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), studies show babies who room-share are less likely to die from SIDS. The AAP says it room sharing can decrease a baby’s risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Plus, it much safer than bed sharing and will make it easier for you to ensure sure they are sleeping safely, and sleeping on their back (until they can roll over independently).
Room-sharing is convenient
Newborns and young babies are growing very fast and therefore need to eat often, including at night. Room-sharing makes night feedings easy; you can attend to your baby as soon as they wake to eat – hopefully ensuring they don’t fully rouse before feeding and putting them back to sleep.
Speak to your healthcare provider if you have additional questions about baby sleepy safety and how to ensure the safest environment for your little one.
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What Does a Baby’s Room Need?
Your baby’s sleep environment impacts their sleep. When it’s time to move your baby to their own room, it’s important to create a sleep-nourishing environment.
Before you make the transition, you’ll need these things for your baby’s room:
- Blackout Curtains: Light will wake up your baby or prevent them from falling asleep. Even the smallest sliver of light can “flip the switch” in the morning, leading to early wakeups or disrupting sleep training. Help your baby sleep better by installing blackout curtains in their room.
- Noise Machine: White noise or brown noise are proven to help babies fall asleep faster and sleep through noise disruptions, like barking dogs, traffic, or household noises, such as showers. Also, white noise specifically mimics the sound of the womb, which soothes babies and helps them sleep.
- Temperature Control: If you can control the temperature in your house, the ideal room temperature for sleep is 68-72 °F (20-22 °C). This is the scientifically proven best temperature for babies to sleep, and adults.
- Baby monitor: To ease your mind when moving baby to own room, install a baby monitor so you can keep an ear out and eye on them while they sleep. Why Should I Move My Baby to Their Own Room?
While room-sharing is great for your baby’s first 6-months, moving your baby to their own room has important benefits:
- Improves Sleep Training Success: Sleep training is all about teaching your baby to fall asleep independently so they can fall asleep faster and put themselves back to sleep between sleep cycles – helping them stay asleep longer– the process is possible while room sharing but easier when your baby has their own space.
- Decreases Sleep Cycle Disruptions: Many babies sleep better in their own room. With the right sleep space there are less distractions to disrupt your baby’s sleep, for example when you go to bed after them or roll over at night. In their own space they can sleep consistently without hiccups.
- Eases Separation Anxiety: Separation anxiety is a completely normal – and positive – experience for your baby. It happens when your baby starts to learn object permanence: that objects and people exist even when you can’t see them. This separation anxiety in babies often begins around 6 months and can reoccur cyclically through 24-months. Moving your baby to their own room helps them to become more independent.
- Gives You Space: Room-sharing is such a special bonding time for parents and their new baby, but at a certain point you also need your own space for your own well-being. You’ve been working very hard and are a total rockstar; you deserve to have your own space back. This is not you being selfish or anything like that – in fact, by taking care of yourself, you’re helping your baby: a more rested parent is a more attentive, caring, and safe parent.
Tips for Moving Baby to Their Own Room
- Once your baby’s room is all set up and ready, and here are some ways to get them ready and comfortable for their first night in their own room. Hang Out in The Room: You want to make sure your baby is comfortable in their room before their first night, so spend as much time in that space as possible before their big move. It’s also helpful to enthusiastically explain to them that this is their space. Say things like, “Wow, this is your room – you’re going to sleep in here and it’s going to be so good!”
- Nap In Their Room: You can also help your baby adjust to their new space by putting them down for their naps in there before starting overnight sleeps.
- Keep Up Your Bedtime Routine: Consistent, calming bedtime routines are the foundation for healthy sleep. These routines both soothe your baby, preparing them emotionally for sleep, and the repetition begins to cue them it’s time to sleep, creating a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime. Your bedtime routine can include whatever you’d like – a clean comfy diaper, a bath, cuddles, story time, a baby massage – what’s important is that the activities are calming and consistent – and that feeding is done before the bedtime routine starts.
Should When I Put My Baby to Bed Change When They’re in Their Own Room?
Bedtimes tend to continue ti be on the earlier side and adjust a little with age – 7pm is a good target time, however bedtimes always need to be flexible as what time you put your baby to bed really depends on how daytime naps go. So if they are struggling to fall asleep at naps in their new room, you may want to shift bedtime a bit.
We have guides to sleep time by age, but as a rule, you should put your baby into their crib when they’re sleepy and calm, but still awake.
Be on the look out for sleepy cues, yawning, rubbing eyes, zoning out. When you see those, you should start your bedtime routine; when your baby shows signs of “nodding off” – they’re sleepy but not yet asleep, place them in their crib, on their back.
They will then fall asleep by themselves in their crib – a key element of healthy sleep habits: helping your baby develop the skill of falling asleep independently.
Final Thoughts
Moving your baby to their own room is a major milestone! While the guidelines on when to move baby to own room is clear, every family is different – and you know what’s best for your little one.
If your baby’s room is set up safely, and you are practicing safe sleep guidelines, these tips for smoothly transitioning your baby to their own room should help them start to love their new space – both for naps and through the night.
