During the “fourth trimester” or the newborn stage you may just be utterly exhausted. You may have other children, your baby may cry all day and want to feed all night…it is just so much easier to have them to first sleep on you. You tell yourself “this is only temporary”, then they sleep with you, then they get older…still nursing through the night and YOU, mama are not getting any rest. So, now your child will not sleep anywhere but with you. You can’t go anywhere after your child’s bedtime or maybe your child has a later bedtime to accommodate your adult time. Whatever your reason may be, you are reading this post because you may be thinking that it is time for a change. Well my friend, this blog will help you through this transition to go from co-sleeping to not…
Co-sleeping to crib:
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Ok you are ready to make this leap. Maybe you are transitioning out of the bassinette, the side sleeper or co-sleeping. Here are my suggestions to help you make the move as smoothly as it can be.
- Have your little one practice their napping away from you and ideally in their crib. When moving them to their own sleep space; please remember the ABC’s for Safe Sleep. Naps are a great place to start!
- Be consistent with your messaging. When having them nap on their own, give your child space to figure out sleep without you. Changing a routine, like co-sleeping may create some protesting from your child, but with consistency you child will learn how to sleep without needing you. Consistency is so important!
- Make sure their bedroom/sleep space is very dark, cool, and have white noise playing. These are all conducive for creating a positive sleep environment.
- When you take the plunge for overnight sleep, mimick the way you put baby down for daytime naps. This will include being consistent and offering a quiet and calming bedtime routine. Now pick a method. Will you respond at night time or not? Whichever you choose, stick with it. Change does not happen overnight. Be persistent, you will see change much faster than you may anticipate.
This is a big leap, but you are ready to go from having a co-sleeper to have an independent sleeper. You are ready to have your bed back! Enjoy the new-found space in your bed. Sweet Dreams!
