Sleep Training While Room Sharing
Is it possible to be sleep training while room sharing with your baby? It is possible, but it is not easy. Sleep training while room sharing may be popular because many pediatricians do recommend that parents room share until the child is one year of age. However, room sharing can cause disturbed sleep for both the parents and the child. Some newborn babies may awaken very easily and if you or your partner happens to move, make noise, use the breast pump, or go to the bathroom, it could ruin your little one’s sleep.
In an ideal situation you want to sleep train with the baby nearby but in a different room. In this scenario, parents should have a reliable baby monitor that they can watch so that see and hear if their baby is not doing well or needs to be picked up. Attempting to sleep train before 4 to 6 months is not a good idea. Babies do not develop a sense of night and day, or circadian rhythm before 4 months of age. Additionally, many babies have what is called the “4 month sleep regression.” Therefore, if you sleep train too early, the effort may be wasted.
Sleep Training And Room Sharing Tips
1. Make sure that you and your partner have gone to the bathroom and do not need to walk around the room. This can avoid making noise at night and disturbing your child.
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2. Understand that if your baby is not used to sleeping in the crib by themselves, they will cry. They will likely cry until they fall asleep. This may be several minutes, but it could even be as long as an hour. Remember to make sure that your baby has not thrown up and has a clean diaper.
3. Position the crib and the bed so that the baby can not see you. If the baby can see you, they will not understand why you aren’t comforting them. This is hard for you and the baby.
4. Do not sleep train unless you check with your baby’s pediatrician. If your baby is not gaining weight appropriately or has a medical condition, it may not be a good idea to sleep train. Always check with your baby’s doctor before doing this.
Sleep training is a very personal choice that should be guided by your pediatrician. Some families are able to safely sleep train and find it to be very helpful for their lives. Other families choose not to, and they figure out schedules and ways to handle the irregularity. Be sure to choose the best option for you and your baby, and do not hesitate to ask your doctor.
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