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Before I had my son, I was actually excited about the idea of co-sleeping. I had these visions of my husband and I sleeping blissfully with our Little Darling all snuggled perfectly in between us. I had visions of us both looking at each other dreamily first thing in the morning to glow in the little miracle that we had created together.
Reality was by far less romantic, because apparently, I did not consider the simple fact that babies like to move around a little when they sleep.
Oh, and that they can also make a lot of noise. I mean a LOT... even when they are sleeping.
Above all else they have no respect for your personal space, or the fact that you just really want a little sleep, or the fact that you do not like being woken up by being hit on the head repeatedly.
So pretty quickly, I decided it was time to reclaim our bed back but by then, my baby had decided that they loved being in with us to sleeping next to me, and wasn't going without a little protest.
If you are in a similar situation currently, here are a few tips to help with reclaiming your bed back.
Number one, prepare yourself for the resistance that you know will come. Nobody reacts well to changes in their sleep routine, so there is absolutely going to be a form of resistance from your Little Darling. If your child can climb out of their cot then you can bet that they will try and do so in order to come to bed with you.
When this happens, do not get upset. It is really important that you manage to keep your cool and walk them back into their room in a very calm manner. Explain calmly but firmly that they are not allowed to sleep in your bed and let them know what the consequence will be if they do it again. I would recommend not allowing this exchange to be an emotionally driven one.
I highly recommend a reward program for good nights spent in their own bed. A toy or a reward chart can be a great incentive, but the reward needs to be immediately given once they wake up.
The other way to help with moving your Little Darling into their own room is to stay in their room with them for a few nights while they’re making the change. I would highly recommend that you do not rock them to sleep or engage with them while they’re drifting off, as this can create an association issue, but you could sit in a chair while they’re falling asleep so they can see that you’re there, and gradually start working your way out of the room earlier and earlier before they are actually asleep.
Again, I am sorry to say that there is probably still going to be crying, but once your baby gets used to sleeping in their own room, you and your Little Darling can look forward to a much more restful night’s sleep.
I offer a free sleep evaluation call to discuss how I can help you make this transition. Feel free to book below: