sleeping in own room?

Dana - posted on 05/18/2010

My son is 17 weeks.. He has been sleeping in his own room since week 1.. With the exception, I fell and broke my tail bone when he was 3 weeks old, he then spent 2 weeks in my room.. but then I moved him quickly back to his own bed.. He sleeps from 10pm till 10:30am every night without waking. He is rocked to sleep (in his swing) and then put into his crib, I have put him in there awake, he would just rustle around a little and then fall asleep, I would never let him cry himself to sleep..

Amanda - posted on 05/18/2010

my son is now three and he has always been in his own room...

Laurie - posted on 05/18/2010

That's a little harsh Kelly; that's your opinion only. Every parent is entitled to make their own decision about their babies/children without judgement (within reason, of course). My sister-in-law slept with her daughter until she was 3, and she's now 15. She is the most socially-adjusted, polite, and appropriate girl, and has grown up just fine. My husband and I love snuggling with our girl (almost one year), and we still find 'time' for ourselves.

Kristen - posted on 05/18/2010

I think any response to this has to start with "in my case," or "I believe" because there is no certain right or wrong. For those who say something like "it's best if you do it right away," there's an equal argument, like Bodaline's, that says later is better. My husband and I fall in the latter camp; our kids coslept with us (safely! There is a way, despite all the recent terrible deaths and negative publicity) till they were ready.

Our son asked for his own room at about age 3 when we brought our daughter home from the hospital. Now our two girls prefer to fall asleep together in bunks, but the older one sometimes moves into the big bed at night if she's restless (she's 12, and the most independent of our kids during the day, but needs to connect with a parent at night sometimes).

Primates, including humans, have an extragestational phase of infant development, where they continue to need close contact with their parent. If you anticipate a battle at some point with getting your child to sleep independently, why fight the battle before you need to? If you need to make the baby cry it out to keep her away from you, then why not wait till they're older and more secure before you force the issue?

Rosie - posted on 05/18/2010

I put my son in his own room at about 7 months, my daughter is now 7 months and is about to get in her own room. I think that he longer that you wait the harder that it will be. I am a little sad about putting my daughter in her room, but i think that it's best for her...

Galina - posted on 05/18/2010

I started putting my son in his own room when he was 3 months old. But then, after he would wake up, I would bring him to my bed (to nurse and to sleep for the rest of the night). It was an easy transition... Probably easier for her than for you :)

Michele - posted on 05/18/2010

As a mother of 4 I was able to learn a little more with each one. I will tell you from experience that the sooner you get your little one to go to sleep on his own and in his own room the better off all of you will be. You will be better off for having a good nights sleep and your little one will be much more pleasant to deal with the next day for having a good nights sleep. I know it is hard but they have so many great monitors out on the market now that you can both see and hear the baby. That is what I used for my youngest two. My older two stayed in our room for the first year and then came into our room in the middle of the night for 4 years. My older two went into their own room at 3 months and we took them back to their room if they came into ours in the middle of the night. They were sleeping through the night from the 1 yr on. Good luck!

Renee - posted on 05/18/2010

Mine was 9 months, I thought it was going to be so hard. But really she sleeps so much better in her own room then she ever did with me.. I think the only person it was hard on was me! lol Wish you the best of luck!!

Krystle - posted on 05/18/2010

As soon as my daughter had a dependable sleep schedule (about 4.5 months old) I moved her to her room. Turns out, she slept better. Also, I didn't want her to get too attached to sleeping so close to Mommy and Daddy. She sleeps just fine on her own.

Nathalie - posted on 05/18/2010

11 months try 11 days, maybe not that early but very soon!! I don't think I'm an earth mother!

Dalinda - posted on 05/18/2010

I am not sure why it was so easy to sleep with my oldest son in a queen size bed or my other two who are two years apart in a king size bed until they were about 4 years each it just was comforting and seemed like the right thing for my family. I cherish these memories and moments. I just came from my oldestest wedding this Sunday and would not change a thing about this part of raising him. I guess it is like shoes a different fit for everyone.

Heather - posted on 05/18/2010

my son slept in the same room with me till he was a year old. When I moved him he had no problems at all and even slept better!! I am still nursing him as well. I think because we waited till he was more independent, he made the transition easily. He knows mommy still shows up when he needs me andthats the most important thing

Lianna - posted on 05/18/2010

I am so surprised at the number of people having such old children sleeping in their beds with them. How do you end up with more than one child? LOL Both of mine were in their own room no later than 1 month. That first couple of weeks was easier with them in the bassinette and I could just feed them without getting out of bed. But once the c-section healed, baby went in their own room with a baby monitor.

Stephanie - posted on 05/18/2010

my son was 2 weeks old when i moved him into his crib, I know that may sound young but he disliked his bassinet plus he was almost 8lbs, idk about you ladies bt those dumb bassinets are not made for bigger babies, and everytime he would stir it would wake me. Im a single mom, so i needed every ounce of undistrubed sleep I could get being i was my son's primary feeder. He is 2 now and wont sleep anywhere else bt his crib. good luck!

Julie - posted on 05/18/2010

You're lucky to have made it that far. My 6 month old has been in her own room for almost 2 months now. Instead of sleeping 5 hours and waking to comfort nurse then every 2 hours after that she now sleeps 12 hours solid! She is far better off in her own room and so am I. It took me at least a week to adjust, its harder on us than them! The snuggling I miss out on I just make up for during the day and everyone is happier now!

Joanne - posted on 05/18/2010

Our son was put in his own room from day 1 and we have no regrets about it, of course he was just across the hall with a monitor.

Krista - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter has been in her own room since she was 3 weeks old. The only reason she was in our room to begin with was when I was nursing a few times throughout the night, and I hadn't healed yet from the delivery. I know now that this was the best choice for us, as she was sleeping through the night since she was 6 weeks old, and now when we go out of town and have to share a room, we don't sleep as good as we do at home. I also think that this time varies from family to family when both parent and baby are ready for the transition!

Dalinda - posted on 05/18/2010

I have seen it work both ways, my two youngest kids were nursed and slept with us for that reason until they were about 4years old and will migrate to my room when dad goes to work but my oldest (now 20) also went the other way, he was in my room until about 2 years but he was bottle fed and we made a big deal about his room being his and he went with it. Well and his bed was so much nicer than mine. There were times I went to his bed for a nap. LOL! what we do for our kids.

Lisa - posted on 05/18/2010

We put our daughter in her own room straight from the hospital...she has no problem being in there. She is 9 months old and except for on trips or occassional naps on the week end she is in her room.

Dalinda - posted on 05/18/2010

Wow! You can give her a room to her self is amazing. Start now be consistant, but loving you don't have to walk out right away make toys available for her to play with. No night light but do open top part of minie blinds for some ambient light. You will be amazed at how independant kids will become given the chance, even this early.

Dawn - posted on 05/18/2010

after a month old,

Chelleigh - posted on 05/18/2010

My son went to his own room at 6 weeks. It would have been sooner but my mom was visiting and sleeping in his room. At his 1 month check up the doc told us that it's okay after 1 month to put them in their own room - every one will sleep better. We have a movement alarm/monitor and it has been wonderful for helping me rest at ease at night time - the monitor will beep at me if he stops breathing - thank goodness we have never had it go off, only when we forget to turn it off after removing him from his crib. Good luck!

Cristina - posted on 05/18/2010

The sooner the better, my soon was in his own room by the time he was 6 weeks old.
It's crazy having them in your room for months on end. You need to let your baby grow.

Ezara - posted on 05/18/2010

My son was about 3 months when he started sleeping in his own room, and i've never looked back. The sooner you can do it, the easier for you and your child!

Cindy - posted on 05/18/2010

I agree with the mommy who said to each their own, because you have to do with what feels right to you. I almost lost my son at 39 weeks pregnant due to complications so I was a VERY OVERPROTECTIVE first time mommy. On top of that they almost lost me so I was paranoid over everything. My son sleeping with me didn't feel safe unless he was on my chest and I was on the couch. I cried for days before we made the decision to put him in his room but was wonderfully relieved when after the first week he slept better and so did we.

Jennifer - posted on 05/18/2010

My girls were both in their own room when they outgrew the bassinet...so about 2 1/2 - 3 months or so....

Rachel - posted on 05/18/2010

4 weeks. she still wasnt sleeping through the night all the time and if she woke up i'd just bring her into my bed and nurse her till she fell asleep. if i managed to stay awake, i'd put her back but if not, she'd stay with me for the rest of the night. be flexible.

Carissa - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter co-slept with us until she was 3 years old - it was blissful. We never worried when she was sick, we all slept peacefully and she often slept in when we were tired. The transition to her own room was easy and she's never looked back. My son co-slept with us until he was 2 years old, the desire for a big-boy bed was too great. That said, he wound up in our bed most nights from 4am until he woke at 7:30am. Now he's 4 and sleeps all night in his own room.

Tiffany - posted on 05/18/2010

1 month old

Erica - posted on 05/18/2010

I think as soon as you feel comfortable with it and you won't be up running back and forth all night to keep them asleep you are good to go.

Jeanne - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi Steph,

My son from the first night home from the hospital was in a crib in his own room.....same with my daughter when I brought her home two and a half years prior. When it came to both of my kids it was a question of space. Where we were living there just was not the room to have a bassinet or a crib in our room so they were in their own from the get go. I am not comfortable co-sleeping with a newborn but that is just me. For me it was also easier that when the babies woke up to be fed - their change tables and diapers were in their room therefore no turning on of lights that disturbed my hubby so it just worked out well for us. You do whatever is right for you....not for everyone else. Good luck.

Tarah - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter was a couplke months old when she went in her room. Me & my husband both agreed she neede to be in her own room early.

Krista-Lynn (Krista) - posted on 05/18/2010

Both my girls went in their cozy nursery within days of coming home from the hospital. We waited till we were certain their lungs had cleared of mucus and then relied on their monitors to listen for motion or crying.

I did almost all their night time nursing in their own room too. We had a nice atmosphere for them and for me. It was a stress-free environment with nice lighting and classical music which was soothing for all of us.

When my youngest was 20 months and my oldest was about 3-3/4 years, they both developed some nighttime anxiety. We put them in the same room in a double bed and it solved all their problems immediately. If they wake up, they generally look to each other for comfort. No more fear of shadows or noises and everyone gets nice long sleeps. Hooray!

Vanessa - posted on 05/18/2010

My two older children were 3yrs old and still have the yongest in bed at 28mths old. Best thing we ever did. Children are secure and sometimes they sneek into our king bed for some snuggles. They are young for so little time. Don't push away. They were in our tummies for 9mths they need to be close. Touch is a very important part of our growth.

Kelly - posted on 05/18/2010

A video monitor might help you through this transition.
Here is a link to the BEST video baby monitor on the market! And at 1/2 price!!! Check it out. Worth every penny. We, along with a few of our friends purchased from this website (store is out of Montreal area) and received our packages on within 5-10 business days.

http://www.juniorbaby.com/details.cfm?Pr...

Elizabeth - posted on 05/18/2010

Both children went into their own room as soon as they came home from the hospital. My son was a preemie too. I did however make sure when he came home that his crib was in the room w/ an adult bed. If I felt the need to co-sleep w/ him I could go to his room. This way each was assured of getting used to the noises in their own rooms versus Dad's snoring and our tossing an turning. They are 2 & 3 yrs old now so they survived. I'm sure you have already experienced just how tuned in you become to all of their noises. You can each have your own room and you will still know his/her coo's and know when to react.

Samantha - posted on 05/18/2010

The only reason that my daughter wasn't in her own room sooner was because we had to move to a 2 br house.. So she was in her own room at 9 months. I highly recommend the children being in their own room because they become more independent with sleeping, and they don't need you in the room or to cuddle them to sleep. Just a thought...

Janice - posted on 05/18/2010

My son was 4 weeks old when he went to sleep in his own room. I was really anxious as well! :) my hubby bought me a video monitor so that i could check on him as much as I wanted to- pricey but my peace of mind is well worth it!!

Erin - posted on 05/18/2010

My son coslept with us until he was about 3, and then he transitioned into a bed in our room. He can have his own room as soon as he shows any interest in it :-) Honestly, the best sleep solution is the one that works for your child - just pay attention to her cues, not her age, and I'm sure you'll figure out a solution that works for your family!

Kristle - posted on 05/18/2010

my 11 month old has been sleeping in his own crib in his own room since the day we brought him home from the hospital :) he has slept through the night since then as well...i have a baby monitor and it is great!

Lupe - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi Steph,

After having read most of the previous posts one thing is clear. It's your choice and you have to do what you feel is best for your situation. Having said that i will tell you that as a mother of 6 girls i put them in there own room at 6 months old. The other moms are right when we say it usually is harder on us then it is on our little ones. I was resistent when our second child reached 6 months because i new what my husband was about to say. I told him i would do it on a "trial" basis. You know what, she did fine and i realized i was fine to. I think as parents we feel the need to "baby" our babies for as long as we possibly can. For me i saw from friends how hard it is to have kids in the same room with you and in some cases in your own bed. Just keep on thing in mind Steph. Then longer your child does stay in your room the harder it will be in the end for them to make that transition from mommy's room to there own room. I thankfully never had this issue nor did i have the issue of them sleeping through the night, however it's a personal decision and one that can only be made by you for you.

I hope this helps, much luck.

Ashley - posted on 05/18/2010

I was really anxious the first couple of nights our daughter slept in her own room -- but she was outgrowing her bassinet and needed to be in the crib, definitely. She was 4 months old -- and loved it! She has so much more room in there!

Deb - posted on 05/18/2010

Our son has been sleeping in his room from day one. We share a wall, so I can hear him without a monitor...since I'm a super light sleeper We just didn't have enough room in our bedroom for a pack and play, and the thought of having him sleep in bed with us conjured all sorts of freak outs with either or my husband or me crushing him by rolling over. It has made our life much easier...and we all sleep better.

Kelly - posted on 05/18/2010

At 8 weeks I put my daughter in her own room. We all slept much better that way. And as for letting them cry... NO NEED. If he/she cries, give them a minute to see if they will calm themselves, and after that go in to reassure them that you have not 'abandoned' them (feel free to pick them up to calm them and then back in the crib they go). You may have to repeat this process several time for a few nights but after that they should be good to go. Also a night light might help them so when they wake up they don't wake up afraid and not knowing where they are. Studies have shown that if you let your baby cry uncontrollably for more than 20-30 mins there is a lack of oxygen getting to their brain. The later you put a baby in their own room, the harder it is going to be to have them get used to it and break their existing routine. Routine is KEY at this stage. They need it. Whether it be from bed time routine, to nap time, to sleeping location... babies & toddlers need routine. It makes their life and yours that much easier.

Cindy - posted on 05/18/2010

I'm sorry to the mom who responded about the whole western notion and how SIDS doesn't happen when the child sleeps with you. My son is just 16 months but ALL the articles I read WARNED AGAINST children sleeping with parents because of suffocation hazards, pillows, soft bedding, etc. I know to each their own and I'm not dowing you just disagreeing.

Dara - posted on 05/18/2010

Sleeping with the parents isn't a 'habit' it's biological design. You have to research it. It's a totally modern age western notion that we've all been sucked into. Co-sleeping is human design and if you research it, you find that it is true. Like it or not. And, failing to follow our biological design simply always carries consequences. Just look at how violent and sexually messed up the US is...our whole culture has been affected by this belief...it's just true whether we "like it" or not...

Paula - posted on 05/18/2010

our twin boys were about a month old when we put them in thier own rooms. They did great and are now 5 months old and pretty much sleep through the night!

Michele - posted on 05/18/2010

My 1st son was 3 and my youngest just last week as soon as he turned 5. I've been a single mom with both boys and i tell you when have more of a bond because of it. My youngest was an extremely sick baby and is special needs so we always shared a room but he had his own bed in the room but at a year or so he would wake up from his crib wanting to come to bed and it continued after he transitioned to his toddler bed as well, he would climb in my bed every night. He had his own room at his dad's at about 2 1/2 and still climbs in his dad's bed when he stays the night. Good luck.. I think every child is different so it depends on the child and what your comfortable with.

Tiffany - posted on 05/18/2010

With the whole crying thing I don't agree with letting them cry either. Let them cry for a couple of minutes then go in and hold them. Let them know that you are still there then encourage them that the bed is fine. And again it all depends on the parents and child. Big bedroom and enough room for the baby to be in there and it works for you? Great. Small house small bedroom and cramped? May not work out so well. Trust your instincts and weigh it with what you learn from either articles or what you hear from us and others you talk to. In the end, it has to be what works for you and your partner as well as your little one.

Dara - posted on 05/18/2010

Here's another good article if you find yourself having to let the baby cry in order to sleep alone: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/07/05...