Wondering when to move your baby into their own room and how to make the transition without losing sleep?
You may absolutely love room sharing with your baby, or be absolutely desperate to evict them to their own digs!
However you feel about transitioning your baby into their own room, it’s a milestone that will happen eventually.
Your baby can move to their own room at six months. You could help this process go smoothly by letting them sleep in the bed they will use in their nursery before this.
That gets them used to the environment they will fall asleep in, especially if they have been used to sleeping in a side sleeper that attaches to your bed.
We’re going to talk through all the steps to take to make moving baby into their nursery as easy as possible.
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When to move your baby into their own room
The NHS and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend your baby sleeps in the same room as you until they are six months old.
Both organisations also specify that parents should room share, but not bed share, with their baby as co-sleeping can increase risk of SIDS.
The reason for this is that studies have shown this can reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
This ECAS study in 2004 found that in roughly 36% of baby deaths could have been prevented if baby had slept in a cot in the same room as their parents.
And research into the sleep of children who had been room sharing with their parents as babies found no negative outcomes in terms of behaviour or sleep.
The AAP says room sharing can reduce the risk of SIDS by 50%.
It’s always best to follow the experts’ advice when it comes to your baby.
But you do not have to move your baby into their own room the second they turn six months.
Maybe you want to continue sharing with them for another three months, or more.
When you actually do this is up to you and it’s important to make decisions you feel comfortable with.
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Signs its time to move baby into their own room
1. Baby is six months old
The official advice says six months is the earliest to move your baby to their own room.
2. Your sleep is disturbed
One thing I had absolutely no idea about before having babies was how noisy they are in their sleep! They fidget and grunt, as well as sometimes cry in their sleep.
So if you struggle to sleep through the noise then you may be hoping to claw back some of your own sleep by moving baby into their own room.
3. They’ve outgrown the space
If your bedroom is small and only has space for a Moses basket or small crib then you may have no choice but to move baby to their own room once they outgrow their first bed.
Both of my babies slept in a Moses basket at first and then a cot bed. I found moving them from one to the other was pretty straightforward as we had some consistent things with their blankets and sleeping bags and comforter (a little muslin toy they still cuddle to this day).
Moving baby to their own room before six months
It’s important to note that moving your baby into their own room before six months goes against the advice from experts, as outlined above.
And there’s lots of hard evidence to support why it makes sense to follow this guidance for safety reasons.
Some parents – such as myself – find themselves having to move baby into their own nursery before they turn six months because they have grown out of their Moses basket.
There was no room in our bedroom for my daughter’s cot bed – which was a bed that converted into a toddler bed and ultimately lasted us four years making it awesome value!
To be honest the room was so tight that fitting a normal crib in it would have been a big challenge.
We kept a baby monitor on at all times and all the bedroom doors open at night so we could monitor the kids as closely as possible. Both girls are absolutely fine and now happy kids who sleep well at night.
This is certainly not a recommendation to you to follow the same example, but I just wanted to share my story for parents who may be worrying they cannot continue to room share for whatever reason that might be.
And there are some experts who actually say moving your baby to their own room before six months could help sleep.
An article in the journal Pediatrics found families that continued room sharing longer than six months were at higher risk of moving the child into the parents’ bed, which is unsafe.
Those that moved to their own room sometime after 4 months had better sleep consolidation and longer overall sleep extended out to age 2.5 years.
The best age for transitioning baby to their room
| Age | Should you move them? | Official advice |
|---|---|---|
| 0-6 months | Some experts say moving a baby to their own room at 4 months could lead to better sleep consolidation | Both the NHS and AAP say not to move baby into their own room at this stage |
| 6-12 months | Yes this is the perfect time to move baby | The AAP says to keep baby in your room for at least the first six months, so if you want to keep them in your room up to one year then do so. |
| 1 year+ | Your baby can definitely move to their own room now | The AAP recommends room sharing for safer sleep up to one year. |
How to transition baby to cot in own room
Follow these steps to transition your baby to a cot in their own room.
Choose the right room
Pick a room in your home that is quiet, well-ventilated, and near your own room for easy access.
It’s likely you will have already prepared your baby’s nursery before your baby was born.
Prepare the room
Clean and set up the room with a comfortable crib, appropriate bedding that fits the mattress, changing table, and a chair for you to feed your baby in.
You’ll find it easier to help baby move to their own room if they are sleeping in the same bed they were in when sharing your room.
If that’s not possible then try to get them using their bed ahead of moving them to the room.
When it comes to bedding and stuff in the crib keep it to a minimum. The baby essentials you need for sleep are a fitted sheet on the mattress (and a waterproof sheet underneath), a blanket or sleeping bag for baby, and maybe a safe comforter too.
Avoid using bumpers or too many toys in the bed.
Use the room
It can be really useful to have the nursery set up and ready to go before baby arrives as then you can use it regularly and get your baby used to their own room. Even if they won’t be sleeping in it just yet.
Try using it for playtime and baby’s nappy changes as well. Have your baby changing station set up to make it a chilled out area for your baby to enjoy.
You could also feed your baby in the room – which can be really useful as feeding in a quiet environment with no distractions often means your baby will feed better.
Gradually transition
Start by having the baby nap in their new room during the day, so they can get used to the new environment.
We would put our baby to sleep in the nursery in their Moses basket to get them used to the room as a place for them to snooze peacefully.
Create a sleep routine
Establish a consistent bedtime routine that includes a bath, story time, and singing a lullaby to help the baby relax.
You can do this from day one with your baby – it may not always go to plan but it really does help to get them used to this routine.
It will signal to your baby that it’s time for them to relax and sleep.
Make the room comfortable
Keep the room at a comfortable temperature. A room thermometer such as a GroEgg can really help with this.
Use blackout curtains to reduce noise and light – especially in the summer when this can be really disruptive.
Offer comfort
Place a hand on your baby’s chest or tummy to soothe them, and make sure to respond quickly to their cries so they know you are nearby.
I would just add though that when your baby does cry in their sleep it’s often sensible to wait a couple of minutes – which I know is hard – but I often found my babies just nodded off back to sleep.
Be consistent
Stick to the routine, and be patient as your baby adjusts to their new sleeping arrangements.
If things really are not going to plan to try moving their new crib or cot bed into your bedroom, position a foot away from your bed.
This gets them used to that bed while sleeping in the familiar environment of your bedroom.
