Babies usually sleep beside their parents in their first few months. Most parents are very protective of their babies; that is why the baby co-sleeps with the parents or beside the mother. It may be challenging on how to transition baby from co sleeping to crib, but it is possible. In this article, you will learn how to transition your baby from co-sleeping to crib.
Transitioning the baby to the crib is a big step, especially when it is already used to co-sleeping with its parents. The heat from the parent and their heartbeat make them sleep better due to the security and comfort while co-sleeping with them. However, if we seriously work on transitioning the baby from co-sleeping to crib, and with the right technique, the baby will eventually be sleeping in their crib in no time.
How to Transition Your Baby from Co-Sleeping to Crib
Most parents who co-sleep with their babies find it challenging to transition the baby from co-sleeping to their crib. The transition is tough. To help you on how to transition baby from co-sleeping to crib, here are some tips:
Keep the Baby at Arm’s Length
If you are using a bedside sleeper, you have to use it again, or you may use other means to ensure that the baby will have their own space while still close to you.
Bring the Crib to the Baby
Instead of transferring the baby to their room immediately, put the baby’s crib in your bedroom with you. Once the baby is already adjusted to sleeping entirely in his own space, that would the time to move the crib back to the baby’s room, which will allow the baby to make one transition over time.
Have a Sleepover
If the baby’s room has another bed in it (or if there is a space for a cot, a comfy chair, or a sleeping bag), have a sleepover in your baby’s room for a few nights while the baby is still getting used to the new accommodations. Just make sure that when you sleep in your baby’s room, you must sleep separately; you in bed and the crib.
Go in Stages
At the start, use the baby’s crib during the baby’s nap time to get used to it. Eventually, when the baby is ready, you may complete the transition to all cribs in the baby’s room, all the time.
Make a Bedtime Routine
If the baby is already used to a nighttime ritual (taking a bath, reading a book, cuddling), stick with the routine. If not, now is the best time to start a routine going.
Hang Around
Once you are ready to leave your baby in the crib at bedtime, make sure that it is prepared. Position yourself in a chair beside the baby’s crib to offer quiet comfort while the baby settles in. Each night, gradually move the chair a little farther until you are out the door, and the baby is on his own.
Give the Baby a Sniff
Nothing calms and comforts a baby sleeping alone like the scent of the mother. Tucking the baby with a small piece of a shirt or nightgown you have worn (so that the baby will smell your scent on it) will make you seem close by even though you are actually in another part of the house.
When Should Your Baby Sleep Alone?
It is really important to learn how to transition baby from co-sleeping to crib, but it is also important to know when to let your baby sleep alone. Some parents believe that it is cruel to isolate a baby by putting them in bed alone, especially at night. Others feed that the children derive a greater sense of security and well-being from sleeping near their mom and dad. Also, by letting the baby sleep alone, the parents are teaching them to become independent.
Though the most recent safe sleep guidelines recommend that parents share a room with their babies until the babies are six months old, a new study finds that might not be the best thing for wither the baby of the rest of the family.
I think, as to the baby’s age, the parent should be the one to decide on the time that they would allow their baby to sleep alone, whether in the baby’s crib or the baby’s room. Find out more about baby cribs.
Conclusion
Figuring out how to transition baby from co-sleeping to crib is a challenge for every parent. However, if you work hard and be consistent, the baby will eventually sleep in their crib or in their room in no time. Hopefully, this article was able to guide you on your baby’s first step of independence.