To ask when you put your baby in their own room & why

[vampirina]

I know the guidelines are 6 months but don't know anyone in real life who moved them at precisely 6 months. We are at 5 and DD has started waking up (she's slept from 7-7 since she was 8w of her own accord) when we go to bed or move around. I'm wondering if she would sleep better in her own room soon, or if it would be more hassle for me as id have to get up and go to her rather than reach across.

So I'm curious, when did yours make the move and what was the catalyst?

@TabbyMumz the problem is babies under 6 months can forget to breath. They remember to breath by hearing a parent breathing in the same room. That’s why it’s a SIDS guideline.

3 months because he'd outgrown his moses basket and we had no space in our bedroom for his cot. We used an Angel mat in his cot though to monitor his breathing and give us peace of mind at night.

DS1 was in his own room by 20 weeks. He was still breastfed but needed complete silence and darkness in order to sleep and just wouldn't sleep in our room; each time anyone rolled over or tried to read a kindle he'd startle awake. In his own room he magically just slept because it was at the back of the house and absolutely silent. He's 12 now and is still the same; he needs complete dark silence to sleep.

DS2 was about 18 months because he was the polar opposite and couldn't sleep unless he was in physical contact with one of us. He's 7 now and I still regularly wake to find him in our bed between us. We call him the stealth elf because neither of us wakes, he just appears.

Some babies just need different things to help them settle. If DS2 had his way he'd co-sleep every night because he's just more needy in that respect than DS1. There's no right or wrong.

I didn't think the causes of SIDS were understood. Any link to the evidence that it's due to them forgetting to breathe?

DS1 was about a week - as soon as we were out of hospital. Tiny house and in his own room was still only about 2 metres away. DS2/3 were both about 4/5 weeks - they both used to constantly wake themselves up by flailing their arms about and hittting the side of the moses basket. No room for cot in our room, so they went in their own room next door, where they slept much better.

Crazycatlady....I'm sorry but i think that's utter rubbish. I think parents are literally frightened to do anything these days without someone saying "oh if you do that, they might die of SIDS. If you think about it, there can be no proof that says they "forget" to breath. These "experts" just don't know that for sure. No doubt the "ruling" on it will change as time goes on.

My first was 8 months, I'd wanted to move her about a month before then as I felt I had to be really quiet when I went to bed, didn't want to turn the light on to read etc. However she then got ill so waited until she was better. At that point she was waking once, sometimes twice a night, having mostly slept through for a while until she was 6 months. However with hindsight I wish I'd waited, once she'd moved I didn't get to her as quickly when she woke and it took us both longer to get back to sleep. Then when I went back to work at 10 months she started waking more/being more difficult to settle. My second is 9 months and still in with us, I don't see that changing anytime soon. He wakes at least twice a night but sometimes more, the odd night he's up 4/5 times (DD never did that). If he was in a different room it'd be on a different floor, I really don't want to be traipsing up and down stairs several times a night and it'd be a hassle moving his cot whenever we have someone staying.

3 weeks. She's now 10 months and is an amazing sleeper.

7 months with DC1. In retrospect, it might have been better to move him earlier. He was a very light sleeper and I think we woke him up in the night quite a bit tossing and turning. He was also very mobile and once he was awake, he'd stand up in his cot and shout to get our attention. Those were trying times .

DC2 stayed in our room until she outgrew her cot at about 2 years old. She slept through from 6 weeks, but as I knew she was going to be my last baby I wanted her close to me for as long as possible. We finally moved her when she was ready for a bed.

6 months with DD1, having coslept until then. She was feeding less overnight and we were all starting to wake each other up, so it was the right time for us.

7 months with DD2 - pretty much exactly the same scenario as DD1, except she had a dreadful cold and was sleeping badly at 6 months, hence delaying chucking her out for another month.

This is so interesting. My wee girl is 2 months and she's such a noisy sleeper that I basically don't sleep from about 1am onwards which has been exacerbating my fairly severe PND. The mental health team I've been seeing have been imploring me to move her to her own room but I just assumed everyone kept their babies in until at least 6 months and I couldn't possibly do it. But judging by this thread that's not the case. We've been considering moving her for the latter part of the night after her night feed earlier than 6 months as she sleeps much more lightly then so we were hoping the SIDS risk would be reduced. So hard to weigh up the risks and what's practical.

Around 4 years old for both my kids.

Dd1 around 11 months
Dd2 around 10months but still came in and co-slept with us most nights until around age 2.
DS is 13 months and still in with us. Tbh he could go in his own room but we just haven't got round to sorting it yet and we all sleep well as things are so I'm happy to keep him in a while longer

Think about 7 months with my twins. They were sleeping through but any snuffle would immediately wake me.

DS3 was 14 months as I co-slept - should have done it earlier!

Co-slept until 3.5 otherwise none of us slept.

All 3 of mine went into their own room about a week after coming home (all C sections so in hospital for 5 days). I was feeding them myself and DH was working shifts so it meant he wasn't disturbed. We didn't have a huge house so they weren't far away and I had ears on elastic anyway so the slightest snuffle or whimper and I was there. probably why none of them slept properly for years.

18 months as she didn't give up her 5am breast feed and I was not getting up that early.We had plenty of room for her cot and she was a sound sleeper so not woken by noise and lights.

DS is 7 months and nearly outgrown his snuzpod so he will need to move soon. I have mixed feelings. I love waking up to his little face and being able to reach out to him. Especially if he wakes in the night. I'm also a solo mum so like the company and will feel a bit lonely at night without him!
But he needs more space and I would enjoy having my room back again.

Dd1 6 months
Dd2 3 years

We kept DS1 in our room until 4 months (I can't remember why), the other two were moved at 1 month, at this point my sleep and theirs improved immeasurably. Both slept through from 6 weeks 6.30am-7.30pm.

Its interesting to note that the increased risk of SIDS is much higher for those closing to co-sleep with small babies than the risk of having them in their won room, even for parents who don't smoke.

closing = choosing

It's not based on them being able to hear breathing though, it's based on data which tells us room sharing leads to lower incidence of SIDS. The breathing idea is one theory which may explain why but the reality is we don't know why. For example they haven't tested whether a recording of breathing sounds has the same effect.

Pretty much bang on 6 months. It got to the point where I was disturbing lo’s sleep when I moved about, reached for some water etc... He slept much better on his own in his own room. I missed him though!

But if you want to do it earlier than 6 months, the evidence doesn't state this is especially dangerous. The six month guideline appears to be chosen completely at random. Four months is an age when SIDS risk reduces overall so might make more sense as a milestone.

1st baby 5 months as we were all waking each other me with my moving around him with his noisy sleeping. Was anxious but used an angelcare monitor for peace of mind.

2nd baby was 6 months and moved her so my hubby could move back in - he slept in spare room as had to set an alarm for 3am. She still fed in the night but it was only once so didn t bother me having to get up.