What age did your DC’s go into their own room? Any tips?

[TLBftm]

DS turns 9 months this week and is still in our bedroom. He’s slept through since being about 6 week old and we literally couldn’t ask for a better little sleeper. He’s currently in a next to me crib by my side of the bed... I see a lot of people on my fb putting their DC’s into their own rooms at 3/4/5 months old and it’s making me wonder if i’m having issues ‘letting go’ of DS... the advice is to keep babies in with parents until 6M mind... but at almost 9 months the thought makes me want to cry frankly! I just think I’ll miss him (sad maybe) I’ve got a video monitor but fear I’ll spend the whole nights watching him... and I don’t want him to feel sad or lonely or wonder if I’m coming back... will he?! Myself and DP agree we would have him in with us until he goes to uni (exaggerated) if we could... anyway, I think we are going to give it a go this Friday... partly because I kind of fee I have to as everyone else does or has earlier?! But I also wonder if we now disturb his sleep maybe... last few weeks he’s woken up a few times during the night, nothings bothering him or anything atm and he goes straight back off but I’m wondering if maybe snoring, tossing and turning are disturbing him? DP claims I laugh in my sleep too (creepy I know) so maybe it could be that? Rambling a bit now but what age did you guys put DC in their own room? And any tips I.e night light etc? Thanks, from a nervous ftm!

2 years for my daughter (we tried from 6 months but she was a very bad sleeper and when I went back to work it was easier we co sleep as I was still bf her) so we technically would put her in bed in her room at night from 6 months but she always ended up in our bed.

Son moved in from 6 months no issues.

The uk advice is to keep baby in your room till at least 6 months, the evidence indicates that the chances of sids are reduced up to 50% when in the same room as parents and breathing seems to be regulated, pretty amazing really. However US research indicates that up to 12 months could be beneficial. I moved all mine well after 12 months, why risk it unless it's causing you or baby issues.

We use blackout blinds and and classical music. There is a night light in the hallway should they come out of the room.

DD went into her own room at 13 months. We might have done it a little before but we didn't have the space until we moved house. I think any time after she could walk would have been ok - we wanted to put her in a bed where she could walk to come find us, as it was starting to really strain our backs picking her out of a cot in our room.

I think if you want him with you, go for it! It is the loveliest thing. DD was in her own room but still came in with us, and though she has been a terrible sleeper from day 1 and is a right nightmare, nothing makes up for the niceness of snuggling up with a baby nearby. You won't get that time back.

So: you do what works for you! Some do it earlier, and some later. And having a room that's DC's 'own' does not at all mean they can't come in with you (and they will!).

Oh, and as to laughing - I talk (nonsense) in my sleep and so does DD. DP laughs at us but a few times I have woken up to hear them having an earnest-but-unintelligible conversation, while both were to all intents and purposes sound asleep!

Don't do it because you feel you should, do it if it suits your baby and you.

I have my 15 month old DD in her cot at one side of my bed and my 11 week old DD in her moses basket at the other side. If it's ok I'll hang around for tips

DD is in her own room at 7 months, mainly as we were waking each other up, especially when I came to bed at 11 or whenever. Our bed is very creaky so trying to get in without waking her was a military operation!

However I do cheat as when she wakes up for her night feed, I go back to sleep on the double bed in her room, and sometimes she joins me for a doze

DC1 - About 6 months. Good sleeper, a really robust baby and didn't like snuggling, was happy sleeping in own space.

DC2 - about 2.5 years! Now 3.5 and still ends up in our bed quite a bit. Likes to snuggle up.

Do what YOU both want. Sounds like you're both happy with him in with you so why change it?

Don’t do it just because you think everyone else has!

My moved my daughter around 8/9 months, and she’s always been a good sleeper for the most part, but I think she’s actually more settled in her own room. Possibly we’re less inclined to settle her at any sign of noise and so she goes back to sleep by herself less disturbed, I’m not sure. But I honestly don’t think she’s even really noticed we’ve moved her 😂 She’d been going to bed alone in our room for around 3 months before the move so that helped.

As for tips, I just plonked DD down in her new cot after her normal routine and that was it. She didn't seem to notice or care she was in another room and bed! 😂

Also, if the info helps, we used blackout blinds and a white noise machine in our room, and now use the same in hers, so her environment is virtually the same really.

But if you're all happy with current situation, there's no need to change. DD and I are just both really independent sleepers!

Ds was 14. Puberty did it. Independent as fuck now. There are no rules. Humans are primates and it's usual for primates to want to sleep in the company of family members.

Interesting that the US recommends 12m.... might look into that!

Must say I feel relieved at the people commenting who waited longer, I guess I will see how I feel Friday and if I’m really panicky about it I shall wait.

A part of does feel like I have to yes :( but not so much after some of the comments, so thank you! The other part of me however does feel like DS needs it so we aren’t disturbing him...

Spoke to my DM today who said he may get upset but if he does I can’t give in to him otherwise I’ll be making a rod for my own back... but I secretly think if he even murmurs he’ll be back by side quicker than (it’s late I can’t actually think of quicker than what atm but quick) haha!

So I think I’ve sort of decided here.... aim to give it a go Friday, if I don’t feel like it, I won’t... if we do and it doesn’t go well I will wait another few months.

Also, with the night light thing.... DS gets put down awake and falls asleep himself within 5 mins, there’s tv background noise and I have some fairy lights round the dresser on. Tv gets turned off before we sleep but fairy lights stay on (this was mainly so I could watch him breathe)... do I need to create a similar environment in his room? For instance a night light... Or if I say leave the room in darkness will he just accept the change or?

Also wondering if I’ll create a ‘bad sleeper’ by waiting? Will he get to an age where he will only sleep in our room then we go from a baby that sleeps through and a mummy that doesn’t want him to move room to a baby that refuses to sleep and a mummy that just wants him to accept his new room? Sorry for all the questions I’m just desperate to do the right thing for us all and so freakin panicky!

When my son was a month or two and sleeping in his crib besides my bed, I woke up to hear him snuffling as he had turned over and couldn't breathe. I dread to think what would have happened if he had been in another room by himself.

So I left it until he was 4 before he went into his own room. No rush as I was a single parent.

My DS went into his own room at about 8 months. I started putting him down for rest in his room and doing nappy changes, having day time stories and generally hanging out in the room so that it became familiar. Then when we moved to nights, he was happy and transitioned easier then I did!

I didn't have any problems with him when he went into his own room. Probably because he was ready for it. Maybe I should have done it sooner, but I certainly wasn't interested in what other people were doing. I did what suited me and my son.

Oh gosh Fuzzy thank goodness you woke, I don’t blame you for having him in until 4, not after that experience!

Maybe we will have a smoothe transition then... we read in a chair in his room every night before bedtime and every nappy change has always been done in there on the changing table and we play in there daily so he is very familiar with the room :) he doesn’t nap in there during the day however, maybe I should try that first?

3 years for dc1, dc2 who's just turned 4 is still in my bed room with me, I love it and they are only little once. I never tell people IRL as they judge though.

Do what feels right for you, also both my kids are great sleepers.

My DD is 24 now so very different rules back then. She went straight into her own room at 5 days old when we returned home from hospital!
I knew I had to return to work when she was 3 months old so I was keen to get into a good routine from the start. Initially she was in a carrycot which we put inside the cot, then ditched the carrycot as she got bigger.She also would scream the place down if she was put down on her back as advised, as soon as she was on her tummy she dropped off to sleep almost instantly. She slept through from 10 days old usually at least 11.30 til 5.30 which was amazing if unusual.
All these things are totally frowned on now but you have to do what works for you; if you're happy hopefully baby is too.

6 months here because we were waking each other up with movements, snuffles, coughing, snoring... I'd not intended to move her so quickly but she sleeps a lot better with her own space. Sleep gets disrupted terribly on holiday when we have to share again.
I had to move out of the next2me as soon as she could pull herself up into sitting - does your baby not try to climb out/stand up?

If it makes you feel better, my husband slept in his dad's room til he was nine or ten. Totally normal in his culture and many others around the world.

He is a perfectly normal, functional human being and something I've noticed about people from his country is that they are actually far better at sleeping through noise or disruptions than British people are. No idea if it's to do with cosleeping for so long but it obviously doesn't do much harm. My husband falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow and nothing will wake him up.

Now obviously you may not want to cosleep til that age (me either) but I think it's good to keep in mind that just because they are cultural norms for us doesn't make them universal or necessarily correct. If it feels right for your family, it's fine (safety permitting of course).

Each family can make their own rules and if that's being apart from day one or being together til they start school, in my opinion, it's all fine.

Also, with the night light thing.... DS gets put down awake and falls asleep himself within 5 mins, there’s tv background noise and I have some fairy lights round the dresser on. Tv gets turned off before we sleep but fairy lights stay on (this was mainly so I could watch him breathe)... do I need to create a similar environment in his room? For instance a night light... Or if I say leave the room in darkness will he just accept the change or?

We kept everything as close to the environment she was used to as possible, but in your case I think I would possibly try without a night light. Simply so as not to create that association of needing some light to sleep when he’s older, not that that’s necessarily a problem I suppose! But as they’re not bothered by the dark at this age, maybe give it a go? Complete darkness is supposed to be much better for good quality sleep at this age apparently.