Any tips on moving 6 month old into own room?

[Leicfox1]

Just that really, looking for ideas from people who are on the other side of the transition.

Background: after a difficult start - refusing to be put down, missed tongue tie meaning he was constantly hungry and tired - he has been sleeping well since 3 months. Bedtime is 7.30-8pm after bath and bottle, is rocked/held* to sleep for 15 minutes then put down in crib in our room. Sleeps until 4-5am, used to be nonstop but since 4 months has been disturbed. Sometimes just pop in dummy 3-4 times, sometimes needs rocking back to sleep. Has milk, then goes back to sleep until 7.30 ish then up for the day. He's getting too big for the crib, and also showing signs that he might threaten to climb out one day soon (reaching for the tops of the sides but not hauling himself up yet). Cot bed could fit in our room, but would prefer not to do that if at all possible.

For naps, I have to put him down 2 hours after he wakes or he gets cranky from over tiredness. He catnaps for 30 minutes, occasionally longer. I rock then hold for 10 min then put him down in a sleepyhead. He wakes 50% of the time when i put him down. For the last 2 weeks, the sleepyhead has been in his cot for naps, used to be on the sofa downstairs (he stopped waking after a few weeks on the sofa, so I'm hoping for the same with the cot). We no longer use the sleepyhead at night because he doesn't fit in the crib with it on there as well.

*Had hvs etc tell me countless times to put him down drowsy but awake and that he'll magically self-settle. I'd like to see them try that with this baby. Attempted pupd, shush-pat but no success.

No advice, but watching with interest!

I'm starting to think the whole "drowsy but awake" thing only applies to the minority tbh. I barely know anyone who can do that with their baby. My DD is never drowsy without my intervention, she's like the Duracell bunny.

We moved DD at 6 months - though in fact we moved into the spare room for a week or so, to make sure she'd be alright without a parent in there! She was fine. Also did lots of playing, nappy changes, stories etc in her room so she saw it as a nice and familiar place. Sticking to the same bedtime routine wherever she is put to bed helps too.

Fwiw I've never managed to put her down drowsy. I put her down tired but awake, let her have a dummy and her rabbit comforter toy(s), and play music til she's asleep. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the responses, sorry for the late reply.

@29redshoes, same! There isn't really a drowsy period and not often sleep cues either. He could go on and on for hours, then start screaming hysterically because of over tiredness. It's only through trial and error that I found 2 hours to be optimal awake period, and 10 minutes to be best for holding until deep sleep.

@fizzy feet, thanks, we were spending lots of time in his room then stopped due to redecorating. We've been back in for the last 2-3 weeks, with nappy changes, playing on playmat, reading in cot and naps in cot. The trouble with leaving him to it with dummy and comforter is that he plays games - peekaboo by himself by placing comforter on his face then pulling it off if I don't do it, and taking his dummy out and trying to put it back on the wrong way round. And for the last week he's been dropping the dummy between the bars into the floor, enjoying the noise on the hard wood! He dies these things until he gets bored, then the hysterical screams kick in.

I bit the bullet and put him in his room 3 nights ago... nights 1 and 2 were similar to when he was in our room, woke up after 30 min and once between 11pm and 2 am, was rocked back to sleep on both occasions. Woke for milk at 4, slept til 7.30. Was happy enough when he woke in the mornings, which suggests to me that he's fine in the room, and the disturbed sleep is the same as when he was in the crib in our room. Last night unfortunately was a nightmare, awake every hour - however he has a runny nose this morning so it may just be due to illness. I had removed the sleepyhead a couple of days ago from the cot and that seemed to help him stay asleep during nap transfer. I've put it back in now ready for his first nap today to see if it helps while he is in this ill, clingy phase. Fingers crossed!