How to convince a child to sleep in its own room?
Children like to sleep with their parents as they feel safe there. What to do in a situation when a child gets accustomed to sleeping with its mum and dad and does not want to come back to its own bed? The first step is to properly arrange the child's sleeping space – bed accessories should be as cozy as possible.
Small children quite often sleep with their parents. At first, it may seem an easy solution but as the child grows it becomes a tedious problem. If your child has troubles falling asleep in its own bed or wakes up every night to come to your bedroom it is time to change its habits.
Ensure a nice atmosphere
A child should feel safe and cozy in its room – both during the day and in the night. The bed and its accessories play an important role. You need to ensure soft to the touch and warm colourful duvet and pillow that will ensure a comfortable and peaceful sleep. It is also recommended to decorate the bed with colourful and decorative star or cloud-shaped pillows thus making the bed more aesthetic and cozy. A soft Minky fleece blanket in your child’s favourite colour will be a great bed accessory. It can serve as a bed cover or as a duvet.
A favourite soft toy or a pillow is a must – it will be a constant companion of your child’s sleep and will ensure the feeling of safety. On our website, you can find a Mouse or Dolphin shaped cuddly toy.
The subtle light of a table lamp standing on a table or on a chest of drawers will also help your child to fall asleep. The subtle light will create a unique atmosphere and will make the room exceptionally cozy in the evening. It will allow the parents to read bedtime stories which can become a perfect evening ritual helping the child to fall asleep.
It is also a good idea to decorate the wall above the bed with colourful elements such as garlands. We need to ensure that the sleeping space is straight from a fairy-tale and is designed with the preferences of the child in mind.
Make changes gradually, not all of a sudden
Our room arrangement is cozy – what else should we have in mind? It is best to teach your baby to sleep in its own room from the very beginning. If you proceeded differently – do not worry. It is obvious that a child that is used to sleep with its parents will protest at first. The older the child is the more difficult it is for it to unlearn the old habits. You need to be patient and use the correct approach. First, you need to find out why the child does not want to sleep alone. Maybe it is afraid of shadows on the wall or other monsters? If so, try to explain everything calmly, gradually helping it to fight its fears. Do not enforce any changes all of a sudden. In the evening, stay with your child until it falls asleep.
Establish an evening ritual, meaning activities that every evening follow in the same order – bath, cuddles, bedtime stories, storytelling etc. The child will get accustomed to the new daily routine. In addition, you can show your child that sleeping alone has its advantages and can be great fun.
