From co-sleeping to sleeping on their own -- how to help a child transition

Tips to help your child make the transition to sleeping in her own bed.

One would think that a lot of things that parents worry about are not really things to worry about. For instance, the baby's sleeping arrangements. As a new parent, I thought that all I had to do was choose a sleeping arrangement and stick to it, and the baby would adapt to it. I wished my baby to sleep in her crib, which was placed in my room. But this is what happened. As a newborn, she would sleep a lot, but for only 2-3 hours at a stretch. She had to be breastfed, which became cumbersome at night when I used to be sleepy. Walking all the way to her crib, picking her out and feeding her required a lot of my energy, something that as a new, exhausted mother I really lacked. So in two days, she was on the bed with me. While it made it easy to breastfeed and meant better sleep for me, I couldn't sleep easy knowing that she was on the bed with me. I constantly worried about crushing her under me. Anyway, we continued to co-sleep for two years, as we had both grown used to it, but I realised that it was time that she started sleeping by herself, so I can claim my bed back again. So my daughter made the transition back to her own bed, and these are the tips that helped.

• Start with naps: Obviously, my toddler did not agree to sleep by herself willingly, so we started by getting her to sleep in her bed for naps. This was a little easier and got her used to the idea of sleeping in her own bed.
• Transfer to the toddler bed after they sleep: I would let my daughter sleep with me, then transfer her to own bed after she sleeps. She did freak out a few mornings but got used to the transition after a few nights.
• Offer rewards for sleeping in their own bed: Some time ago, my daughter had suggested that we have a book shelf right next to the bed so we can read as many books as we want before bed. Since she is such an avid reader, I promised her that she will get her own bookshelf next to her own bed if she promises to sleep in it. This, more than the other tips, worked the best!
• Let her choose her bed and bedding: Involving toddlers in any process gets them excited for it. I took my daughter out to get her to select her own sheets and quilt, and she was excited to sleep in it that night!

For a child not used to sleeping on her own, shifting to their own bed can be overwhelming. make it easier with these tips.

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