How to teach your baby to sleep separately from their parents? Tips and methods

Children of any age quite quickly get used to sleeping with parents. Kids who are born with them sleeping in the same bed, it is very difficult to shift to night sleep in a cot. How to teach your baby to sleep separately from their parents? More on this story in our article.

The Optimum age for independent sleep

Of Course, the most important thing in the life of a newborn baby is that mom is always close. So parents to provide the most comfortable psychological conditions for the baby, I put him to sleep next to him. But as soon as little man grows up, they beg the question: “How to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents?”

Psychologists say that the right age for shifting the baby in his own crib – 2 years. But this statement is not for all kids. Parents need to closely watch their baby. This will help you see when it is ready to move to his bed.

How to understand that the child may sleep alone?

So, to determine whether the child is ready to sleep alone in their crib, parents should pay attention to the following points:

• The Process of breastfeeding successfully completed.
• Baby sleeps for several hours (5-6) and won't Wake up.
• The Child can spend time in the room (20 minutes) and it does not call an adult.
• When he wakes up and sees next to him mom, then reacts to it normally (not crying).
• Toddler not asking often at the hands of the mother.
• The child formed the concept of their property (“my”).

If all the above issues, parents may give a positive answer, then it is safe to say that the child is ready to move to his bed.

When should I wait?

The question of how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents by themselves should be taken very seriously. Extreme measures and enforcement actions can cause psychological trauma to the child, resulting in it will have various phobias and fears. Therefore, in the following cases should hold off on "relocation"

• The Baby is irritable, tearful, sometimes hysterical.
• He has a birth trauma or serious pathology.
• The Child is ill.
• The baby teething.
• A Change of climate, time zones, familiar environment.
• The Child is adapting to kindergarten.
• Mom is pregnant (in this case, the cost to move the baby in the crib long before important events).

All these cases are a serious reason to postpone the solution of the question of how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents.

Independent sleep children 1 year

Without a mom usually refuse to sleep children, who from birth slept next to her. Of course, for mothers after pregnancy and childbirth, co-sleeping with your baby is a very good option. Therefore, most adults begin to think about how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents, in 1 year.

Until that time, babies often Wake up because of the activity or the needs of sickness, and to eat. Adults should be aware of important conditions that must be followed to solve the problem of how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents.

• Put the baby to sleep better at the same time.
• You can Not skip NAPs due to the fact that the child in the evening to sleep better. Mode children under one year he must be present.
• To Observe the mode of feeding that the child did not Wake up from hunger after just fell asleep.

How to teach yourself to sleep baby in 1 year?

One-year-olds to teach independent sleep should gradually. Better to do it with NAPs. When the mother put the child to bed, you need to have to sit Pat on the head or give him a hand. You can offer the baby a new “friend” toy.

Now a lot of toys, hugs, which is very convenient to take with you to bed. Children usually fall asleep with them safer. The mother does not need in the first time to leave the room, you can, for example, to read or to knit sitting near the cot. Gradually, when the child will get used to it, you can leave him to sleep alone.

Method Estivale

This method is designed for children 1-2 years. In foreign countries it is the most common. It is an effectivea method that will help solve the problem of how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents.

In 3 years this method will not work. Children older than three years is already quite a strong protest against the will of the parents, so calling this method may cause great harm to the child, causing severe emotional distress.

What is the technique of Esteville? The author suggests that parents need to leave immediately after the child was put in a separate cot. If the kid got up in it, crying or screaming, the mother immediately to come to him is not necessary. The first time you need to wait a minute and then log in to put the baby to bed and leaving again. And so gradually increase the interval returns to the room. Sooner or later the baby is asleep.

When my mother returned to the bedroom, she makes it clear to the child that it is not the only one that didn't abandon him. Success will be calm and persistence of the parents. Esteves method can be applied only in the case if the child has no psychological or neurological disorders.

Independent sleep in children 2 years of age

How to teach your baby to sleep separately from their parents at 2 years old. With such children you can negotiate and explain the situation. You need to explain to the child that each family member should have their own bed. Must tell the child that he is an adult and could sleep in his bed.

Usually children of this age imitate adults, so the likelihood that my son or daughter will agree a day to sleep in his own bed, is large enough. Gradually the kid will get used to the new bed and will sleep there for the night.

Better crib for the first time, to put next to the parent, because the child it is important to know that they are nearby. Psychologists do not recommend that adults put the child next to him and then move him to his crib. This method only works the first couple times and then the baby becomes cranky and restless: he is afraid to Wake up in the night alone.

Independent sleep in children three years

Children of this age are big dreamers, so parents will have to show not only patience, but also turn sharpness. Magical bedtime stories, the amazing stories will help adults to solve problems, how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents.

In 3 years the child can say that at night he will be transported to a magical land or a fairy tale, where any wish may come true. Also with kids two to three years works well the way “training”: the child to help choose a comfortable position for sleeping. It so happens that the kids just can't comfortably lie down. If the kid wants to bring to bed a toy, you need him to resolve.

How to teach your baby to sleep on their own in 4-5 years?

As a rule, children 4-5 years old refuse to sleep in a separate room or in his bed for certain reasons:

• Fear of the dark;
• The fear of the unknown beings or monsters;
• Terrible fancy;
• The fear of death.

How to teach your baby to sleep separately from their parents? 4 years and older children are better able to fall asleep if the room will be lit the night-light. Parents with a child must talk about his fears and emotions and try to convince that he is absolutely no danger.

The Kid needs to understand that mom or dad is around in the next room and if necessary they will come to the rescue.

Why don't they sleep in 6-7 years?

There are children who can't sleep separately from their parents even in the preschool age. Usually the reason for this are various phobias and fears, like five-year plans.

Children who went to school can worry about grades, classes, or fear of disapproval by the teacher. How to teach your baby to sleep separately from their parents in 6 years (7 years)? Here helps the method of gradual adaptation, but it may be reduced.

Of Course, parents need to talk with the child, to find out the cause of his fear. Children at any age need to feel the help and support of parents to feel that they are not alone, that in case of danger they will definitely help.

If the parents are unable to cope with the problem of how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents at age 7, independently, should involve a child psychologist.

Gradual removal

A Good method that will help solve the problem of how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents at 5 years of age and older, is a method of gradual removal. Mom should tell the kid that she every day will be to move further away from the crib and stay there until he fell asleep. It will look like the following:

• Inthe first 2-3 days, you can sit with the child in the bed next to.
• Then within two days, the mother sits beside the bed until the child fell asleep.
• In the next couple of days, the mother does not wait for the baby to sleep. Not long after sitting at the crib, she goes, but remains in sight of the child.
• In the days that followed mom out the door, but first need a little bit to baby-sit at her bedside.

The door to the room need to be closed only when the baby will sleep at night one.

Special rituals

In order that the child fell asleep rather you must daily perform the same action. This is the evening bathing, watching the cartoon, reading stories, talking to my mom or dad about the day, the impressions and so on.

These daily rituals contribute to the development of the child certain habits: to be laid to sleep as soon as the kid put on his pajamas, brushed his teeth. Many children fall asleep faster when waiting for something good and interesting. For example, during the weekend parents promised to take the child to the zoo, in a cafe or a movie – you can even close your eyes and dream about the event.

Some kids quickly fell asleep when Mama's just a little lie down near. If the child asks the mother stayed with him all night, you can resort to a little trick: say around when your mom washes, cleans teeth, lay toy, and it will come in about twenty minutes. In such cases, the baby normally falls asleep on their own.

Another trick (for children 1-3 years old) – can be hung on the back of the crib of hers, such as a robe. The baby will feel the presence of the mother and fall asleep peacefully.

What else?

Habituation of the child to independent sleep should not be difficult for him. Adults will need patience and time in this difficult matter, how to teach a child to sleep separately from their parents. The advice of psychologists:

• About an hour before bedtime with a child to play outdoor games, talk loudly, watch entertainment programs.
• Observe the daily evening rituals.
• For baby sleep, create a comfortable environment: comfortable mattress and pillow, soft pajamas and bed linen. Room before sleep, it is better to ventilate.
• At the request of the child to leave a nightlight or lamp on in the room.
• Talk to the child, if something disturbs, to try to calm down.
• Parents need to be persistent and consistent in their actions and demands.
• The child must have to talk calm and steady voice, without a writ of tone.
• Parents should set an example for the children to sit up late and going to bed at a certain time.

Most Importantly, do not be nervous and upset. Each child has their own growth and development characteristics. Some kids quietly sleeping in his bed already at six months of age, while some learn this only in five years.

Parents can use the experience of friends, other families, psychologists, and can develop their own method of teaching the baby self falling asleep in his crib.