In a smaller house, it may be necessary for your toddler to share a room with another child. Whether the child is older or younger, it can create some problems when it comes to bedtime routine and sleep habits. With the proper preparation and sensitivity, your toddler can feel welcome in a sibling's room and may even find it preferable to sleeping alone. By allowing your children to share a room, you'll save space and promote a close relationship between them.
Step 1
Establish good sleeping routines before you make the switch. If your toddler or toddler's sibling still wakes frequently throughout the night, it may not be a good time to introduce either one into a different bedroom. If you have a small baby, allow the baby to sleep in your room until the sleeping patterns are established so everyone can get a decent night's sleep.
Step 2
Offer equitable space for both children. Don't make your toddler feel as though he is moving into someone else's room. Make sure that there is an equal amount of toys, clothes and items in the room for each child, suggests mental health counselor Erika Krull on PsychCentral.
Step 3
Decorate the room with your toddler's input, allowing her to pick out items like paint color, bedding, shelving and wall art. When she is involved in the planning and preparation of the room, she may be more apt to sleep in a new room by herself. Your toddler may be reluctant to change rooms if everything is new, so make sure to keep some of the old furniture and items from her old room so she feels more comfortable.
Step 4
Establish a predictable bedtime routine for both children, making sure that they go to bed at the same time. Staggered bedtimes could disrupt your toddler's sleep, especially if a noisy sibling goes to bed later than he does. Start the bedtime routine with calming activities that prepare both children for bed, and be consistent about those activities, suggests Parent Dish.
Step 5
Create a back-up plan. Your toddler won't always sleep perfectly, and the first few nights may be a challenge. Roll a sleeping bag on the floor in your room, make up a bed on the couch or be prepared to lay down with your toddler in her new room for a few nights until she becomes comfortable. Or, keep a playpen in your room to remove a noisy baby so as not to disrupt your toddler's sleep.
