Separate bedrooms offer young kids a quieter sleeping environment and personal space for toys and other treasures. However, placing your children in separate rooms is not always a possibility due to space constraints. You may decide to put your young children in the same room so they feel more secure or to create a stronger bond. Whatever the reason, careful planning helps the kids share a bedroom more peacefully while both get a good night's sleep.
Step 1
Set up a separate sleeping area for each child. Leave a space between the beds if possible. The distance may help the kids stay in their own beds rather than playing when they are supposed to be sleeping.
Step 2
Analyze the kids' sleep habits to determine if they need the same bedtime or staggered bedtimes. If they have difficulty falling asleep together, put the younger child to bed first. Once he falls asleep, put the older, hopefully quieter, child to bed, reminding him not to make loud noises.
Step 3
Establish a bedtime routine that you do consistently each night. Include both kids in the routine, ending it by placing each child in her own bed. This routine signals to the kids that it is time to sleep.
Step 4
Set rules about staying in the beds and not playing at sleeping times. Review the rules each night as a reminder of your expectations.
Step 5
Add a white noise machine in the bedroom. Turn it on during sleeping times to help mask the sounds the kids make. This helps prevent one child from keeping the other awake with noises or movement.
Step 6
Install a curtain or canopy to create a physical barrier between the two beds. Pull the curtain across the room during sleep times. Push the curtain back during the daytime to open up the room.
Step 7
Walk into the room to quietly and calmly remind the kids that it is sleeping time, not playing time, if they have difficulty falling asleep.
