Whether your home has limited space or you simply believe in the merit of children sharing a room, you may run into challenges as everyone adapts to the change. Getting two kids to sleep in the same room can leave you frustrated in the middle of the night when one or both wake up. Consistency and a thoughtful mode of decorating will help you create a sleep environment both children enjoy.
Step 1
Decorate the room with two different personalities in mind, recommends LifeOrganizers.com. Use gender neutral paint, wallpaper and fixtures if you're having a boy and a girl share the same room. Bring comfort items from their former rooms and sleeping situations to aid in the transition to a new room; stuffed animals, pillows and pictures can help your kids settle into a new room with their sibling.
Step 2
Arrange the switch to a shared room when both children have established predictable sleeping patterns. While you may want your new baby to share a room with her big sister, if she wakes frequently in the night it could disrupt your older child's sleep. This will leave you with two children to tend to in the middle of the night. Keep a smaller baby in your room until she shows a more predictable sleeping pattern.
Step 3
Set rules and limits on the room sharing, suggests Apartment Guide. Set rules on the amount of time they're allowed to talk at night, asking to borrow each other's things and privacy matters. Ensure both children know what's expected of them.
Step 4
Put both of your kids to bed at the same predictable time each night. If one child is allowed to stay up later, he could wake the sleeping child when he goes to bed. Find a neutral bedtime that works for both children.
Step 5
Invest in a white noise machine for your kids' shared bedroom, recommends "Parenting" magazine. Nightly noises--such as coughing, sniffling, snoring and talking--can make it difficult for your children to get a good night's sleep. A white noise machine helps drown out disrupting noise while replacing it with soothing background sounds that help both kids sleep. Set a radio to static if you don't have a white noise machine.
Things You'll Need
- Stuffed animals
- Pillows
- Pictures
- White noise machine
- Radio
