Room Sharing Made Easier: Tips for Helping Your Baby and Toddler Sleep Together Peacefully

There’s a good chance that if you have more than one child, your children will probably have to share a room at some point in time. While siblings sharing a room does present some unique challenges, it is absolutely possible to get good sleep with some planning and creativity. This blog post will cover the basics, specifically focusing on toddlers and babies sharing the same room.

Independent Sleep Space if Possible

It’s true that your baby and toddler will sleep best if they have their own sleep space. If you don’t have two separate rooms for your toddler and baby, consider whether there’s a ventilated walk-in closet, extra bathroom, or any other spare space that could become your baby’s temporary sleep area. Creativity here can make a big difference. Remember, your baby won’t remember not having a decorated nursery, but everyone will benefit from a well-rested household.

Setting Up for Success

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies room-share with their caregiver(s) until at least six months of age. Of course, every family’s situation is different, but keeping baby in your room during those early months can preserve your toddler’s sleep until your baby can sleep more consistently through the night.

Most babies are ready for sleep training between 4–6 months of age, at which point they can start going to sleep independently and sleeping longer stretches. If you plan to sleep train, it’s usually most successful when baby has their own space. This could involve a temporary "sleepover" arrangement where your toddler sleeps in your room while your baby learns their new skills.

Typically, the biggest learning happens at bedtime and during naps, so interruptions to your toddler’s sleep are often minimal. Within a week, if you use some protest as an intervention, you should see good progress and may feel ready to move your baby and toddler into the same room.

If your baby still needs nighttime feeds (which is totally normal and not necessarily a barrier to room sharing), remember that most babies drop to one feed between 6–9 months of age. By six months, many are down to 0–2 predictable feeds, making it much easier to room-share successfully. As such, I find the most ideal time to move baby into older sibling’s room is when baby is at least 6 months old.

Scheduling

Whenever possible, try to stagger your baby and toddler’s schedules to minimize overlap. Independent nap spaces—like a pack ‘n play in your room for the baby—can help limit interruptions during daytime sleep.

If overlapping schedules can’t be avoided, you might adjust where naps happen. For instance, toddlers are usually more flexible and may enjoy a nap on your bed or the couch when needed.

For bedtime, aim to stagger sleep times. An ideal baby bedtime is between 6:30–7:30 p.m., while toddlers often settle down between 7:30–8:30 p.m. You can use this hour gap to let baby fall asleep first, ensuring a quieter environment for your toddler when it’s their turn.

Other Tips

Use White Noise: Place a white noise machine between your baby and toddler to help drown out small noises. Be sure it’s at a safe volume to protect their hearing.

Encourage Quiet Entry: If your toddler struggles to enter the room quietly, use positive reinforcement. Sticker charts are a great motivator! For example, every time your toddler enters the room quietly, they can earn a sticker. Once they collect 10 stickers, celebrate with a special outing with you!

Set Boundaries: From the start, emphasize that entering the room quietly is important to avoid waking their sibling. Pair this boundary with a consistent and connecting bedtime routine that takes place outside the room for your toddler to ease the transition.

Avoid Parentification: If you have an older child sharing the room, remind them that you’re responsible for the baby’s care. Reassure them that it’s not their job to respond to the baby’s cries or needs, and you will handle it.

Be Realistic: There will be times when one child wakes the other. In these situations, calmly help both children settle back to sleep. Sleep disruptions happen, and it’s all part of the process.

Conclusion

Babies and toddlers are adaptable, and they will grow accustomed to each other’s presence and noises. With thoughtful planning and a bit of patience, room sharing can become a positive experience that fosters a deeper sibling bond.

If you need help navigating any aspect of sleep, whether it’s creating a room-sharing plan, troubleshooting toddler sleep, or tackling sleep training, I’m here to support you. Let’s work together to create a sleep strategy that works for your family! Book your consultation here!