Helping your baby sleep in their own bed

Many families co-sleep or have the child close during the night, and for many it works well. But there are also families who want or need the child to sleep in their own bed, in the same room or a separate room. Here we summarise what the research says and give practical tips for the transition.

When is the baby ready?

A separate bed is recommended for safety reasons from birth, but in practice many infants have difficulty sleeping there.¹ There is no exact age at which the transition "should" happen. It tends to be easier after about 4 to 6 months of age, when the circadian rhythm has been established, the need for night feeds gradually decreases and the child has sufficient neurological maturity to learn new ways of falling asleep.² How easy it is depends on the child's temperament, existing sleep associations and the family's situation.³

Why is it hard to put the baby down?

A common challenge is that the child falls asleep in the parent's arms but wakes when put down. The child reacts to the change in position, temperature and body contact, especially during light sleep. Infants have shorter sleep cycles (about 50–60 minutes) and spend more time in light sleep than adults, making them more sensitive to transfers.⁴

The difficulty tends to increase during the first months. Newborns have a large proportion of active sleep which makes it relatively easy to drift off, but as the proportion of deeper sleep increases, the child needs more help winding down.⁵ The circadian rhythm, which helps the body distinguish day from night, is not yet established.² At the same time, crying increases with a peak around 6 to 8 weeks of age, which can make winding down even harder.

Sleep associations

The vast majority of infants need help falling asleep – through breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, rocking or other motion. Over time the help itself can become a sleep association: the child learns that these conditions belong with sleep, and has difficulty falling back asleep without them during night wakings.

Breastfed infants, for example, often wake more frequently, partly because breastfeeding acts as a strong sleep association.⁶ How long it takes to change these patterns varies greatly depending on the method and the child's temperament.⁷ Read more about why some children sleep worse →

Practical tips for the transition

Establish a consistent bedtime routine. A fixed sequence of activities, such as bath, book and song, signals to the child that it is time to sleep. Research shows that a regular bedtime routine is associated with better sleep quality and fewer sleep problems.⁸

Put the baby down before they are fully asleep. Instead of waiting until the child is deeply asleep, try putting them in the bed when drowsy but still awake. This reduces the risk of the child waking during the transfer.

Reduce help at sleep onset gradually, for example by shortening breastfeeding time at bedtime or rocking more gently before putting the child down. The evidence for gradual weaning as a standalone method is limited, but it can be a gentle first step.⁹

A comfort object such as a small blanket or soft toy can ease transitions between wakefulness and sleep. Loose objects in the bed should be avoided during the first year of life. The comfort object can instead be part of the bedtime routine.¹⁰

There are also more structured sleep training methods with varying degrees of parental involvement and research support. See our overview of sleep training methods →

Expect resistance

It is normal for the child to protest when routines change. Brief crying in a safe context, where the parent is present and responsive, has not been shown to be harmful.¹¹ What matters most is the overall pattern of care – you can choose a pace that feels right for your family.

Expect temporary setbacks too. Illness, teething or periods of new motor development can temporarily worsen sleep. This is normal and not a sign that the strategy has failed.⁷ Sleep is not a linear process.