Can you sleep train and room share?

You can sleep train and room share, but you will have to modify your approach a bit.

Doing sleep training while in the same room as your baby can be more complicated than doing it in a separate room. The only reason is that there is no added barrier of a wall. So throughout this process, hold on to WHY you are doing this. We want a safe baby AND an early independent sleeper because we want to set your baby (and your family) up for long, uninterrupted sleep for the early parenting years. In the first three years, good sleep builds more creative, more adaptable brains and limits exposure to ADD and anxiety while promoting learning. Amazing!

Here's the problem, though - we have two conflicting pieces of thought regarding baby sleep.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the best place for babies to sleep is in their adults' bedroom. They should sleep in their own crib or bassinet (or in a co-sleeper safely attached to the bed), but shouldn't be in their own room until they are at least six months, better 12 months. This is because studies have shown that when babies are close by, it can help reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome, or SUIDS.

But on the other hand - A study published in the June, 2017 journal Pediatrics points out a downside to this: babies don't sleep as well, and by extension, neither do the adults in their life. Researchers found that "early independent sleepers," babies who slept in their own room before four months, slept longer and for longer stretches than babies who slept in their parents' room. At nine months, these babies were better sleepers, not just compared to those who slept in their parents' room, but also to those who transitioned to their own room between 4 and 9 months.

Here is what we are going to do, my dear Lovebug families: we will go for both. We will focus on early independent sleepers AND keep your baby in their room. You don't have to do it this way, but you must be interested in that goal since you are here. This way, you have a good sleeper who sleeps longer AND prevent SUIDS.

Learn more in the Lovebug App!