Transitioning your child from one sleep environment to a new one can be very exciting!  Yet, it can also be stressful!  How do you transition your baby from a bassinet to a crib as seamlessly as possible? Or move your toddler from a crib to a bed without a fight? Or transition your child of any age from co-sleeping to his/her own sleep environment without too much push-back?

My advice on sleep environment transitions?

My BIGGEST tip for any parent who is experiencing any of these transitions is to incorporate regular playtime with their child IN their new sleep space.  Put your baby in his crib and play peek-a-boo.  Sit with your child in her new bed and have a tea party.  Your goal is to get your child laughing and having tons of fun in his new sleep space. This piece of advice might come as a shock to many of you who were told to keep the child’s room ONLY for sleep time.  I disagree.  Now, I’m not advising you to play with your child in his room all day everyday.  I’m simply advising you to incorporate 10 minutes of play here and there.  Regular playtime with your child in his new sleep space will really help him become acclimatized to this new environment.  You don’t want your child’s crib or bed to be foreign or scary.  Plunking your baby in the crib for the very first time at bedtime might not go over so well if he’s never been in a crib before! Regular playtime with your child in his new sleep space also allows him to develop positive associations with this new space.  You want your child to LOVE his new crib or bed.  It’s essential for you to take a bit of time creating wonderful positive associations with the new sleep space for this transition to go well.