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Trying to figure out how to sleep train your toddler without waking siblings up?
So many families are scared to start sleep training because they don’t want to wake up other kids in the house!
Whether your kids share a wall or share a room, I’ll show you 3 ways to solve this problem because EVERYONE in your house deserves great sleep!
>>Watch this blog on my NEW! Awesome Little Sleepers YouTube channel! 👇
I see this all the time. Families have one child who sleeps well and a toddler who doesn’t and they just struggle through the nights with the sleepless toddler because they’re so terrified of waking up the other one.
But what you might have learned the hard way is that when you do this, that sleepless kid’s sleep habits just get worse and worse and they start needing more help from you in order to sleep.
The truth is that ALL your kids should be able to fall asleep easily and sleep through the night without needing any help from you.
How to Sleep Train Without Waking Siblings
I’m going to show you 3 ways to protect your good sleeper’s sleep so you have the courage to fix your bad sleeper’s issues.
They include:
Building a sound bubble
Staggering bedtimes
Move your child temporarily
The first thing you should do is build a Sound Bubble
I actually recommend this for all kids because it’s a great way to prevent your child from being woken up from general house noises.
The best tool is a white noise machine. You can buy this individually or some toddler clocks come with white noise built in. When I say white noise, it should sound like a static radio station. You don’t want any music or sound that has a pattern like ocean waves. There is some research to show that sounds with patterns don’t allow your brain to fall into as deep a sleep because it’s subconsciously keeping up with the pattern. So, set it to white noise and turn it up!
If your kids share a wall, you can add 2 white noise machines to the good sleeper’s room - one by the wall, and one by your child’s bed.
And if they share a room, you can have one close to each child.
Another great tool is a fan - like a box fan or an overhead fan. My kids each have white noise and Vornado fans and they provide great background noise. It’s so cozy.
You can also add white noise or a fan in the hallways to help drown out any household noise.
If the sound bubble isn’t enough, then try Staggering Bedtimes
Bedtime struggles can be tough. Toddler meltdowns are real and evenings can be feisty. You’ve heard me say a billion times about the importance of an early bedtime for your toddler so that’s why staggering bedtimes can be helpful as you’re working to streamline bedtime and get your toddler down without a battle.
This will depend on the age difference of your kids. But if you have an infant or older siblings, they may actually have a later bedtime than your toddler. This is good because they will be awake if any bedtime drama ensues and then you can put them down once your toddler is asleep.
If you have a good sleeper who goes to bed earlier than your toddler, you may want to get them down a little earlier and put your toddler to bed a little later just to give your good sleeper a chance to fall into a deep sleep. Once they’ve been asleep for about 20 minutes, they will be less easily disturbed. This PLUS the white noise should be enough.
The last option is to Move Your Child Temporarily
If the kids share a wall, this could mean just moving your good sleeper to the other side of the room.
If that’s not far enough or if your kids share a room, you may want to move your good sleeper to a different room temporarily. A guest room works great or you can move them into your room with a sleeping bag for a “camp out”. If you have a baby, you can put them in a pack n play anywhere out of ear shot.
Room Sharing and Toddler Sleep Training
When kids share a room (or even a wall) it can feel like a whole new obstacle to overcome in the battle for bedtime.
The good news is that whether your child has their own room, or shares with a sibling, these strategies work just the same!
For example, if you’re creating a sound bubble, you can place a white noise machine near each child. Or you can read a story with one of your children in the living room while the other settles down to sleep in bed.
Remember, the process of getting your toddler to fall asleep easily and sleep through the night doesn't last forever. It’s temporary. It really shouldn’t take much longer than 2 weeks when you stick to a plan.
So, don’t use siblings as an excuse to let your toddler keep waking up all night. You can fix your toddler’s sleep issues AND keep your other kids happily sleeping too.
If you're ready to finally do this thing, it's time for my free Toddler Sleep Masterclass where I teach you the proven method to get your child comfortable falling asleep alone - so they can sleep through the night. You can fix your family’s sleep problems for good!
And even if you are still not 100% sure what is disrupting your child’s sleep, this free class can only help you get more clarity. >>Click Here<<