Co-sleeping was a lifesaver when your child was a baby, but now that he’s an energetic toddler, taking up half of the bed and thrashing around all night, the time has come for him to move into his own room. To make this transition as smooth as possible for your family, here are a few upgrades you should make to his room before his first night sleeping solo.
Install a Security Camera
When your little one moves into their own room, it’s only natural to worry about how they are getting on by themselves in there all alone. By installing a security camera, you can get a real-time view of what’s going on in there whenever you want. If you hear a noise in the middle of the night, you can easily peer in your child’s room through the security camera’s companion smartphone app, instead of having to get up out of bed and chance waking up your little one.
While some rely on a baby monitor for the same purpose, a security camera is a more effective long-term solution as your toddler moves into his or her own room. Lorex security cameras are designed to have a longer lifespan than baby monitors and they use state-of-the-art technology, which allows them to provide a clearer picture, even in low-light situations.
Add Blackout Shades
Anyone who has ever tried to put a toddler to bed during the summer, when it’s still broad daylight at bedtime, knows that the darker you can make the room at bedtime, the better. This is especially important as you transition your child into his or her own room, as most toddlers will use any excuse (“but it’s still sunny outside”) to fight sleep and avoid bedtime.
For a high-tech solution, try Serena remote controlled shades. They can tie into the rest of your connected smart home gadgets, so you can activate them with the touch of a button from your smartphone or tablet.
Put the Lights on a Dimmer Switch
Help ease your child’s energy level down at bedtime as your create a new nighttime routine in their own room by gently dimming the lights in the hour leading up to lights out. Exposure to bright lights before bed can deceive your little one’s internal clock, making it tough for him or her to fall asleep.
Add a dimmer switch for the overhead lighting in your child’s room, easing the lights down further as bedtime approaches, switching to a small reading light as you read the final bedtime story together. Using a reading light is ideal, as it offers minimal light and can be easily switched off without getting out of bed as you snuggle your toddler to sleep.
Match White Noise
Consider any white noise that you child may be used to hearing while sleeping and mimic that in his new room. For instance, if you sleep with a ceiling fan on or a sound machine, do what you can to recreate the white noise in your child’s room. Whether that means installing a ceiling fan, adding a small fan on a nightstand or getting a sound machine, these relatively quick fixes can make a huge difference in easing your toddler’s transition.
