When to move your baby to their own room, and how

Keep your baby's own cot or bassinet in your room for at least the first 6 months, for naps as well as night sleep. That is the current advice from the AAP in the US, the NHS and the Lullaby Trust in the UK, and Red Nose in Australia. After 6 months, none of these sources sets a date for moving out, so you can move your baby when it suits your family, or keep room-sharing for longer. When you do move, set the new room up safely first, keep everything else about sleep the same, and expect a few nights of adjustment.

How long should my baby sleep in my room?

All four major safe-sleep bodies now use the same minimum: at least the first 6 months.

The AAP's safe sleep guidance says to share a room with your baby for at least the first 6 months. The NHS SIDS page says to place your baby in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for every sleep for at least the first 6 months. The Lullaby Trust and Red Nose in Australia say the same.

"At least" matters: 6 months is a minimum, not a deadline. Room-sharing means your baby is in their own sleep space in your room, not in your bed. If you're thinking about sharing a bed, read bed-sharing first.

Why does room-sharing matter in the first 6 months?

Sources agree it lowers the risk of SIDS. The AAP says room-sharing can decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%, and also makes night feeds and checking on your baby easier. Australia's Red Nose says room-sharing reduces the risk of sudden infant death and sleeping accidents during day and night sleeps.

That's why naps count too. The Lullaby Trust says you can leave the room briefly, but your baby is safest when you're close by most of the time. In practice, many families use a portable cot or bassinet in the living area for daytime naps in the early months.

Australia's Red Nose also makes an important point: a safe sleep environment matters more than room-sharing. A baby in your room on a sofa or in an inclined product is not safer than a baby in a clear cot. See safe sleep for the full checklist.

When is the right time to move my baby to their own room?

After 6 months, it's your call. There's no evidence-based "best" month in these sources. Families often weigh things like:

• Everyone waking each other. Some babies stir at every cough or creak, and some parents can't sleep through baby noises. See baby sleep sounds for which noises are normal.
• Space. Your baby may be outgrowing the bassinet. Australia's Red Nose says bassinets shouldn't be used once your baby can roll over or pull themselves up on the side, so moving to a full-size cot may be the moment to rethink where it goes.
• Timing. A calm patch is easier than a move during illness, travel, starting childcare or a new sibling's arrival.
• Feeding. Frequent night feeds can be easier with your baby close. Some families wait until night feeds settle.

You can also stay put. Keeping your baby in your room beyond 6 months is a common, safe choice as long as their own sleep space stays safe.

How do I set up a safe nursery?

Check the room before your baby's first sleep there. The AAP's baby room checklist covers the main hazards:

• Cot position: don't place a cot near a window.
• Cords: don't let strings or cords dangle in or near the cot. The AAP notes the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends cordless window coverings where possible.
• Mattress height: set the mattress at its lowest position before your child learns to stand.
• Mobiles: remove them when your baby can get up on hands and knees, or at 5 months, whichever comes first.
• The cot itself: use a cot that meets the current safety standard where you live, with a mattress that fits snugly.
• No bumpers: the AAP says not to use bumper pads in cots.
• Night-lights: keep them away from curtains and bedding.
• Smoke alarms: have one outside every room where someone sleeps.

Inside the cot, the usual rules apply: firm, flat mattress, fitted sheet, nothing soft or loose, baby on their back. Check the room temperature and your baby's clothing with dressing your baby for sleep, and see sleep environment for darkness and noise.

How do I move my baby into their own room?

There's no single right method. These steps help many families:

1. Get the room ready a week or so ahead and spend some calm awake time there, such as nappy changes, play or stories, so it feels familiar.
2. Use the same cot setup. If you can, move the cot your baby already sleeps in, with the same sleeping bag and the same pre-sleep cues.
3. Keep the bedtime routine identical. Same order, same songs, same feed timing. See bedtime routine.
4. Choose your start: some families start with naps in the new room, others with bedtime. Either is fine once your baby is past 6 months.
5. Respond as you normally would. If your baby wakes, go in and settle them the way you usually do. Moving rooms isn't the time to change how you respond at night.
6. Give it a week or two before deciding it isn't working. Expect some unsettled nights as everyone adjusts.

If night wakings increase and stay up, night wakings covers common causes. A short diary of wakings for a week before and after the move can show whether things are actually worse or just different.

Do I need a baby monitor when my baby moves rooms?

A monitor is a convenience, not a safety device.

• Red Nose in Australia says baby monitors do not reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy and there's no scientific evidence that any type of monitor prevents it. It also says an audio or visual monitor can be reassuring for parents.
• The AAP says not to use home heart and breathing monitors as a way to reduce the risk of SIDS, and that there's no evidence consumer wellness devices decrease SIDS risk.
• The NICHD Safe to Sleep FAQ says home heart, breathing, motion or other monitors aren't recommended as a primary way to detect SIDS.

If you use one, place it and its cord well away from the cot, out of your baby's reach, in line with the AAP's advice to keep cords away from the cot. Never let a monitor replace the safe-sleep basics.

Can twins or siblings share a room?

Twins and multiples

The Lullaby Trust's twins advice says sharing a room with your babies is important for at least the first six months. In the early months, twins can share a cot:

• placed on their backs with the tops of their heads facing each other and their feet at opposite ends, or
• side by side on their backs with feet at the foot of the cot, not close enough to touch.

Don't put rolled towels, pillows or cot dividers between them, and never put twins in the same Moses basket. Once they can roll and move about the cot, they need separate sleep spaces. If two cots won't fit in your room, the Lullaby Trust suggests options such as leaving doors open or taking turns with your partner to sleep near the twins. The AAP says not to bed-share with twins or other multiples under any circumstances.

Babies and older siblings

Once your baby is past the room-sharing period, sharing with an older brother or sister is common. Your baby still needs their own clear cot.

• Teach your older child that nothing goes into the baby's cot: no toys, pillows or blankets, and no climbing in.
• Never put your baby to sleep in a bed with an older child. Red Nose in Australia says a baby should never sleep next to other children or pets, as this can increase the risk of overheating and suffocation.
• Stagger bedtimes if one child wakes the other, and consider whether white noise helps.

When to ask for help

Talk to your GP or health visitor if you're unsure whether your home setup is safe, or if sleep problems after the move are affecting your family's wellbeing. If you're exhausted and struggling, your health visitor, or NHS 111 can help. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself or your baby, call Samaritans on 116 123 or 999 straight away.