8 Tips for Peaceful Bedroom Sharing With Baby
A few months before a baby’s arrival, many expectant parents begin nesting — a stage that often involves setting up a separate nursery. But not every family dedicates an entire room for their baby. Increasingly, parents are sharing their bedrooms with their newborns and older babies.
Sometimes it’s for peace of mind. Placing the baby’s bassinet or crib in the same room as the parents for the first six months reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to recommendations released by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2011. Other families live in compact dwellings without a spare bedroom for the new addition.
Whatever the reason, here are some tips to help growing families sleep soundly at night and live sanely during the day while sharing space. In addition, I recommend using a white-noise machine and having a solid bedtime routine.
1. Add a soft, flexible barrier around the crib. Chances are, you and your baby have different sleep schedules, so you may need some separation within your bedroom, especially if your baby is a light sleeper. Heavy-duty curtains hung around the perimeter of the crib can block sights and sounds from the rest of the room.
Drapes hung from the ceiling can darken the room during daytime naps, while also adding some grown-up drama to the decor. The designer here used Velcro to fasten the fabric to the ceiling for easy removal in case the curtains became a safety hazard for adventurous babies.
2. Leverage existing architectural features. In this remodeled condo, the client achieved an optimal level of separation between baby and parent by combining floor-to-ceiling drapes and an existing wall.
3. Add an architectural feature. A great location for a crib in this bedroom would be behind the closet wall. A built-in bookshelf or a securely anchored one is a budget alternative to building a custom partial-height wall while also adding storage for baby supplies.
This Dutch family converted a former closet into a flexible space for a crib and changing table. They built a sliding polycarbonate partition that brings light in while obscuring whatever lies behind it.
4. Use rugs and other fabric to absorb sound. Layering plush rugs on the floor helps reduce noise while parents tiptoe in and out of the room. Any kind of thick fabric in the room should help mitigate disruptive sounds, including fabric wall hangings and heavy curtains.
The billowing fabric fastened to the wall and ceiling appears opulent and helps dampen sound in this nursery. You might use this approach to hide dull or unappealing finishes too — popcorn ceilings, anyone?
5. Carve out functional nooks. Carefully examine your bedroom and take advantage of every nook and cranny. This closet is used as a sleeping nook for a small child, but if it had a railing at the proper height, a baby could possibly sleep here as well. A safer approach, however, would be moving an actual crib into the closet.
Consider converting a closet into a baby care station to free up space in your bedroom for other furnishings. Mounting supplies to the wall keeps them readily accessible and maximizes space in the closet.
The Koo Rocker-Bassinet 6. Collect dual-use pieces. Dual-use furniture, like this combination rocker and bassinet, can help save space in the bedroom too.
7. Try folding furniture. Like a Murphy bed, this changing table mounted on the wall folds up and out of the way when not in use.
8. Use curtains to hide clutter. Curtains mask shelf clutter here and bring visual order to a room with multiple functions.
Your turn: How do you organize in a room you share with baby?
More: Share Tactics: Great Ideas for Shared Kids’ Rooms
