Sleep training when you have more than one child in the mix can be extremely intimidating and daunting. It can often lead to undesirable habits forming and sleepless nights. There are a number of things that you can do to set yourself up for success:
⭐️Combine bedtimes! If at all possible do bath, creams, stories etc together. The more a bedtime routine can be combined the better!
⭐️ If your youngest one goes to sleep first then set your eldest one up in their room with a book or puzzle while you put the younger one to bed. On return to your eldest give them lots of praise for being so good!
⭐️ Make a realistic and achievable plan that you can stick to no matter what! A consistent routine is so important so make sure what you put in place in not setting you up for failure or an inconsistent approach.
⭐️ Do not worry about disturbing your 'good sleeper'. It is common for one to sleep better than the other. Try to avoid rushing in for every noise in the fear that the other will wake up.
⭐️ Do not rush in to rescue. Give your child a few minutes before rushing in to figure it out for themselves. You will be surprised at how well they can be at putting themselves back to sleep if they are given the chance
⭐️ Separate them temporarily if they share a room. If your more troubled sleeper does constantly wake your good sleeper then consider separating while you crack it. This can mean the good sleeper moving into a spare room or your room on a short term basis. By moving the better sleeper you will not do any lasting damage as we can make sure they are not loosing their ability to self settle.
These tips are particularly useful if you have multiples or a toddler and a baby. The main thing I want you to take away from this is that you need to be realistic and take your time. Sleep training can not be done in a gentle way overnight. It takes time so do it is small manageable steps that you know you will be able to stick with.
Let me know if you want any further information on how to battle sleep training more than one child. We can book a free discovery call to discuss your situation in person.