Babies Sleep Longer In Their Own Rooms After Reaching 4 Months?

According to a new study, babies sleep longer when resting in their own bed and room, at least if they are over four months old. The research shows that parents are seemingly more likely to create sleep disturbances or distractions if the toddler is sleeping in the same room with them.

Now, a recent study led by Ian Paul decided to analyze the best sleeping conditions for babies aged four months to nine months old.

“One of the reasons we wanted to explore this is that the evidence is really weak for 6 to 12 months,” states Paul.

Together with his colleagues, he analyzed data gathered from a two years long randomized and controlled trial. This included 230 families, which were offered one of two sets of recommendations.

One half was encouraged to take into consideration moving their babies after they turned 3 months old to their own room. The remaining half received strong recommendations and advice for lowering the SIDS risks by sharing a room.

Babies Sleep Longer in Their Own Bed, But is it Better?

Still, the team points out that these recommendations did not lead to a significant difference between the two groups. In both cases, over half of the babies were already sleeping in their own rooms as they turned four months old.

More than a quarter of all the infants were sleeping on their own while in between 4 to 9 months old.

Research observations showed that babies resting in their own rooms after turning four months old sleep longer. Kids nine-months old sharing a room with their parents were noted to sleep a median 9.75 hours per night. Those sleeping on their own rested, on average, 10.5 hours a night. Babies who began sleeping in their own room somewhere in between 4 to 9 months old also slept longer, for a median of 10 hours.

As they turned 2.5 years old, all the kids were getting the same amount of sleep per night. Still, babies who shared a room for longer periods of time up to this point also got 45 minutes less of sleep per night.

The study team did note that its research had limitations and that parents should best discuss and receive advice from their pediatricians about the best sleep arrangements for their newborns. These should help reduce the risks of SIDS but also ensure a good night’s sleep.

This study’s results are available in the journal Pediatrics. 

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