Room Sharing: What to Expect and When to Change
Room sharing is one of the most common sleep set ups in the first months of life. For many families it feels reassuring, practical for overnight feeds, and it can make those early weeks feel more manageable.
But at some point, you might start wondering whether room sharing is still helping, or whether it is now making sleep harder. Some babies become more alert and wake more easily, some parents wake at every sound, and suddenly the set up that once worked well feels exhausting.
This guide explains what room sharing often looks like across the first year, what is normal, how it can affect sleep, and when it might be time to change.
What is room sharing?
Room sharing simply means your baby sleeps in the same room as you, in their own safe sleep space. This might be a bassinet, a portacot, or a cot in your room.
Room sharing is different to bed sharing. Bed sharing means baby sleeps on the same sleep surface as an adult, which comes with different safety considerations.
If you want a full safety checklist, start with Safe Sleep Guidelines.
What to expect with room sharing
In the early weeks, room sharing often helps because:
newborns feed frequently
parents can respond quickly
babies are noisy sleepers and parents feel reassured being close
However, room sharing also comes with normal disruptions.
Babies are loud sleepers
Newborns and young babies move, grunt, squeak, and breathe loudly. Much of this is normal, and it does not always mean they are fully awake or need help.
Understanding sleep patterns can make this easier, see Understanding Newborn Sleep Cycles.
Parents sleep lightly too
When baby is right beside you, it is common for parents to wake more frequently, even if baby is not fully awake. Over time this can become a pattern where everyone is sleeping lightly.
Sleep can feel more fragmented during regressions
If sleep is already shifting due to development, room sharing can make those wakings feel even more frequent. This is especially true around the 4 month sleep regression, when baby’s sleep becomes more adult like and they start waking more fully between sleep cycles.
When room sharing supports sleep
Room sharing often works well when:
feeds are still frequent overnight
baby is settling relatively smoothly
parents are able to ignore light sleep noises
everyone is getting enough rest overall
If this is you, there is no need to change anything just because someone else moved their baby earlier. If it is working, it is working.
When room sharing can start to disrupt sleep
There are a few common signs room sharing may no longer be supporting sleep well.
Baby wakes more easily
As babies get older, they can become more aware of your presence. Some babies wake more frequently because they can hear, smell, or sense you.
If your baby is waking more and struggling to resettle, it can help to read Why Is My Baby Waking So Frequently at Night?.
Parents wake at every small sound
If you feel like you are half awake all night, even when baby is sleeping, it might be the set up, not your baby’s sleep, that is the issue.
Baby is outgrowing their sleep space
If baby is still in a bassinet and is touching the sides, waking from bumping, or is close to the weight or size limit, a cot may be a better option. In that case, start with Moving From Bassinet to Cot.
Sleep is becoming more unsettled due to emotional development
During peaks of separation anxiety, some babies become more distressed at sleep times, and room sharing can sometimes increase frequent checking and calling out overnight.
When should you stop room sharing?
There is no single right answer, but most families change when either:
baby’s needs change
the family’s sleep is being significantly disrupted
the sleep environment is no longer practical or safe
Safe sleep guidance often recommends room sharing for the first 6 to 12 months, depending on the organisation and country guidelines you follow. Many families do room share for the full first year, while others transition earlier for wellbeing and practical reasons.
A helpful way to decide is asking, is this set up supporting safe sleep and sustainable rest for everyone?
If not, it may be time to consider a change.
How to transition out of room sharing smoothly
If you decide to change the set up, a gradual and consistent approach usually works best.
Keep everything else the same
Same bedtime routine, same settling approach, same sleep sack, same sleep cues.
A strong routine matters here, see Creating a Night Routine That Supports Sleep.
Start with the easiest sleep
Some families start with nights because sleep pressure is higher.
Others start with naps so the room becomes familiar.
Either approach can work, consistency matters more than the order.
Make the new room sleep supportive
If the new space is too light, too noisy, or too stimulating, sleep can become more disrupted.
For a checklist, see Creating a Sleep-Conducive Environment.
What if sleep gets worse after the change?
It is normal for the first few nights to include:
a bit more settling
a couple of extra wake ups
naps feeling slightly off
This usually settles within one to two weeks.
If sleep disruption continues beyond that, it is often not the room itself. It is usually:
routines need adjusting
sleep pressure is off
a developmental stage is peaking
associations have built up
If you need help narrowing it down, start with Undertired vs Overtired: How to Tell the Difference and your age appropriate routine blog.
Looking ahead
Room sharing can be a beautiful and practical stage, and it can also be something families outgrow. Both are normal. The goal is not to follow a rule, it is to build a safe and sustainable sleep set up that supports your child and your whole family.
The 5–24 Month Infant Course supports you through room sharing, moving to a cot, sleep regressions, routines, and night waking with age specific guidance that evolves as your baby grows.
If you are navigating toddler sleep alongside room changes and bedtime behaviour, the Infant and Toddler Bundle offers long term support through toddler sleep challenges with strategies that grow with your child.
Eva Beke
Certified Paediatric Sleep Consultant
Founder The Sleepy Little Bubs
I’m Eva Beke, a certified baby and toddler sleep consultant and founder of The Sleepy Little Bubs, supporting families across Australia and the world with evidence based baby and toddler sleep support.
My approach is realistic, supportive, and designed to evolve as your child grows, so you’re not just getting help for today, but confidence moving forward.
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