At some point, most parents start wondering whether it's time for their baby to move out of the bedroom and into a room of their own. Maybe every squeak wakes you up. Maybe your baby seems to wake when you roll over. Or maybe the nursery is ready and waiting.

There's no single perfect date, but there is clear safety guidance to start from. This article covers what the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends, signs your family may be ready, and how to make the move as smooth as possible.

What the AAP recommends

The AAP recommends that babies sleep in the same room as their parents, but on a separate sleep surface, such as a crib or bassinet close to the parents' bed. This is called room-sharing, and it's different from bed-sharing, which the AAP does not recommend.

The recommendation is to room-share ideally for at least the first six months. Room-sharing is associated with a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and the first six months are when SIDS risk is highest. Having your baby nearby also makes night feeds easier and lets you respond quickly.

After six months, the decision is more open, and families make different choices. Some move their baby shortly after six months; others keep room-sharing for longer. Both can work well. What matters most is that every sleep, in any room, follows safe sleep practices.

Safe sleep comes first, wherever baby sleeps

Moving to a new room doesn't change the basics. For every sleep:

  • Place your baby on their back.
  • Use a firm, flat surface in a crib or play yard that meets current safety standards, with a fitted sheet.
  • Keep the crib empty: no pillows, blankets, bumpers, or soft toys.
  • Avoid inclined sleepers and overheating.
  • Keep cords from blinds, lamps, and electronics well out of reach.

For the full checklist, see our guide to safe sleep guidelines for babies.

Signs your family might be ready

Once your baby is past the six-month mark, these signs can suggest the timing is right. You don't need all of them.

  • You're waking each other up. Babies are noisy sleepers, and parents are too. If your baby stirs every time you come to bed or cough, or you're jolting awake at every grunt, separate rooms might help everyone sleep better.
  • Your baby is outgrowing the bassinet. Bassinets have weight and size limits, and babies need to move once they can roll or push up. If the full-size crib doesn't fit in your room, the nursery may be the natural next step.
  • Night feeds are fewer. When your baby needs you less often at night, being right next to them matters less for practical reasons.
  • Your baby has fairly predictable sleep. A consistent bedtime routine and nap rhythm make any change easier.
  • You feel ready. Your comfort counts. There's no rush, and there's no prize for moving early or late.

When it might be better to wait

Timing a big change around other changes usually backfires. Consider holding off for a week or two if:

  • Your baby is sick or teething hard
  • You're about to travel, move house, or start childcare
  • Your baby is in the middle of a nap transition or a rough patch of sleep
  • A daylight saving time change is coming up

One change at a time gives your baby the best chance to adjust.

How to make the move smoothly

1. Get the nursery ready first

Set up the room for sleep before the first night: dark enough for naps, a comfortable temperature, a safe crib, and a white noise machine if your baby is used to one. Our guide to the perfect nursery setup for sleep walks through the details.

2. Spend happy time in the room

For a few days before the move, do diaper changes, play, stories, and cuddles in the nursery. A familiar room feels less strange at bedtime.

3. Start with naps or with bedtime

There are two common approaches:

  • Naps first: Start with one daytime nap in the nursery, then add more naps before moving nighttime sleep.
  • All at once: Move everything on the same night. Many babies adjust within a few days, and it can be less confusing than switching rooms back and forth.

Either can work. Choose what fits your baby's temperament and your energy.

4. Keep the routine exactly the same

The routine is the anchor. Use the same steps, in the same order, at the same time, just in the new room: bath or wash-up, pajamas and sleep sack, feed, a book or song, lights down, into the crib. If you don't have a routine yet, start one in your bedroom a week or two before the move, then carry it over.

5. Bring familiar sleep cues along

Use the same sleep sack, the same white noise, and the same fitted crib sheet from before if you can. Familiar sounds and smells help your baby recognize that it's time to sleep. Remember, nothing loose in the crib, even as a "comfort" item, until your pediatrician says it's safe.

6. Expect a few bumpy nights

Some babies don't notice the change at all. Others wake more for a few nights. Respond the way you normally would. Most families find things settle within a week.

Using a baby monitor after the move

A baby monitor can make the move much less stressful, especially the first nights when you'll probably want to check in often. BlinkBaby turns two iPhones or iPads into a baby monitor, so you can use an old iPhone as the camera in the nursery and your own phone as the viewer.

  • Cry alerts: On-device AI cry detection recognizes crying (even with a white noise machine running) and sends a push notification, so you don't need to stare at the screen all night.
  • HD live video and two-way audio: Check what's happening before you go in, and talk softly to your baby if a familiar voice helps them resettle.
  • Both parents can watch: Multiple viewers can connect at once by scanning the QR code, so you and your partner each have the monitor on your own phone.
  • Private by design: The stream is end-to-end encrypted, nothing is recorded, and there's no account to create.

Setup takes under a minute: install the app on both devices, tap "Start Monitoring" on the nursery device, and scan the QR code with your phone. Keep the camera device plugged in; BlinkBaby will alert you if its battery runs low.

Place the camera safely

Put the camera device and its charging cable at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from the crib, out of your baby's reach, on a shelf or dresser. Never attach anything to the crib. For more on angles and placement, read where to place a baby monitor.

It's okay to feel emotional

Many parents feel a pang the first night the bassinet is gone. Others feel pure relief. Both are completely normal. If you find yourself checking the monitor constantly and struggling to relax, that's common too; try setting a rule to rely on alerts and to only look when something happens.

The bottom line

Room-share on a separate, safe sleep surface, ideally for at least the first six months. After that, move your baby when it fits your family: when you're waking each other up, when your baby has outgrown the bassinet, and when there isn't another big change happening. Prepare the room, keep the routine the same, expect a few adjustment nights, and follow safe sleep practices for every sleep. If you have questions about your baby's specific situation, your pediatrician is a great person to ask.