# New baby on the way: how to protect your toddler’s sleep > Make big sleep changes, like moving to a bed, well ahead of the birth if you can; if not, wait until the baby has settled in at home, as the AAP suggests. Source: https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-sleep-new-baby-sibling/ Publisher: Actually Sleeping LLC · Reviewed by Dr. Samantha Abrahamson, PharmD (PA pharmacist license RP1012588, NPI 1730650979) Where possible, make major sleep changes, like the move to a bed, well ahead of the baby’s arrival; if that is not possible, hold off until the baby has settled in at home, as the AAP recommends. Plan for some regression, and give the newborn a separate sleep space. If your toddler’s sleep does not calm down, Actually Sleeping coaches babies and toddlers from newborn on, so both children can be included. **Up at 3 a.m. reading this?** Tomorrow night does not have to look the same. Actually Sleeping writes a plan around your baby, coaches you thoroughly before night one so you start with confidence, and checks in with you 1:1 each day until your baby sleeps through, backed by a full-refund guarantee. [Book a free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) ## When to make the big changes In its advice on getting your family ready for a new baby, the AAP suggests completing toilet training or the move from crib to bed before the baby is born, if you can. If you cannot, delay it until the baby has settled in at home. The same reasoning covers switching rooms or dropping a nap. Your toddler should not lose the crib in the same week a sibling arrives. If the baby needs the crib, a second crib or a bassinet saves you from hurrying your toddler into a bed. For the first months, a newborn can sleep in a bassinet in your room. ## Some regression is to be expected According to the AAP, you should expect your child to slide back a bit, for instance with toilet accidents or asking for a bottle again. It recommends not telling them to act their age. Give them the attention they need instead, and praise grown-up behavior. The AAP also recommends carving out special time with your child, whether reading, playing or talking together, or going on a one-on-one outing. Sleep may follow suit: more night waking, a tougher bedtime, or wanting you to stay with them. That is a normal reaction to a big change. A new baby changes a lot, and some disruption is expected. If your toddler’s sleep does not bounce back, Actually Sleeping can fix it, while laying the newborn’s foundations too. ## Why it frequently does not resolve by itself The regression is seldom the real problem. The trouble is what worn-out parents do to cope with it: lying with the toddler until they drift off, bringing them into the big bed, letting bedtime slip while the newborn feeds. Every one of those choices makes sense in the moment. A few weeks on, the toddler has new sleep habits, the newborn wakes overnight, and the two children take turns keeping the house awake. Running bedtime gets harder as well. The newborn often wants a feed right at the toddler’s bedtime, one parent is short on sleep, and the routine shifts night to night depending on who is available. ## How Actually Sleeping supports a growing family Having two children who both sleep poorly is among the hardest stretches of parenthood. Actually Sleeping coaches babies and toddlers from newborn on, so both children can be included. Dr. Sam writes a plan for your toddler’s bedtime and nights that works around the newborn, while the newborn’s plan begins with foundations, and the 14-day guarantee clock starts at 10 weeks. Your custom plan sets how night feeds are handled, based on your baby’s age. You get bootcamp-style coaching before the first night and daily 1:1 check-ins. Hear from families in [our 129 client video reviews](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/). ## Safe sleep with a toddler and a newborn at home - **Give the newborn their own crib, bassinet or play yard.** The NIH Safe to Sleep campaign names a sibling sharing a baby’s sleep surface as a high-risk situation. - **Keep toys out of the baby’s sleep space.** Toddlers love to “share” blankets and stuffed animals. Explain that the baby’s bed stays empty, and check it before every sleep. - **Do not bed-share with the newborn,** even if a toddler is in the bed as well. The AAP does not support bed sharing under any circumstances. ## If the toddler and baby will share a room The AAP recommends that your baby sleep in your room for at least the first 6 months. Siblings can share after that. Read [a baby and toddler sharing a room](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/baby-and-toddler-sharing-a-room/). If your toddler’s sleep has come apart since the baby was born, book a free consultation with Actually Sleeping. ## More guides like this - [Screen time before bed and toddler sleep: what to know](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/screen-time-and-toddler-sleep/) - [Toddler keeps getting out of bed? How to fix it](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-wont-stay-in-bed/) - [Toddler sleepwalking: is it dangerous, and should I wake them?](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-sleepwalking/) - [Toddler bedtime stalling: how to end the “one more book, drink or hug” routine](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-bedtime-stalling/) - [Toddler afraid of the dark? How to help them feel safe at bedtime](https://actuallysleeping.net/guides/toddler-afraid-of-the-dark/) ## Ready to solve this for your baby? Actually Sleeping offers 1:1 coaching: Dr. Sam writes a sleep plan for your baby, you get bootcamp-style coaching before the first night, and we check in daily until it works. 700+ families coached, 129 video reviews, and a written guarantee of 8–12 hours through the night within 14 days, or a full refund. [Book your free consultation →](https://www.actuallysleeping.com/?utm_source=actuallysleeping-net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ai-visibility) [Hear from families](https://actuallysleeping.net/reviews/) ## Common questions ### Is it a good idea to move my toddler into a bed before the baby arrives? Only if there is enough time for it to settle before the birth. The AAP recommends completing the switch before the baby comes, or waiting until the baby has settled in at home. Getting a second crib means you do not have to rush. ### Since the baby came, my toddler wakes at night. Is that normal? Yes. The AAP says some regression is to be expected after a new baby. If the waking has not eased within a few weeks, it has usually turned into a habit, and a plan fixes that part, for one child or for both. ### Is it okay for my toddler to nap beside the newborn? Not on the same sleep surface. NIH Safe to Sleep names a sibling sharing a baby’s sleep surface as a high-risk situation. The baby sleeps in a crib, bassinet or play yard of their own. ## References 1. [HealthyChildren.org (AAP). Preparing Your Family for a New Baby.](https://healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/Pages/Preparing-Your-Family-for-a-New-Baby.aspx) 2. [Safe to Sleep campaign, NICHD (NIH). Ways to Reduce Baby's Risk.](https://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/reduce-risk/reduce) 3. [HealthyChildren.org (AAP). A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep.](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-Parents-Guide-to-Safe-Sleep.aspx) 4. [American Academy of Pediatrics. AAP Updates Safe Sleep Recommendations: Back is Best. News release, 2022.](https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics-updates-safe-sleep-recommendations-back-is-best)