SLEEP TRAINING IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT
"My children all have their own rooms", "My neighbors never complain when it gets a little noisy", "I don't mind the helicopters/fire engine sirens/honking"… said almost no urbanite ever!
Some things are managed just a little bit differently when you live in a city, especially teaching sleep to little ones! You simply have more disruption to work around, but it is totally possible! Your child's bedroom might share a wall with another family's child, so you are lucky if you have a neighbor family you get along with. If this is the case, you can work together on everything, from staggered bedtimes to white noise machines placed strategically against the wall.
Here are some tips for sleep training without stepping on toes (tried and true methods of a native New Yorker who has sleep trained two babies in the same apartment, next door to a family of three babies):
Place your child’s crib on the opposite side of the shared wall to your neighbors.
Slide notes under the neighbors’ doors when you are planning to begin the sleep training process. A heads up can go a long way those first few nights. Doing the same for the apartment immediately above and below doesn't hurt either!
Tape a sign to your front door to avoid doorbell ringing/knocking during naps and bedtime hours.
Let the doorman know not to ring up during certain hours (if applicable).
Blackout shades to block out the sunshine for sleep time.
2 sound machines can be helpful! One near the window to block outside noises and one near the bedroom door.
Stick to your chosen plan!! Get through those first few nights and remind yourself that you won't have to worry about the neighbors again once your child is sleeping better. They should appreciate you putting the work in for the many shared space years ahead!
Once your child is a consistently solid sleeper:
Don't tiptoe around during daytime hours. This is not a reality and you want them to feel the difference between naps and bedtime.
Control what you can control! The city's noises will not end. Once your child has a solid foundation and has mastered self-soothing, they will be able to sleep through it or roll over and go back to sleep.
Bring a portable white noise machine (we love the Rohm) for any sleep that might happen "on the go.”
And remember there are many, many great reasons we choose to raise our families in these crazy, chaotic, jam-packed environments. Stick to your plan. Restorative sleep for the whole family is possible so that you can get out and enjoy these cities that we love and all that they offer!
Written by: Sacha Jarrell