Practically every parent goes through the conundrum of getting a child out of mom and dad’s bed and into their own. While you do not want your young one to feel isolated, everyone in the house needs a good night’s sleep. Many parents find these two goals to be impossible to accomplish simultaneously. Feelings of guilt and frustration coursing through your stomach and brain late at night certainly do not help in finding a solution.

But you can solve the problem. You can get your child use to sleeping in her room. The key is consistency and patience. Without executing those two fundamentals, chances of success become nil.

Below are some tips for getting your child to sleep in their own room:

* Make sure it’s the time is right. Would you adopt a new puppy and expect to crate train her in a few days, then go on vacation or come home with a new baby? Your answer is likely, no, you wouldn’t. Start your new routine when you have at least a few weeks to get your child familiar with the new routine.

* Get rid of excuses. Okay, so you can’t possibly plan for every contingency. What you can do is limit the possibilities. Have your child take a potty-break before bed. Give him a sip of water. Make sure there is enough warm bedding in the winter and fans on during the summer. If your child has monsters living under the bed or in the closet, “kill” them nightly.

In addition, make sure the room is conducive to sleeping. If your child likes the glow of a night light, turn one on. If your child likes stuffed animals to surround her while sleeping, don’t deprive her.

* Be strong. This is the hardest part of getting your child to sleep in his own room. Children coming into your room at 3 am want to be engaged. Don’t speak to them if unnecessary. Instead, simply pick him up and quietly place him in his bed. Repeat as many times as necessary. Speaking to your child or cuddling will only reinforce the behavior.

* Be positive. You will get frustrated. You will be tired. You need to stay positive. Staying positive means reinforcing good behavior. Give your child a sticker for staying in bed each morning. Let them tuck-in their favorite stuffed animal and/or imaginary friend. You child has active imagination, play to it. Allowing your child a sense of autonomy will do wonders.

* Do not feed their defiance. Laying down with your child should be avoided. If you do, only lay for a few moments. Don’t give into whining. You had to ignore it when they were much younger. Now is not the time to make a U-turn.

* Establish a nighttime routine. Parents reading this might say, “Thank you Captain Obvious!” But it is crucial to have a routine. Children learn through structure. A memorable nightly routine will help your child adjust to sleeping alone. Keep it simple. Get a bath, go potty, read a book and say prayers. End it with a kiss goodnight. Each part of the routine should further sooth and relax your child.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to get your child to sleep in their own room. But with a bit of common sense and a lot of consistency, you can achieve wonders.