Sleep Help (Please no CIO)

LBR2012

DS is 21 months and due to several factors, has been sleeping with DH and I for almost a year. We now have the room for him to have his own bed and he and his 6 month old sister have a room to share. DD sleeps in her crib no problem but trying to transition DS to this bed in his room is seemingly impossible. We have tried several different ways of getting this to happen.... we have tried to let him fall asleep in our room and then move him - if he doesnt wake up right when we put him down, he wakes up soon after and has a freak out. We have tried getting him to go to sleep in his room but he will just sit there an cry. We are not fans of CIO for several reasons so I am not interested in doing that. Just wondering how others have done this without CIO.

 

TIA! 

SummerBeans

How do you do naps?

LBR2012

LalaMama81:

Have you read the no cry sleep solution? 

How does he fall asleep in your room?  

 

I have not even heard of the no cry solution... everyone I ever talk to only wants to talk about CIO. If you are able to explain or point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

He falls asleep between DH and I. We tell him to lay down and go to sleep and for the most part, thats what he does. Sometimes he has a little more energy and wont do it right away or sometimes he is cranky but for the most part he will just put his head down and go right off to sleep. 

mben1119

Have you tried transitioning him to a toddler bed, and laying with him there until he falls asleep? That way you're not moving him and startling him when he wakes in a new room.

memali26

Read the No Cry Sleep Solution and The Sleep Lady's Good Night, Sleep Tight. Both are more gentle sleep training, though neither of them were completely no cry for us. It's been almost 3 years since I ready No Cry so I don't remember much of it, but the Sleep Lady basically weans a child off needing you to fall asleep. Her book covers how to use her method from birth through age 5. 

Jmcmahon21

I agree with PP. We used this book to help with DS sleep in his crib and started it around 9 months and he's now almost 16 months and sleeps all night without a peep. I tried CIO and didn't like it and didn't really work for DS. I like this method since you're helping them learn to soothe themselves. Hope this helps.

https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Ladys-Good-Night-Tight/dp/1593155581/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369404377&sr=8-1&keywords=sleep+lady+shuffle+no+cry+sleep 

jk382

We had a lot of luck with the sleep lady shuffle.  First, we taught DS what "lay down" meant while playing.  Then we would put him in his crib, have him lay down, and stay with him until he fell asleep.  I always stayed right next to the crib and would pat his back.  Eventually (it took awhile), we were able to just put him in his crib and let him put himself to sleep.  He still wakes up sometimes and we always respond to nightwakings as we are not CIO fans, but we went from straight co-sleeping to the crib with hardly any trouble.  My son is 16 months and we did the transition at about 14 months.  Also, part of it was getting him on a good nap schedule.  If he gets overtired, he has a really hard time putting himself to sleep. Most days he still takes 2 naps for a total of 2-3 hours of daytime sleep and 11-12 hours of nighttime sleep.  

JessWeck

Can I ask politely why you are opposed to letting him Cry it out?

We let our son CIO once we thought he was at a good age and per pediatrician recommendation. We would let him cry for about 5-10 minutes and majority of the time, he would put himself to sleep. Sometimes we would have to go and soothe him. But now, he is 20 months old and has been putting himself to bed without crying at all since he was about 11 months.

MommaTracey

The book that saved me was 'The Sleep Easy Solution'. I loved the tone of the book, strategies, and step by step process. It continues to be my most referenced book as my son continues through different stages. The biggest challenge I have faced is my own inconsistency. 

Side note- I have never let him cry and cry and cry but I have learned that a few minutes of crying are just him protesting and he usually settles right down on his own. I really listen to his cry and will go in and calm him before exiting his room again. He RARELY EVER cries and I believe having a consistent routine that ensures he is getting enough sleep (day and night) and paying attention to his sleep cues has been the key. GL!! 

 

foreverapartofme

My pediatrician recommended the Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, Second Edition and it was a God send.  

My LO had been in bed with my DH and I for months. When we tried to get her back in her crib it was horrible if we walked out of the room.  Or if we snuck in her in the crib, she would wake up screaming and confused.

This book changed our lives!  It explained about your child's sleep associations and how to change them in a positive way.  The first few nights are the most difficult but if you follow the strategies/procedure from the book, you feel pretty good about it.  You get to go in and encourage your LO.  

Bedtime in my house is amazing now. My LO takes her tubby, cuddles with me, we read a few books, and I put her in her crib.  She smiles and says night night when I leave the room now.  It is such a peaceful process.  I highly recommend the book!  Good luck!