Sleep training a 20 month old?

si_jennifer · November 2013

So we did middle of the night sleep training at around 1 year, but never sleep trained for bedtime. We have always rocked my son to sleep at night but it's starting to wear on us rocking him for 30 minutes every night.

So how do we sleep train a toddler? The same way as a baby? CIO? Anyone ever done this?

Thanks in advance!!

vrj0522 · November 2013

I have no advice but hope you can figure something out that will work for your LO and family. GL!

ktpaladino · November 2013

We did the Sleepeasy Solution when DS was 5 months and just did it again at 18 months since we had to move him into his big boy bed for a number of reasons. The first month in his new bed went awesome and I thought, "Hey great! This is going to be an easy transition!" And then it just all went to Hell for some reason...an hour, sometimes longer, of rocking and laying with him to get him to go to sleep and up 4-5 hours in the MOTN trying to get him back to bed. The Sleepeasy Solution gives instructions on how to do it with toddlers and verbal children. I'm not sure if your LO is still in his crib and is not able to climb out yet. If so, it would be same as training a baby. If they are able to get out of bed, Sleepeasy has two options: gated CIO with them closed in the room, but able to open the door, or walking them back to their room and helping them back into bed (which can require a lot of patience if you need to do it a hundred times in one night) We opted for the gate and had three horrific nights of screaming/tantrums and falling asleep on the floor, but then he eventually got the message to crawl back in bed and put himself to sleep. The past week has been a dream and he's much happier and and well rested, as are we!

jenb_99 · November 2013

What about starting a bedtime routine that's relaxing but doesn't involve rocking? Story time, a few songs, bedtime prayers, etc. We read to DS and say prayers with him every night, then put him to bed with his stuffed kitty and paci while he's still awake. We turn his Scout puppy's music on to the 10-minute setting. Usually he goes right to sleep. Sometimes he stays awake for a few minutes talking to Scout or playing with the four Hot Wheels we allow him to keep in the crib, but he has no issues putting himself to sleep.

skibunny59 · November 2013

We also have to rock DD for bedtime. Honestly, they're only little once. I know one day I will want to cuddle with DD and she won't want to so I try to enjoy this time. She is getting heavy though so I know what you mean.

ktpaladino · November 2013

skibunny59 said:

We also have to rock DD for bedtime. Honestly, they're only little once. I know one day I will want to cuddle with DD and she won't want to so I try to enjoy this time. She is getting heavy though so I know what you mean.

Or you cut the rocking down to a shorter time, which is what I did. I still obviously enjoy rocking and cuddling him, but since he's getting heavy and I'm getting pretty pregnant, 5 minutes is really all I can handle at this point. So he gets 5 minutes max (which is enough to get him nice and cozy and sleepy but not put him all the way to sleep) then he gets put down in the bed awake.

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