Is your toddler sleeping all night??

Cisy - posted on 07/15/2011

I did the cry it out method and it works great. My ped wanted me to start at 4 months but when I did, I didn't think she was ready. She cried for an hour. So I waited and tried again at 5 months. This time she was whining and not crying so I went ahead with it. You don't leave them to cry for an hour straight. First you check on them in 10 minutes for 2-5 minutes then you leave and wait another 15 minutes and go in for another 2-5 minutes. After 2 weeks, she was sleeping through the night.

My daughter is 18 months and she sleeps like a dream every night from 9PM to 7AM even when she was teething or sick. She takes 2 naps a day and goes down by herself in her own bed/and room.

My second baby is due any day now and I'm going to do the same thing with her =)

Lauren - posted on 07/13/2011

My 18 month old has slept from 10-6 since he was 6 weeks, and then 9-8 at about 3 months, and since about 6 months it's about 7:30-8pm-9:30-10am. He is a big big sleeper, and usually when I get up in the morning at 7, I sneak into his room and I'm able to change his diaper while he still sleeps. And at first he would cry but eventually he tired himself out and now he loves to sleep, he even takes a 2-3 hr nap during the day!

Bethany - posted on 06/17/2011

We trained our 16 month-old son to stay quietly in his crib all night by six months by slowly decreasing the time we spent standing by his crib soothing him to just a few moments before leaving. We have a bedtime routine we go through the same way together every night- that way he knows it's time for bed. We do hear him wake up and play, talk, etc. at times during the night; I don't think any toddler actually sleeps all night without waking up a few times. However, he knows his crib is his safe place and happily stays in bed until we get him in the morning. Although, he is quite a laid-back little guy, and he still goes through rough patches when ill, teething, etc.

Sonia - posted on 06/16/2011

AMEN Melissa!!!! I am happy to hear that other mothers are like me. When we expect something from our babies because " they are supposed to sleep through the night" it just causes more stress. Let your babies tell YOU when they are ready. As I mentioned in an earlier post - my daughter is 16 months old, she still wakes up for a feeding in the night but guess what - it works for my family. I will outright say that I am selfish and want my sleep. So I either feed her a bottle in the middle of the night and go back to bed immediately OR I let her cry it out and I lose a ton of sleep....Selfish?? Sure. But it works for our family. It is our routine. She know that when I go in her room in the middle of the night, I only turn her little nightlight on; She has her bottle, I change her and she goes right back down without a fight. She is asleep immediately. It works for us.Sometimes, she does sleep through the night but its rare. We all have to remember that these are babies and they will not do what you want all the time. My 4 year old still wakes up in the night once a week - a bad dream or he is simply just coming to make sure I am there. I walk him back to his bed, tuck him in and that is the extent of that. Yes, I have broken sleep but isn't that what happens when you have kids?? I think we would all get sleep if we had no stress about what is "expected " of our babies. Do what works for you and what you feel comfortable doing.

Melissa - posted on 06/16/2011

My daughter is sleeping through the night but she has been doing so since she was about 3 months old (we co-sleep so I am there if ever she needs me) I have another child that had the same sleep patterns and two that didn't...

The best advice I ever got? Stop the expectations... If a child is meant to sleep through the night they will be doing it. You don't have to "train" them!!! it is NORMAL it is HEALTHY and it is not a bad thing. Once you stop looking at the time and stressing about night waking everyone will got more sleep. Just being stressed out might be what is keeping you awake.

And, yes, making a child cry themselves to sleep raises stress hormones in babies. That extra cortisol actually changes the brains function and has permanent effects on how people deal with stress. Also, sleep training doesn't teach babies to "self-soothe" that is just a cute way of saying it so that it sounds better. Babies stop crying because they give up, they finally realized that as much as they cry their parents won't come. The parents may not have that intention, but kids don't learn through intention, they learn through action.

Emma - posted on 06/16/2011

i struggled with sleep deprivation until just recently coz i refused to let my 17month old daughter cry it out, and thats alll any1 had ever told me my option was. i happened to run into a woman who runs a support and information course called Positive Parenting, she has been my lifesaver!
i got my little girl McKenna her own king single bed, big enough for her and i to lie in comfortably. i lie down in that bed with her to put her back to sleep (im still breastfeeding her to sleep at night) then sneak out back to my&hubbys bed when shes asleep. it took a few nights for her to get use to it, but she only had a little grizzle about it, understandably. DO NOT LOOK AT HER< DO NOT TALK TO HER< DO NOT TOUCH HER. the more i interact w mckenna, the more it stiulates her. soon, i will stop feeding her just before she falls back asleep, then just lie with her until she drifts off. then when she is use to that, i will sit by her bed instead. then i will just go in to settle her but leave her to it :) its working so far! also, i do alot of roleplay with her and her dolls during the day before i change our night routine slightly, so that she understands what is happening that night, and i talk to her about it before we do too. i seriously recommend u try lookin up a similar course in your area. in nz its called parenting with confidence. or google Sleep Association :)

Sam - posted on 06/16/2011

im so glad its not just mine!! sometime i let him cry (but dont like to,as i dont want him waking his sisters) othertimes,igive in and he comes in our bed-just so ican get some sleep..... iv taken to letting him stay up til he falls asleep (11pm some nights) giving him milk when he wakes(anywhere between 2 and 5am) ,then put him back to bed...if hes "awake" iput his lamp on and some toys in his cot and leave him to it...he usually falls asleep after a while....sorry its not very helpful hun...i know how you must be feeling though..x.hugz.x

Olivia - posted on 06/15/2011

It is completely normal for a toddler to not sleep all night, the normal sleeping habits of a toddler till their 3 years is to wake up once or twice during the night. Now if your child wakes up more then that then you need to change things up a little. People with older children may say that by 6 months or a year even there little ones where sleeping all night but it actually isn't true is most cases. Yes there are some children who make it through the while night, but honestly in my opinion even if you put your little one to sleep in her bed at first she will more then likely wake up once or even twice during the night anyways. The best suggestion when it come to the little ones and their sleeping habits do what you feel most comfortable with and that works best for your family. Every family works differently so follow your instincts.



In my case my 17 month old still sleeps in our bed and wakes up maybe once or twice in the night.

Elena - posted on 06/15/2011

its all confusing to me..i have just read recently that the cry it out technique works however the article did state that u shouldnt allow ur baby to cry for more than 15 minutes..my son is 17 months old i didnt use the technique as a newborn and only started experimenting with it recently and it worked..i say try it all as long as u r comfortable...

ps my lil man is a happy, healthy little toddler

Stifler's - posted on 06/15/2011

I bought the No Cry Sleep Solution. It didn't help me one iota!

Stifler's - posted on 06/15/2011

He goes to bed at 7 and wakes up at 5. I hate getting up at 5. Sometimes he wakes up has milk and goes back to sleep until 7.

Imola - posted on 06/14/2011

Some studies have shown that it releases in the brain high levels of stress hormone,especially in really young babies. there is a documentary called ZEITGEIST-MOVING FORWARD you can watch it entirely on youtube, in one part of it they are talking about the babies brain and how it develops when babies are not held and left crying.really good documentary I recommend you watch it.

Sonia - posted on 06/14/2011

My daughter is 16 months and is still not on a schedule. Some nights she sleeps the entire night, and other nights she is up once, maybe twice....and I still give her a feeding (bottle). She does not get bottles during the day but....this is my second child. My son was the same way and then he finally just started sleeping through the night. I look at it this way - they won't wake you up in high school for a feeding!! Go with the flow and when they are ready to sleep the night, they will. I'm sure many will disagree with me but instead of stressing over "what is right". No way is the right way. Healthy babies are what you want.

Erin - posted on 06/14/2011

I really loved the "No Cry Sleep Solution"! There are some studies quoted in the book that you can look at. Please don't get me wrong though. I do let my son cry for a few minutes, he is teething and even with Tylenol sometimes it keeps him up for a few minutes. I have never let him cry more than 10 minutes though. Good luck and I really think you should get the book, it helped me so much!

Lindsay - posted on 06/14/2011

please don't take this the wrong way Brooke but could you possibly let me know which and whose study you're referring to please? I'm trying to read about it as much as possible before i make my decision and would really like to read it. Many thanks x

Brooke - posted on 06/12/2011

PS "cry it out" has been studied and proven scientifically to cause harm to the developing brain.

Brooke - posted on 06/12/2011

The No Cry Sleep Solution, by Elizabeth pantley.

Imola - posted on 06/11/2011

my son will turn 17 mo tomorrow and he is teething and waking up often, it drives me crazy.i have rough nites lately.before that he would wake up for a bottle once, then go sleep until the morning.one day they will all be sleeping through, it might take another 6 months, but i am willing to wait.i can't let him cry for hours.i see it this way: I had sleepless nights for 17 months, I am over the half way point, so i might as well just suck it up for a few more months, my body is used to sleep deprivation.just hand in there and give it time

Lindsey - posted on 06/11/2011

My son is 17 months as well, and he has been sleeping through the night since he was 8 months (except for the occasional nightmare or teething issue). I was so tired and run-down and I was desperate for a good nights sleep after 8 months of constant waking that my husband and I decided to let him cry it out. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. My husband had to hold me back from going in his room to comfort him. The first night he cried for an hour (I cried for two), the second night maybe 45 minutes and so on. Within a week or so, he was able to self-soothe. I know it sounds cruel, but it was done out of love (and to save my sanity) and he learned very quickly. The bonus to all of this (other than 12 straight hours of quiet) is that if he wakes in the middle of the night and starts to cry I know there is something wrong with him, and I don't hesitate to soothe him back to sleep on those occasional rough nights.

If you really don't want to let her cry it out as I did, you could try to let her cry for a shorter period of time (say 15 minutes) and then go in and check on her. Don't pick her up, don't turn on the light, don't say anything. Just gently rub her back to let her know you are there. Once she is quiet, leave the room and just keep repeating this pattern. It might take a little more patience and time than letting her cry it out, but it should eventually work.