Whats the best way to sleep train a child?

Brandy - posted on 09/16/2011

My daughter "slept thru the night" off and on. I nursed her, and then had to switch to formula later, as she pretty much weaned herself at 5 1/2 months. Just do what you feel is right, and use her nap time to take one yourself. i know that times great for getting other things done, but sometimes you just gotta bum and steal a few winks. :p lol. Each child is different. She's 19m now, and is off and on between sleeping in her own bed and with me, she'll sleep thru when she's ready...or you could (just a suggestion) switch the feeding before you lay her down to a bottle with your milk and some formula and gradually switch her......
Good luck and hope things go well. :D

Susan - posted on 09/16/2011

Both my kids slept through the night since birth. Very rarely did they wake up in the middle of the night. My daughter even slept through the night in the hospital the day she was born. The nurses was suprised, but the didn't wake her up to feed, they let her sleep until she woke up on her own, then they brought her to me.

Liz - posted on 09/16/2011

Dr. told me by 4 months they should be sleeping thru the night, so that is what we did.



Wow, 4 months.

Aleks - posted on 09/15/2011

From Karen Gilbert: "Who on earth doesn't have an 11 month old sleep through the night? That is obviously the parents fault for getting up with them at every noise they make. Both my kids were nursed and were sleeping 7-8 hours by the time they were 7 weeks old! "



WOW! Aren't you the baby expert. Obviously you know every baby on the planet to make that judgement.



I would recommend you read up some human baby physiological and sociological literature before making such bold claims!

Every baby is different, with differeng needs and circumstances. Just because some *parents* are lucky enough to have had babies that slept through the night early on does not make THAT the norm, nor abnormal either. It also does not make those parents GREAT parents either.



Oh, and by the way, that 11mths old (which is being asked about) may be going through growth spurt, teething pain, other pain (mine needed that, being held and nursing all night long, at 11mths cos she was in pain - silent reflux and bowl issues), seperation anxiety (especially prominent in boys - we don't know if she has a boy or girl), or about to have a developmental milestone so all energy during day going to that new skill and then his/her other needs (closeness and feedings) met at night.

Also, we don't know if the mother is a SAHM or a working mum. This behaviour is very common for mothers who are working and baby is with a carer for the whole day.

So, from the very little info given we cannot possibly give the kind of advice the op may need or want.

Sleep training may not be appropriate in the many circumstances I mentioned above. The mother may not even be aware that she is facing these circumstances either... or she does.... we just don't know.

Rohaiza - posted on 09/15/2011

I have 3 kids ages 15/12/9. All three slept thru the night by about 6 months, (meaning sleeping between midnite and 6am, for me!) the hardest to do so was my son, somehow he was constantly hungry!! My advice is to try to give the last feed late, about 11.30pm or so, so that baby has a full tummy. I used to bottle feed expressed breast milk so that it would be easier to detach the baby from the bottle, as opposed to your breast. This may sound a bit cruel at first but if mom wants to have at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep thru the night, it has to be done. Save the hugs and cuddles for the daytime! Good luck!

Lori - posted on 09/15/2011

Amanda- my kids never co-slept and they always slept through the night. Dr. told me by 4 months they should be sleeping thru the night, so that is what we did. Mine are 24 and 20 now and have never had problems sleeping and are fantastic kids.

Elfrieda - posted on 09/15/2011

Dawn, it's hard to sleep train a baby, but once it's done, it's wonderful because of the extra sleep, but also because when the baby does wake up and cry in the night, you never have to guess, "Oh, should I go or not?" because you know something is wrong for sure, so you run over and fix it, and then you can all go back to sleep. It's a huge relief.

Tracy - posted on 09/15/2011

Don't let others make you feel guilty!! I am not ashamed to admit that in order to be the best mom I could be to my twin daughters I needed my sleep. Depriving myself of sleep would have deprived them of their mother. On more than one occasion I got literally 4 hours of sleep in a 48 hour period. Now that is not natural!!!



According to everything I have read you can sleep train as early as 6 months and by 9 months a baby's belly is big enough to hold enough food to last through the night. For this reason I didn't sleep train until 9.5 months when I knew for sure my girls no longer needed their night time feedings anymore. I knew this because they barely touched their bottles when I offered it then would not take a morning bottles until they were up for an hour or two.



If you know you want to sleep train I would not put it off. The longer you wait the harder it will be on your child. There has been a lot of good advice already given. Whatever method you choose do what is right for your family. Just be sure if you start something you stick with it. It is cruel to put yourself and your child through sleep training if you end up depriving yourself of the rewards by giving up to early and letting other judgmental moms get to you.

Laura - posted on 09/15/2011

Dawn, my 15mo has been sleeping through the night for about, ooh, a week now!! Some of it may be an age/stage thing, but I think some of it is thanks to a book by Alison Scott-Wright, called The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan. Sounds complicated but it really isn't. Basically just involves absolute bare minimum interaction after bed time - no pacifiers, cuddly toys, blankies etc, and repetition of it being "sleepy time" with some gentle physical encouragement to stay lying down in whatever position baby favours. If they cry once you've left the room, give them a few mins to get used to the idea then speak through the baby monitor if possible, rather than re-entering the room, reiterate it being sleepy time, through the night if need be. I still have him sleeping in my room (out of necessity rather than choice, which hasn't helped the delay of him going through the night) but I slept separately for a week or so and it seems to have worked......so far! Fingers crossed he carries on, hope it may help you too!

Janice - posted on 09/15/2011

Dr. Richard Ferber's method - cannot recommend it enough - it saved us! Some refer to it as the cry it out, but I don't see it as that at all because you keep going into their room to soothe them. It took us three nights and we had a baby that slept on her own, in her own bed, through the night. Both of my children were sleeping through the night at three months and have never looked back. I can count my nights of interrupted sleep by my children on one hand. Good luck! http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-ferber-m...

Kathryn - posted on 09/15/2011

Wow... Controversy! Every child is different and sleep training means different things to different people. My breastfed twins slept through through the night at 3 weeks while my singleton was just shy of a week old. My secret... I simply put them in their crib awake from day one. I have never let them CIO. Bc they have fallen asleep on their own from day 1, if they startle at night but arent in need of a new diaper or hungry, they go back to sleep! If they need something, they fuss and I go to them. Another thing I learned once the twins stopped sleeping through the night at around 5 mOnths was to have a cOnsistent bedtime routine that lasts 20-30 minutes... Addin that to puttin them down awake helped them learn WHAT bedtime was based on a spacific sequence of events.
Dana Obleman is an amazing exPert on thistype of "sleep training". You can visit her site at www.sleepsense.net. Her education, work experience, and motherhood experience is what made me look at her methods over other childless "exPerts"!

Lynn - posted on 09/15/2011

I sleep trained all four of my kids. Of course, some were easier then others, but it does work. The key is consistency! I would start when they were about 8 or 9 months old. I first of all made sure that my kids received adequate naps during the day. Otherwise, it made it really difficult to get them to relax enough to fall asleep on their own because they are usually overtired at that point. Also, taking them out for car rides seems like a great solution, until you are forced to do it everynight, or no one gets any sleep!! So, the best way to sleep train is to make sure that your baby has a full tummy, has been bathed and has a clean diaper on, and I usually left a very dim night-light on in the room. I would lay my babies down, either on their back or stomach, depending on the child, and wind up their favorite plush musical animal or one in the room. I would gently patt them on the back and talk to them softly, then say, "night night", and then leave the room. I would make sure that the door to their room was almost closed; so I could hear them. I didn't use a baby monitor then. Of course, most of the time, they would start to cry within a few minutes, but I would wait to see if the crying would progressively get worse or if the baby would go to sleep. If the crying intensified, then, I would go into the room, and repeat the process stated above. I would do this for a while, but waiting longer between times I would go to the room. I would do this for naps too. They were usually easier though. This usually takes a few nights to a couple of weeks, but with Consistency, it does work!! You can't give in and pick up your baby. Otherwise, it won't work. It will feel like you are hurting your baby emotionally, but as long as you are going in and reassuring the baby, there is nothing wrong with this method. Hope this helps!!!

Evita - posted on 09/15/2011

Before bed time, the child should be calm and, if possible, not very tired. The steps are: bath, milk, bed. Sing a song with low voice, light a small light on in the room and kiss goodnight. If the child cries, you go in there and check if everything is ok. If there is nothing wrong with health, you stay calm and don't go back in the room. Gradually, the child will understand that cannot handle you by crying. Patience and stability is all it takes!

Laurie - posted on 09/15/2011

Just a couple specific things that helped me & my daughter: After I decided she didn't need to eat during the night, when she would cry I would rock her until she fell back to sleep. After she got used to not getting food, when she woke up at night I would simply soothe her but not pick her up and sit in the chair near the crib (but not close enough for her to reach me) so she could see I was there and she would fall back to sleep. She gradually learned how to soothe herself back to sleep without needing my presence. And by soothe herself back to sleep I mean I would hear her wake up, make a noise or two, and then fall back to sleep on her own. I also found it really really helped to give her the shirt I was wearing that day. My scent was all she really wanted to feel comforted.

Sharon - posted on 09/15/2011

Do you wear your baby during the day? The reason I'm asking is in case you don't, your baby might be associating feeding with being held and being close to you. Breastfeeding is just an excuse. If you can break the connection by letting him know that he can "have" you, even if you're not actually breastfeeding. He might have learned that crying for the breast is the only way he gets held, and you're now dealing with the fallout. Forget fiddly front packs and get something more useful and comfortable (a *good* baby carrier should go at least to age 2 or 3).

Without getting into the CIO debate, I will say that while mine would go through periods of waking and sleeping through the night alternately, the key was keeping the night wakings to a minimum. I used to say 20 minutes. I learned this when I was an International Flight Attendant and had to switch time zones. I knew I could be awake for 20 minutes max and it wouldn't overall disrupt my sleep.

I would also use my jetlag techniques on my children. If they woke up, I would go to them, feed them if necessary, put them back to bed and make sure they fell asleep. The lights stayed off and I kept things as quiet as possible. The point was to send the message to the child "this is sleep time".

I also tried to not let the baby fall asleep at the breast. I'd take her (because I did this more with my girls) off as she got sleepy. The goal was to break the breast=sleep pattern I had with my son. Learned my lesson...

So basically what I did was a modified sleep training technique, without any crying-it-out happening. If anyone reading is getting frustrated with their waking baby, a more realistic goal might be just to *reduce* the wakings to short, quick sessions. This alone might banish the "zombie" state you're feeling in the morning. Once you feel sane again and are getting enough sleep, you can decide yourself what to do about the waking or, your child, like mine did, might decide that it's not worth the effort and just stay asleep!

Lisa - posted on 09/15/2011

Hi. My son is 19-months old and I'm still nursing, and he's been sleeping on his own in his crib for a long time. I used to nurse him at night before bed. Now I just nurse in the morning. I sleeptrained him and it worked well. He slept through the night just fine. If you're interested in a book that talks about this I'd recommend Dr. Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. I tried the Ferber method, but it didn't work since my son would just wait for me to come back to pat him all the way to sleep. The only thing that worked for me was to let him cry. It was awful that first night, but after that, he knew not to wait for me, and he puts himself to sleep in the crib just fine. I have a video monitor, which is helpful. I don't know if your baby is underweight or anything. I'd make sure from the doctor that your baby can sleep through the night without nursing before doing this.

Michelle - posted on 09/15/2011

Ladies can we just accept that every child is different.
The OP was asking for helpful hints on sleep training not a debate on when her baby should be sleeping through the night.
I have had 3 and all had different sleep patterns. 1 hated going to sleep but when he finally got to sleep would go all night from 6 months. 1 fell asleep anywhere and my last one still wakes occasionally (not to nurse) and she's 18 months.
Dawn there has been some good references to books for you though.

Kristi - posted on 09/15/2011

Ring Tresillian parentline, they have great techniques for settling, and will tell you at what age babies stop needing overnight nourishment. They are professionals and will help you with self settling techniques, and routine guidelines. I breastfed until my little boy weaned himself at 13 months and I think it is more about not jumping when they make a peep. good luck

Sarah - posted on 09/15/2011

Get hold of the most fantastic book by Dr Richard Furber. 'Solve your child's sleep problems'. It's widely available online, or you could try your local library. It contains information about ALL SORTS of problems, their roots and causes. It not only deals with babies, but children even into teens. Worth it's weight in gold. I can highly recommend it.

Erin - posted on 09/15/2011

LOL Christina, care to link us to some studies that back that up? Seems to me we are not the ones with the outdated info.

There is PLENTY of research (as well as anecdotal evidence) that says the introduction of solids does not improve sleep. It's just that it often coincides with an age when many babies will naturally start sleeping longer stretches.

Christina - posted on 09/15/2011

When they're on solids they won't need feeding at night. Some of the advice on here is shockingly bad.

Joby - posted on 09/14/2011

classical music and definitely have a night light in baby's room

Evalyn - posted on 09/14/2011

My son slept through the night for the first time at 3yrs. He would wake up 3 times every night to drink milk(bottle)
The first night I denied him milk at night he tried talking me into giving him milk but i told him he can have it in the morning. He then said he will take me to the police
because I denied him milk. I ignored him and he has slept till morning since. He is now and has moved into his own room.
I think it is important to train a child. My mistake was to get him used to night feeds for the longest time.

Teresa - posted on 09/14/2011

I've had 2 very different sleep experiences w/ my kids. My twins slept 12 hour nights at 6 months... for a month. Then they were up once or twice a night til 14ish months when they started sleeping through again on their own. The only 'CIO' I ever did was when they would nurse and still not go back to sleep ('encouraged' by my ex to do the CIO... otherwise I wouldn't have).

My son pretty much never slept longer than 4 hours straight til about a year and a half and only slept through (10-11 hours) about half a dozen times til he was 2. Now, at 3.5, the only times he ever wakes is for a bad dream or the need to pee.

Neither 'sleep pattern' ever REALLY bothered me cuz they are so small for only so long. A few years of disturbed sleep is worth it in the long run to me.

Better than my best friends mom.... none of her kids slept through the night til 5 and she had three kids all 5 years apart. Yep, the woman didn't sleep for 15 years. lol

Elfrieda - posted on 09/14/2011

Just come up with a routine that is sort of a compromise between what you would like to see and what is happening. Then stick to it. Make sure it's kind, or you'll feel guilty and stop doing it, which will be confusing for the baby.

My problem was not that my son didn't sleep through the night (he usually did starting at about 2 months, with one dreamfeed right before my bedtime), it was that he was almost impossible to get to sleep. We rocked and sang and routined and did everything we could think of, and finally came up with a plan that combined training (do the routine, then leave and wait 15 minutes) with what our fallback plan was. (go back in after 15 minutes and rock for 45 minutes or whatever it took to put our son to sleep.) Eventually after many months of this, suddenly it worked at around 10 months, and he's been a perfect sleeper ever since. So, I guess patience and a plan is what you need.

Dawn - posted on 09/14/2011

I used Ferber's method with both my kids starting at 6 months (which is when my pediatrician said they no longer needed to nurse at night for nutrition reasons). It took just 3 days with both my sons, and I've been singing his praises ever since. We all get a good night's sleep, which is good for everyone.

Sherri - posted on 09/14/2011

@Julianne you need to have your info correct if they were fussy and every need was met I would allow them to fuss it out at around 4mo's. This most likely was around late afternoon when they had a fussy period but I never put them in their beds to scream. The ONLY time I used CIO would only be after I changed them, fed them, burped them and nothing and I mean nothing soothed them they just need to be put down and stop fighting sleep. However, I NEVER said I didn't go to them if they woke in the middle of the night for a feeding or bad dream or anything.



Yes they can wake just as an adult does, but usually they will roll over readjust themselves and go right back to sleep they don't need to actually be up. Especially if they are in their own space and sleeping independently.

Donna - posted on 09/14/2011

You should have started from day one. My daughter slept through the night at 4 weeks old from 9:30 pm - 6:30 am. My son was a month early so didn't sleep through the night until 7 weeks. You need a routine. Give him a bath, then feed and rock him and put him to bed awake. If he wakes up lay him back down and say night-night. Don't go in with every noise. Lots of babies wake up in the night and go back to sleep. Don't play with him in the night just keep laying him back down. After a few nights he should get the idea.

Dawn - posted on 09/14/2011

Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement and advise! Our physician encouraged us to give this sleep training thing a try.....We have started figuring out a routine that we can both stick to and wish to make him feel as safe and secure as possible during the process. In no way do we wish to ignore his crying or needs for our own benefit of better sleep. Again thanks for the great book referrals ladies and your helpful words of encouragement!

Melissa - posted on 09/14/2011

My first slept through the night at 10 months, my second at 6 months, my third at 4 months & my fourth at 2 months. Yes, all breastfed. I think it was my fault with the first because I was nervous & listening for every little peep. I guess I got less nervous & more tired with each one.

Karen - posted on 09/14/2011

Who on earth doesn't have an 11 month old sleep through the night? That is obviously the parents fault for getting up with them at every noise they make. Both my kids were nursed and were sleeping 7-8 hours by the time they were 7 weeks old!

Anita - posted on 09/14/2011

Get your baby in a routine and stick to it. Mealtimes, naptime, bath time, etc. Consistency is the key and provides security. Your baby will eventually fall into the schedule and ultimately expect it. It's not easy but definitely will pay off. It's the beginnings of self-discipline. It will benefit you as well.

Amanda - posted on 09/14/2011

@Amanda I did until 12wks but that wouldn't be why they would wake up. If a child is bottle fed or breastfed they need to nurse or feed the same amt.

Not true at all, everyone knows because science tells us, that breastfeed children feed more then formula due to the fact that breastmilk is diguested at faster rates then formula. This is why many breastfeed children are still waking in the middle of the night for feedings at 11 months old.

Liz - posted on 09/14/2011

an 11 month old does not need to nurse during the night.

Which 11mo?

Mia - posted on 09/13/2011

wow... who knew that this could be so controversial! moms can make EVERYTHING controversial. okay so i have homebirthed and nursed a number of children (until beyond 2) and willing to have 'em all in my bed every night if they wanted..... point being, i never planned to sleep train because it works for me. ironically all of my kids were sleeping through the night (8-12 hours) by 6 months old because they wanted to... now, we also introduced solids earlier than most because we felt like we should do it as soon as they showed the desire (plus all my kids had at least 2 teeth by 3 months and 6 teeth by 7 months). Anyways.... all of my kids were eating steamed veggies, sweet potatoes, homemade fruit sauces, beans, tofu, etc.... starting around 4 months. I was still breastfeeding a lot (to the point of not getting my period for a LONG time (still don't have it with my youngest being 15 months). my kids were also very active... crawling early and playing outside in the sunshine (we are Californians), walking between 7 1/2 to 10 1/2 months - yes my youngest walked at 7 1/2 months! Anyways, all this to say - there is nothing universal about what age to get them sleeping through the night - it really depends on the child's needs and the many surrounding factors that play into it. my kids also haven't been good nappers which is fine for us but some would rather have their kids wake up early or wake up through the night and take long naps so if you get your 11 month old sleeping through the night he/she might not take 2 naps anymore... ya know? still, there's also NOTHING wrong with sleep training if that's what is best for you. an 11 month old does not need to nurse during the night. can someone get up with your kiddo to night wean him/her first and then try sleep training? dad, grandmother, auntie..... any of those can usually do well with that one :-) it might be too much to sleep train and night wean at the same time and end up with screaming which might work but could also be traumatic for you. but he/she might not let you soothe during the night without nursing. you could also try a cup in the bed with water..... i know i know water (gasp!!!) - but is he/she a good weight? a good eater? overall good health? i get thirsty at night.... we just spent some time in Italy and it was soooo hot in our apartment and my daughter who was 11 months at the time started waking up in the night because she was so hot and because she woke up she wanted to nurse... so I tried that but it just made us both hotter so we put a sippy cup of water in her bed one night and sure enough she woke up, we heard her drink a little, and then she went back to sleep. okay i've talked enough. hopefully i've encouraged you at least a little. there's nothing wrong with what you want especially if it's going to help you get some consecutive hours of sleep and be a more functional mommy in the day time ;-)

Stifler's - posted on 09/13/2011

my kids "sleep through" meaning 9 consecutive hours. but they always wake at a time that makes you want to bang your head on a brick wall.

Stifler's - posted on 09/13/2011

We all still wake through the night. When they are little they cry or make noise when they wake up like we do only we go straight back to sleep they might feel insecure or scared so they cry.

Erin - posted on 09/13/2011

Oh my daughter slept right through the night at 8 weeks old. 12 hours straight. I know it's possible. But it's not 'normal'. And it only lasted a few months. She still went through stages of waking through the night as her needs changed (teething, growth spurts etc).

I guess I just don't understand this obsession we have with forcing babies to move through developmental stages before they are ready. Some babies are ready to sleep long stretches from birth (like my daughter). Others don't sleep more than a few hours at a time until 2.

Julianne - posted on 09/13/2011

I thought you used CIO to get them to sleep sherri?

Anyways, naturally a child can wake until up to 3 years. If they are sleeping though the night before a year that is against the norm. Gabby still wakes up once in a while looking for milk. Usually when shes taking a growth spurt. She is 21months.

Stifler's - posted on 09/13/2011

My kid wasn't breastfed and I still fed him through the night until 14 months. He's just grown out of waking and feeding. I always gave my kids opportunities to fall asleep on their own and they always have. I just wrapped Renae up and put her down after a feed and she'd fall asleep. Logan was a rat I'd rather not get into the trials and tribulations of him and his sleep.

Sherri - posted on 09/13/2011

Mine never cried at night Julianne. I always went to them immediately when and if they did. Mine did not need me at night usually past 5 or 6mo's, they just began sleeping through the night usually 8-12hrs depending on which one of mine we are talking about..

@Amanda I did until 12wks but that wouldn't be why they would wake up. If a child is bottle fed or breastfed they need to nurse or feed the same amt.

Karla - posted on 09/13/2011

My exlusively breastfed child was sleeping through the night way before 11 months. I liked a book by Jodi
Mendell, I think it was called "Sleeping through the night".
Our ped recommended the Ferber method and this book seemed like a kinder, gentler version. But honestly we used a combination of the two. Many people will tell you that babies aren't capable of sleeping through the night, but in my experience, that just is not true.

Julianne - posted on 09/13/2011

11 month olds do still need you though the night. Unless you "sleep train" them into going against their natural needs. By allowing them to cry to sleep they learn that if they do cry, no one will come so they learn to ignore their hunger and "sleep through the night".

Erin - posted on 09/13/2011

I don't believe in sleep training babies, so I would say try and find some ways to work with the situation. Bed-sharing would be the most obvious solution. That way baby can latch on when they need to and you don't have to get up.

It is perfectly normal for an 11mo breastfed baby to still feed through the night.

Amanda - posted on 09/13/2011

Did you breastfeed your children Sherri? I have breastfeed 3 children, and none of them slept through the night because they were still feeding at night time. Which is very normal for breastfeed children.

Sherri - posted on 09/13/2011

Katherine an 11mo old doesn't sleep through the night??? Really I have 3 kids and everyone of mine slept through the night by 6mo's.

Fit2BMe - posted on 09/13/2011

I found "The Baby Whisperer" to be a God-send!

We adapted some things.

Here's what we did:

-Consistent Bed Time and Sleeping Location

-Black-out blinds to keep the room dark

-A white-noise maker to block out inconsistent background noises in the house or outside that might disrupt sleep.

-a consistent bedtime routine (for us when DS was a baby it was having his last drink downstairs, then goin upstairs for pajamas/change, turn out the light, lay him in his crib and lay my hand on him, pray or say goodnight lovingly, and say night-night.)

-we chose to give soothers and a special blanket. Never gave liquids in bed, and easily weaned off soothers hen hewas older.

-if he cried or stood up, we went quietly in the room, did not turn any lights on or speak, laid him down and laid our hand on him, and stayed like that until he settled down, then left when he was quite drowsy but not yet fully asleep.

-be 100% consistent, no matter what, don't doubt yourself. Changing it and giving in isn't as nice as it seems, it's actually confusing them because they don't know when you mean business and when you don't, and why sometimes you're sticking to your guns and sometimes you're not.

-if babe is at an age where they're older and tantumming, then leave room and hallway dark, stand at the door but out of sight, and just softly and reassuringly say goodnight and that he's ok, it's nigh-night time, just repeating yourself softly so he hears your voice but that's it. Eventually he will lay down himself and go to sleep.

-again, be consistent! It feels like it will go on for ever, but if you're totally consistent it should only take a few nights at tops.



-I should add, my son was breastfed until close to two years old. We used nursing for soothing some times, but never as part of night-time. It's so important that babes get all the sleep they need and we did not want anything to disrupt that. DS slept through the night from 3 months old, and consistently 12 hours a night from that time on. It's worth it, for both of you. Mom's and babes both need sleep!!



Sleep training does not have to mean abandoning or denying your babe. You're being loving and consistent and teaching an important skill. An over-tired baby has a hard time falling asleep, so sometimes it helps to apply a bit of pressure to their legs while they're in their cribs. I would say that the most important thing we did was to remain present and soothe when necessary, but to never pick him up out of his crib once we laid him down. That was the best decision we ever made! He never even tried to climb out when he was older, and still at two calls out to say he's awake but waits for us to come get him from his regular bed.





Good luck!

Amanda - posted on 09/13/2011

Yeap my best advice is to nurse and hold your child. 11 months is very young to sleep train a nursing child.



I have never sleep trained any of my children, they are now 13, 11 and 3 all sleep through the night since they were 2. My three year old tonight actually kissed everyone good night and put herself to bed. The only thing I can say why my children sleep so well now, is because they were nursed and co slept with until they were ready to go into their own beds, and wean themselves.

Katherine - posted on 09/13/2011

Go to Dr.Sears.com







Edit to add: An 11 month old needs you still. They don't sleep through the night.