Need advice for starting to sleep train 13 month old

[joyh]

So sorry!  Kept meaning to leave an update and just kept getting sidetracked!  The past few nights have been not bad at all.  We've for the most part gotten to the point that we can lay him down, sit for 5-10 mins, and then leave even if he's not asleep.  He's still waking a couple of times each night, and I'm guessing that will eventually work itself out??  But I feel like he's done very well overall   And I think that I probably will try to go a size up the next time we buy nighttime diapers ... boy, this kid can pee like nothing else!

So I suppose now that the next step will be to put him in bed and then walk out.  I imagine if all goes at the same pace then we will give that a shot in a few days. 

[babybarr]

Yay great news:)

[joyh]

Hooray!  Last night he slept all the way from 7:15pm - 6:10am!  I heard him wake a couple of times but he settled himself.  There is hope for uninterrupted sleep again

[babybarr]

I *love* good news!!  Long may it continue

[joyh]

He did the same last night!  All the way through!  I'm going to assume that this is the beginning of a very good pattern   Thanks so much for all of your help!!

[pinzers_man]

Great job! We're just about to start the same thing with our 16 month.

Did you do any comforting while putting him to bed? My guy gets up all and needs me to pat the bed to calm him again. Should I continue to do that or just ignore him?

[joyh]

Part of our bedtime/naptime routine has been to sit with him in the rocking chair in his room and read a few stories before turning lights out, so he gets some good cuddles then   What we changed when we started the gradual withdrawal was to, after stories, just give him a big hug and kiss and say "Good night, love.  It's time to sleep now," and then put him in bed and take a seat in the chair beside the bed.  Laura recommended trying comforting words if he was upset, so I did do that one night, just told him what a good boy he was and that he was going to feel so much better after he slept.  But really after the first several nights he started settling himself right away.  I'm honestly still shocked that it's gone this well!  Best of luck to you!  Even though I hated that he was upset those first few nights, it's been so worth the work!  And he seems to be getting much better sleep because of it.  Let me know if you need any more details of what worked for us

[pinzers_man]

Thanks for the response Joy. Except for the pacifier (he's never used one) my guy sounds a lot like yours. He's 16 months now and is just starting to like stuffed toys. He's not even remotely attached, but we're working on getting him a "sleep buddy." What we've been doing is reading books with his stuffed animal. Before I put him to bed i give his stuffed animal a kiss and hug and put him to bed first. My son seems to like that and is helping him to accept the stuffed animal in his bed. Basically, I try to make him part of the routine too.

That said, he still picks him up and throws him at my head before going to bed. <sigh....> 

[joyh]

That's a really good idea - I might try that at some point, too!  I think that my LO has finally been acknowledging his stuffed toy because the past several mornings I've noticed that it is in a different spot in the bed.  Or maybe he's just pushing it out of the way!

Wishing you a peaceful night with no flying stuffed animals