sleep training

[Nauvoo]

Did they props board get deleted?  Have I been gone that long?
DD is 10 months old and it's more than time to start ST.  Thus far she has been held until asleep and then put down. 
Anyone with experience have a good place to start?  suggestions on the best approach?

[trimbler]

Hi there - yes the props board has gone but only very recently. The FAQs are now in their own separate sections for EASY and sleep. Of course the approach you use for ST will be the one which is most suited to you and your LO - possibly some combination of shh pat/PUPD/gradual withdrawal which you feel comfortable with. It will of course involve lots of work and probably some upset - if you choose PUPD then be prepared for a lot of tears especially in the first few days and prepare some support for you too! Gradual withdrawal may involve less intense crying but could also take longer, so it's really your decision Tbh I'm not personally the best to advise on ST from scratch at 10mo, but will leave you a couple of links to read through so you can let us know what you think you'd both prefer. Also, ST will work best if she's on an appropriate routine - could you post your currently routine and let us know how you think it's working?

Pick Up/Put Down (PU/PD) - Everything you ever needed to know!
Toddlers: Walk In/Walk Out vs. The Gradual Withdrawal Method (HOW TO CHOOSE) (skip over wiwo and read the gradual withdrawal section)

Oh sorry just seen your other post in NWs - I do wonder whether she needs a little less A time after her afternoon CN? I just remember being convinced for some time that my DD's long NWs had to be UT and I thought I just needed to push her, but eventually realised it was all OT and she needed a much shorter A to BT. 3h after a 30min nap seems quite long really, ours never had pm CNs so not entirely sure what to suggest, but perhaps try 2.5h? Or even shorter...see if it helps! Alternatively, I'd be interested to see exactly what her day was like that Sunday when she did a short am nap and long pm nap and had a really good night - do you think that routine could work for you every day?

[Nauvoo]

last sunday went like this
wake 7:30am
nap 10:30- 11
Nap 2:15- 4:45
bed 8
slept awesome.  I know it was a fluke!  had to of been though I was thinking I'd be up for sure that night

I will try the gradual withdrawl as I'm sure I don't have the heart for pu/pd!  DD is not dependent on the pacifier but it sure comes in handy sometimes.  should I just get rid of it or could I actually successfully sleep train with the pacifier?  Mind, When she wakes at night sometimes if gentle calming doesn't work then the pacifier might do the trick.  actually DD woke twice last night and a quick plug in did the trick.  It's a hit or miss really.  I wish it always worked but then again, in a few months I might not wish that so much.

I will try putting DD down earlier after a 30 min nap.  It never occurred to me that she might be OT.
DD is the 3rd child and so sometimes it is really hard to work with her nap schedule.  I never thought i would look so forward to just one nap like I do now.

thanks for the links

[trimbler]

You know, you may find you can use a routine a bit like that with her intentionally... I think by 11mo, DS was doing something like:

6:30 WU and E
9:30 - 10:15 Nap 1
1-3 Nap 2
7 BT

This fit in nicely with the school runs that our childminder had to do - what times are your school runs? DS responded really well to that routine because he seemed to really need a good pm nap in order to have a good stretch of A time to BT without getting OT, and then he could do a good night. Wdyt?

So...gradual withdrawal! I must admit I never did this myself, but can ask someone who has to pop on here to keep an eye on things and offer more suggestions - in case I say anything silly So we need a first step then Up until now, you've been holding her to sleep, right? Do you have a predictable nap time/BT routine before that? My suggestion would be to continue whatever routine you had before, but to put her down just a little earlier than you have been. So if you waited until deep sleep to put her down before, try putting her down in lighter sleep and maintaining physical contact with her until she's in deep sleep. If you put her down in light sleep already, try putting her down just as she's dropping off, or when she's just very drowsy, but maintain physical contact with her - whether that's a hand on her chest, or rubbing her head or even lying down right next to her. Your aim is to eventually get her to sleep in the place where you want her to stay asleep, so do whatever you have to do to make that happen, even if it's lying next to her. This is gradual withdrawal so we're talking tiny steps and it will likely take some time. If it's just taking too long, you can always speed things up with PUPD etc, but of course that will involve more crying. Wdyt?