Best sleep training for a toddler?

[shoeaholicanon]

HI All,

My son is almost 14 months old. Wondering what the best sleep training method is for this age group?
What's shown the most success? I'm not big on CIO method. But I'm willing to hear what works.

Thank you!
Barb

[aisling]

Gentle withdrawal worked for us. 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I think it depends whether (& how) they have been sleep trained before. I used shh/pat when mine were babies and a mix of gradual withdrawal and wi/wo when they were older depending on why they were needing a bit of sleep training.

Toddlers: Walk In/Walk Out vs. The Gradual Withdrawal Method (HOW TO CHOOSE)

[shoeaholicanon]

Thanks ladies! I started the wi/wo method early last week and it's been working...we are on night 6 tonight & he's slept right through two of the nights.
I can't say we really ever sleep trained him. He has always slept on his own and then in his crib in his room from 8 weeks, onward. Eventually he was great - he went to bed with no protest, didn't have to do anything more than milk and then in his crib. He has his own soothing techniques - asides from his soother.
He'd wake up the amount of times you'd expect for the age and then around 10 months or so, he regressed hard. Waking multiples times, some times hourly. Screaming at bed time, etc, etc, etc...

The only thing I'm wondering now is will he only get back to getting to sleep on his own OK but still waking multiple times, needing out help to fall back to sleep? I wanted to eliminate that to begin with and we ended up in a storm of sleep hell LOL

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Can you post his routine? Might be something there that needs tweaking but tbh I do wonder if it is down to development and perhaps separation anxiety thrown in. Is he teething at all? So many things that can cause sleep disturbances at this age!

[shoeaholicanon]

HI Again,

You're right there's other things. January he started Daycare & he was sick a few times and yes he finally popped his first tooth and there are three more coming in.
So while there is that - this has been going on since he was 10 months old and consistently, every night for months. It wasn't hiccups.

His routine is;

Wakes at 6am
Nap from 1pm to 3pm
Bed time at 7pm

B.

[Haribo2012]

Hi there, routine looks good to be honest but you mention more teeth on the move which at this age made sleep a total pain for us.

My DS went back to independent sleep after most blips but often took a few days of gradual withdrawal but mainly from outside his room, walk in walk out just made him angry!

[*Ali*]

I just sit outside my DD's door and soothe her with my voice if she needs it. I only go in if she stands up and gets very upset. Then I lay her back down, say our sleepy phrase again and leave. So kind of walk in walk out but with lots of "out"

The BW approach is vehemently opposed to crying it out as Tracy felt it broke the bond of trust so you won't get anyone here suggesting that

[shoeaholicanon]

Hi ladies, thanks for all your advise - I'm pleased to say within about 7 days he got really good. Within that time, he slept right through twice and woke just once every other night but only for a few moments. Since then, he's been sleeping very well - no crying at bed time, etc.
The only thing that I'm not sure how to remedy are:

He needs a soother if he wakes himself too much to a point he cant get himself back to sleep so we have to get up.

Second is, He wakes up at 5-5:20 am and we don't have to wake up until 6am the earliest and so of course that's driving me bonkers!
I have to figure out how to stretch him back to waking around 6-6:30 like he used to. He will if he comes to bed w/us but I don't wnat this habit of waking up so he can come to bed with us - which he has done many a times. Any tips???

[Haribo2012]

Great news, with the soothes could you put a few in the bed?
Have you tried wake 2 sleep? We have an early waker so not much help apart from we did let hi mum our bed x

[shoeaholicanon]

Yes we leave about 3 soothers in his crib. Some times though he's just screaming and not trying to anythign about it. 
Yep I do the same - he comes into our bed and more often than not, we don't fall back asleep Womp Womp. Could be worse.

[Haribo2012]

Our EW do come and go depending on developmental stuff going on

[*Ali*]

i would just spend the time until 6am resettling him in the cot even if he doesn't go back to sleep.