How to Get Your Baby to Sleep After Co-Sleeping
- February 27, 2013
- by Melissa Lawrence
I don’t think there’s a single parent who hasn’t struggled with the issue of how to get your baby to sleep. I got a question from mom Jennifer who is looking for advice on how to stop co-sleeping with her 15-month-old baby son. Jennifer writes that he wakes “once or twice a night and screams like crazy if we’re not there.”
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Sleep Solutions for Babies
Jennifer, since you’re sleeping with your baby, I think you have some decisions to make about where you want to end up: in a co-sleeping situation or with your baby in his own bed? If your goal is to stop co-sleeping, then you have to decide if you’re willing to tolerate any tears as you make this transition. Watch this video for other pieces of advice on baby sleep.
If you dealt with this issue of weaning a child from co-sleeping, please comment below on this blog and share your advice with other moms!
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Comments
Cadie
We started co-sleeping with our son when he still wasn’t sttn at 1 year. As a working Mom I just couldn’t handle the multiple times a night waking up and nursing anymore. When he started co-sleeping with us, I night weaned him. And then, essentially.. he was sttn. If he woke up, and cried, it was generally because he lost his binkie. I could give it to him, and he would go right back to sleep, and so would I. So, this was a good solution for us, for a long time. When my son turned 2, he was still co-sleeping with us, and both my husband and I were ready to move him to his own bed. It was a loooong process.
We got him his own twin-size big-boy bed. He was very excited and would climb in his bad many times throughout the day, but he did not want to actually sleep in it.
I would lay with him in his bed, every night until he fell asleep. Then when he would wake up crying, I would go up and lay with him some more. This went on for probably 6 months. Eventually he woke less and less, and then it was maybe just once per night. I around the time he was 2.5 years old I decided it was time for him to learn to go to sleep by himself. So, basically at this point, we did the CIO method. It was pretty painless, and I was VERY surprised, and happy. The first night he cried 10 min. before settling down and falling asleep.. but it wasn’t even the hardcore crying I would expect. Mostly just whimpering. The second night it was 3 min. And ever since then he has been fine. I think this success was in large part due to his age. We were just happened upon the right time.
There are still times he needs extra hugs before falling asleep. And he still occasionally will try to sneak into our bed at 3 AM. That is basically it. It wasn’t an overnight process by any means.. and it was exhausting at times… but I really think all of us are sleeping much better now-a-days. Good luck Momma!