15 m/o DS will only go to sleep on my bed... when I'm lying next to him!

[mashedpotsandbutter]

Due to space restrictions, DS (15 months) has always slept in the same room as me and DH. He mostly sleeps in his cot, however he generally wakes up about 5.30am and comes into bed with us and sleeps for another hour or so.
To get him to sleep, either of us has to lie next to him on our bed. After he's gone off, we leave him for a while to go into a deep sleep and then transfer him to the cot.
We're finally moving into a bigger house and DS will be able to have his own room... the question is... how do I get him to go to sleep in his cot at bedtime?! We don't want to do CC, but there won't be a bed in there for us to lie next to him on... unless I ditch the cot and put him straight in a single bed. Although I'm pretty keen to teach him to get to sleep by himself, because I'm sick of lying in a dark room every evening!!!

[MamaG]

mash i hated the idea of cc too, but after 18 months of doing exactly what you described I decided to try as nothing else worked.

After 3 nights, I could put him in his cot, kiss him good night and leave him, knowing he would sleep until morning

unbelievable

[Baffy]

will watch this thread with interest...

my ds is 2, currently co-sleeping but want to move him into his own bed when I move house later this year...

good luck! I know what you mean about being sick of lying awake in a dark room!

[MaeWest]

Have you tried gradual retreat, more gentle than controlled crying? We sort of did this with DS. Basically involves getting closer to the door over time. So the first night might be lying next to him like you do now, then sitting next to the bed/cot, then further away until the last night you are sitting outside the door. We kept saying things like sleepytime, shush etc.

[fluffyanimal]

Ive had this problem with my 18 month old DS, but after a few weeks of persevering, he will now mostly go to sleep in his cot, although I have to kneel beside it until he is asleep. I just kept very gently lying him down, giving him his favourite teddy and stroking / sshhhing, and giving him a quick hug every time he sat up but just lying him back down, with v few words, just "sleep time noW" or something.

Am now working on being able to sit in a chair while he falls asleep, and other stages of gradual withdrawal!