How can I teach my 8 month old to fall asleep on his own?

[lucycr2004]

I know that i should've always put my DS to bed awake so that he could settle himself but he always falls asleep 'on the boob' so I never did get the chance to do that.

Now he is sharing a room with my 2 yr old DD i really need to help him to learn how to fall asleep. (DD is a fantastic sleeper so I don't want her disturbed)
If i put him in the cot awake he is fine for a little while but then quite literally screams until he is picked up!
How can i teach him to fall asleep? Any ideas?
Also, he is still waking once or twice (or more) in the night and falls back to sleep by BFing!
Help! I've created a disastrous situation!

[whomovedmychocolate]

Go out and buy a copy of the No cry sleep solution - it has tons of idea. Personally I'd go for 'pick up, put down' when he cries pick him up and comfort him and then immediately he stops, put him down. Try to get to the point where you pat him to comfort him and eventually it does work. It took us three days with DD.

NB toddlers once they are asleep normally sleep through any amount of noise!

It took till 10 months with DD before we did this - and she started to sleep through a week later (hurrah!)

[lucycr2004]

thank you so much for the advice. i have actually read the No Cry SLeep Solution a few times but not managed to put it into practice...(always waiting to have enough energy to start a plan of action!)

Will def try the pickup/put down approach though (although he often starts to cry when he senses i'm about to put him down!) as I am definitely not able to use CC...tried it twice but think it is really horrible! Not sure what I will do with DD whilst i do this...perhaps she needs to have stories with DH in our bed and come through afterwards - really not sure about that one!

Sleeping through! wow what a treat that'll be when it eventually happens

[whomovedmychocolate]

Oh I couldn't do controlled crying at all. Didn't even try. Much gentler techniques work. Be careful what you wish for though - DD started sleeping through and consequently we now have a DS