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Original poster

Gentle ways to help my six month old sleep separately

5 replies

ThePoisedOpalBird · 02/09/2026 18:26

Looking for some helpful support and advice.

I have a 6 month old DS who I have co-slept with since the beginning as he would not tolerate the next to me and we exclusively breastfeed.

For naps I usually put him to sleep on my bed or my toddlers bottom bunk and then keep an eye on him on the camera. Unfortunately yesterday we had an accident where he must have barrel rolled across the bed and he fell off! Thankfully he is totally fine but it has made me realise I need to get him sleeping in his own bed.

I know I need to sleep train but I hate the idea. I am hoping you may all have some very very gentle suggestions on how to sleep train a 6 month old very very needy baby who is exclusively breastfed to sleep!

Many thanks in advance.

OP posts:
CurlewKate · 02/09/2026 18:27

Can I ask-why do you say you need to sleep train?

Janefx40 · 02/09/2026 18:32

So I personally did do sleep training (people often assume it involves leaving kids to cry or in distress but it really doesn’t have to). But I did at 20 months so not sure I can compare notes. At 6 months tho I was co sleeping and I put bed guards around my bed so DS couldn’t roll out. Was a bit of a pain to get in and out but worth it for the peace of mind. DH was relegated to another room which helped. Could you try securing the bed until you get in?

edited as I got the age of my kid when I sleep trained wrong

Original poster
ThePoisedOpalBird · 02/09/2026 18:36

CurlewKate · 02/09/2026 18:27

Can I ask-why do you say you need to sleep train?

Because otherwise I will have to hold him for his 3-4 hour naps a day and not leave the bed once he is asleep in the evening which isn't really feasible.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePoisedOpalBird · 02/09/2026 18:39

Janefx40 · 02/09/2026 18:32

So I personally did do sleep training (people often assume it involves leaving kids to cry or in distress but it really doesn’t have to). But I did at 20 months so not sure I can compare notes. At 6 months tho I was co sleeping and I put bed guards around my bed so DS couldn’t roll out. Was a bit of a pain to get in and out but worth it for the peace of mind. DH was relegated to another room which helped. Could you try securing the bed until you get in?

edited as I got the age of my kid when I sleep trained wrong

Edited

Oh I hadn't thought of bed guards! It wont help me for the naps (we have had to get rid of my eldests bunk bed so he is now in a mid sleeper) but it would allow me to at least keep co-sleeping for nightime!

OP posts:
BudgetBuster · 02/09/2026 19:55

We use a double floor bed! Like you my son never took to the next to me, never took to the cot and would wake 6/7 times a night to latch on.

I fed him to sleep and would leave him once he was in a deepish sleep. Sometimes he'd be up 20 minutes later looking for me, sometimes he might last an hour. I went from going to bed with him at 9pm, to putting him to bed and only having to go in from 12ish. Eventually I was able to just go in when he woke and he'd go back to sleep easy. Now I'd say it took a good 7 or 8 months until he eventually started to sleep the whole night.

I bought our bed 2nd hand but it is shaped like a house and has a little barrier around it (similar to an upper bunk bed would have).

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