Is it possible to sleep train a 16 month old (or is it too late)?

[StepDoor]

DS is 16 months.

For naps, he needs me to cuddle him and lie with him to put him to sleep. Usually takes 15-20 minutes.

At bedtime, he lies next to me in the dark and goes to sleep himself after moving around for around 20-30 minutes. He wakes up at night, about 2 or 3 times for water. If I'm not there, will scream and hence I just end up in bed with him.

I have tried leaving him alone to fall asleep, but didn't work, was very distressed. What can I do? Or is it too late? :(

No it's definitely not too late.

At bedtime, can you try that gradual retreat thing, where you start off lying next to him and over the next few nights you inch yourself away till you're finally standing by the door?

Do you have a DP/H who could help with the night wakings?

TheFilthiest, thanks. The problem with me sitting up is that she thinks its time to play!

Yes, DP can help with night awakenings, but its the same thing really, he will still wake up whether its me or him. We are not breastfeeding.

Yes, we did it at 17 months (after speaking with a sleep consultant). We were at our wits' end due to constant lack of sleep. Basically her advice was:

• if he's still on a bottle, get rid of it - replace with a beaker that looks nothing like a bottle.
• bedtime milk downstairs. Go upstairs, read a story in the bedroom.
• goodnight kiss and cuddle and then put him in the cot
• (this is where it gets hard) leave the room and close the door. If (when!) he gets distressed, count to 50 and then go into the bedroom
• pick him up and cuddle until he calms down
• repeat last three steps until he falls asleep
• same process if he wakes in the night

Be prepared for the first few nights to be horrific. I think it took an hour and a half for us the first night, but within a week he was settling quite well - and I really didn't expect it to work.

Definitely not too late! We just did something similar with our son who is 18 months. We never wanted to leave him to cry so once I stopped breastfeeding we ended up holding his hand to go to sleep each time (naps and at night).

At first this didn't bother me (it only took 5-10 mins and he was out like a light) but then he started waking quite a lot in the night which I think was down to waking up and wondering where we were because we were there when he dropped off.

We tried leaving him to cry but we found it too hard so we did a bit of gradual withdrawal.

Sitting next to cot and softly speaking to him, but not hand holding. Over next 2 weeks gradually moved chair away. If he stood up, just spoke softly/calmly (sleepy time now...) and laid him down. You need patience for the first few days!!
Within 3 days he started sleeping through the night, I kid you not. It could be coincidence maybe?!

Now we don't even stay in the room, just turn gro clock to the stars, kiss/cuddle, into sleeping bag in cot and sleep. He sometimes cries out once and I go back in and lay him down again, and then he's asleep.

At the same time we got rid of bottle, he has a milk beaker (the one with the cow pattern on it) with stories / occasional ITNG downstairs, then upstairs for bath and teeth, then pjs and then cuddle/stories in the chair in his room. Then bed.

Is your ds in a toddler bed op? We did gradual retreat at 14months but then he got a cold and is now back in out bed in the early hours. So guess I have to do it all again. Ugh.

My daughter is 15 months old , sleeps only while feeding and at night wakes up every 3 hours for comfort feed, so i co-sleep.
I am planing to try Ferber method for ST , is it too late to try Ferber Sleep train method for my 15 months old ?

Please i need help ... advice

Thank you