How to move on to the next level with DD (sleep related)

[AnonEvent]

DD is 15 months old, largely a reasonable sleeper.

We have a standard nighttime routine, then put her to bed 19:00/19:30, day ‘goodnight’ and sit with her until she falls asleep (we do similar for her nap).

Sometimes she falls asleep almost immediately, other time sit can take upwards of an hour, we have a white noise machine to block out surrounding noises (we live in the city).

How do we get to the next stage, where we just say ‘goodnight’ and she falls asleep on her own? If I tried that now she’d just cry (call me feeble, but we’ve never left her to cry, if she is upset day or night we come running).

Any advice welcomed!

Maybe the retreating chair. It was too much for our DD but it works for lots of babies or just wait until she is older and she can understand when you explain what is happening.

She would totally suss out the retreating chair technique, I can imagine the look of intense suspicion on her face.

You may well be right, her verbal skills are coming along, probably in the next six months or so we can explain that we’re off to cook our dinner now, and we can hear her on the monitor so if she needs anything we will come right back, but that it’s time for little ones to sleep. And hope she’s rational (or as rational as a toddler can be expected to be).

My DS is nearly 2 and has gone backwards in the last month or two - he used to fall asleep on his own like an angel, but is currently going through a clingy phase. What seems to have worked for us is leaving his bedroom door open as he didn't like it being completely dark, and pottering around upstairs for a while so he can still hear us and knows we're around. I do generally have to pop my head back in once or twice before he goes off but that's ok and I get stuff done like putting all my washing away!