16 month old won't sleep alone

[Bethandfreddie]

Hi all,

I have a 16 month old DS who has always been a bad sleeper and never once slept through the night. I'm due my second baby in summer and I really want to get him into a good sleeping routine before baby arrives.

My partner thinks we should just leave him to cry it out but I don't like the idea of it, when he cries he screams and is very persistent.

I spoke to my health visitor and she told me to put him to bed and everything few days move further and further away from his bed, but the problem is that he will not go to sleep unless someone is in the bed with him. I've tried sitting by his bed and putting my hand on his chest but he just screams.

I end up in his bed most nights which I hate doing but if I don't he will scream the place down.

I'm really unsure what to do, and it's making me anxious because I cant imagine how stressful it will be with a crying newborn and then my son crying for me on top of it all.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Where's your partner in all this? Can't be take over bedtime/night wake ups so then when the new baby is here you can divide and conquer?

I usually wake up on weekdays as he has to get up early for work, but on weekends he gets up

To be honest I think you have three options...

• Dad does all sleep/bed time even if that means dad sleeping with ds
• Some sort of sleep training but likely will be tears
• You cope with both at night eg by having both in a room with you and do whatever you need to get sleep eg cosleeeping with him and baby in moses basket next to you

I've heard of the first working quite well, if dad is on board. I did something like the last one and it was tough going and I can generally survive on not much sleep. I decided not to fight it so to speak and had DD on a mattress next to my bed and co slept with the little one and did quite a bit of moving between the two. My older child was very attached to sleeping with me and any attempts at gentle sleep training failed and I couldn't bare to leave her to properly cry. If it helps my DD pretty much sleeps through in her own bed at 3, although DS still in with me!