Laying down and going to sleep on their own - when did this happen for you?

[terryandthechocolateorange]

16 month old daughter can't self settle. Stems from being breastfed to sleep for probably a little longer than I should have allowed. Now doesn't feed to sleep all the time but certainly needs cuddling or rocking.

Have tried to talk her through bedtime, tried laying down with her, tried trying to sooth her or pat her but to no avail. She sits up, hysterically crying until I pick her up and let her fall asleep on me.

Her language is coming along well and she understands alot. I'm hoping that soon and with some perseverance I can convince her to lay down and close her eyes to go to sleep but I think she's still a bit young.

When did this happen for you? Anyone else in the same boat? Or is it just me, rocking and feeding a 16 month old to sleep still!

5 year old, slept through from 5 months. She goes to bed now no issues and easily does 12-13 hours a night.

11 month old still BF, but I only do morning and before bed. Night weaned him at 10 months. He's now sleeping through (mostly, when not teething or going through a leap!). He still likes to feed to sleep at night but can go down awake and he self soothes.

I had to wean him as he was waking every 2 hours for a feed and I was exhausted. Plus I go back to work in 3 weeks and no way would be able to function!

At around 5 months, when he could roll onto his tummy and put his thumb in. Every night I'd carefully put him down on his back, and within minutes he'd flip over like a salmon and start thumb sucking. He still goes to sleep the same way at age 2, self settles easily unless he's unwell.

I am dreading breaking the thumb sucking habit at some point...

Straight away .... I never 'fed to sleep' which I think helped so he never associated feeding with sleeping, or maybe he was just a very independent sleeper and I was lucky. . Never had a second baby so I can't really judge.

Thank you all for your replies. Certainly shows that each child is different and will get there (or not as the case may be!) In their own time. Meanwhile, I think I need to be slightly kinder to myself and stop worrying.

Definitely stop worrying, I wish I had! My DD is nearly 3. Was a nightmare sleeper from birth and wouldn’t be put down. I had no choice but to feed her to sleep, it was the only way or she’d scream. Bedtimes used to take hours, even after we’d stopped breastfeeding at just under 2. She just gradually started to improve, and then when she dropped her nap a few months ago bedtime suddenly became very easy! Few stories, then she rolls over and drops off within minutes. I still have to be with her at present but that isn’t an issue as it’s so fast, and I’m confident that she’ll get there in her own time. She’s a happy, confident, independent little girl who just needs a cuddle before bed. Don’t beat yourself up about the “bad habits”. I certainly wish I hadn’t!

6 and 9. YEARS old.
I was very much a Mum who didn't expect a baby or toddler to have to cry alone to sleep and wanted them to know that I would always be there.
Now that they put themselves to sleep, I miss those little sleepy arms and kisses.

Depends on your attitude to sleep training really!

If you could bring yourself to get through the hysterical crying bit (rich is her saying no I'm REALLY tired) then she'd go off eventually.

Sleep training is not fun for either parent or child but within three nights or so, they get it and everyone gets some sleep. I think the ends justify the means, not everyone thinks so.

I was very much a Mum who didn't expect a baby or toddler to have to cry alone to sleep and wanted them to know that I would always be there.

I mentioned up thread my DD has self-soothed since 12 weeks. She has never cried herself to sleep. We've just been lucky that she's a good sleeper. We don't abandon her and let her tire herself out.

5 months - it happened on day 1 of controlled crying sleep training. Previously he was fed/rocked to sleep and our backs couldn’t take a minute longer. We realised we were holding him back all this time and he actually just wanted to be left alone!

Age 4 and now sleeps brilliantly at age 8