Tips to finally train an 11 month old

[Rachey22]

I’ve posted here a few times whilst a disheveled, tired mess - and yep, still an accurate description of myself 😂 I just can’t seem to crack the night sleep and I KNOW I need to sleep train but I need some confidence from you all to get me through this.

My DD will turn a year at the end of the month. Current routine:

Wakes- between 5:45-6.20
Nap 1 - 9:00. Never earlier but have tried pushing back to 9:30 and it’s a battle but she does stretch from 1:15 to 1:30 hours
Wakes - 10:15-10:30
Lunch - 12:30
Nap 2 - 2:00 but sometimes slightly earlier if nap 1 goes wrong. Nap could be 30 mins or could be 1.25 hours in duration.
Dinner - I try and time this 2 hours before bed but I’ve been disorganised really and on my own so it has varied to later
Bath - 45 mins before bedtime. Bottle of formula mixed with expressed BM from night before.

Bed - usually base this on when last nap ends. So if nap 2 is crap, I might try 6pm or it could be 7pm.

Night wakes - multiple but back to 2ish per night. I BF to settle back down as I’m shattered as it’s the quickest way.

DD has had same wind down routine since about 3/4 months. She goes down awake, without protest and puts herself to sleep when I’m not in the room. She doesn’t take a dummy but has a comforter.

She will usually always have a false start bedtime and wake 30 mins after going to sleep if she’s been awake 4 hours or more before bed. I need to put my hand on her to settle and she goes back over.

The night wakes then start anytime from 9:30 onwards every 2/3/4 hours (varies each night) until she wakes. I BF her quickly and put her back down because I’m POOPED and want to go back to sleep. I know. Bad move.

It’s infuriating that she can go to sleep no issue every other time but at night it’s different. I guess she knows I will come because I always do.

Anyway - does my routine look ok? The clock based approach with some flexibility? Should I fix bedtime as well as much as possible? I read somewhere that I should as this helps nights.

I guess I’m going to have to do CC. Should I enlist help to see to DD for the first few nights so she knows there is no boob on offer or would I be better doing it myself?

Any other help greatly appreciated.

Thank you x

Personally, i'd shorten the morning nap and bring the afternoon one forward.

Id give her one sleep cycle in the morning, which is 45 mins. So if she goes asleep by 9am, get her up at 9.45 and try and get her busy, preferably out of the house. She'll probably be as miserable as sin fir the first few days though.

Then id try and bring the second nap forward to 1pm.

No need to do CC or CIO at night though, once she's hit 12 months, you can try some gentle sleep training.

This article from Dr Sears might help as well

Thanks for responding. I did wonder about reducing the morning nap. I’ll give it a go. I had always tried to make the afternoon nap as last as possible so we can make it to bedtime but if I can get that nap to naturally lengthen then hopefully won’t be an issue!

That article was interesting too. It’s quite similar to the weaning approach in the Lucy Wolfe book I think?

Do you know why it cites to wait until 12 months and then you can try the gradual method?

I agree with @BunnyRuddington start the nap preparation around 12.30ish aiming for her to be asleep for 1pm. There's a natural drop in energy around midday which should help her to settle easily

Thank you. Do you in experience think a better routine for will help to consolidate the night?