Sleep Training.

[SteakChips]

I've come to the point where I'm now sleeping training my 8 months. Since birth he has never been a great sleeper or napper and it's really taken it's toll. I'm due to go back to work full time and I'll be getting up early for it so I need to get my sleep in.

I thought by now he would have just full to sleep naturally but no.

Do anyone have any pointers or experience for this please?

What's his sleep pattern like? What are you trying? Not unusual for an 8mo not to sleep through.

I did sleep training it worked after 2 nights. It wasvery stressful but so worth it. So I had a bedtime routine already which was bath, bottle then bed. Then instead of rocking to sleep or letting him fall asleep on the bottle of give a quick cuddle and then put him to bed.

Then when he whinhed or cried I'd go back after 2 mins, settle him, then repeat but going back in 4mins, then 6, then 8 mins. Then he'd be asleep.

I think the official way is to go up in 2mins, 4 mins, 8 mins, 16mins. But I felt the jump from 4 to 8 was too much. Also I didn't quite follow how strict you're "supposed" to do it. I made sure he stopped crying before I left him but I think the official way is to just give less contact each time you go in to settle.

I liked that I wasn't following it to the T because it made me feel I was being more responsive to my son's needs. After 2 nights it worked. It's was very stressful in those two nights so I would pick when you do it carefully as it would be very easy to give up if you weren't mentally prepared for it.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Just over 50% of babies aged 12 months do not sleep through, IIRC.

You're at one of the worst bits for baby sleep.

@ReeseWitherfork My baby has never slept right since birth.. we tend to put him down when he starts to show signs of tiredness. He then doesn't sleep through nor does he self soothe.

That is great, I think that is the same method we are going to try @MarmaladeCloud starting today.. that is brilliant it took only a couple of days. I'm hoping for a week lol.