How to move away from co sleeping with 14 month old

[Jen991]

Hi all,

my 14 month old has been sleeping in my bed for the last 3/4 months from about 11pm/12am.

He usually has his bottle on my bed and wriggles about until he goes to sleep, I will then transfer him to his cot. He will sleep in there (a few wake ups) until about 11pm or so. I think I have made a rod for my own back by putting him in my bed as he sleeps great and very rarely wakes up!

I really want to try get him back to sleeping in his cot all night, any suggestions of the best/easiest way of doing this? I’m thinking it’s just a case of persisting with putting him back in.
I recently got him a new cot bed which is bigger as he is very active in his sleep wriggling around and then waking when he wants to roll if he has no room.

Thanks in advance

I think you're right - it is just about persistence. 14 months is still young and so it's easier to change habits.

Try a few of the usual settling tools - dummies, comforters, white noise, night lights - and combine with Ferber. You'll have a few rough nights and then it'll be all good.

Same situation with our 14 month old, especially as my husband works night shifts it was just easier to co sleep. It got to the point where he was waking up every 45mins before coming into my bed with seperation anxiety, felt like we weren’t getting a break at all. We started the camping out/chair method, where we stay beside his cot and gave him comfort/support without lifting him or bringing him in beside me then gradually move further towards the bedroom door each night and so far it’s worked quite well! He has learnt how to lie down and will settle himself to sleep between sleep cycles whereas before he would wake in a blind panic!

Yeah there’s definitely separation anxiety - he’s the same in the day if I leave the room without him. I think I’ll just have to have a few bad nights sleep to hopefully break the habit