https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 12:38:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720749 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 11:09:27 +0000 catlady 2720749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This thread is interesting to me because I have had one bad sleeper (LO1) and one good sleeper (LO2), but if I never had LO2, I would never have understood how anyone could get by without sleep training. LO1 never slept more than a 4 hr stretch by 4 months, then after her 4 month regression, it got to the point where she literally woke every hour. We tried co-sleeping, gentle methods, every type of sleep gear (Merlin suit, etc) and nothing worked. DH and I were literally starting to lose our minds from sleep deprivation and LO1 was so tired all the time. When we finally sleep trained, it worked in 3 days and she became such a happy baby. She still woke 2-3 times per night to nurse, but that felt wonderful to me at the time. Even after sleep training, she didn't STTN until 10 months and I figured people who said their babies STTN at 2 months or whatever were just exaggerating.</p> <p>Then we had LO2 and at first his sleep was just as bad as hers, but after 6 weeks it improved so quickly that he actually STTN a few times by 3 months. He's just gone through the 4 month regression, and for him, it meant going from 1-2 wakeups per night to 2-4 wakeups. So basically his sleep right now is as good as LO1's was AFTER we sleep trained. Last night I heard him wake up and just put himself back to sleep after about 10 minutes. He didn't even cry, he just kind of moved around a bit. I don't know yet if we will need to sleep train, but part of me suspects that we may not have to, which just amazes me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720732 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 10:42:46 +0000 agold 2720732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maggierose: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I do like the idea of letting baby fuss a bit before going to her. I do wait a little bit, I just never know how long to keep waiting and feel it out each time. I always nurse my baby. :shocked: After three bad night, last night was better. (not good, but much better) I think she was learning a new trick - rolling to tummy - and needed to figure it out. Here's hoping! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720662 Thu, 06 Apr 2017 08:34:43 +0000 maggierose 2720662@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, I never had to. My son was exclusively breast fed and sleapt through the night occasionally starting at three months although he would occasionally wake up once or twice here and there between three and six months. A quick nursing session and he would go right back down. For the most part he slept twelve hours consistently starting around 5/6 months I think?? There were times we put him down and he would fuss or cry but I would wait a couple minutes and he would almost always settle himself - same with middle of the night waking l. I always gave him 5 minutes or so and if he didn't settle I'd go to him but I do not consider that sleep training. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720446 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 14:15:45 +0000 californiadreams 2720446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: yes i get that. Luckily now that DS1 is older, DH or I can equally put him to bed. DS2 is another story. He is almost 14 months and sometimes it is still only me that can settle him back down. and he needs to nurse every night to go to sleep. i can't remember when DH was able to put DS1 to sleep by himself without my help at all. i am ready for it to be soon though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720418 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:00:28 +0000 agold 2720418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@californiadreams: Got it. Yes, the off and on fussing is a tough one to figure out what to do. I, personally, wouldn't have a problem laying with my LO to help them fall asleep if LO stayed asleep thereafter! :silly: Although I would like LO to be able to fall asleep so that if we have friends over, I don't have to disappear for a super long period of time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720414 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 12:55:09 +0000 californiadreams 2720414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: the plan was to go see him and pick him up. The first night i remember he cried for 7 minutes, similar the second i think. And i think one of the nights we let it go for 20 mins because it was off an on - like he stopped crying before 10 minutes, was okay for a few, then started again and stopped in less than 10 again. i was caught off guard when that happened and didn't know what to do. he was far from being a perfect sleeper or going to sleep on his own after that, but it did improve i guess. but like i said, he is 4 years old now and we stay with him in his bed every night telling stories until he falls asleep, so i kind of feel like the training was for nothing and i wish i never did it. There have been nights when we can't stay with him and he falls asleep on his own too, so he is capable, but between DH and I, we are okay to stay with him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720409 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 12:47:49 +0000 agold 2720409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chibee: Last night I tried to bring my baby into bed with me. Since her current issue is that she falls to sleep fine, but cries shortly after I put her down. I found that having her in my bed was almost more uncomfortable than sitting in the rocker with her all night! </p> <p>@californiadreams: what would you do after the 10 minute mark if you baby was still crying? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720270 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 08:31:39 +0000 californiadreams 2720270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i did my own version of sleep training with DS1 at 13 months. I let him cry for a max of 10 minutes. i think we did it for 3 nights. We did it because he wasn't falling asleep anymore and bedtime was taking up to 2 hours. It worked, but i always felt guilty about it. In hindsight, i wish i just laid down in bed with him until he fell asleep, because we started doing that with him when we moved into our house and into a regular bed. And have been since he was 2.5 years old. he is now 4.5. </p> <p>So with DS2, i said no form of sleep training and now we cosleep. he wakes up a lot but has some good nights and has had some weeks/months of less wake ups. cosleeping works because i maximize my own sleep. i didn't plan on it but it just happened because when i went to go nurse in the night, i kept falling asleep with him and never put him back in his crib. So now he starts the night in his crib, and the first wake up that happens after i went to sleep myself, i end up sleeping the rest of the night with him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720241 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 08:01:56 +0000 chibee 2720241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never - my son is almost 3 (August) and we still cosleep, and have been since he was 8 weeks old. Prior to that, he slept in a swing in the living room in 2-3 hour intervals. One night, I was so exhausted I put him in bed with me and he slept through the night! we never looked back. Of course, the most major drawback is he doesn't know how to put himself to sleep still, he needs me next to him. but he has been a pretty good sleeper ever since! idk if it counts since I'm in the bed with him the whole time... but he's been sleeping through the night since 2 months old with a few minor regressions here and there. honestly though, I will sleep train the next one and not bed share bc as lovely as it is, it is a big pain sometimes! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720226 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 07:27:25 +0000 agold 2720226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@katsupgirl: thank you so much for sharing that. It was the perfect thing to read right now. I'm wondering if my baby is teething too. Although, no teeth in sight! She just wants to be held these last few nights. I'm tired and have even said I'll let her cry it out tomorrow. But maybe I'll hold off one more day! I do love holding this angel baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720210 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 06:56:15 +0000 Modern Daisy 2720210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did with lo #1 because he woke every hour to eat and it was driving us batty with sleep deprivation but lo#2 was a pretty good sleeper from day 1 so we didn't try as hard. It really did work with #1 and was life changing. #2 on the other hand screamed for over 2 hours whenever we tried so we just gave up. He is 9 months and still wakes once for a bottle and it's much easier for us to deal with that than sleep train. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720191 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 03:20:53 +0000 katsupgirl 2720191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: I'm up too! Dang teeth! :grin:</p> <p><a href="http://nurshable.com/2012/07/19/the-wio-wait-it-out-method-of-sleep-training/" rel="nofollow">http://nurshable.com/2012/07/19/the-wio-wait-it-out-method-of-sleep-training/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720188 Wed, 05 Apr 2017 02:22:10 +0000 agold 2720188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just came back to look at these responses as I'm rocking my baby during what looks like a third sleepless night for me. These are all very encouraging. I do try to let her mildly cry. I know we will figure this out. Must. Keep. Positive. :silly: eta: thanks for all these responses. I'm not opposed to sleep training at all. Maybe I'll end up doing it. But I just haven't yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720149 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 19:44:16 +0000 ustechie 2720149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sapphire: i did answer the OP's question and didn't chastise anyone for doing what they felt was best. i simply stated MY opinion on the subject; seems like you judged me for it and are making an issue where there isn't one to be made. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720121 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:50:06 +0000 sarac 2720121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never with my first, tried it with my second, but she clearly needed to eat over night at 8 months, so it was pointless. My now kindergartner either sleeps all night, or crawls into bed with us early in the morning. The 20 month old goes down in the rooms she shares with her sister, and then wakes some time after midnight to finish the night in our bed. </p> <p>Either way, it's not a big deal. I don't object to sleep training of the mild crying for a few nights type, but I'm pretty highly opposed to really letting a child cry it out. It worked fine for our family to never do it, as I think it does for many (most) others. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720111 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:03:48 +0000 sapphire 2720111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ustechie: sleep training means a lot of different things to different people. Just because someone else chose to work on sleep habits with their child doesn't mean they don't respect me to their child's needs. I think it's important to answer the OP's question about how sleep went if you chose not to train and not to turn it into a judgement about those who choose differently. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720104 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 17:19:01 +0000 ustechie 2720104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm adamantly against sleep training, so we didn't with either of my 2 boys. Both were terrible sleepers with multiple night wakings, but they eventually figured it out. My older one is now 5 and has absolutely no issues going to sleep on his own. My younger one is just over 2 and is finally STTN (probably just jinxed myself!) more often than not. They're my babies and I would never leave them to wonder why mama isn't coming to them when they need/want me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720097 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:27:28 +0000 Cherrybee 2720097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I haven't with either of mine, really. I wanted to with #1, I really believed in it, but I never felt like the time was right (sickness, teething, developmental milestones) and even a small amount of crying would result in her vomiting in her crib. If she woke, only a feed would help her settle. E was 23 months before she slept through at all and she was almost 3 before she STTN consistently. #2 has been a more typical baby and she does fuss for a bit before falling asleep. The best thing for S is to let her settle herself at bedtime but if she wakes in the night I feed her to get her to settle - she's 1 in a few days and not STTN consistently. </p> <p>So, in summary, no I didn't sleep train either of mine and they've both been terrible sleepers. Make of that what you will! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720033 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 14:47:09 +0000 Kemma 2720033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No sleep training here but I do believe in good sleep hygiene and giving babies / toddlers opportunities to settle themselves. Both of my children were great sleepers as infants but didn't give up a night feed until they were 18-24 months old.</p> <p>for me I found that the anxiety over sleep and the worry about whether we were doing it "right" (nursing to sleep, bed sharing when needed) was far worse than the actual sleep deprivation and night waking. Once I gave up worrying about it and just gave into it life got much easier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby/page/2#post-2720005 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 13:51:44 +0000 travellingbee 2720005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sleep trained my oldest but it was horrific and it didn't stick. We said never again. So we just dealt with his issues. My youngest is a much better sleeper, anyway, so it really wasn't necessary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2720004 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 13:50:40 +0000 wrkbrk 2720004@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: We didnt. In so far as, he was never left to cry. At a certain point we moved him to his room, but if he ever cries I go in and pat him back to sleep, etc. It has worked out fine. He does still wake up at least once (for 2 minutes) each night but I am ok with that bc I know it's what I chose. He is 16 months btw. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2720002 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 13:43:28 +0000 looch 2720002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was a sleep training drop out. We tried twice using timed checks, but couldn't get it together, mostly on my end. So, my son ended up finally learning to self soothe at about 11 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2720001 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 13:42:31 +0000 krispi 2720001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've never sleep trained our daughter who is currently 19 months. We're the parents everyone hates, as she started sleeping through the night after her 1 month appointment, when the dr told me she had gained enough weight that I didn't need to wake her anymore for overnight feedings. (That's right, I was waking her up at 1 week old to eat, not the other way around...)</p> <p>Anyway, I won't say that we won't have to sleep train in the future. We still use a couple of crutches to get her sleep, including rocking and a pacifier. We want to phase out the paci around her 2nd birthday, and that's going to be a challenge. She's never slept without it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719810 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 08:58:50 +0000 Mrs. Blue 2719810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It depends what you consider sleep training. We never did any CIO kind of stuff with G. I nursed until a year and he usually fell asleep while nursing or cuddling afterwards. He didn't sleep through the night until we weaned, but after that I would just rock him and lay him down after he fell asleep. Finally, I started rocking him and then laying him down before he was asleep and patting his back. Then we moved to laying him down after a story and a song but without rocking him into a drowsy state. We kept progressing like that until now (he's 2), I can do his bedtime routine and then lay him down and leave and he goes to sleep. So, while we didn't do any kind of cry it out sleep training, I think of sleep training as more teaching them to fall asleep on their own and we definitely had an intentional (but slow and not involving tears) plan for getting him to be able to fall asleep on his own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719799 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 08:21:06 +0000 ShootingStar 2719799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Whether you sleep train or not is totally up to you. But don't discount your own struggles because you think someone else must have it worse. It's about whether you are doing ok with it or not, not how other people have it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719765 Tue, 04 Apr 2017 07:09:52 +0000 MrsBrewer 2719765@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Never sleep trained here! She had always been a pretty decent sleeper. Consistently STTN at 12 months. I BF her until she was 14.5 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719735 Mon, 03 Apr 2017 23:52:51 +0000 QBbride 2719735@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes! We never sleep trained my 20m old daughter. She didn't sleep through the night until she was 12-13 months but my son was like that too, so I knew it would happen eventually. On the other hand, as "sleep trained" my son at age 2 (basically put our foot down about no longer co-sleeping but he cried a lot those first few nights). </p> <p>I do find sleep training super popular around here. But in real life I barely know anyone who has sleep trained. So I think it depends what your groups of friends are like. Also, in Canada we have a 12-month maternity leave (soon to be 18 months!) so I feel like we have the opportunity to be more patient with sleep issues than mamas with barely any time off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719711 Mon, 03 Apr 2017 21:13:53 +0000 DesertDreams88 2719711@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We sleep trained 3 times but I don't think it really truly worked thoroughly until LO was developmentally ready at around 13m. I think it had to do with weaning and taking in a lot more solids. At 13m he started STTN effortlessly, despite not STTN for about the 6 weeks prior. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719710 Mon, 03 Apr 2017 21:12:24 +0000 Anagram 2719710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't breed sleepers. We have never done any kind of sleep training with our second, and she's kind of a crappy sleeper. </p> <p>But my first kiddo was an epically, terrible, awful, no good, very bad sleeper and we did sleep training more than a few times and it would work temporarily and then at the first illness or travel or whatever, she would be right back to being up several times a night. But now at 3.5, she STTN at least every 3 our of 5 nights. hahahahaha. Yeah, that's right. She still wakes at night at least a few times a week. And the younger wakes basically every night until we put her in our bed.</p> <p>So that's cool. =/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-anyone-never-sleep-train-their-baby#post-2719698 Mon, 03 Apr 2017 20:37:41 +0000 MrsKoala 2719698@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have never sleep trained either of my kids. I just never really felt like it would work for them. My first was a bad sleeper until 1 and then he became great. My second has been a great sleeper from day one. She had a bit of a regression but is starting to sleep well again at 6.5 months. </p>