https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 14:48:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1999763 Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:20:45 +0000 mrs. wagon 1999763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We started when our pediatrician told us he could go without the MOTN feeding, which for us was 4 months. We did the 5, 10, 15 minute checks and he took a paci great, and after he found his fingers he didn't need the paci anymore. He did great. </p> <p>However, with my second it was a different story. She never self-soothed and we didn't sleep train her. She started STTN on her own around 8 months. We're paying the price now, though... we're on her 6th brutal sleep regression and she's up basically every hour to two hours every night, through the entire night. At 2.5 years old. The regressions last 2-4 weeks. It's a whole different story when they're much older and you can't soothe them with rocking or nursing. And they can make themselves vomit at will to get you to come back in to the room!!</p> <p>I would recommend that you give it a shot, and if he or you can't do it, just give up and try again in a week or two. Doesn't hurt to try! And it'll give you good practice for when it's definitely time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1999762 Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:20:32 +0000 hilsy85 1999762@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: this, basically we trained when I was at my breaking point and other things weren't working for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1999679 Sun, 28 Dec 2014 11:21:19 +0000 CakeLady 1999679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When DS screamed at bedtime and MOTN wake ups no matter what we did - he would instantly wake up crying after rocking, patting, shhhing, bouncing, nursing, or singing to sleep. Finally we just decided we needed to leave him alone and he fell asleep on his own pretty quickly. This was around 5.5 months. </p> <p>However, we have to do it again starting tonight - the flu, an ear infection, teething, and holiday travel totally destroyed his sleep and mine. :crying: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996132 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 15:00:41 +0000 Lilbear 1996132@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD was 15 months old and already a great sleeper, but we always bounced her to sleep. Then one day she stopped falling asleep when we bounced her, so that was when we decided to start sleep training. She was able to immediately fall asleep on her own by the end of the first week of training. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996127 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:56:54 +0000 catomd00 1996127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think sleep training is more about when you are ready then the baby. Sleep is a natural developmental process that doesn't require training (meaning If you do nothing eventually they will STTN). The natural process might just take a lot longer then you would like. That being said, I believe 6 months is the general recommendation for when they are "ready". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996125 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:55:04 +0000 edelweiss 1996125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i started sleep training around 11 weeks because i decided that we were all ready. LO would simply not fall asleep on his own no matter what i did. the pacifier wasn't working, he wouldn't nurse to sleep, he wouldn't be rocked to sleep, he wouldn't fall asleep on us, he wouldn't fall asleep in the carrier or stroller--i really felt like we didn't have a lot of options. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996108 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:50:13 +0000 BananaPancakes 1996108@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't even feel comfortable with trying training until 10.5 months. At that point, he was still waking once to eat, and was suddenly having a hard time getting himself to sleep. Honestly, I think it just "felt" like he was old enough at that point. We both just felt like he didn't actually need us anymore to fall asleep, and that the middle of the night bottle was a habit more than anything. I think you just have to go with your gut on this one. We weren't ready until much later than a lot of people, but it was the right time for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996105 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:49:46 +0000 catlady 1996105@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure you can really know when they're ready. We just tried it and it was pretty easy to tell one way or another. We used Ferber (extinction with checks) and at 12 weeks, my LO just kept waking up crying over and over again, and the "training" just felt like torture. We quit after one night and then tried again a month or so later. At that point, she did great. We only used it to help her stay asleep, not to get rid of MOTN nursing sessions, so she still woke up several times per night, but only when she was hungry. Prior to that, she had been waking every 1-2 hrs all night long. </p> <p>Good luck! Just FYI though, if you try too early, it will feel awful (for you). I had so much guilt after that first try. But I'm glad I tried again a second time because it did eventually work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996088 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:27:31 +0000 birdofafeather 1996088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO might have been ready earlier, but we didn't do true training until 12.5 months because the sleep issues didn't bother me really until then. we did little things like letting her fall asleep on her own and crying for 5 minutes to see if she would extend her sleep, but other than that, we didn't train per se until later. from what i've seen it takes a breaking point to get there. but honestly, at 5.5 weeks adjusted, i think your LO just needs more time! good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1996077 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:17:24 +0000 illumina 1996077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>She was 3.5 months, which is definitely on the early side. She was sucking her thumb to soothe and was already STTN, but we had to hold her until she was asleep at night and for ALL naps and we just felt like it was the right time to teach her to fall asleep by herself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-you-decide-lo-was-ready-for-sleep-training#post-1995959 Tue, 23 Dec 2014 13:03:28 +0000 Meridian 1995959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're not there yet, LO is 11 weeks (5.5 weeks adjusted), but his sleep is not good... So I just want to know what signs to look in order to know that he's "ready" for sleep training. The fact that he was a late term preemie makes it tougher for me to know if he's more like an 11 week old, or 5.5 week old :bummed: </p> <p>How did you know your LO was ready? How old was he/she, and were you right with the timing... Or did you need to try again later? </p>