https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:35:04 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801136 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 17:32:56 +0000 IRunForFun 2801136@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NorthStar: FWIW, I kept putting a time limit on how long I'd let DD cry and after 45 mins I'd tell myself clearly she wasn't going to stop so I'd go in and nurse her. I also rationalized that since she'd go back to sleep pretty much immediately after nursing that it was just better/easier/we'd both get more sleep if I nursed her. It took my husband finally convincing me to drop my self imposed time limit on the crying/offering to go in and pat her back instead of me nursing her in order for us to make any progress. One night she cried for about an hour and 15 mins but she DID eventually go back to sleep. We discovered that she'd flip out if my husband went in there to comfort her, but she also learned that mommy and the boob weren't coming, either. I think it probably took 3 to 4 days for her to start sleeping a lot better. </p> <p>Now if she'd stop waking up for the day before 6 am when we don't have to be up till 7:30... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801119 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 16:21:30 +0000 MACSUNSHINE 2801119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Similar to others we finally night weaned our son when he was 16 months old, he still nursed during the day and to sleep at night until I was pregnant and then we weaned him fully. </p> <p>My husband had to go in for all night wakings for a while, months later I can go in and he won’t ask to nurse. He still asks during the day sometimes. Breaking the cycle of night feedings helped immensely with everyone’s sleep.</p> <p>My son is still not the best sleeper, he is up once a night now but it is way better than the co sleeping and 2/3 night wake ups we had. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801092 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:50:50 +0000 NorthStar 2801092@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: good to know. With DD, she would only nurse until 6 months and then I pumped until 13 months. So, I'm loving that I've been able to nurse this long. I'm not exactly ready to completely stop nursing (just the pumping part). But, I think it all depends on how my supply is affected once we get him sleeping through. Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801091 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:48:54 +0000 MrsADS 2801091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For what it's worth re: weaning, when we did the sleep training my son was 16m and continued to nurse after sleep training. I weaned him at 2y2m when I was in the 1st trimester of pregnancy. It was not his choice to wean and if up to him he would very much still be nursing. Lol. So sleep training may not have any effect on weaning. (He's 2.5 and still asks to nurse all the time :bummed:) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801064 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 13:23:31 +0000 looch 2801064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son was afraid of the dark and I didn't realize it, so around 11 months or so, he got a glowworm that he could control and he would play that thing until he fell asleep....could you try something like that in bed? I didn't think my son could figure it out, but he did. We also had a nightlight on the entire night and I think that helped too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801063 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 13:22:27 +0000 kiddosc 2801063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NorthStar: Oh, having my husband help didn't help me get more sleep in the short- term. He never heard the baby, and I'd have to shake him awake to go in. Then, obviously, I can still hear the crying, so I'm not going back to sleep. But in the long-term, it was a means to teach LO new methods to fall asleep without doing CIO. You can do the same thing by you going in and just not nursing, but I found that with my kids they adapted faster when DH went in since they knew right away there'd be no boob. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801061 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 13:18:29 +0000 NorthStar 2801061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: haha, i know, right?! I've just dealt with it because he nurses well and falls back asleep. Plus, DH doesn't even hear him and is in grad school, so needs his sleep. The whole not hearing him thing, though, must be a male thing :wink: But, yeah, we need to change things up and soon. </p> <p>I agree with a PP that weaning him should help. My goal has been to nurse him to a year and we are so close. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801056 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 13:09:51 +0000 kiddosc 2801056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NorthStar: I think it's commendable that you've handled this alone thus far... but holy hell girl, make your husband help! It worked best for us to have a plan going into the night, trying to negotiate when you both just want to be in bed is not a relationship builder. DH took first shift, bedtime to 1. I took second shift, 1 to wake-up. I think part of your problem is that your LO is using you as a sleep crutch. Sending DH in there teaches him new ways to fall asleep. Your DH is still there comforting him, even if LO is screaming his head off. It won't take long before LO adapts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801053 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:49:18 +0000 NorthStar 2801053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kiddosc: He doesn't go in often, but he did once last week. I had just fed DS and he woke up (or decided to start crying) about 15 minutes after. We left him alone for awhile, but he wouldn't stop. So, I told DH to go in as I had just done my part (nursing). lol DS flipped a lid! He was screaming bloody murder that DH was in there. He kept pushing him away, so eventually DH put him back in the crib. DH thought that maybe he was scared of the dark, so he plugged in a night light. DS rolled around for a bit and I guess fell asleep. So, yeah, sending DH in doesn't seem to help much, but at least he fell asleep? But, I had also just fed him. ugh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801051 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:46:14 +0000 kiddosc 2801051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What happens when your husband goes in in the middle of the night? Is he able to soothe your LO? </p> <p>My youngest didn't sleep through the night until somewhere between 14-15 months. At one she was still up multiple times a night and nursing back to sleep. I tried CIO and she cried until she threw up, so that was out. DH had to take a big role in breaking he of the night wake-ups, if I went in there then she would only accept nursing. We started off by saying I won't go in until X time. Like if she woke up after 2, i'd go in and feed her, but before that time it was DH's job. Once she got the idea that nursing wasn't happening every time, she dropped all the night wakings pretty quick. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801050 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:35:35 +0000 Dahlia 2801050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, the thing that worked for us was weaning (at 16 months). Before that she'd wake up 1-2 times a night no matter what I did (and we had sleep trained her at 7 months to get from 5+ wakeups to that). Within a week of completely weaning, she started sleeping through the night and has ever since. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801042 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:02:37 +0000 bhbee 2801042@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My second just isn’t a good sleeper. It was such a wreck by 13m i felt i had to sleep train - but he wasn’t napping well either, or going to bed easily at any time. So more of a battle maybe. </p> <p>We basically let him cry (checks made it worse) and by the second night it was significantly better. We made sure bedtime was 5:30-6 until he adjusted but he needed that since nap training came second, sounds like your bedtime is fine. By night 3 he had it, naps took us much longer. </p> <p>He had also been nursing at night, we cut that as I knew he didn’t need it. Truthfully the whole thing pretty much weaned him completely which wasn’t my goal but was fine. He lost interest after we stopped doing it at night. </p> <p>All in all, hard for one night but soooo worth it for everyone involved. It lasted about a year before his sleep got awful again! Good luck to you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801011 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:25:43 +0000 SLR 2801011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used a sleep consultant this past summer for both my girls who were 16 months and 4.5 years at the time. It was a savior. The plan for my youngest of course involved a solid bedtime routine (bath, brush, books, no nursing right before bed). Going to bed and middle of the night wake ups were handled with checks at set intervals. The important thing was that we did not pick her up. We would shush her and say a set phrase (i.e. "it's night night time") for up to a minute -OR- until she quieted. Then, we'd leave. We would repeat this over and over again until she went to sleep. The first couple nights took a while and resulted in a couple hours of crying, but after that, she slept like a champ.</p> <p>However, now at almost two years old, we are experiencing a bit of a set back. Not sure if it is a clingy stage or getting over being sick, but she's now fighting bedtime and waking really early in the morning and will not go back to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801006 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:14:13 +0000 NorthStar 2801006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Thank you for the input! Luckily, he goes to bed fine and same for naps. It is just these dang wake-ups, but at least he goes right back to sleep after I feed him. I can't imagine how horrible that was having to get him back to sleep each night! DS won't take a paci and never has, so I'm sure like @bebe211 said, at this point, it's just a habit. I am his paci :meh: We might have to do the checks and start there. The frustrating part for me is that DH can sleep through anything, so I'm the one hearing him cry at night. but, we need to start somewhere. Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801003 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:09:56 +0000 bebe211 2801003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I waited until my kids were 1 for night weaning but I co-slept. It was mostly habit at that point for them to wake up and not really eat. I nursed before bed but with night waking's I would pat/shush them back to bed. My oldest was sleeping though the night after 3 days, my 2nd took about a week. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2801001 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 10:09:20 +0000 MrsADS 2801001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So we sleep trained our son when he was 16 months - a little older, but similar situation. He had ALWAYS been a horrible sleeper, was still breastfeeding when we did sleep training and wanted to nurse at bedtime. Our issue was he could not fall asleep on his own and nursing did not put him to sleep. I would nurse him and give him his paci and he would be drowsy, but if I laid him down he would flip out. We would have to rock him for FOREVER and very carefully put him in the crib, and if he woke up at all during the night we had to repeat the routine. And then we had about 2 months when he was just up from like 12-5am every night and it was horrible.</p> <p>What we did for sleep training - started/kept a very regimented bedtime routine, the same every night. I gave him a sippy cup of milk (whole milk at the time) at bedtime while we read books. Then I would nurse him. Then brush teeth and give paci. Then we turned the lights out and I rocked him and we sang our night-time song (for us, it's Jesus Loves Me). Then put him in his crib, give goodnight hugs and kisses, say a prayer, wave at the door, close the door and leave.</p> <p>Obviously when we first started sleep training the instant we put him in the crib he started screaming. We did Ferber checks, but did even shorter intervals at the beginning. We kept the checks very short (like 10 seconds or less) - just said I love you, it's time to sleep, gave a hug (but didn't pick up) and I will come check on you in 3 minutes, and close door. We did not check if he was settling down or quiet - we restarted the clock if he started crying hard again. We repeated this for middle of the night wake ups.</p> <p>The first night he cried about an hour off and on. I cried the whole time, it was terrible. BUT - it worked SO FAST and he started sleeping through the night immediately. I would say for several weeks he still cried when we put him in his crib but he would stop crying within 2 minutes of us closing the door, lay down and go to sleep. </p> <p>He's 2.5 now and sleeps amazingly at night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-training-a-1-year-old-help#post-2800995 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 09:51:26 +0000 NorthStar 2800995@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our little guy turns one on Valentine's Day and is still not sleeping through the night. I am losing my mind, so I think that I'm ready to sleep train very soon. I read on one of the Hellobee posts and it isn't a good time to sleep train between 10-11 months, so that is why I've waited. </p> <p>From 2 months - 6.5months he was sleeping 10 hour stretches, but since then has been waking 2-3x per night. Lately, this has been his routine: Prior to bed, is books, new diaper, pajamas, sleep sack, etc. Around 6 or 6:15, I begin nursing him and then he's down in his crib to go to sleep around 6:30. Sometimes, he is completely out, but other times, he's still drowsy. So, then he rolls around a bit before falling asleep. Lately, his wake-ups have been around 10:30, 2:30, 4:30. For the past week, I've had a heck of a time getting him back asleep after his 4:30 wakeup, so he ends up whining and crying in his crib until we get him up for the day around 5:30 or 5:45 (since we are up anyway getting ready for work). At night, I try to let him whine some, but realistically, I tend to go in there, nurse him and he goes back to sleep for awhile. There was one night last week where I let him cry for almost an hour and when he didn't give up, I went in there to feed him. </p> <p>Other info: </p> <p>*He goes to daycare and drinks breastmilk from a straw cup while there. He hasn't been taking bottles there for two weeks and seems to go down for naps ok.<br /> *He's maybe drinking 6-10 oz of milk at daycare. We've tried increasing it, with little luck. But, he's an amazing eater, so I know that he's eating enough.<br /> *At home on the weekends, I nurse him before his 2 naps and before bed (as well as during the night wake-ups). Otherwise, he drinks from his straw cups at meals and snacks.<br /> *He is still taking 2 naps per day (morning and afternoon). They average 45 minutes - 1.5 hours each. He is definitely not ready to drop that morning nap yet.<br /> *He was 20 lbs at his 9 month appt and I would guess he is close to 22 lbs currently. Clearly, he does not need to be eating at night (insert eye roll).<br /> *We cloth diaper, so maybe I need to change to disposables. Perhaps, he is feeling some wetness, which might be waking him up.</p> <p>I don't know what I'm looking for. Commiseration? Ideas of what worked for you? I just know that continuing to get only 2-3 hour stretches of sleep is NOT working and mama needs some rest. I am also getting close to the point of weaning as I am ready to be done pumping at work. So, I think that we will be night weaning as well as sleep training. I am ok with still nursing some during the day for at least a bit longer. I also don't know if he's getting enough to drink prior to bed as I am sure my milk supply has decreased significantly. But, I also don't want to introduce a bottle prior to bed if he hasn't had one in a few weeks. Plus, he doesn't love the bottle and only wants me prior to bed.</p> <p>Thanks for letting me vent and I'm open to suggestions! :heart: </p>