https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:10:16 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2697562 Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:05:17 +0000 MrsADS 2697562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lulabee well it's been going ok but he has an ear infection now which has thrown a small wrench into things, but still going alright. He still cries at bedtime though :crying: but not for very long. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2697497 Tue, 14 Feb 2017 10:17:46 +0000 LulaBee 2697497@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: how is this going? bumping this thread cause I just started my own... going to try all of the advice you got tonight! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2696352 Sun, 12 Feb 2017 04:00:55 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2696352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: we did CIO (by we I mean I did it while dh was at work) when our first was 16m. The first couple days were rough but by day 4 she got up for just a second and rolled over and went back to sleep. I have never regret it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2696333 Sun, 12 Feb 2017 01:05:53 +0000 MrsADS 2696333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. Turtle awesome till tonight at 10:30 he woke up and started screaming and basically wouldn't stop, it's 1am now and he's still crying off and on. He's got a bit of a runny nose but he couldn't breathe from all the snot so it messed everything up. Uggg. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2696322 Sat, 11 Feb 2017 22:54:40 +0000 Mrs. Turtle 2696322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: How's it going? As you know I've been following along because we have been having our own toddler sleep issues here. Hope things have continued to improve! I am looking forward to O having her own room so we can be more flexible in our approach to her sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2695466 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 10:15:32 +0000 Dahlia 2695466@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Good job! I hope he keeps this up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2695384 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:52:01 +0000 MrsADS 2695384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrswin yeah, we are totally expecting the bottom to drop out. Last night was so weird, it seemed strange to us both that he didn't really fight it at all. He was a WRECK yesterday after daycare - totally exhausted and he is fighting a cold so definitely not feeling 100%, so maybe he was too tired to fight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2695341 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 07:46:25 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2695341@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: wow! Great news. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2695338 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 07:41:32 +0000 mrswin 2695338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: Yay! Seems like there was an object permanence issue.</p> <p>Fingers crossed that this keeps up for you but just remember that night 3 is usually one of the worst, just keep doing the same thing and enjoy your uninterrupted sleep :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2695334 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 07:36:24 +0000 gotkimchi 2695334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2695323 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 07:10:17 +0000 MrsADS 2695323@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Night 2 report: cried less than 5 minutes, flopped over and went to sleep. For 12 hours straight! Amazing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694424 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 10:39:30 +0000 gotkimchi 2694424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: that sounds like a great night! Just keep it up! Consistency is key </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694319 Thu, 09 Feb 2017 09:10:07 +0000 MrsADS 2694319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Update from last night: for going to bed, he cried on and off for an hour before falling asleep (we did checks - 3, 5, 10 min intervals). Finally fell asleep about 8:15pm. He woke up once about 2:15am, we did the same thing - only did 2 checks, he was back asleep by 2:50am and I had to wake him up at 7:45 this morning for daycare!! </p> <p>Overally I'm really pleased with how it went, although nervous about tonight. And he woke up with a bad wet cough so not sure how that will affect things.</p> <p>@portboston yeah, what you describe is why we are trying the ferber CIO before we talk to a sleep consultant!</p> <p>@wrkbrk thanks - definitely agree. Last night (night #1) was sort of a compromise. I was worried that checks would just make him so mad he would cry forever, but we weren't comfortable with "extinction cio". So we did checks, but didn't pick him up, and although he did escalate the crying after the checks, it settled back down after 5 min or so. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694228 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 21:43:14 +0000 wrkbrk 2694228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: I sort of went through this whole thing and someone on here made me realize it's not 1) CIO or 2) be miserable forever. Another option is to go in and comfort your LO as many times it takes for 1-2 weeks. It will suck, but it will get infinitely better. Just decide beforehand what you are willing to do (pat back but not pick up and rock, etc). When I tried this it took maybe 3 nights of waking up and crying a lot for DS to stop expecting to co-sleep. Now, if he wakes up at all, it's pat on the back and back to sleep. From where we were, I can DEFINITELY handle that. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694117 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 17:02:50 +0000 Portboston 2694117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just want to chime in regarding a sleep consultant...we used one when LO was 4 months old and basically she gave us a plan to CIO with checks. Totally not worth the cost of hiring her. Even more so because after we used her we realized LO was FAR too young for CIO!! im sure other sleep consultants have other methods but if you end up going down that route make sure you fully understand their methods before hiring!. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694088 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:25:49 +0000 MrsADS 2694088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shootingstar yep. Sounds familiar.</p> <p>I have so much guilt because his separation anxiety is so much worse since starting daycare 2 weeks ago... and now I am leaving him at night to cry, too :crying: :crying: :crying: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694084 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:20:18 +0000 ShootingStar 2694084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsADS: You absolutely will have to start putting him in the crib awake. I know it sucks, I have the same problem with DD. It's so easy to feed/rock her to sleep. But then she wakes up and it's awful. My husband spent an entire night holding her in her rocker one night a couple weeks ago because he couldn't get her back down in the crib.</p> <p>We sleep trained DS because he was crying all the time anyways, it didn't seem to make a difference no matter what we did. And I sleep trained DD because I was going to lose my mind from lack of sleep. I know CIO is hard, but the thing I tell myself is that having them learn to sleep is something we all need, and it's not like what's currently happening is working anyways. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694077 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:12:09 +0000 gotkimchi 2694077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes to no sleep associations at bedtime. This site is great <a href="https://www.preciouslittlesleep.com/6-9-month-baby-sleep-guide/" rel="nofollow">https://www.preciouslittlesleep.com/6-9-month-baby-sleep-guide/</a> and even though this is talking about younger babies it applies. Here's an excerpt : If your 6-9 month old baby is sleeping poorly THIS is the problem. It’s not the teething, growth spurts, wonder weeks, learning to roll over, or any of those other changes that make parenting an older baby so exciting. The problem is that they haven’t yet learned how to fall asleep on their own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694075 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 16:05:26 +0000 MrsADS 2694075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi love the idea of the repeated phrase. We did that when we (tried and failed) the sleep lady shuffle a few months ago. </p> <p>@coddergirl hmm, interesting idea. He is in a sleep sack now. He still flips all over the crib during the night so I don't know if a blanket would work. Also, he won't lay down. He just stands up and cries :crying: Honestly I think it might be 2 hours before he would even lay down. </p> <p>@tylnne I totally agree with you about sleep begets sleep. I think some of our current issues are because he is so overtired! I feel like if he would just get a really long 12-13 hour night of sleep, it would be SO much easier. He just started daycare 2 weeks ago, and even though he naps pretty well there (1.5-2hrs), he is still EXHAUSTED when he comes home.</p> <p>Our main issue is not bedtime but night wakings. BUT at bedtime, we do our routine, then my husband holds him and rocks him in the glider, and puts him down in the crib after he falls asleep. This takes like 5-10 minutes and so we've been hesitant to stop. But I read that if he has the sleep association of being rocked to sleep, he's going to wake up in the MOTN and have that same issue, so it's better to do CIO at bedtime, vs. rock to sleep at night and CIO at night wakings. Does that makes sense? Do you guys agree with that? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694053 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 15:42:21 +0000 tlynne 2694053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sleep begets sleep. The more he practices sleeping, the better he will be able to sleep...and if CIO might help everyone get more (or better) sleep, try it. Exhaustion may be what's keeping him awake...it can actually interrupt the normal sleep cycle. But is it possible that he could have a sleep problem?<br /> I can't really tell you what may work for your sweet LO, but I can tell you what we did. We went through TERRIBLE sleep for a while with my first...he would cry at bedtime, sleepwalk, have night terrors, nightmares, etc. My pediatrician told me to do whatever got everyone the most (and best quality) sleep. She also told me to put the sleep of adults at first priority, since we were the ones who needed to work, drive, etc. We conquered night wakings first, and then worked on bedtime woes. We did co-sleep for a while, which helped a lot, but what actually, finally worked was a combo of "heavy" work a few hours before bed, sleeping without PJs (diaper only) with a weighted blanket, and allowing him to watch a quiet movie in his room when he woke in the middle of the night (the same movie every time, so that he'd lull to sleep). Finding Nemo was my lifeline from the time he was 20 months until after he turned 2. After a couple nights, he already began sleeping better, and we weaned him off nighttime movies a few months later. It also helped to get him out of the crib and into a floor bed...he had only a few quiet toys accessible, but he could still amuse himself when there were times he simply couldn't sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2694021 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 15:22:34 +0000 coddergirl 2694021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've just been through this and did CIO with checks every 10 minutes. It made a huge difference for our 16mo (after resisting doing it for months, trying and dropping off because the boy is STUBBORN). There were 2 key differences this time: </p> <p>1) we got him a toddler duvet. Not too heavy, but bigger so it wouldn't fall off him when he wiggles, and heavy enough to create a warm, snuggly cocoon for him. He loves it so much, he asks to go in his crib during the day now. </p> <p>2) We started talking to him during the checks. I go in immediately when he cries (he still wakes 1-2 times a night, but it's short, and so much better than 5-7 times a night). I give him a short hug and whisper in his ear "It's time to sleep. Lay down and snuggle with bunny. I'm going to put the blanket over you." I repeat this a few times and he usually lays down and gets his blanket wrapped around him. After 1 more check he's out for the count most nights. For us the heavier, cozier blanket was totally key to the talking working, though, because he wants to lay down when I ask him to. </p> <p>Good luck to you! It took a 3-4 nights of consistency to make the different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2693933 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 14:25:00 +0000 gotkimchi 2693933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes I would encourage you not to worry about teething, runny nose etc. Is he your first? Give him some ibuprofen and go for it. I feel like there's always a reason to wait until they're like 2! I know you're not excited about it but it might go better then you think! Maybe try an earlier bedtime since he's so sleep deprived. If you're doing checks keep it boring and have one key phrase - jimmy it's bedtime, we love you night night </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2693911 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 14:14:17 +0000 MrsADS 2693911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gotkimchi he usually naps @ daycare from 12-1:30 or 12-2. Then bedtime around 7:15-7:30. He is so chronically overtired from being awake for 3-4 hrs in the middle of the night, though, so it's a crap shoot. I think we will aim for about 7-7:30 tonight, still.</p> <p>Great idea to talk it up to him. I am trying to make a real effort to do that more about everything, because I know he understands a lot.</p> <p>Think we're gonna try Ferber w/checks. He has a bit of a runny nose, so I guess I will see how that is when he gets home from daycare today - I'm not going to do it if he's sick, but I think he might have a runny nose for the next 6 months in daycare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2693870 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:47:44 +0000 gotkimchi 2693870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What's your daytime schedule like? Make sure he has enough wake time before bed. At that age I also would talk it up big time i.e.) tonight you have to stay in bed all night to get big and strong! Mom stays in bed, dad stays in bed etc so he knows what to expect</p> <p>ETA) also commit for at least a week. Pick whatever method you can handle and agree to respond consistently 100%. I found at that age the kids figure it out quickly </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-trainingcio-with-a-toddler-17m#post-2693822 Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:04:51 +0000 MrsADS 2693822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am sorry to keep whining about the sleep hell we're in (you can look at my recent posts (<a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-consultant-for-toddler" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/sleep-consultant-for-toddler</a>) and (<a href="http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-16-month-old-up-for-hours-at-night" rel="nofollow">http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/help-16-month-old-up-for-hours-at-night</a>) to see the mess we're dealing with.</p> <p>I took him BACK to the pediatrician today to make sure nothing is going on. He's okay, no ear infection or anything. Gums are still bulging, we're waiting on molars to come in, but they have been like that for literally 2 months. Ped encouraged us again to CIO.</p> <p>We are CIO/sleep training dropouts because LO just escalates and escalates, and I am not a CIO person - would rather just deal with it than let him cry. But the last several weeks are not sustainable. Not just for us, but not good for LO - he is not getting sleep. Last night he slept from 7:15-8:30, then was up for 15 minutes, then was up from 9:30-2:15. For real. Most of that time he is crying and miserable and exhausted. </p> <p>So we've decided we have to do something. I am still looking into a sleep consultant.</p> <p>I would love to hear your experiences with sleep training a toddler and what method worked for you. This is really tearing my heart out because I DON'T want to do it. But he has to get some sleep. </p>