Need Advice on Sleeptraining with Two Kids

Well, I don't have a perfect solution to offer. I still have my 13 month old in my room in a crib but we will eventually have to move her in with her 4 year old brother (unless we move). I am also dealing with my little one waking up 1 or more times at night (usually between 2 and 6 am). She goes right back to sleep with a bottle (paci on a good day) but she cries loudly first. She had been sleeping through the night in the fall but after 2 rounds of cold turned ear infection this winter she isn't anymore. I am planning to just keep her in our room a while longer, until maybe 2 or 2.5 but before we put her in a bed). I know a lot of people say move the older child in the short term but I would probably move the little one (why disturb the one that is sleeping well!)

I say move your sons bed into your room while she is crying it out.

I have kids the same age and had the same problem. My suggestion, move the older child out for a few weeks. If you have an air mattress kids love those...you could make him feel like it's a special campout. Put him in your room, or another quiet room in the house. Then, when you're ready to move him back in with sis move the air mattress to make it easier for him to stick to it. Tell him he gets to pick which bed he sleeps in (his own or the air mattress) and eventually pull the air mattress out.
Also, I got sound machines that have the ocean playing to help drown out any little whines or other noises to help them both sleep.
Good luck

i have had similar problems - solution? Dont put her in your bedroom nor your sons bedroom but in her own room - if she doesnt have one then put her crib in the living room this way she can cry it out without it taking a toll on anyone else and her - after you do this - just like your son - she WILL sleep much better

I am going to be in your situation soon and was eager to see the other mom's advice. I have a 2 yr-old son and he will have to share his room with our daughter Due in May/June) once she's ready for a crib.
My son already won't sleep through the night on his own - only for 3-4 hour stretches. So I'm anxious to see how things will work out by that time.
It seems that moving your son in with you temporarily might do it (provided there's room for a cot/air-mattress that is). It's reassuring to hear that others' kids eventually learn to deal with night-time disruptions & noise.
Wishing you luck in getting this sorted out soon!

My kids were great sleepers early on, so I don't have personal advice directly relating to this question. However, I did use the cry it out method on a few occasions when they were going through different phases, and it only took a couple of nights. Also, when we took my daughter pacifier away, it was way easier than I though it would be. At your daughters age, she is not waking because she is hungry... it is out of habit. Perhaps it will be a lot easier than you anticipate. Just be confident and consitant and it may be easier than you expect. Put your son in your room for the time being... it may end up only being a few days! Good Luck.

let her cry sometimes, then pick her up.
i have two kids - 3 yrs and 1 yrs. My elder daughter sleeps in her own room, but we tuck her in bed every night and stay there for half an hour until we make sure she is really asleep. sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night and screams for us, but it is occasional and she usually does well. We put a night light on for her, just in case =)
our 1 yr 6 month old used to sleep in our bedroom, but 2 months ago we moved him into his own room (because i'm expecting baby no.3 in May 2010) and we wanted him to sleep independently. What we did was train his sleeping schedule - waking him up when he was dozing off during the day.
So that he'd be sleepy and tired at night. It worked. =)

Hi Shoshana,
I can feel your frustration and I am very sorry. This are things that I would do if I was you. First I would give the baby for her last feeding a bottle with some cereal in it, I wouldn't nurse her; and I would give it to her before YOU go to bed. I would take your son out of the room and have him sleep on the couch in the living room, or a small air mattress just make sure that he is safe where ever he sleeps at. If he spleeps on the couch and you think he is going to fall off, move the coffe table over and put some pillows on top and in between the couch and the table letting the pillow just rest on the table. Maybe you can move a big chair in front of the couch. Whatever works at this point is what you need to do. If your room is big enough to put him in there, then make sure that you speak to your son and tell him that you are doing this so his sister won't wake him up when she gets up and it's only for a little "LITTLE" while; that he will go back to his room very soon.
After you move him out, then you can work on her. I just wouldn't suggest to take her out of the room, she needs to get used to that room aswell. Whatever you do, just don't bring them into your bed, it will take you much longer to get them out of your bed later on. Ask me! I know! Don't give up girl, it's worth the sweat! You'll see that soon, you'll be able to sleep through the night.

It's a bit tedious but why don't you let them fall a sleep together and then once sound asleep move your son into a separate bed in your bedroom. You can them wake up early and move him back prior to his waking.

This way your daughter gets to scream it out and finally learn to sleep thru the night and your son doesn't get mixed up by falling a sleep in one spot and waking up in another.

I have twins and we were hyper about moving a noisy one out ASAP but it turned out after a while the other child in the room adapted to the noise and sleept thru any/all noise. Not sure if your sone would eventually do this. Good luck!

i'm having a similar issue with my 15 month old son! he shares a room with his 2 &1/2 year old sister. he wakes at night quite often (but i haven't quite found the reason why yet) i used the cry it out method with my daughter and she now puts herself to sleep most times. but it seems i wind up exhausted every night and my son just gets what he wants by eventually either getting me to hold him or getting to sleep with me. he's never been a good sleeper but things just seem to be getting worse! i anticipate other answers to your question in hopes that i can find a solution as well.

I have a 2.5 year old son and I would not hesitate to put him in my room while his sister learns to sleep. I think he's old enough to understand why you would do that and I don't think he'd be a nightmare to move back into his bed. He might fight it b/c if he's like my two year old he has seriously control issues - LOL and tests me constantly but thats his job! I also think that you could really play up the "big boy/big brother" thing here to help make it easier on him and make him want to help. I think your daughter is the one who needs the attention and the consistency here until she learns a little better. I only have one though so I am totally JUST GUESSING! Good luck!

my 3 kids all share a room, so i feel your pain. my youngest son was our tough sleeper and since we have a small house, we are limited room-wise if we need to separate them. for a while i had my youngest son in a pack-n-play in the bathroom for nap time so he could cry it out. at night and when he got older, we let him cry it out in the bedroom. the first night ot two, teh other kids would wake up a bit, but they adjust really quickly and are able to tune a lot out. everyone might get some bad sleep for a day ot two, but it will settle down. good luck. A.