Trying to Put Toddler to Bed on Her Own

I hate hearing my little guy cry but I know in the end it is a good thing. When I lay him down I say it is nap time and will check on you after x amount of time. I then lay him down and leave. I do watch the clock and after the x time if he is still crying I go in and pick him up and hold him and rock him for a minute and then do it all again. My little guy only needed me a few times.

Hope this helps. I did 5 minute at a time. If I wanted to try longer I would have to stand in the shower so I couldn't hear him cry.

I think that's far too long to have her cry. She is still a baby, after all. Perhaps you need to try a book with a gentle approach to help. The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley gives excellent advice.

My thougt is that she is still a baby and very little, and should not be crying like that. Sleep should be happy and peaceful. I continued to rock my children long after they turned 1 (they were still nursing, too, though) and now my preschooler (who was nursed and rocked for the first two years, then had us lie down with him in his third year) goes to sleep very easily on his own. Sleep is a happy place where there is no crying - and if he cries we are there next to him. You will not be doing her any harm by helping her to go to sleep as a baby. Did you just decide that it's time for her to be in her own bed, or is this what you've read/people have told you? It's all about what works for your family, but for me, my children crying at all wouldn't work.

Good luck - sleep issues seem to be the toughest for mommies!

I'm a first time parent myself but have had much experience with nieces and nephews. I pat my son to sleep most of the time. My mother-in-law chews me out constantly but I have no structured time for bed with my son. As long as it's between 8:30-11:30 I don't care when he goes to sleep, usually he will get super fussy and just falls asleep next to me but when I'm trying to get him to go to sleep in his bed I still sit at the end of the bed and pat him. I think that as long as he sleeps in his bed all night, there's no problem with being present while he is going to sleep. He sleeps better when I'm there when he goes to sleep than letting him cry it out. I'm too sensitive to him anyway so I'm a push over mom most of the time. I do what works for him, it's easier for me to adjust to him than him doing it to me. Hope that helps.

She may not be tired yet. Take her outside for a walk. Just bein outside for a minute will calm children down. Check for teething, gas or infection...these will definently keep your child up and are not always easy to detech.

Stop going into her room. That is feeding the crying. Put her to bed, close the door. Sit outside of it is you have to for your own, but stop going into the room.

If you're going to do cry it out, please read the original program Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Dr. Ferber. I also recommend The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Crying for an hour and half even when you're going in seems excessive to me. You need to make sure that you're being strategic - that you're teaching her something and not just letting her cry. It's also important to make sure that you've addressed anything else that might be hindering the sleep process. These are great books.

how important is it for you that she sleep in her bed during the day (since that is the time she cries the longest)? if it isn't critical to you for some reason that you didn't post, i would go with what works more than what you think you should do. there are lots of strong opinions out there about sleep, food, play, schedules, discipline. you have to try it all and figure out what works best for you and your daughter. i have 2 children and they couldn't be more different. go with what you feel deep inside. that will always be correct.

at 12 months we were down to one nap in the after noon. We started with the cio method at one yr. it took us three nights. once in a while durring nap time he will cry and cry. my husband will go in there and tell him its ok, its time for nap, now go to sleep. he usually goes to sleep after about ten mins or so. we give our son 20 mins on the rare times he cries at bedtime. then go in there and tell him the above.