how long did you rock/help your kid to fall asleep?

[newbiemama09]

DD is 20 months and not yet at the age where we can just tell her "time for bed" and she goes to sleep. we still have to rock her each night. sometimes it's a huge struggle, other nights its easy. she CAN put herself to sleep, though, because she does it at daycare twice/week. but for us she just can't fall asleep on her own. so how long did you help your kiddo fall asleep?

[Wendlynnn]

dd is 2.7 and still helping her via rocking/nursing or some night laying next to crib.

[Schae]

Until 22/23 months.

I nursed to sleep till he was 18 months then we weaned.

From 18mo on, we took him to bed and laid next to him till he fell asleep.

One night, the phone rang whilst I was laying next to him, I went to answer it and he didn't cry about me leaving. Since that night, we put him to bed and left the room and he went to sleep.

[Baby_Cakes]

DD is 26 months.  I still lay with her and sing her to sleep.  We rocked (in arms, standing) for a long time -- from infancy til past a year. I think she was maybe around 18 months old when she started nursing to sleep more consistently.  She weaned this past November and that was when we started the singing.

I personally don't think that you can just say, "Goodnight, time for bed," until the child is much older.  They still need comfort and something to help them fall asleep -- whether it's you or a cd or white noise.  

Oh, and DD sometimes STTN but usually she's up at least once during the night.  

[To-Fu]

My son (3 in Jan.) still needs to nurse to sleep. :)

[Ceinwen]

Six months - but then she struggled and didn't want to be rocked anymore.

She was three years old yesterday, and still doesn't STTN. I'm okay with it now. We do a mix of co-sleeping and her in her own bed.

[Louisep]

I still cuddle DS to sleep and he'll be 2 in a couple of weeks. I really like it and it beats the rocking, bouncing, dancing I used to do.

[sillysmile]

We still rock DD to sleep (24 mos). We've tried to get her to sleep lying down, but she usually just gets more excited.

[Momsteader]

My oldest easily went to bed on his own at 18 mos when he self weaned. We'd say bedtime, and he grab his blanket and stuffed dinosaur and crawl into his toddler bed for the night. 10-12 hours later, he'd pop out of bed a happy boy.

Second ds, another story.....he still sometimes at 10 almost 11 years old (yes!) needs someone to lie with him as he just can't settle into sleep. It's a maybe once a month occurence now. We did family bed until he was almost 4 and weaned. That was accomplished by dad lying with him in the boys room until he fell asleep and then sometime in the night (an hour later...or 6 hrs later) he would come to bed with us. But, until he was 5 or 6, we had to lie with him to get him to calm down enough to sleep. When he was 18 mos to 3ish was the worst, We either had to lay with him for an hour or more, or I had to nurse him for 20-30 mins to get him to sleep.  He's never been a good sleeper no matter what we've tried! So, if we wanted him to get sleep (and he is also a kid who desperately NEEDS sleep or he's cranky and hyper) then we had to rock, lay with him, etc. to get him down.

My oldest is also the kid who at almost 15, never really stays up past 10 pm, because he gets tired and goes to bed. Second ds, if left to stay up as late he likes.....is still up in the morning!  

[newbiemama09]

Originally Posted by Baby_Cakes 

DD is 26 months.  I still lay with her and sing her to sleep.  We rocked (in arms, standing) for a long time -- from infancy til past a year. I think she was maybe around 18 months old when she started nursing to sleep more consistently.  She weaned this past November and that was when we started the singing.

I personally don't think that you can just say, "Goodnight, time for bed," until the child is much older.  They still need comfort and something to help them fall asleep -- whether it's you or a cd or white noise.  

Oh, and DD sometimes STTN but usually she's up at least once during the night.  

i agree that she's just too young to understand that. and i do like to cuddle with before bedtime.

Originally Posted by CrunchyClark 

My oldest easily went to bed on his own at 18 mos when he self weaned. We'd say bedtime, and he grab his blanket and stuffed dinosaur and crawl into his toddler bed for the night. 10-12 hours later, he'd pop out of bed a happy boy.

Second ds, another story.....he still sometimes at 10 almost 11 years old (yes!) needs someone to lie with him as he just can't settle into sleep. It's a maybe once a month occurence now. We did family bed until he was almost 4 and weaned. That was accomplished by dad lying with him in the boys room until he fell asleep and then sometime in the night (an hour later...or 6 hrs later) he would come to bed with us. But, until he was 5 or 6, we had to lie with him to get him to calm down enough to sleep. When he was 18 mos to 3ish was the worst, We either had to lay with him for an hour or more, or I had to nurse him for 20-30 mins to get him to sleep.  He's never been a good sleeper no matter what we've tried! So, if we wanted him to get sleep (and he is also a kid who desperately NEEDS sleep or he's cranky and hyper) then we had to rock, lay with him, etc. to get him down.

My oldest is also the kid who at almost 15, never really stays up past 10 pm, because he gets tired and goes to bed. Second ds, if left to stay up as late he likes.....is still up in the morning!  

wow, i guess every child DOES sleep differently!!

thanks for all the stories. it lets me know i'm not alone in the whole "no CIO'ing" thing!

[SeekingJoy]

DD is 3, and I still nurse her to sleep. She can and will go to sleep for DH, but it takes so much longer and he has to sit with her that we find it easiest to just nurse her to sleep most nights.

[tsfairy]

My 5yo still needs to be held to fall asleep. My 3yo can fall asleep just about anywhere on his own if he's tired enough, but fights sleep. He sometimes nurses to sleep, but usually falls asleep in Daddy's lap.