ideas for getting a 13th month old to go to sleep

[mamawanabe]

He sleeps well and we are happy with our sleep situation (sleeps in crib next to bed from 9:30-4:00am then wakes to nurse and comes in bed with us, waking maybe once or twice to nurse before he is up at about 7:30).  He goes down easy for naps (two a day about 21/2 hours total with our sitter or DH dancing him for 20 minutes).  But at night it is almost an hour and a half of dh dancing and then me nursing and then dh dancing).  It is really hard for me alone to get him down; I used to be able to nurse him to sleep but now it is only dancing that seals the deal, and he won't let me dance him. 

He rejects rocking and never did sleep for car rides or strollers.

We do have a bedtime routine and always play the same cd when we dance him.  Ideas?  We want the "death march" as I call it to be shorter and we don't want to be dancing a 4 year old to sleep.

Thanks!

[callahansmama]

You could try putting him in his crib and laying down or sitting down beside it. This is what i do with my 14 month old who doesn't sleep very well but used to only go down with rocking/nursing or walking in the ergo carrier. Now I try to get him drowsy (easier said than done) and then put him in his crib and sit or lay down near it. He only cried the first night, now he tosses and turns and plays and occasionally whines, but he eventually falls asleep on his own in the crib without any tears. It usually takes us 30-60 minutes for him to finally fall asleep but we just started 1.5 weeks ago and are hoping it will speed up in time. Best of luck!

[callahansmama]

I should add that up until we tried this I would never have dreamed that he wouldn't be screaming all night long. He really surprised us with how he could (eventually) fall asleep on his own. I don't talk to sing much to him, only if he cries which rarely happens. I think he just likes to have me close by.