Sleep training a 2-year-old

Sorry for the long post but...


I created a thread when my baby was just a few months old, and someone wrote this great piece of advice about how they trained their toddler to fall asleep by themselves.


They said they sat in a chair outside the door and everytime the toddler cried out, they reassured the baby they were there, just reading a book. Eventually, the mother didn't even need to sit in the chair and eventually the baby was taught to fall asleep in their own bed by themselves.


This advice appealed to me because I've always been reluctant to use the cry it out method (however fast and effective it is).


For various reasons, my child (now 20 months) has the habit of falling asleep with someone lying next to her. She likes playing with people's hair while she falls asleep. Due to my husband's frequent travel, my 5am departures for work, and no live-in helper... my daughter often sleeps in bed with my mum in her flat. So now she's used to sleeping with someone at night.


We have a live-in helper starting soon. I will also be moving her out of her cot to make way for number 2 in August.


I had planned to make her fall asleep by herself in her new bed. But then I realised this could cause her to be very upset by her new bed.


1. Do you think I should sleep train her in her cot first, before moving her to a bed?


2. Should I wait until AFTER our two-week vacation in May/June - when she would likely be sleeping in bed with us?


OR


3. Should I move her to her big bed and try to gently sleep train her - by explaining there's no room for me to lie down next to her and just keep persisting with lying her down when she wants to get up, until she's so tired she'll fall asleep?


Incidently, if that person out there who gave me that advice earlier could respond again - that would be great!

Just been reading previous "sleep" posts.


Some more questions:


1. Do you think it's ok to tell a toddler, when you move them to a big bed, that if they wake at night, they can come into the parent's bed?


At least this way I won't have to go up and get her when she wakes at night. But am I setting up another bad habit developing?


2. If trying to sleep train a toddler in their new big bed, how do you prevent them from getting out of the bed unless you stay in the room with them?


I imagine I'll just have to keep going in, picking her up and tucking her back into bed again.


3. Should I reduce her day-time nap to 1 hour from 2, to make her sleep more at night-time?


Right now, she falls asleep bewteen 8-9pm, and wakes after 7am. Sleeps two hours at lunch.


Well, at least I know I'm not alone in these issues! I'm sure EVERY parent has some story to tell...

What a problem you face. Annerley runs a sleep workshop which helps parents just like yourself to educate babies/children on how to self settle. I strongly suggest you give them a call and arrange a meeting. It is money very well spent!


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Thanks for the replies. Our live-in helper moved in yesterday, so now there's no reason for baby to sleep with grandma when my husband's away!


I'm thinking I'll start the sleep training when we move her to her "big" bed! Thanks for the suggestions and yes, she's old enough now to understand when we explain things to her (although she may not be happy about it!). I can tell she's really enjoyed sleeping with grandma in a double bed since January!