How to Get a 12 Month Old to Sleep Without Rocking Her?

It's not really being spoiled. It's more about a habit. You have to change the habit.

Start with putting her in the crib. Sit in the floor and put your hand in between the slats and touch her leg. Only her leg. She'll stand up to cry, but don't get out of the floor. Stroke her leg. Don't talk to her. She will eventually lay down in order to be closer to you. Only touch her leg. If you cannot do this, don't start it because she will only learn that crying HARDER gets you to cave. So stay strong and only touch her leg.

It will take perserverence to break the habit of you holding her. It will also take time. She will continue to cry for a while. You are there with her. It's okay. The crying will eventually last a lot less and then you can just sit there without touching her. Eventually you can tell her goodnight and leave the room. That might elicit crying, but by then, it will be okay.

You won't want to go to bed yourself until she is asleep, so start the process before it's your own bedtime.

Good luck,
Dawn

Make sure you have a good bedtime routine. Ferber would still work if she goes to bed earlier than you, or do you go to bed at the same time? If she is not in a crib and gets out of bed, just quietly pick her up and put her back to bed each time. You must be consistent. You will have a few rough nights for sure, but it is worth it in the end.

That was my total favorite time of the day.....so sad you have to give it up so early. I hope her health is better now.

I'd start by laying her down and rubbing her back. She has too much going on around her to simply lay down and close her eyes. It's hard when they're in the room with you. You can't sit and read, you can't watch TV, your bedroom is basically her room and you have to lay down and go to sleep when you lay her down.

One thing we did was put the baby bed right by my side of the bed and I kept my hand in the crib. Once they got to be about 14-15 months old we'd switch them to toddler beds. We kept them at the foot of the bed so if they woke up during the night they could get in bed with us and we all got our rest every night.

We would go in, put them in jammies, get ours on, then we'd turn out the lights and lay with an arm or foot or something where they could find it if they wanted body contact. At this age all 7 of my grand kids were almost all on the same routine and they never had bedtime before 9pm.

They would get up in the morning, 7:30-8. They'd take an afternoon nap around noon to 3 or so, then be up for several hours. They'd all take a nap around 6pm for about an hour. Then they'd fall asleep around 9-9:30. More than enough sleep. Waking up on their own and being awake, not wanting food, is a sure sign they have had enough sleep.

So what we did worked for us.

I wouldn't give up the rocking. No way. I rocked my son until he was 3 and he moved to his big bed. We had to move the rocking chair out of his room to make space, so I had to give it up.

But what you can do is just cut it a little short, before she falls asleep, and then put her in her crib, after you've rocked her. It will be a new routine, so she might fuss in the beginning, but she'll get used to it. Don't make a big thing about it, just give her a kiss and say good night and leave the room.

If she crys, you can follow the advice listed below. Personally, we did cry it out, and it was like ripping off a band aid: two nights of crying, then done.

Good luck. Snuggle and rock as long as you can!!!