DS fell out the bed at 6m (very relieved that I'm not the only person this happened to now!) so I switched to a camp-bed that was very close to the floor and a duvet on the floor too, jic.

We went from him going to sleep in my arms to his bed. We would put him down 95% asleep and pat, then put him down 50% asleep and pat, then just as he started closing his eyes, then awake... took me over an hour the first night, almost 2 hours, to get him to sleep just patting. But now it's 20 minutes tops, more usually 5-10.

Then again, there are the odd 2 hour stretches overnight. Just a 30min and a 40min one last night. So I can't really help too much, sorry.

ETA: patting to sleep, he did whinge but only as a tantrum, not because he was really upset. He did occasionally get upset and then I picked him up to calm him, but back into bed awake. It depends if you're OK with the tantrumming or not, it is only because he is starting to get more toddlerish and demanding his own way rather than needing it that I was OK with this. There's a big difference between a tantrum and a real cry, else I couldn't have done it.