We didn't do any "sleep training" although I have to admit that I read anything I could get my hands on about getting your little one to sleep.

It just happened one day.

I never "rocked to sleep" unless he was over-tired or ill and we don't cosleep (unless he is ill or DH is away and it's cold....)

We just hit little milestones/hiccups along the way, they included:
  • When we stopped swaddling when he started crawling - as a result it took him a little while to get used to self-settling again but he got there.
  • Weaned from BFing - he was no longer being comforted by the breast and was offered a bottle.
  • No more bottle - I (or DH) would go in, give him a cuddle and pat and he would go back to sleep.
  • Moving into a bed - we would walk him back to his room and he would go back to sleep.


He's 2 & 1/2 now and has no problems at all in getting to sleep. Each night he asks for his "jacket" (it's one of those sleepsuits) and he gets a story (either from me or DH) then a cuddle and a then it's lights off. Some mornings we wake with him in our bed, other times he's still in his.

He happily goes to bed during the day for his nap (which can last for 2-3 hrs).

He can sleep...
in his bed
in our bed
on the floor
on the couch
at grandmas
at the shop
in the shopping trolley
in the car
on the stretcher at childcare
in the dark
during the day
with the door shut
with the door open
... for a little one who woke for 1-2 hourly feeds (and was fed on demand) without a "routine" he is so easy to settle anywhere.