Sleep help for 12 month old

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions and could do with some advice please :)

So the first one is I am planning on slowly weaning my DD over the christmas holidays as we are ttc number 2 and my cycles are all over the place with BF. Of a night if my DD wakes in the middle of the night she won't go back to sleep without a BF. What gentle methods have you used when weaning night feeds?

Also my DD used to be fine with self settling, I'd pop her on her couch for day naps and in her cot for night naps and she would happily go to sleep but since she was really crook for 3 weeks and has started walking she will not lie down and relax. Even though she is so tired she will keep getting up, keep playing etc. She gets so overtired and will be in tears but will insist on standing, crawling around in her cot. I've resorted to putting her in the car a couple times and going for a quick drive because within 2 mins she is asleep! If I continue to lie her back down I can do this for an hr or more until she tires herself out and I don't want to do this every night. We had a set bedtime of 7:30 before she was unwell and now it can be 8:30-9 before she is in bed :(

I don't want to do controlled crying, I just personally don't like it. I'm looking for gentle ways to help her get to sleep.

What has worked for you?

i weaned when my DS was a bit older than your DD but his feeds were all sleep associated by that stage & so once i cut one out (i did the before nap one first and did that for a good week or two before moving on to before bed & overnight), he was used to the idea that there was another way to relax before sleep. we've co-slept since DS was about 5 months & at 9 months he moved onto a mattress on the floor & i would sleep with him on that. it made it easy to offer cuddles instead of feeds & he got used to the idea far more quickly than i expected.

it was the co-sleeping/lying down next to him before sleep that worked for us to get DS off to sleep as well. i would lie very quietly after explaining it was sleep time etc & if he played around (not distressed, just playing) i would tell him that i would leave the room. sometimes i'd have to go out (for a few secs was enough to make the point) & sometimes i didn't.

we didn't get to the point of self-settling until about a month ago (DS will be 2.5 on 1st jan) but he has always needed comfort before sleep.

for us the cot never worked so i'm not sure how to do the settling without being able to be 'hands on', sorry! how long ago was she sick? could she maybe just need a bit longer before she's ready to adapt back to her previous routine?

I night weaned at 14 months to TTC. We ended up having to feed him bananas in the night till over 18 months.
DS could not settle on his own (and it took hours for him to relax and go to sleep) until he was over 2. So we just hung in there sitting and lying with him every night. He woudl cuddle to sleep again during the night (after a banana or some water)
i would suggest if she's been sick or teething that you delay your weaning plans till she's well. IT'll be much easier for you both that way :)