Perhaps one of these days I’ll have this parenting thing figured out. But for now, I’m FAR from it! One of my many downfalls as a mom can be witnessed in the lack of my toddler’s sleep ability. I’ve read many sleep training suggestions and I’ve tried several methods, but my consistency and determination were never enough.
It’s unbelievable how many factors I have let get in my way of properly sleep training my son. Some of these include: sickness, vacations, teething, reflux, growth spurts, him upset to the point of throwing up, feeding him to sleep, and my very sick days of pregnancy ruining any good habits we did have. But what it all comes down to is I’m too much of a softy to follow through with the difficult task of sleep training.
Surprisingly, his transition from a crib to a toddler bed helped a lot with his sleep! We made this change when he was about twenty months old. One thing I wish we would’ve done differently would have been to use a DockATot Grand in order to help him feel a little more secure in his big bed. But despite that, I think his big boy bed gave him just enough independence that he was willing to calm down a bit while trying to fall asleep. I soon had naptime down perfectly. Until, literally, last week when he officially figured out how to open doors. So we’re backtracking a little bit, but overall, naptime is a breeze compared to bedtime! Although we have a very set routine, nighttime sleep brings on a whole new list of struggles. Number one on this list is my little boy’s fear of the dark.
DockATot Grand Dock Baby Lounger & Sleep Positioner - Love Links
We currently have four different night-lights in his bedroom that we rotate through or combine on various nights to help sooth his darkness fears. One of these is a Skip Hop Soother that sings or plays various noises, projects stars, and has a belly that glows! We love it. But I must admit, I’ve found a new option that I think may work even more perfectly for my little guy.
Skip Hop Moonlight & Melodies Nightlight Soother - Elephant
The Boon Gleam Portable Light not only looks awesome, but just might be the most functional night-light I’ve ever seen! It sprays light onto the ceiling in multiple colors, has a sleep timer feature, and when the top is picked up, it automatically turns itself into a flashlight! I'm in love!
