Night weaning without sleep training, is it possible?

[Anonymous]

If you successfully night weaned without sleep training, how did you do it? What age? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My experience is night weaning does not work without some degree of CIO (because my son would just get upset if one of us came in but he didn't get to nurse) but it only takes 2 nights to night wean using CIO. (I dropped one nurse at a time).

I really do recommend sleep training though. It's been a huge positive for my family. I was skeptical but after reading the research I decided to try it and it's been a huge benefit. Everyone sleeps better.

[Anonymous]

Send in dad?

[Anonymous]

All three of my kids just stopped waking up for night feedings when they got older. Eating more during the day helps.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

Acceptance. The issue is solved by accepting a quick mid-night feeding and working to solve the issue during the day with more food and sunlight.

[Anonymous]

I night weaned around 15 months. My son is a cosleeper and would not have stopped nursing at night on his own for quite some time if I hadn’t pushed it a little.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

Acceptance. The issue is solved by accepting a quick mid-night feeding and working to solve the issue during the day with more food and sunlight.

Or you could night wean and not have your sleep disrupted. I always had trouble getting back to seep after a night nurse and didn't sleep well until I night weaned. Can we please stop telling women they have to accept bad sleep when there are perfectly acceptable methods of sleep training and night weaning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

Acceptance. The issue is solved by accepting a quick mid-night feeding and working to solve the issue during the day with more food and sunlight.

Or you could night wean and not have your sleep disrupted. I always had trouble getting back to seep after a night nurse and didn't sleep well until I night weaned. Can we please stop telling women they have to accept bad sleep when there are perfectly acceptable methods of sleep training and night weaning?

So have your partner get up and give a bottle. I am vehemently opposed to any CIO in an infant but have given OP solutions on basic sleep training by changing what you do during the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

Acceptance. The issue is solved by accepting a quick mid-night feeding and working to solve the issue during the day with more food and sunlight.

Or you could night wean and not have your sleep disrupted. I always had trouble getting back to seep after a night nurse and didn't sleep well until I night weaned. Can we please stop telling women they have to accept bad sleep when there are perfectly acceptable methods of sleep training and night weaning?

So have your partner get up and give a bottle. I am vehemently opposed to any CIO in an infant but have given OP solutions on basic sleep training by changing what you do during the day.

You don't want to do CIO, fine. But scientific studies have shown it helps babies sleep better, has no adverse affects and parents who sleep train suffer significantly lower rates of depression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

Acceptance. The issue is solved by accepting a quick mid-night feeding and working to solve the issue during the day with more food and sunlight.

Or you could night wean and not have your sleep disrupted. I always had trouble getting back to seep after a night nurse and didn't sleep well until I night weaned. Can we please stop telling women they have to accept bad sleep when there are perfectly acceptable methods of sleep training and night weaning?

So have your partner get up and give a bottle. I am vehemently opposed to any CIO in an infant but have given OP solutions on basic sleep training by changing what you do during the day.

And those of us who have done CIO and seen the benefits (yes for the baby and her parents, who also matter - sleep deprivation is not healthy for anyone) find that attitude ridiculous. Don't do it if you don't want, but don't try to shame people who do. There's just no basis for it. By 5-6 months it is developmentally appropriate to teach an infant to fall asleep by herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t even try to night wean. Both kids stopped waking up to nurse when they didn’t need it anymore. I think lots of feedings and solids during the day helped as well as a real demarcation between daytime and nighttime. Lots of activity in the sunshine and engagement during the day and a set bedtime routine and long probed feed. Totally dark and quiet room. When they were still waking up hungry, I just went into the dark room and fed them then right back to the crib.

How does this help OP?

Acceptance. The issue is solved by accepting a quick mid-night feeding and working to solve the issue during the day with more food and sunlight.

Or you could night wean and not have your sleep disrupted. I always had trouble getting back to seep after a night nurse and didn't sleep well until I night weaned. Can we please stop telling women they have to accept bad sleep when there are perfectly acceptable methods of sleep training and night weaning?

So have your partner get up and give a bottle. I am vehemently opposed to any CIO in an infant but have given OP solutions on basic sleep training by changing what you do during the day.

And those of us who have done CIO and seen the benefits (yes for the baby and her parents, who also matter - sleep deprivation is not healthy for anyone) find that attitude ridiculous. Don't do it if you don't want, but don't try to shame people who do. There's just no basis for it. By 5-6 months it is developmentally appropriate to teach an infant to fall asleep by herself.

Yeah that's the thing, my baby was generally happier post sleep training because he also functioned better with a full night of sleep. Two nights of CIO lead to so much less fussing overall.

[Anonymous]

We night weaned around 18 months by sending in dad. The first few nights were really hard - - he cried hard (in dad's arms) and woke more frequently. But then he stopped waking up at all. We still nursed at bedtime and wake up.

[Anonymous]

I did “gentle” CIO for our baby to stop the overnight feed and get her to STTN. It worked in literally two nights. So OP if you’re up for it, it’s really killing two birds with one stone.

Personally, I don’t care if you choose to sleep train or not, or use CIO or not. The people who are “vehemently” against CIO don’t bother me. I’m too busy sleeping through the night and waking up refreshed to be bothered, but I will come back to the board to chuckle at your exasperated posts about how your child is 1 and then 2 and then 3 and still not sleeping. Lemme know how strong that conviction is then, when several years of compounded exhaustion for principle continues to backfire on you on a daily basis!