Sleep train or not? Any moms who did NOT sleep train and it worked out fine?

I didn’t officially sleep train, but I used taking Cara babies to set up sleep habits (key was laying down awake and watching wake windows). He learned how to put himself to sleep so I never had to do CIO

Didn’t sleep train either kid, never will. The only thing it teaches your kid is that he can’t rely on you to meet his needs. That’s messed up and I consider it negligent and abusive. My first slept through the night at 13 months, after waking up 1x a night around 4am for a bottle his whole first year. Second is 7 months old now and doing the same 4am wake up. Eventually he’ll grow out of it when he’s developmentally ready. Sleep is not taught. Sleep is developmental. Like walking. Do not sleep train. Support and comfort your kids. They’ll sleep through when they’re ready.

I tried sleep training (Taking Cara Babies) with my first and it did NOT work. I liked her tips about good sleep hygiene, but otherwise, it was not a good fit for my kid’s anxious, clingy temperament. I refused to let him cry endlessly, and her ideas about “putting your baby down while awake but drowsy”, or going in during expanded intervals, literally NEVER worked. It just made him furious. I spent so many nights frustrated before I just gave up and gave in to my instinct to hold him until he went to sleep. It’s what he needed, and he eventually figured it out around 8 months.

My second started sleeping through the night at 3 months, and I haven’t done anything different with him. He has a completely different temperament to my first. No sleep training at all and he’s out like clockwork every night.

Some people swear by certain sleep plans, but really, they just got lucky and found what worked for their child. Every baby is so different! And please know that if you’re baby isn’t a “good sleeper,” that has ZERO bearings on you as a parent or them as a child. Some people wear their kids sleep habits like some weird badge of honor, and it’s so strange.

I didn’t not sleep train. I had planned to but was t strong enough… then got divorced when baby was 1.5 and it was easier/comforting for me/and I argued comforting for him for us to co-sleep, so that’s what we did for a couple years. He’s now just over 4 and sleeps in his own bed all night without a problem

I also want to say that sleep training happens on a continuum. You don’t have to do CIO and we did CIO on very very short timers. 2-2-5-5 and by the second five minute timer he was asleep in seconds. It was quite gentle and not traumatic. Do your research and follow your gut x

Absolutely did not sleep train. Single mom, no support person. Worked full time and went to school full time and we lived. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I hate to say it but I don’t quite understand the fascination with “sleep training.” A baby is a baby and I don’t feel the need to train them to adapt to my life as a grown adult.

I sleep trained at 4 months and it’s hands down the best thing I’ve ever chosen to do

Didnt sleep train, couldn’t do it. Baby took about 13 months to sleep through on his own.

Sleep training was a game changer in our house. Could not function and baby was so much happier when he slept an adequate amount. The younger you do it (after 4 months of course) the easier

Sleep trained my first at 18 months. She woke up many times per night every single night for the entire 18 months. I finally had enough and did Ferber. It took literally one night and I had sleep back. I do not think it was abusive to do this. I’m on my second now. He’s just over five months and he wakes me up 4-10 times per night every night. I’m fairly miserable. Purchased Taking Cara Babies and am doing the class now. Not sure when I want to do it, but I think I’m going to at some point because I don’t feel like I can function like this at work. I’m still on leave now but going back to work soon. However he’s still so young I’m not sure I’m comfortable committing to it yet. Good luck OP!

We did not sleep train. I wanted as much cuddle time with newborn as I could get. We co-slept and by the time our baby was able to crawl (around 8 months) we transitioned him to his crib/nursery. It took about 2 weeks for him to fully adjust and sleep on his own. The first few days were rough because he would keep waking up every few hours and we would go to his crib and rock him until he was almost asleep and gently lay him back into the crib (repeated this several times overnight). Now we have dinner, independent play for about 15 minutes, bath, milk, brush teeth, story time and then just lay him in his crib. He will roll around for about 5 minutes before finding his spot and fall asleep.

There is a huge grey area between the words sleep train or not sleep train. There are so so many ways to build healthy sleep habits for children ( and mommas). One thing you will learn about parenting is there is no “one way” and there is no “right way”. Read up a bit on things, and then trust your gut! Truth is sleep train or not, breast or bottle feed, stay at home mom or children at childcare… when you watch them all play on they playground you can’t tell the difference ( they are all just as weird 🤣) If I could go back and raise my son again.. I would trust myself more and society opinions and standards less.

Did not sleep train either of my boys...they both bedshared with us from infancy (made breastfeeding & dream nursing a lot easier) we transitioned them to sidecars on the side of the bed...my oldest stopped wanting to sleep with us by the time he was 5, my youngest is 6 now and still wants to sleep with us and we allow it here & there. They are only little once!

I’m on my third and have never sleep trained. The first two started sleeping through the night in their crib on their own by around 5 months and 2 months, respectively. Proving to be a bit of a longer road with no. 3 who is terrible about taking the bottle at daycare and makes up for it overnight. He’s 7 months and I’m not planning to sleep train, just hopeful this season will eventually pass.

My older two remain great sleepers, btw.

No judgment on sleep training at all, just not for me.

I didn’t sleep train either of of my children and everything is fine here. One is 8 now, and the other is 3. Both can get themselves to sleep on their own now.

3 kids, zero sleep training. Everyone would sleep till noon if I allowed it.

Used Moms on Call book/schedule (but didn’t swaddle arms down) with all three of mine, who were EBF. All slept through the night by 12 weeks following that feeding/napping schedule. No crying it out involved at all. Not sure if “sticking to a schedule” equals sleep training in your mind, but my babies were always well fed, well rested, and happy while on sleeping/eating schedules as infants. Rocked them all to sleep and put them in their cribs and they slept for longer and longer stretches on their own until it stretched until 6-7 aM. If they woke up hungry in the night, we fed them. But eventually, they didn’t.

I didn’t - after 4 months or so - they slept through the night most of the time

I didn’t. Everyone told me we needed to (family, friends, pediatrician). I didn’t want to. Maybe I’m soft? Anyway - he slept in our room until he was a year? Maybe a little older. He’s three now and he sleeps just fine in his own room. Occasionally he asks for a “family snuggle” ie a sleep over in our room but on the whole he sleeps ~10 hours most nights in his own bed.

All depends on the child and mom but keep in mind it’s not a one and done thing if you do decide - someone told me this before I started and I’m glad they did bc anytime my child is sick or we have any major disruption, I have to lightly train back again.

I sleep trained at 5 months - dm me your email address and I’ll send you the manual I used.

My daughter still always preferred sleeping with me but as a single mom, I needed some flexibility so I could get rest.