Hello,

I really need some advice. I co-sleep with my soon-to-be 11-month-old son and have since birth. It has worked well up until about a month ago, as he would fall asleep nursing without too much trouble. Now that he has gotten older, he nurses and seems tired (his eyes even start to roll back at times), but he will then get up (seemingly with a new burst of energy) and crawl off the bed, stand up on the bed, hit the wall, and go back to playing.

It has gotten so difficult that either my husband or I rock him to sleep every night and for almost every nap (unless he is EXTREMELY tired). He will not be rocked in a chair (he is very tall, so I think he finds it uncomfortable and also restrictive), so we have to stand up the whole time, which is really hurting our already sore backs.

I'm not ready to sleep train him or do CIO. I cannot stand to hear him cry, and I think it would confuse him to all of a sudden be left alone after nearly a year of being with me 24/7. What's more, I love sleeping with him (and he also still nurses throughout the night, which though he may not "need," I think he benefits greatly from in many respects).

Does anyone have any advice on how I can get my little guy to sleep without leaving him to cry in a crib for hours? Any success stories? I've read tons on this (and know sleep changes can be due to a myriad of things ranging from teething and increasing separation anxiety to learning new skills/hitting milestones), but I really need something to happen in order to get through this period.

Thank you so much for any helpful advice or words of encouragement.

My baby boy is 16 months old and I am trying to figure out how to wean him from night time breast feeding. I am not ready to move him to his own crib, although he sleeps there before I come to bed from about 7 pm to 10 pm. I hear it is easier to wean breast feeding at night if he is sleeping independently. Which should I take on first?? He still nurses at least 3 times a night- after 10 pm, but I am not sure if it is just out of habit or thirst. His feeding is very irregular though, so I can't imagine just eliminating one feeding at a time. Does anyone have advice? And is it typical for co-sleeping toddlers this age to wake this often? Thanks!

My baby boy is 16 months old and I am trying to figure out how to wean him from night time breast feeding. I am not ready to move him to his own crib, although he sleeps there before I come to bed from about 7 pm to 10 pm. I hear it is easier to wean breast feeding at night if he is sleeping independently. Which should I take on first?? He still nurses at least 3 times a night- after 10 pm, but I am not sure if it is just out of habit or thirst. His feeding is very irregular though, so I can't imagine just eliminating one feeding at a time. Does anyone have advice? And is it typical for co-sleeping toddlers this age to wake this often? Thanks!