And it's not working very well anymore, but I don't know what to do. Keeping Daniel on schedule has always been my top priority since he needs to eat at certain times and has lots of appointments. Here's a typical day:

7 a.m. D gets up
7:30 a.m. Breakfast
11 a.m. Lunch
12:30/1 p.m. Read/rock til he's asleep
3 p.m. D gets up, has snack (I'm only supposed to go three hours between meals, but there's no way I'm waking him to feed him)
6 p.m. Dinner
9 p.m. Bedtime/one last tube feed

So if I make D go to sleep on his own for his nap, I'm afraid he'll take too long and end up sleeping late and go way too long before his snack. Or if he decides not to nap at the right time, he'll for sure need to sleep later and mess things up. Or maybe he'd skip his nap altogether and not be able to stay awake for his feed at 9. And since he has that 9 o'clock feed, we rock and tube feed at the same time, and he drops off to sleep before we're done. But I can't put him to bed and then tube feed him because he sleeps on his tummy and I'd never be able to attach his tube.

And, of course, if D becomes too upset, he'll puke.

Things used to work because D would sleep through the night with no problem, but he's been waking up once or twice a night since we got back from vacation, and he definitely wants to go right back to sleep, but he needs us to help him. He's very mucousy right now, so I'm sure that's part of the problem.

Does anyone have any ideas? Has anyone else been through this and successfully taught an older child to go to sleep on his own?

Thanks!

Has anyone else been through this and successfully taught an older child to go to sleep on his own?
Yup! Evan was too sick to let fuss to sleep, so we rocked him until after his second birthday--totally against what I believe, but when you have a sick child, you do what you have to do! We made the transition by lying beside him in his bed, then by having our head on the pillow beside his while we kneel on the floor. At this point, dh is lying on the floor while Evan falls asleep, only because we have another child trying to sleep and Evan would probably wander on over and wake him. A great time to make the changes would be when you switch Daniel to a "big boy" bed.

Well, I can only suggest things I've seen on the "supernanny"!!! CHanging to a big boy bed would be a great time. Laying beside him on the bed, then progressing to sitting on the end of the bed then progressing to sitting by the door then progressing to sitting outside the door appears to work. ALso, going to the store and buying a "bedtime pal" with the child (such as a glowworm) appears to work (that's great for getting kids off paicifiers too apparently). But f course you may have already tried these things and I cannot talk from experience as my guys are too small. Good luck with everything though Becky.. hope you find a solution soon.

Thanks for the suggestions, ladies! As it turned out, D has a virus right now, and his ped said he wouldn't expect him to be sleeping very well. But last night (with the steambath before bed and an inclined crib), he managed to sleep all night AND sleep past 7:30. WHEW! I'd really been missing that! Still, I know we'll have to make him go to sleep on his own someday....

I hope that Daniel is over the virus soon, and am glad that last night went better!

Becky,
You may also try getting him a twin size bed and laying with him at first until he falls asleep and then start having him lay a few by himself until he is falling asleep that way. Like say "I will be right back" and just stretch it longer and longer. That way you can atleast begin to transition him into falling asleep in bed :) Its all alot easier said than done though, isn't it??

Oops, like like Sarah already made that suggestion!

Oops, like like Sarah already made that suggestion!
:lol: Yup, but 3rd time's a charm.

must be a great idea then :)

must be a great idea then :)
For sure! BTW, I love the cool fish in your sig. line, Erin!

Thanks, Janette :D all you have to do is use the arrow keys :D