What's so magical about 20-21 months?

[Calliope]

I've heard from a lot of different people that many sleep issues seem to resolve themselves around 20-21 months. Nightweaning also seems to "take" best at that time. Is this your experience? Why do you think that is?

[MtnMama]

Not my experience. :shrug3 we didn't get into any kind of magical sleeping state until dd was 3yo. :shifty

[relizabeth]

Yeah, didn't really happen here.

[Psyche]

Sears says that at that time they start to have a concept of time as in morning, night, later, so night weaning is easier done then, since they can understand when you verbalize a time to nurse.

Caden nightweaned pretty easily around 17months. It was hard for two night and he woke up occassionaly, but for the most part started sleeping through the night.

I still want to know how people night wean their under 1 year olds. Especially if they do it without CIO. :yawn

[MtnMama]

I will say that my dd was not the average bear when it came to sleep anyway. My ds is totally opposite -- asleep within 10 minutes pretty much always... her, it was an hour on a good night. So she's so not the norm.

[Jeanette598]

:yes Dd1 transitioned into going to sleep by herself at about 20-22 months. I don't really know why, except that maybe she was old enough to understand that we were still close by and would come if she needed us. :shrug3 It just sort of happened naturally, but boy were we grateful. We'd always parented her to sleep to that point, and she fought sleep and re-awoke very easily. But around that age she started playing/talking herself to sleep very happily. :)

[katiekind]

I don't know. My youngest was able to be nightweaned around 15-18 months. My oldest son I can't really imagine nightweaning the way my youngest son did. He just had a totally different, far more intense personality. Everything he needed or wanted was a HUGE deal to him. He nightweaned around three. His needs really did diminish as he got older, bless his heart. My youngest son has a very easy-going "hey, whatever" personality, and that made it pretty easy to night wean him. :hug2

I did wait (with my youngest) until I knew he would understand "Nursies are asleep! You can nurse in the morning when we see the sun."

[bananacake]

I don't know that it was the age that was magical for Bear, but rather the gradual change in his temperament, his security level, and his ability to handle a "not right now" and some redirection.

[ReedleBeetle]

We just started having a major difference for the better in about Jan of this year. Isaac just turned 4 earlier this month. :shifty he is basically night wenaed now, still wakes briefly during the night and goes right back to sleep without nursing 90% of the time. He is now what I call sleeping through the night...because I don't get woke up by it anymore. :shifty :lol He used to take forever to get down, wake very easily, and wake frequently until I thought I would go crazy.

[klpmommy]

I wonder if it has to do with language, b/c I know S is having a major language explosion atm & she is doing better at night. ( :pray4 I didn't just jinx it :shifty ) :think And E was actually easy to nightwean, but she was so verbal early on so she understood what I wanted. :shrug

[zak]

21 months is when Reid started to self-wean and potty learned. :) Not sure it was magical, but it was fun. :) :hug I think also they might get a break before their 2yo molars come in and that probably makes a big difference with sleep/pain. I agree with Kimberly too, language is a biggie at this point. My R didn't STTN regularly until he was over 3yo tho. :/

[MarynMunchkins]

If it happens, I think it's because there's a lull between incisors and 2 yo molars and most major milestones before 2 have been reached. :)

[canadiyank]

Hm! I've never heard about it being "magic," but that's about when I night-weaned both my girls.

[Rabbit]

You're over the half year hump, too. 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, all the .5's suck, but once they pass, you have a more manageable kid, who is happier in his own skin, too.

[TrinMama]

I'm personally still waiting on a magical age. Not to be a downer...but I'm still waiting. :shrug3 Maybe baby4 will have that magic. :giggle :shifty

[ilikestrawberryjello]

hmmm....I had never heard of that, but come to think of it, that's when DD1 started sleeping through the night, and night weaned herself. :shrug3

[mellifera]

Ds is 21 months now, and I have't noticed anything different about his sleep--but he's had two new teeth poke through in the last week, so he's been nursing a lot at night. Maybe after his eye teeth are all in he'll settle down a bit?

[Elora]

not magic for us, but just wanted to offer hugs :hug2 :pray4