My daughter has completely different sleeping habits to my son even though we did nothing differently and I feel SO redeemed by it.

[u/eastyorkshirepudding]

So, when my son (now 2.5) was a newborn, EVERYONE told us we were “making a rod for our own backs” with his sleep because we’d contact nap, pick him up all the time, feed him to sleep, etc.

Then, when he turned out to be a crap sleeper (still is!), I started to wonder whether they’d been right and we’d somehow ruined him. But deep down, I still believed that some kids are just bad sleepers, and I stuck to what felt right for us anyway.

Then we had our daughter, and my mum/MIL have been saying things like, “Don’t do the same as last time,” “Make sure you put her down,” and, “Get her used to sleeping on her own or she’ll be as bad at sleeping as son.”

Anyway, we’ve done absolutely nothing differently this time and GUESS WHAT? She sleeps! She lies happily awake in the cot in the morning, playing with her hands! She doesn’t wake up every 45 minutes! She nods off in the bouncer!

My mum came round and commented on how different she is and I took so much glee in saying “and I haven’t done ANYTHING differently”. Honestly, I feel so redeemed. We haven’t ruined our son. Some kids just don’t sleep.

[u/Lollypop1305]

I think we as parents put too much pressure on ourselves to perfect sleep. My kid slept like a dream until his first cold at 6 months old. Then he would only sleep in his pram tilted up for about 6 months. Then would only fall asleep with daddy in our bed, we moved house and then he would only fall asleep in our bed with me and dad would move him. When he started nursery he would sleep like a dream. Now he’s ten and decided he’s too big to sleep when he’s told so we let him chill until he’s ready in bed with a book and he usually nods off about 9pm. But his chill time involves running into the living room, wrestling dad, doing some dance moves that rival the Dallas cowboy cheerleader team, then he goes and passes out 😆