Gradual Withdrawal (or Gradual Retreat) Toddler Sleep Technique

We tried the Gradual Withdrawal technique with our eldest son when he was 2. It didn't get him sleeping through the night but it did reduce the number of wakes a bit and also helped him learn to fall asleep without me cuddling him.

The technique is based around the idea that you move further away from your toddler every few nights until you are out of the room. This technique is good for parents who don't want to use the Controlled Crying technique and is often good for children who are quite nervous about going to sleep alone.

We did it like this:

Night 1 and 2, lied on the bed next to him.

Night 3 and 4, sat on the bed next to him.

Night 5 and 6 sat on the far end of the bed.

Night 7 and 8 sat on the floor near the bed.

Night 9 and 10 sat on the floor by the door.

Night 11 and 12 sat outside of the door but in sight.

Night 13 and 14 sat at top of stairs out of sight.

Hopefully by the end of it your child has learnt that he's still safe to go to sleep even if you are outside of the room.

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