Rating: 
Summary: too bad it didn't work
Review: I think this book is wonderful philosophically, and I believe that her method has helped people, and it did not work for us. After trying for 3 months, I finally had to admit that my baby's sleep had not improved. I wrote this review because I want other parents to be willing to stop trying after a point if it does not work. The book is so incredibly well-regarded right now that I think it is hard to finally say "It doesn't work for us!". But it didn't.
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Summary: What No One Taught Me
Review: This book is wonderful and written by a real mom. It taught me a lot of things that we simply didn't know as a first-time parents who have had next to no experience with babies and children. We were letting our son go to sleep when he had his nighly meltdown at 11:15pm by putting him in the swing and then moving him after he fell asleep. The book most importantly taught me about bedtime routines and how putting infants to bed early helps them sleep longer. In less than a week he slept 10 hours straight, 8pm to 6am. It's not like this every night, he's not perfect- but oh how things have changed. The sleep logs were helpful just to have a sense of how much sleep he is getting versus how much sleep he should be getting. Now I just need a book on how to make myself go to bed early enough so I get enough sleep.
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Summary: Wonderful gentle approach
Review: This book is a wonderful, gentle book which lets us appreciate our children's needs. I believe that the "cry it out" approach is not a compassionate approach, and the Sears' approach is. After all, this is how I would like my children to treat me when I become old and infirm -- not by ignoring my inarticulate requests.
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Summary: A vast menu of ideas to pick from!
Review: I never imagined that there were so many techniques and ideas to try before resorting to letting a baby cry in the crib. With so many different tips in this book every family can find solutions. A few that were most helpful to us included: Putting our baby to bed earlier. (He was often up until 11 PM!) Using 'white noise' to cover up the sounds our toddler makes that always wake the baby up. Not turning on lights when he wakes up at night. Waiting when he makes noise to see if he will put himself back to sleep (amazingly - using the ideas in the book he now does this!!!) Probably the most important idea I got from this book is that sleeplessness is just a temporary problem, but how we deal with it can affect our relationship with our child forever. I can see that raising children is a complex task, and this is just the first test of our true character as parents. It gives you the confidence you need to ward off all the negative feedback and move forward with confidence. I would highly recommend this book to any parent with a baby (even one who sleeps!)
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Summary: Read this book and get some sleep!
Review: I am so grateful for this book! At 6 mos. my son was awake until 9:30pm and waking at least 4 times a night, sometimes more.
Exhausted and desperate, I needed some advice. I did not want to let my baby"cry it out" as I know I, myself would not want to fall asleep alone scared and sobbing hysterically.
This book amazed me! It contains sleep logs to track your baby's progress, which offers encouragement as you start to see the changes and realize- "It's working!!"
Ms. Pantley offers a variety of calming, nurturing ideas that you can combine to create a personalized sleep plan that works for you and your baby.
I started to see real results in just 3 nights and by night 14
my baby was peacefully sleeping through the night. Its been 3 months and aside from a few nights of teething pain, my baby has continued to sleep through the night.
I have given this book as a gift to 3 friends, with children from 3 to 18 mos. They all have had great success. This book has been a godsend!
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Summary: What a difference!
Review: I wish I would have found this book earlier! For almost one whole year, I struggled with trying to get my son to sleep. At seven months, I finally tried letting him cry it out, after many said this is what you were suppose to do. It was a nightmare! My ds cried for two hours straight before finally falling asleep. The next night after three hours of the same torture with no end in sight, I gave up. My husband was more persistant with allowing him to cry-it-out, with just as little success. At twelve months, I found this book and have had such great success in such a short time.Ms. Pantley found that routines help children learn when it is time to go to sleep. The routines act as cues and after a short time, the child starts anticipating the next step, so the routine becomes habit. This is based on Behavior Modification techniques. I found that keeping a routine is hard for our family, but it is well worth the outcome. When I stick to the routine, my ds will go to sleep like clockwork. Now at 17 months, he will fall back asleep when he wakes in the middle of the night with no tears, no rocking, NO HELP AT ALL! That would not have happened six months ago. This book also encouraged me to trust my own judgement as a mother. I was not condemned for letting my son sleep with me. I was not scolded for giving in to his needs or accused of letting him "manipulate" me. I was encouraged to look at our needs and seek the best sleeping solution for my family, not the one that worked for another person. That is another point to this book. What worked for one mother will not work for everyone. Ms. Pantley gives several good suggestions and encourages you to find what works best for you. My son will not take a lovey, which was one suggestion, but he does fall asleep faster when I make his room dark and play his sleepy music. Each child is different, so as parents we are responsible for paying attention to what will help them realize it is time to sleep. She does not say you should never let your child cry it out, but that you should investigate what will work and all your options before you choose a method. This is not a quick fix. Things will not automatically change over night. We still struggle at times, but things are getting better everyday and that is a MAJOR improvement over the first twelve months of my son's life. I sleep better, my son sleeps better, and this helps us to enjoy the time we spend together during the day. I guarantee if you practice only a few of the suggestions given in this book you will see a major difference. I feel very sorry for the poor mothers who think there is only one solution. They have to bear hearing the needs of their child and not doing anything about it. I choose a different way that will not break my heart every night!
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Summary: What a blessing this book is!
Review: Like most parents, I hate the idea of having my child cry to sleep, alone in a stark crib in a new world. Elizabeth's ideas, used successfully by myself and many of my friends, are a simple, practical set of ideas that really help babies and toddlers sleep better. She doesn't suggest you ignore a crying child, or cover your ears and run while they scream in another room, or try some more moderated version of so-many-minutes-of-crying-each-night-until-you-lose-it (which will likely need to be done again each time baby gets sick, or if you move, etc.). Her suggestions (many of which we already know, but are often forgetful about practicing, like nighttime routines) are simple, loving, consistent, and can only benefit both parents and child in the end. I was one who wasn't bothered much by night waking (which equals night nursing here), so I'm the one "test mommy" she had who only put Elizabeth's ideas halfheartedly to work, and we still enjoyed better sleep from it! Thanks, Elizabeth, for taking the time to write such a helpful book and share it with others (and for taking so the time to help me out with it in the early stages!)!
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Summary: Full of practical ideas to help parents and babies sleep....
Review: This book is an excellent choice for parents around the world who need a better night's sleep but don't want to do a "cry-it-out" program. There are a number of very practical (and tested) ideas that parents can pick and choose from in order to design their sleeping solution. Every family is unique, every baby is unique, and Pantley empowers parents to make the choices they feel are best for their babies and themselves. It is recommended by La Leche as well! A definite must for tired parents. And - be patient. Your baby will not sleep better overnight, but very few good things in life happen quickly. Keep at Pantley's program, and I promise you will see progress. Best of luck to tired parents, from a well-rested mother in Germany!
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Summary: Absolutley the Best!
Review: I came across this book when my son was 4 months old. Of course I realized that no newborn was meant to sleep through the night, but I thought I'd give this book a try. With my first child I let her cry until she went to sleep (from exhaustion no doubt). This stressed me, my husband and my baby out. What did I know? Absolutely nothing about newborns. I was determined with my son, that I would try a different approach. What I loved about Mrs. Pantley's book was that she explained everything in a simple and loving manner. I am not into attachment parenting, but I did have my son sleep in the same room with me 6 months. It was much easier to nurse and to implement Mrs. Patnley's techniques. At the time I also told a friend of mine about the book. She said she'd try it but never did. My son, now almost 3 NEVER has a problem getting himself to sleep or sleeping through the night. If he does he's not feeling well. My friend, on the other hand, is still asking me for advice on how to get her child to sleep on her own and through the night. I fully credit this book for giving my husband and I the tools on how to get our child to sleep through the night. I wish it had been written when we had our daughter.
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Summary: A must read for every parent
Review: This book was a life saver for me. I was severely sleep deprived for 13 months until I read The No-Cry Sleep Solution. For a single mom that has to work full time, being sleep deprived is NOT a good thing. Before I read the book, my then 13 month old son was waking anywhere from 6 to 10 times a night and was constantly wanting to stay attached to my breast to nurse all night long. That is when I decided to read this book. I tried a few of the ideas that Elizabeth mentioned in her book, along with keeping a log to track our progress, and within a few short days, my then 13 month old was sleeping through the night in his own crib and was no longer attached to my breast to nurse all night. My son is almost 4 now, and we haven't had a sleep problem since reading this book. I am currently 6 months pregnant, and I plan on using the techniques in this book to get my new baby to sleep through the night once he is old enough to do so. I truly believe in this book and in Elizabeth Pantley and I recommend that ALL parents should read this book.
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