Rating: 
Summary: Kinder and more humane than Ferber and Weissbluth
Review: Ferber and Weissbluth (both men) recommend putting your baby in his crib and letting him cry to sleep -- even if he cries for hours, even if he becomes hysterical, even if it takes weeks, or even if he vomits all over himself (they specifilly say to clean it up after he's fallen asleep). They assume that babies are NOT human beings and that they have no feelings and that a parents need for sleep is more important than anything else, even their baby's well-being. They also promise quick results, but I know many who used the crying approach who took many weeks to sleep train, only to have it all fall apart at the first bout of teething or a vacation, plus they often end up with a clingy, fearful baby when it comes to bedtime. Pantley (a mother of 4) acknowledges that babies are people with feelings, but ALSO that parents need sleep. She provides hundreds of gentle ideas to help your baby sleep -- without crying. These include bedtime routines, the use of sleep sounds, gradual weaning from sucking-to-sleep, a better sleep environment, improved naps, and more. It may take weeks -- but as I've said the crying methods usually take weeks too. I chose the kind approach presented beautifully in this complete and satisfying book and have wonderful results. (Why not try the gentle way first and save you and your baby the agony?)
Rating: 
Summary: There's a better one that works faster
Review: I consider the techniques discussed in this book to be simplistic, tedious and difficult to achieve. Pantley's techniques rely on fasing out learned behavior rather than on extinction of learned behavior which works best (especially after a vacation or holiday). I suggest reading Marc Weissbluth instead. Two days of putting my 3 month old down in her crib as soon as she showed me her first sleepy signs (rubbing her eyes and looking away), and she falls asleep without crying. Sometimes, she does fuss a bit, but no crying has ever taken place so far. Not even on our first day. My baby has fallen asleep in no more than 5 minutes each and every time. The key is on taking notice of your baby's sleepy signs so your timing is good enough. Forget the sleep log. Observation and timing is key so you can successfully identify when your child NEEDS to sleep, even even if he'd RATHER play with you. Otherwise, you are robbing baby of his need to sleep. Now, 4 days later, when I put her down, she wiggles her legs and smiles as if thanking me for noticing how tired she is; falls asleep within 2 minutes. "A well rested child is a happy one," period. Simplicity helps your child sleep best. Why complicate things? My point: read Weissbluth instead.
Rating:
Summary: For caring sleep deprived parents this book is a must
Review: After living nearly twelve months with a son who wanted to nurse once every hour throughout the night, my husband and I were exhausted. We have been trying the suggestions from this book for the past two and a half weeks and are amazed at the results. Last night our son slept eight hours before nursing (and over the last week has averaged four to five hours between feedings). The book is great for parents committed to attachment parenting and cannot fathom the thought of letting their child "cry it out".
Rating: 
Summary: Who's got the time for this?.
Review: This book is too long. As a new mom, I just don't have that kind of time. For a shorter, easier solution, read "50 Easy Ways to Get Your Child to Sleep" by Dana Kenny.
Rating:
Summary: SLEEP!!! WONDERFUL SLEEP!!!
Review: If you are looking for some sleep, BUY IT NOW!!! This book puts your baby's needs first, unlike the 'Cry it out' method. But, it also recognizes that Mommy needs rest too and tells you how to acheive that rest while still tending to the needs of your precious baby. No crying required (for Mommy or Baby)!!! This book is the best thing I've come across. Like so many other Mothers, my baby was still waking all night long. In fact, my baby was waking every hour on the hour! And, he had to be nursed to/back to sleep for each and every nap and all night long. I don't have to tell you how tiring this was. I did so much research and only saw 2 ways to deal with it, 'Cry it Out' and 'Live with it'. Well, that is untill some great mothers over at the Babycenter.com message boards recommended that I try this book. So, I gave it a shot. It was the best 11 bucks I have ever spent in my life!!! Christopher is now sleeping from 8:30 pm until around 2:30 am! He goes to sleep at 6:30 pm and wakes for a 'milkie' at 8:30 pm. Then, he is out until 2:30 am!!! I know he wakes and settles himself several times during that 6 hour stretch. After the 2:30 am feeding, he is normally out till around 6:30 am!!! Christopher is also sleeping in his crib now, which is beside my bed. I have only been using this sleep plan for 10 days and look at the success. The success started on the 3rd night. I started seeing him be able to sleep longer and longer. And, now he is even able, sometimes, to fall alseep on his own! Elizabeth Pantley is a God send! She has children of her own (4) and has actually used these techniques on her own baby. This book is the top of my list for a gift for any new Mom. I wish someone would have told me of this book 7 months ago. Thank you Elizabeth! You have changed my life!
Rating:
Summary: Sent from above
Review: When I found this book my 9 month old was waking up every 90 minutes all night long, and taking several cat naps a day. Sleep deprived can't begin to describe the desperation I was feeling. And yet I refused to abandon my baby to cry it out alone. This book was truly and answer to a prayer. It gives simple, and practical solutions in a format that is easy to read no matter how little sleep you're getting. Elizabeth Pantley's strategies are a wonderful and loving alternative to the host of "Cry it out" advice you've received and rejected. The key for me was patience and persistence. This is not an immediate fix, but a light at the end of the tunnel.
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Summary: This book is WORTH the money
Review: We are chronically sleep deprived in our home. My 18 mo daughter uses me as a pacifier to go to sleep, then to return to sleep during naps and night time. It is awful. I have a Master's degree in Psychology and truly believe that "crying it out" is NOT a good method and it should be used as a last resort. This book has an excellent step by step guide for any infant/baby that needs "props" to sleep. It is absolutely worth the money. Because we have a difficult situation, I have contacted many professionals and read probably every book on sleep solutions including authors: Sears, Ezzo, Ferber, Hogg and Fleiss. This one is by far the best and would probably work for most people. It did improve our situation, but has not worked (so far). If you want some free good information, also look up Dr. Jay Gordon online (http://www.drjaygordon.com/ap/sleep.htm) who has a method that allows for a little crying. Incidently, out of desperation we did try the Ferber method too and it truly traumatized our child for a few weeks making her more cranky, tired and increased separation anxiety. I do recommend this book. With patience and determination it will likely solve your problem. If not, it will improve it at the least. Also, I have absolutely no link with any of these authors and have no motivation other than empathy for you the reader to post this information, my opinion.
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Summary: Gotta Have It!
Review: I was sick and tired of family and friends telling me that the only way to get my son to sleep thru the night was to let him cry a little. Well, he did not cry a little when I tried to wean him from night nursings. He cried so much that he threw up. Breastfeeding is a emotional & nutritional need that has to fulfilled. When your baby/child is ready to wean, Elizabeth's book THE NO CRY SLEEP SOLUTION... will help you like it did me. I chose the solutions that I thought were best suited for my son including the removal plan, snugli, sleep rountine with book and the growing up book. Within 3 weeks he was weaned from falling asleep nursing and another 2 weeks and he was sleeping through the night. After 2 1/2 years of nursing I thought my son needed to learn a different way of sleeping but crying it out was not an option. He never cried at all!
Rating:
Summary: Great reading, but hasn't worked so far
Review: I loved reading this book. My first children were nightmare sleepers and I was constantly on the lookout for a sleep book that didn't resort to crying-it-out, which I am firmly against. I found this book while I was pregnant with #3 and couldn't wait to give it a try. I loved reading all the suggestions and it made total sense. Unfortunately, my baby failed to read the book, and is not following the plan. For instance, Pantley makes a big deal of the Pantley Gentle Removal, whereby you take a nipple or paci out of the baby's mouth, and give it back if he roots for it, and take it out again, etc. Well my baby doesn't root, he screams his head off, so this doesn't work for us. Also, in theory, if your baby goes down in his crib with little or no help at the beginning of the night, he should magically start sleeping better at night. We have a great go-to-bed baby who STIL wakes every 1-2 hours all night. :-( Still, I bet the book works for some parents, and it is still a good read. It is especially nice to read a sleep book that has a lot of respect for the child, and reverence for the parent-child bond, so I recommend it, even if it isn't perfect.
Rating: 
Summary: If you find Ferber, Weissbluth, and Ezzo sadistic...
Review: ...then this is the book for you! This book, literally, changed our lives. The techniques for helping your baby fall asleep and stay asleep are gentle and done at the babies pace...and they work! I was able to nightwean my 16 month old son with no crying whatsoever. Yes, it took some time (a couple of weeks, compared to a couple of days that the other books promise), but the little bit of patience needed is a small sacrifice. We are a cosleeping, extended breastfeeding, attachment parenting family, and we were completely comfortable using the suggestions in this book. The great thing too is that if you are a bottle feeding, crib sleeping kind of family, there are just as many helpful hints tailored for you! The only reason I didn't give it all 5 stars, is because a good chunk of the book talks about keeping regular logs during the night on feedings and wakings. In my sleep deprived state this was impractical and impossible...not to mention, I feel, unnecessary. The main point of doing this is so that you don't get discouraged; so that you're able to see the progress you are making on paper (because it can sometimes feel like you're taking one step forward and two steps back). Some parents may need that extra motivation, I just don't see how it would be possible to keep track of when your child wakes, how long they feed, when the fall back asleep, etc. in the middle of the night. Other than this MINOR complaint, this book is a Godsend!
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