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Summary: importance of sleep
Review: My daughter was 6 months when I finally decided that I could not function properly because of lack of sleep. She was always so cranky, which now I realise was because she was lacking in sleep. I had always picked my daughter up every time she cried during the night and nursed her. So, she automatically woke up expecting this even though she didn't need to be nursed. I too thought I could not try the crying it out method but I had to do something. What really made me do it was how the author explained the importance of sleep, and how my baby could (and was) suffering because she wasn't getting enough. She was no longer calmed by just coming into the bed with me, or being picked up; my point is, she cried anyway, so I figured why not let her learn something while she is doing this. I moved her out of the room and I have to admit it was difficult. She cried for 40 mins the first night and that was it. Sometimes you have to do things you don't particularly like in order to do whats best for your child and you. I take other things with a grain of salt, like never allowing your child to fall asleep in the stroller or car seat, and although I try to maintain a schedule, I'm not as rigid as the author said I should be.
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Summary: Only book I've ever Recommended
Review: This is not a sleep "method" book. It breaks down the science of sleep based on age and other factors. I used it when my daughter was a newborn and it worked identically the way it said it would. I was very skeptical but I watched for the signs and put her to bed earlier and lo and behold, she slept longer, she slept better, and you could tell the difference in the personality the next day. When my daughter became a toddler and started exercising her "independence" by getting out of bed, etc, I got out this book again, and again it worked wonderfully. I won't say it was easy. I put her back to bed the first night about 80 times. But within 3 days she was back to sleeping normally. It's been six or so months since we've done that and she still goes right to bed every night. Luckily, the books prepares you for everything to expect. You'll be surprised at how smart your child is. That night she tried every trick in the book to get out of bed, saying words I didn't even think she knew "Monster", "Hit my head", "I love you", "Where's daddy", etc. But the book said to expect it so I knew how to handle it. Knowledge really is power. This is not only the one and only book I've recommeded to every parent, it's the only book I give to every friend who has a baby. Fabulous, Fabulous Book!
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Summary: methods are too harsh for me
Review: I read this book, and found that what Weissbluth recommends is letting a child "cry it out" - for three or four hours at a time, if need be - starting at ages as low as two months. This approach may be necessary for some families, but I personally couldn't do it. I can handle only a few minutes of crying, and only after the baby reaches the age of six months or so, myself. I found Richard Ferber's book, Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, to be vastly kinder and more humane, besides explaining things much more clearly and providing many more alternatives. If you have a problem with the idea of leaving a child to cry for more than a few minutes, I would strongly advise that you try Ferber's book first, and progress to Weissbluth's only if Ferber's methods do not work for your family.
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Summary: This book has worked 10 times over!
Review: A friend of mine gave me this book 8 years ago when my first daughter was born. She called it her "sleep bible." I applied the principles taught in the book, (although the first few days I admit I was wimpy in letting my baby cry) and by the time she was 5 months old she slept from 7:30pm to 6:30am and took two 2-3 hour naps a day. She was (and still is) a very contented and happy child. Meanwhile, my friends were asking me how I could get my daughter to take such good naps and sleep through the night. So I started loaning my book out. Since then, I have loaned it out 7 times with positive results every time. When my best friend came to visit she brought her year-old son with her. She had to hold him to sleep for naps and bedtime (which was whenever she went to bed - 10 or 11pm.) He also had never slept in his own bed. He whined every time she put him down. I told her he was going to "sleep camp!" We put him to bed at 7:30 and left him with my husband. My friend fretted and worried while we went shopping. Finally, I let her call after 45 minutes. My husband laughed and said, "He cried for 45 minutes and then went to sleep." By the time she left, he was taking two naps a day and sleeping from 7:30pm - 8:30am. He would let me hold him, and play on the floor without whining. It was an astonishing change of behavior! I have had two more children since I used this book with my first daughter. And although the second one was colicky, we were still able to help her to sleep through the night. My third one is 7 months old and is very tenacious, but as I write, he is taking a nice, long afternoon nap and when he wakes up he will be happy and ready to play! If you are thinking of buying this book, take the one-star reviews with a grain of salt. Obviously, not everyone will agree with letting a baby cry it out. But there are over 300 reviews on this book, most of which are 5 stars. My experience has been that if you follow the principles (even if you fudge a little, as I did) you will have a happy, rested child!
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Summary: BUY THIS BOOK -IT IS THE ONLY ONE YOU WILL EVER NEED!!!!!
Review: MAKE YOUR CHILD A GREAT SLEEPER - BUY THIS BOOK!! I had been speaking to my friend Patricia about all the terrible sleep problems I had been having with my son. She and her two children are patients of Dr.Weissbluth and she told me to "BUY THIS BOOK!!!" I did, and within 2 days my son has turned into the sweet child I always knew he was capable of. The whole time I thought I just had a "bad-sleeper", when all along my son was just SLEEP DEPRIVED!! I wish I had bought this book LONG AGO!! Dr.W's tips and information work like a charm, and I am confident that every child can be a "good-sleeper" if you follow his principles. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all of my friends and I will buy it for all of my expecting friends. I have called my friend to thank her for saving my sanity - the sleep deprivation on the parents takes its toll. Thank-you Dr.Weissbluth- YOUR BOOK IS THE BEST!! You will never know how much the information has helped me to gain control over our lives again. I refer to this book over and over. At our house we call Dr.W. the "SLEEP GOD."
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Summary: He really knows what he's talking about
Review: After reading Pantley and many others I realized Weissbluth is THE true expert on sleep. Not only are his explanations based on years of true scientific research, but he's right on the money. My 3 month old is thriving with much less effort on my part. Even a sitter can finish my "job." Whatever you buy, read this one first. Crying is not the answer. It can be prevented by being observant.
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Summary: It works!
Review: I thought I had the toughest baby around! She woke up an average of 5 times a night and this was at seven months. I was in tears many nights. I had read every book (all the big names) and I thought I knew everything there was to know about babies and sleep. My husband used to say that I should write a book! But, this book tells you things I'm sure you never heard. I followed the detailed and research based advice outlined by the doctor for only one day and my baby slept through the night for the very first time! Amazing! If you follow the advice your baby may not even have to "cry it out"! Mine didn't! I would never have believed it myself! The author is compassionate and offers options (something no book I read has ever done)! I especially recommend this book if your baby has or had colic as mine did. Good Luck!
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Summary: BEST BOOK- GUARANTEED to give you a good nights sleep!!!!
Review: Thanks to this book and the FANTASTIC advice from Dr.Weissbluth my son(3)who used to wake up at 4:00 a.m., now ASKS to sleep until 7:00 a.m.!!!! This book (and his advice)is NOTHING SHORT OF AMAZING!! His book/advice has CHANGED OUR LIVES. I began with a son who fought and argued, screamed and cried before bed, to a son who happily goes to bed EVERY NIGHT without ANY fussing -EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I have personally spoken with Dr.Weissbluth and he is much more than an author, he is the MOST gentle,caring, respected pediatrician I know. -PA
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Summary: Excellent all the way around
Review: This is THE best baby sleep book out there. I read Babywise and The Baby Whisperer while pregnant but none of it seemed realistic once I got that baby home. Thankfully I found Dr. Weissbluth's book. It was the first book that made complete sense. Everything he writes about was true with my baby. While she was still a newborn, I noticed that after she had been awake for about and hour and a half, she became cranky. Until this book, I had no idea why.
As soon as she turned 4 months old, we started sleep training. It took one bad night of crying but she has been sleeping from 7pm-7am ever since (she is now 17 months old).
I like it that he explains the medical reasons for their sleep habits and how newborns cannot really be expected to fall asleep on their own just yet. I was feeling totally guilty for putting the baby in the bed with me, and rocking, and soothing while she was a newborn but this book explained that you can do whatever it takes to survive that period and begin sleep training when their little nervous system is developed and ready for it.
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Summary: This book has made all of our lives better!
Review: Using this book to help my son learn to sleep has changed all of our lives for the better. He is no longer fussy in the evenings, and we are all well rested and happy. I wish I had found this book earlier!
The book itself is a bit repetitive, but the information it contains is very important for families.
While it can be difficult to go through the initial process of teaching your baby to fall asleep on his own, this method worked for us, which is more than I can say for the "no cry" methods.
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