Rating: 
Summary: Very useful but definitely a let them cry book
Review: I thought this book had many useful tips and insights but it is also very much a straight let them cry it out book and some of the advice is a little over the top. I didn't follow the advice that directly but I still found the book very worthwhile to read because it is very specific in advice for setting routines. And, that is what I was looking for--an approach to setting a routine. The author also stresses how important sleep is to children--and although we all know this is true-- this book really gets the point across and helped me make my daughters sleep a priority for us.
Rating: 
Summary: did it say let the child cry, but not to let him scream?
Review: I was never able to let my baby cry for a long time. DR. Sear's book did not help me solve any problems but to accept the problem. I was so tired all the time and my marriage was falling apart. Out of desparation, I finally followed the quick-fix the book suggested and let my baby cry for as long as it would take instead of following the Ferber method. My baby became more persistant and more awake after crying for hours. During the day, he became so insecure because he was afraid that I would leave him without going to him. When it comes to bed time or nap time, he screamed at the sight of his crib. I let my baby cried for several days, and finally regret it because I started seeing the sad look in his face. It took us a while to go back to the previous night-waking pattern. Not the greatest, but at least there's no letting the child scream.
Rating: 
Summary: Happy Child
Review: I received this book as a baby shower gift from a friend who had a 4 year who DID NOT sleep through the night and a 7 month old who DID sleep through the night. She got the book while pregnant with the second and was amazed by the differences in her two kids-with naps, bedtime, and child's temperment. My child is 15 months old, has slept through the night since she was 2 months, takes 2 2-hour naps a day, goes to bed at 7:00 pm and we don't hear a peep out of her until 6:30 the next morning. This book is amazing. DO what it tells you to do and your child will be sleeping through the night in no time. I am pregnant with number 2 and plan on doing the same things as we did with number 1- and I am sure we will see the same results. BUY IT.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST BABY SLEEP BOOK ON THE MARKET
Review: This was an excellent book - I cannot tell you how much this book helped our sleepless, colicky infant. But, several friends with non-colicky babies actually recommended this for any infant. This book is a wonderful middle ground for those parents who do not want a severe schedule (BABYWISE) or the opposite end of the spectrum, attachment parenting (Dr. Sears). It was the only book that I found that spoke knowledgeably about colic, and gave the only helpful advice available on the subject (believe me, we tried it all). It is not a cry-it-out book, although some may look at it in that light. What it teaches you is this: 1. watch your child. 2. put him/her down to sleep when you first see the signs of tiredness 3. most children under 6 months do not stay awake for longer than 2-3 hours at a time without needing a nap. 4. DO NOT just put your child down to nap when you feel like it - that's just letting him/her cry, not TEACHING them to sleep. 5. Most children need to go to sleep at night earlier than you'd think. 6. Going to bed earlier promotes later sleeping (weird, but true. As the author says, it's not logical. It's biological - sleep promotes sleep) There's a lot more too. I really like that the author's data is based on studies that he has done involving the patterns of children who naturally sleep and nap well. No, it didn't give us a perfect baby. We happen to have a very sensitive high strung girlie, who also power-naps. But we went from a cranky post-colicky baby who took no naps or 15-20min naps and got up many times per night to a sweet smiling girl who now takes 3 45min-1 hour naps per day and sleeps from 6pm-7am (waking 2 times to nurse). Oh yes. The nursing. She used to think that nursing was the only way to get to sleep. After diligently following the advice in this book, she now can get to sleep on her own, no nursing. Not that it's perfect - she still cries 5-15 minutes at times before naps. But she is sooooooo much happier now. Gotta think something's working.
Rating:
Summary: EVERY NEW PARENT NEEDS TO GET THIS BOOK!!
Review: Fantastic tool! Everyone I know who has used it, says it works. A lot of good insight into the importance of sleep for children and how it affects every aspect of their lives. Describes techniques that will help get your child to sleep better with quality sleep both during the night and during day time naps. Both my boys were sleeping through the night at 2.5 months of age as a result of following the techniques in the book. Everything the book teaches is true. A lot of common sense information as well.
Rating:
Summary: simply the best book on sleep
Review: Our baby was colicky and probably only slept about 9 or 10 hours a day for the first few months of his life. I had Dr. Sears's "Fussy Baby Book" and while that was helpful to an extent, eventually his "nighttime parenting" methods weren't working. No wonder my kid was fussy - he wasn't getting any sleep!To be honest, I used Ferber for nighttime - we were weaning ds out of sleeping in his carseat and we knew he would be up all night, so checking on him periodically was necessary. But Dr. Weissbluth's comprehensive information about nap schedules and early bedtimes and how colic can result in a chronically tired and fussy baby are so helpful and so right on the money. Getting our kid to sleep more has made such a difference in his temperament - he isn't a "high-need" baby, he was just tired. Even if you don't believe in cry-it-out, please don't dismiss this as just a "cry-it-out book." It is much more than that and has helpful information for people with any parenting philosophy.
Rating:
Summary: Desperate for sleep!
Review: After 12 months of very little undisturbed sleep, we realized that we had to make a change. Our son was sleeping 8 hours per night (waking 2-3 times) and taking two 1-hour naps. He could not fall asleep unassisted, wanted to nurse to sleep, and was often irritable during the day. We just thought he was a "bad sleeper" when in actuality, we hadn't taught him to sleep. Dr. Weissbluth's fact-based approach showed us that crying it out would help him become self-sufficient. Our son has effectively learned self-soothing techniques and now sleeps 13 hours per night with no night wakings, and takes one two-hour nap per day. An added bonus is that my husband and I have every night from 6:30pm alone to spend quality time with one another. This book is the single-best thing that you can do for your child and your marriage! We now give a copy to all our friends that are new parents.
Rating:
Summary: BEST Sleep Advice We Ever Got!!!
Review: This book is a MUST HAVE!!!! Dr. Weissbluth's book was recommended to us when our daughter was about 4 months old and we were VERY TIRED due to Reflux and lots of SLEEP issues! We both read it cover to cover! It is important that both parents agree to the methods! These are NOT cruel methods! What is cruel, is a child who is tired and cranky from not enough sleep and who diesn't know how to soothe himself back to sleep! The sleep mthods in this book are for the child's health and best interest! Do you not put your children in the carseat even if they fuss a little because it is for their best interest? Dealing with sleep training is the same! Our 20 month old daughter is happy, well-adjusted, and follows her nap and sleep schedule perfectly! She is a well-rested and happy child and we thank Dr. Weissbluth for all the great sleep advice!
Rating:
Summary: TIRED PARENTS, PLEASE READ. I WANT THIS TO HELP YOU.
Review: Sleep is one subject that those birthing and parenting classes do not seem to touch on; and it is the one topic that is vital to the development of a healthy relationship between parents and child. When the baby doesn't sleep, the parents don't either; and when parents don't sleep, they are not able to care for their children they way they want and need to. After 6 sleepless weeks after my daughter was born, and raging postpartum depression, I somehow discovered this book and read it in one sitting. I tried Dr. Weissbluth's suggestions that very day and immediately started noticing results. My daughter's 'naps' (as they were) became more regular, more predictable, and her mood improved (as did mine). We incorporated each of the age-specific suggestions into our daughter's sleep routines and with seemingly no effort at all we now have a 14 month old who still takes two 1 hour naps daily and sleeps uninterrupted from 6:30 pm to 7:15 am, when she literally wakes up laughing. She does not protest naps or bedtime. She is a bright, sociable, adaptable, unafraid, happy little girl who always gets the rest she needs. Parents must not feel guilty about ensuring their children rest when they need to, for if they were hungry you would feed them, wouldn't you? When they are tired, they need to sleep. His techniques can be started at any age. I wish I received a commission for each book I bought for my friends; they have had success with it also. It does get better, and this book can help.
Rating:
Summary: My post-colic child is finally sleeping!!!
Review: I purchased this book out of desperation--my 5 month old would not nap and all the tricks (swing, rocking) stopped working. This book specifically addresses post colic babies and even suggests you treat them differently when establishing nap times. Dr. Weissbluth also explains sleep very well and his advice of putting your child to bed earlier to stop night wakings really does work! My son now goes to bed between 6:30-7 awakes around 4 for a feeding and sleeps until 7 am. Two naps a day as well!He is now a happy baby because he is well rested!(So are mom & dad!)
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