In Search of Sleep: Straight Talk About Babies, Toddlers and Night Waking

Rating:
Summary: In Search of a Good Sleep Book
Review: I have tried all the so called expert sleep books and techniques and always ended up feel either frustrated or incompetent. But In Search of Sleep has made me realize that night waking is not about bad parenting or bratty little kids, but biology and development and culture. It is only a problem if we see it that way.
I love the way this book reframes the sleep issue, and the array of coping strategies the author offers.

Rating:
Summary: Close but no cigar
Review: I would have given this book a much higher rating if Reichert hadn't folded at the end and advocated Ferber's Cry-It-Out method. For most of the book the author admits to being a loving, nurturing parent. She doesn't let her kids cry; she co-sleeps; she has a lot of attachment parenting behaviors. However, in the interest of not making waves, she opens her arms to the more militant Ferber approach. Sorry, but I can't condone that and I wish she wouldn't have.

Other than that a couple of her chapters are very good--like the ones entitled Temperament, The Generation Gap, and Half a World Away.

This book just ends up saying: Babies are going to wake up; don't fret over it; do whatever you want to deal with it. Man, it could have been a much better book if she had stuck with what she does instead of what she hears about what other people do. (She refers a lot to polls that were taken in cahoots with her magazine, Today's Parent.)

Rating:
Summary: A Tough Topic Handled Well
Review: The subject of sleep and babies is a very contraversial one. There is a lot of guilt and mthys surrounding it. The author does a wonderful job of educating the reader about what all of the MYTHS are and what the FACTS are. There is very little research that has been done on breastfed babies and sleep as well as co-sleepers. As a doctor and as a new mother I am constantly amazed at how many people are quick to judge what kind of parent you are depending on whether your child is sleeping through the night, as well as what strategies you have employed for "sleep time". The generation gap is huge on this topic and many mothers are left to feel guilty by the choices they have made and have no one to turn to as their mothers just do not understand. Most women will lie to avoid saying their baby spends any time in their bed. This book helps women feel good about the choice they decide to make and gives information in a factual non-judgemental way so that people can make a decision for themselves that suits their temperment as well as their babies. A must for any mother struggling with the sleep issue.

Rating:
Summary: The best book on sleep I've found
Review: This is a top-notch guide to solving your baby's sleep problems. I am constantly recommending it to the expectant parents I work with through my doula practice. The book discusses the pros and cons of various sleep-training techniques, explains the science of sleep cycles, debunks common myths about what causes nightwaking, talks about how generational differences can lead to conflicts between parents and grandparents over sleep issues, and offers tips galore for coping if you've got a night-waking baby or toddler. I also like the fact that it refers to Canadian health associations such as Health Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society. Highly recommended.