[.ca] Helping Your Child Sleep Through the Night (ISBN 0385192509)

Not for those who don't want to let their child cry it out:
Based on the previous review (no crying it out) and reading the book excerpt on "stretching" an infant from night feedings,I had hopes for this book as a moderation between Dr. Sears (Family bed, don't let them cry) and Dr. Ferber (Cry it out). The stretching out philosophy seems reasonable. It was similar to what we did for our son (not so long ago)after weaning and I can see that it could work for those still breastfeeding. The child is allowed to cry, but a secondary caregiver is there with the child. However, all other advice for other reasons for a child not sleeping through the night starts off with "letting your baby cry it out" will work, but if you don't want to do that.... and then the following tips all involve letting the baby cry it out for periods of time anyway (some tips for several hours). So while they infer you're not doing that, you are. This advice is reiterated for each age group. Basic gist is: Crib in own room, bedtime routine, put them down and don't get them back out. Nighttime or early morning wakings pop in and then go back to bed progessing to not going in. For older children,these tips can work for people, but if you've decided you don't want to let your child cry it out, and are looking for helpful hints to get him to sleep through the night, this book isn't for you.

No good if you are against the "cry it out" idea:
This book looks so helpful. It's got a lovely title and a nice picture on the front. I hated this book. I am not COMPLETELY against letting a child cry. But forcing them to get attached to a blanket or toy instead of a parent sounded a bit harsh to me. Who doesn't want their child to need them a little? Plus it advocates if nothing they advise in the book works then go ahead and let them cry for HOURS. This does not sound healthy to me. But i'm just a mom, not an expert. It took us a few days to get our son out of our bed and into his own crib. We did it. It took patience and we did not get a lot of sleep. I tried to let him cry himself to sleep and it seemed to do more harm then good. (not to mention how it made us as parents feel) We went back to the pick him up when he cried approach. Held him and put him back to bed...and after 4 nights he started to sleep 7 hours straight on his own. Oh and we put him to bed when he's asleep and he's just fine. NO MATTER who's house he sleeps at. Just my opinion. If you don't want to let your child scream skip this book.....if you do want to try the cry it out method (it works for many parents, just not us) then just do it and save yourself the money. It does have a few good hints in it......but i think you could get that information from other moms or your pediatrician.

worked for my older kid:
I bought this book when my first child was 2 and firmly entrenched in her own bad sleep patterns. I started in the infant section and implemented all the suggestions that I could; bedtime routine, focal feeding (bedtime snack), etc and moved on from there. It took longer than the book suggested, but it worked. I have since used it from day one on my second child and have reapplied the priciples when the older child began waking in the night and wanting to crawl into bed with us. It DOES NOT involve "crying it out", but if you're a whimp you'll never see it through.

This works!:
We have five children; the oldest is 20 and the youngest is 11. We used the techniques in this book for all of them and can attest without qualification that they work. Quickly, effectively, and perhaps most importantly, without long-term adverse effects. The proof: all of our children are well-adjusted and have outstanding loving relationships with us, their parents. Over time, we have purchased at least 10 copies of this book to give as gifts to new parents.

Give it a try:
If you can't handle your child crying alone for more than a few minutes, this book is not for you. However, if you are willing to give it a try your efforts will pay off ten-fold. We are now parents of a 3 year old and a 1 year old, both of which have been sleeping on their own and through the night since they were 2 months old. At the first sign of a yawn and eye-rub, we're off to bed... no fuss...no muss. They grab their 'big bear' or 'blankie', roll-over and put themselves to sleep. Meanwhile, my husband and I are well rested, happier and less-stressed out parents. It takes about a week, and the schedule was all set. In will admit, the suggestions in this book are not very 'in'...it seems more old-school, which I like. The book addresses sleeping problems which might crop up as they grow - I use it as a reference guide when we are approaching a new phase in their development - the move to a big boy bed, arrival of a new baby, etc. Give it a try...it worked for us.