Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child Reviews

• Useful to some degree

  
  By A1ACU5DM3FA2NK on 2001-07-07
  I generally like to start my reviews by saying what I liked about the book I read. In my opinion, the best and most important point made by this book is that sleep is vital for babies. Parents should be on the lookout for signs their child might be suffering from lack of it, and should also make sure their lifestyles do not interfere with their child's healthy sleep. I also appreciated the author's input about sleep problems and solutions for older children.

  I disagreed most with the idea that it is generally a good idea to allow children to cry as long as it takes to get them to sleep at night. Will this method do long term psychological damage? The author says no, and I agree that is probably correct. Okay, so the child won't be delinquent as a teenager, or hate you as an adult. But as a parent, my question is which method is easiest on the child in the short term, as well as being effective in the long term? Frankly, I don't want my child to be unnecessarily miserable, even if it's only for a few nights. Further, I simply couldn't listen to screaming cries for any length of time without intervention.

  For the parent interested in sleep "training", I think Dr. Richard Ferber offers a better method. Even Dr. Weissbluth admits Ferber's method's work- he simply thinks they may be too difficult for some parents to apply. Well, I think a little more difficulty may be worth while if the child has an easier time.

  Oddly, Dr. Weissbluth claims to have no problems with the "family bed". However, I find his family bed advice confusing, and most of the tips he offers throughout the book seem to be incompatible with the practice. If anybody is practicing the family bed, they should definitely go with Dr. William Sears, whose advice is much more compatible with that arrangement. Dr. Sears is also a good choice for those who find Dr. Ferber too harsh and want the gentlest methods possible.

  I tend to disagree with the view of some "attachment parents" that babies always develop the sleep habits that are best for them. There are babies who simply need parental leadership here, and there are also babies whose habits are disruptive to the family. So if parents think their baby has a problem, they should read several books about the topic, and adapt the different views to their personal situation and temperment of their individual child. I think that will lead to a better solution than reading just one book and treating it as a bible.
  
  

• Strong Sears supporter recognizes wisdom in Weissbluth also

  
  By A31ZGM9B2PCB7G on 2001-07-26
  UPDATE --
  
  I re-read everything I wrote previously and it's all still true -- I think Weissbluth knows about that which he writes, but never forget that YOU know your own child best. I lost a lot of sleep over this book three years ago because I tormented myself for "failing" my son when it "wasn't working." Give yourself more credit! That said, my three-month-old daughter is a textbook sleeper for the most part. She is the one that I was convinced didn't exist when my son was this age. I've been able to put her down awake 75% to 90% of the time since she was born without her crying at all. To be honest, I'm still somewhat shocked about it. This just reinforces that the best path is to respond to your individual child's needs as best you can because each is SUCH an individual. I handle my daughter the same way I handled my son regarding attached parenting and sleep and she just "gets" going to sleep much more so than he did.
  
  What also intrigues me is how spot-on the sleep patterns are -- my daughter's naps are still all over the map despite my attempts to adhere to a routine when possible, but when she's down for the night she's down -- with a few nighttime feedings, naturally, as she ends up in bed with my husband and me. My son still goes to bed early at almost 4 years old, gave up his nap early (2 1/2) in favor of earlier bedtime (6:00 then, 6:45ish now) and having the evenings "free" really works for my husband and me -- family time is in the morning. Do what works for YOU, your kids, and your whole family -- that's the most important thing!
  
  Original review --
  
  I have been a mom for six months now and I've learned more than I would have imagined. Most importantly I recognize that nothing in life is as straightforward as any book makes it out to be and it took me a long time to come to terms with that. I have waited for the day that I could write a review of this book reporting my AMAZING results. I decided to write now instead!
  
  My son slept in bed with my husband and me for the first five months. We did it because we believed that was where a baby should be, and it worked for all of us. My son also did all his napping in a cloth sling. As he grew, this started NOT working for us, and I did some serious soul-searching.
  
  I consider myself an attached parent. I have difficulty bearing my son crying, ever. If my son would have been able to continue napping with me I would have done it. But he didn't. Every time I would put him down, he would immediately wake up, either at bedtime or for a nap. It got to the point that he would go 12 hours during the day without any sleep at all and only be able to get to sleep at night nursing. He wasn't a raging beast, he just seemed like he needed more sleep. My gut, my instinct said sleep was important and that he wasn't getting it. Especially when people said, "When he needs to sleep, he'll sleep!" Not my social butterfly!
  
  I wholeheartedly support attachment parenting, especially sleeping with your children -- as long as it works for everyone. My husband wasn't comfortable with the idea of our son in our bed for the long haul, so we decided to try Weissbluth's book upon many friends' recommendations.
  
  I believe Weissbluth knows what he is talking about. I have observed my son for two months now and can see the periods of wakefulness in his arousals at night, the maximum time he can be awake without becoming overtired... all these things make sense and I have seen them in my son. He now takes two naps (which vary in length daily) and I put him down awake. I also put him to bed awake at night. MOST of the time, this works without causing him distress. Sometimes it doesn't, and we both cry for a while.
  
  As I said at the beginning, I waited to write a review so I could report a "perfect" result... Life isn't perfect. When my sweet baby needs to sleep, I try to help and let him take it from there. Most of the time he gets there without getting crabby; sometimes he's ticked. Life is like that. I don't think I'd be doing him any favors if I wasn't consistent.
  
  You know your own child. If your child needs you, you know. If your child is overtired, you know. This book will help you slowly but surely figure out how to keep your child from being overtired and most of the time it will work. I still have trouble coping when he has trouble getting to sleep, but certainly all of us are in better spirits more and more often, because my son is much more well rested.
  
  I absolutely believe sincere effort to observe your own child and watch his or her cues is the key -- you want to give your child what he or she needs. All parents do. Sleep is a big need. Good luck!
  
  
  
  

• Cruel and Unsafe

  
  By on 2000-08-04
  The whole philosophy of the book is that children's need for sleep takes precedence over all other needs of the child: need for security, (Maslow), need to develop trust (Erickson), and other basic needs like breastmilk and water.

  Weissbluth's definition of a sleep problem is when the child not sleeping becomes a problem for the parent. His solution is that up to four months, parents should meet the babies' needs for cuddles, feeding, etc. After four months, he advocates letting the baby cry it out for however long it takes until the baby stops crying and goes to sleep. The parents are not to check on the baby or pat it's back or talk. When asked "How long should I let my baby cry?", he replies, "to establish regular naps, and consolidated sleep overnight, there is no time limit." p.134 "We are leaving the baby alone to forget the expection to be picked up."

  The most offensive part of the book in on page 157 in the 4 month to 12 month age, where he replies to a mother whose baby is so upset, she vomits: "If the vomiting always occurs, I think you will want to always go in to clean her promptly and then leave her again. If the vomiting is irregular and occasional, you should try waiting until after you think she is deeply asleep before checking, and then quickly clean her if needed."

  The parents are not to check to see if the baby choked? They are advised to make her fall asleep in her vomit? What if her body is dangling from the crib slats? What if she has a tummyache, or is hungry or has a thread wrapped around her toe? The parents are just supposed to ignore it until she gives up sobbing in desparation?

  Weissbluth also makes statements in the book that are not backed by studies:

  Letting a baby cry for hours on end without soothing, reassuring, or picking up, does no emotional damage in the long term.

  Kids become independent by being ignored and learning to meet their own needs by self soothing, rahter then by being nurtured ny parents and having their needs met quickly.

  Kids that demand more emotional/social time with parents are called "bratty".

  Temperment can be changed by sleep increases. A child's behaviour is not linked to temperment, but is linked to the amount of rest they get.

  Parents have ultimate *control* over their child's sleep. They are not just facilitators of sleep, but can make their children go to sleep.

  Breastmilk and formula are just as satiating because of the similar calorie count. (He discounts that breastmilk is easier to digest and therefore breastfed babies can be hungrier through the night. )

  Adults who are addicted to their lovers, probably had Mothers who couldn't allow them to separate, self soothe, or grow. p.236

  A nine month old baby has the cognitive ability to "stick it to his Mother" and planned out ways to manipulate her. p.218

  Infants that have every need met are left with "undischarged aggression". The infant is robbed of desire because his every need is anticipated and met before being experienced. p.78

  "Two and a half hours of crying is normal during a sleep training program. " (The baby is two months old.) P. 97 to 99

  The need for attention and soothing at night is not a need, but a want, like the desire for candy. p. 164

  This book is not only cruel but dangerous. A parent who can ignore her babies crys in the midst of vomit for hours on end, is not going to be a nurturing, responsive parent during the day. The need for attention, food, soothing, cuddles and security are basic needs of babies and children. Sleep is also a need. As a responsible parent you can find ways to give your child both.
  
  

• Horrifying!

  
  By A1IU6P50UWDCIN on 2004-09-24
  I can't believe that this book is being paired with "The No Cry Sleep Solution"! They are on opposite ends of the spectrum as far as philosophies go.
  I was first impressed by Weisbluth's use of charts and research etc. and I agreed with his premise that babies need sleep. It is our responsibility as parents to make sure that babies get the sleep that they need even when they want to stay up and play until they're ready to drop.
  My approval for what he was saying changed dramatically when one of the success stories he used was of a family that let their son cry for an hour and a half. They had to close two doors between them and the nursery and sit in another part of the house to endure the screaming. When their son did fall asleep, they found that he'd fallen asleep standing up hanging over the rail of the crib. He cried for an hour the next night, once again falling asleep hanging over the rail. After a week their son fell asleep with "minimal" crying and only backslides occasionally.
  This is a success story?
  That is horrifying!!
  My concern is that these "sleep experts" are measuring success as a child going to sleep without a lot of crying and then sleeping through the night. I don't think that they're taking the whole child into consideration. What about the child who is then clingy and fussy the whole next day after 90 minutes of crying the night before? What about the child who wakes up a few times during the night - do you let them cry for another 90 minutes? What about those of us who've tried the "cry it out" method and then have a child who is terrified of the nursery at night because they know what's coming?
  If all you care about is throwing your kid in a crib at 8:00 so you don't have to deal with them until the next morning, then it seems as if giving them a sleeping pill would be more humane. Hey, parenting isn't a part-time job! It will involve nights and weekends.
  I do recommend Pantley's "No Cry Sleep Solution", however. She acknowledges that different kids have different personalities and that not all children require the same amount of sleep. She also has suggestions for parents who want to keep their babies in bed with them (Attachment Parenting) but don't want 15 wake-ups during the night. Her book was far more humane and took into consideration the fact that what happens at night has repurcussions for the next day as well. She doesn't offer a quick-fix but encourages patience and love and compassion.
  
  

• Not for every family . . .

  
  By A3C1R5ZNGM8SIX on 1998-08-25
  I feel compelled to write because this book has gotten such rave reviews here. I have to say that this book really irritated me. I read it with high hopes of help with my daughter's sleep problems and came away very disappointed. First of all, Dr. Weissbluth seems like he really dislikes kids. There are some statements about "fussy, bratty" toddlers who don't sleep well who may grow up to be "fat kids" that are incredibly mean coming from a pediatrician. The author implies that his method will work with every child and if it doesn't, it's the parents' fault. Actually, it's the mother's fault because she has deep seated psychological problems that prevent her from appropriately separating from her baby or she hates her husband. Seriously, I felt guilty for about two seconds after I read it (an uncharacteristic lapse that was probably due to severe sleep deprivation) and then I laughed. This just doesn't work for my daughter and it isn't my fault or my husband's fault. All of the examples in this book are of children that responded to the "technique" within a day or two. He says that you may have to let your child cry as long as three or four hours (!!) before they get learn that it's "sleep time" but he never gives an example of a family that was able to withstand that kind of torture. All his examples are of families where the child cried for 30 minutes the first night but went right to sleep the next. It's totally unrealistic. I think the worst thing about this book is that he says in several places that you have to put your child down, close the door and not come back until morning (no matter how much your child protests) and you can't be inconsistent on that point. In other places he says that it's perfectly normal for some children to wake up once a night for a feeding but he doesn't tell you how to go to your child to feed her without being "inconsistent" about responding to her cries. He also implies a causal relationship between ADD in children and poor infant sleep habits but never shows how his methods have helped children "prone" to ADD at all. All that being said, he does make some good points about the importance of good sleep for people of all ages and the scientific studies are interesting. I know that for some children, his techniques work - I have a couple of friends who swear by it. For other children, like my daughter, who are strong-willed and refuse to be "trained," it just doesn't work. Read it if you must but do not let Dr. Weissbluth make you feel guilty if it doesn't work for your family. The scary thing is that we almost used Dr. Weissbluth as our pediatrician - I should give thanks that he doesn't take HMO patients!
  
  
• This amounts to child cruelty!
  By on 1998-11-14
  We were desperate to get our 18-month-old daughter to sleep better, so against our instincts (she is strong and doesn't give up easily) we tried Dr. Weissbluth's method. It was HORRIBLE. Absoulte hell on earth for everyone, especially our child. At the end of three hours of her screaming and crying and begging for us to help her "mama, daddy, help! Peeze!!!!!" my husband and I loathed ourselves for abandoning our child to this doctor's cruel methods. I was very nearly sick to my stomach, as was our sweet, trusting child. For weeks after this horrid night, she was extremely clingy day and night. She wasn't about to let us abandon her to hell again.

  We have since learned of much kinder, more natural ways to help a baby sleep. (See works by Dr. William Sears)..She has returned to our family bed, and she wakes up once or twice a night to snuggle or nurse. We've come to learn that this is the way it's been done through history. Through history, and in most other cultures, it's the rare baby who sleeps thru the night. Babies are not cut out to go through the kind of torture the author recommends. Parents: Think of your babies, not just yourselves. You may not see the damage of this kind of terrible abandonment now, but this kind of cruelty must get embedded in the subconscious somewhere. I rue the day we bought this book.
  
  

• A One-Size-Fits-All "Product"
  By on 2000-11-08
  As any marketing professional will tell you, not listening to your customers can have long term negative effects on your business. Yet American parents are routinely told to ingnore the cries of their children in order to receive a one-size-fits-all "product"--a baby who naps on schedule and sleeps ten or twelve hours through the night.

  A friend gave me "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" as a baby gift. As an anxious first-time mother, I was frantic when I read Dr. Weissbluth's warning that unless my son learned to sleep in a certain way, he was likely to develop attention deficit disorder or be prone to injury. After additional reading on the topic, I no longer believe this to be true. In fact, the nursery-crib-sleep schedule phenomenon is a very recent development in human evolution.

  Dr. Weissbluth's book is filled with anecdotes from exhausted parents who endured three or four nights of their child's hard crying, but were delighted with the results. He makes his method sound straightforward and simple. However, it took one of my neighbors eight weeks to sleep train her daughter. Another neighbor had to retrain her son because the training "wore off." After two weeks of sleep training, my cheerful six month old was a sullen, voracious thumbsucker who had lost weight and no longer trusted me implicitly.

  Most of the mothers Dr. Weissbluth interviews confessed to an initial concern about emotionally damaging their children by letting them cry themselves to sleep. Dr. Weissbluth confidently assures them that they will do no such thing. How does he know this? There is a large volume of infant sleep research indicating that babies left alone to cry themselves to sleep experience numerous physiological changes, including elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

  Dr. Weissbluth offers hope and a quick fix for parents who want to or must limit the amount of time they spend attending to the needs of their children. For those parents willing and able to follow their instincts, though, I highly recommend the books "Our Babies, Ourselves" by anthropologist Meredith Small, and "Three in a Bed" by Deborah Jackson.
  
  

• methods are too harsh for me
  By A33TJVUKLEP07G on 2003-03-05
  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.
  
  
• Scientifically correct....but harsh to put into practice
  By on 2003-11-06
  While the doctor is a specialist in the area of sleep the book fails to appreciate that babies are people with feelings.

  To give you an understanding of what I mean here are a few EXACT quotes.

  Page 177 "Use thick layers of zinc oxide paste in the diaper region so that no rash will develop when you do not go to your baby at night to change diapers."

  How long to let your baby cry? Page 159 for naps "no more than one hour" for bedtime "there is no time limit at night if the child is not hungry or ill"

  Why do you let him cry? Page 159 "We are leaving him alone to forget the expectation to be picked up."

  To answer "Isn't crying harmful" he says: "Not necessarily." "When a child cries she may more quickly unlearn to expect to be picked up."

  And if your baby cries so hard she vomits? Page 176 "If the vomiting is irregular and occasional you should try waiting until after you think she is deeply asleep before checking, and then quickly clean her if needed."
  (Wait until she's ASLEEP before checking? Clean her IF NEEDED?)

  In response to a parent who says she wants to respond to her crying baby at night, Page 178 "Letting your baby cry is not doing nothing. You are activily encouraging the development of independence" He then says you may not want to hear your baby cry because you have Page 179 "Working mother's guilt. You may feel guilty about being away from your child so much."

  What if your baby climbs out of the crib? Page 193 "A crib tent will prevent your child from getting out of the crib, and it allows you to remove yourself from his protest crying" And if you don't want to use a crib tent because he says "some parents feel that the crib tent locks their child in the crib like an animal caged in the zoo" then "lock the door instead."

  To keep a 3 year old from getting up too early in the morning "Place a digital clock in her room and set the alarm for 6 or 7" "You do not respond to her cries before this wake-up time."

  Enough said. Not only are the ideas harsh and the grammer terrible, I much prefer the sensitive approach in The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley where you don't have to deal with vomiting, crying or crib tents.
  
  

• THE BEST BABY SLEEP BOOK ON THE MARKET
  By A1NNJSJ6W8WUBC on 2001-06-05
  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.
  
  
• Good Sleep Information, terrible advice
  By on 2002-09-20
  I am mother to a 11 1/2mos daughter. Read this book when she was about 3 months old and started putting it into practice when she was about 4 1/2mos old. I thought I had solved her sleep problems at that time. She did great for about 2 months. I followed Weissbluth's advice like a zealot and told all my friends and family about this book constantly. It only took three nights of crying the first time to get her to sleep with only 2 awakenings to breastfeed in a twelve hour stretch.

  Well, jump forward a few months. Sleep problems started getting worse despite me following his advice to the tee. She started waking more and more from teething and would cry non-stop for hours at a time. At its worst it got to where one night I let my poor baby cry for 1 1/2 hours before she conked out and then woke again 20 minutes later!! To say I regret having done this is a HUGE understatement. That night I scooped her up and vowed I wouldn't let her cry like this again.

  Weissbluth has great information about sleep patterns, nap schedules and his research is untouched by other books I've read. The problem is, if you read the rest of the book and actually use his sleep practices, you will have to let your child cry again and again and again, cause after all they are people, not little robots that can be trained in the manner he says. It is NOT a one time shot of just letting them cry for a few nights. You have to be able to consistently let your child cry him/her self to sleep and be very consistent about this after their schedules get messed up by illness, vacation, etc. for this to work. I, personally, don't think that is right.

  Now, my daughter HATES her crib, we cosleep and she is up all th time. Still, I have the assurance that I am responding to her needs and eventually, when she is ready she will sleep through the night.

  I would recommend that unless you want to be guilted (or brainwashed) into thinking your child is going to permanently suffer if he doesn't sleep through the night by tomorrow night, don't read this book, even though it does contain some useful information, it is not worth it if Weissbluth convinces you to use his heartless training methods.
  
  

• Life-Saver for Parents of Twins
  By APZ4H9L77CPSV on 2000-01-20
  This is an excellent book that really taught me a lot about the importance of sleep for a baby. I'm convinced that helping your child learn how to sleep will have LONG-LASTING, positive implications. It taught us how to establish a morning nap and then an afternoon nap (and how IMPORTANT they are). We learned that our babies were not colicky (Thank God!). We now can pick up on their cues when they're getting tired and get them down to sleep, BEFORE they're overtired and cranky.

  Our 16-week old, boy/girl twins started sleeping through the night at 10 weeks. We applied Weisbluth's principles (as well as Ezzo's BabyWise) and what a difference it has made. Our twins are well-rested, happy, above average in height & weight, and a true joy to our lives.

  Much of the book is technical in describing sleep (I liked this part, my wife was bored), but the rest is very practical and useful. We made the mistake of letting our son get addicted to sucking on a pacifier to fall asleep. All was well until he got his first cold and couldn't breathe through his nose. He was miserable all night! My wife & I finally resolved to take the pacifier away from him when he's in his crib. He did cry for 1 hour the first night, but the next night, he slept through the night for the first time! He sleeps so much better now and really is a happy baby. Our daughter has been an "easy" baby from the start and has never had any problems sleeping. (It's very interesting having twins and seeing how different they really are!)

  Try this book. Read others such as Ferber and Baby Wise. Combine together what makes sense to you and you'll have happy, well-rested babies!
  
  

• Just Terrible Advice!!!
  By on 2002-09-30
  Okay, well not all of it is terrible. The parts about protecting the nap and sleeping schedules I think are good but almost the entire book he tries to justify why crying it out is okay for your baby! I am a firm believer of never crying it out and my baby sleeps 12 hours at night no problem. We have always attended to her needs but also let her know we mean bussiness at night - no playing at night feedings etc. Since 4 months she's been sleeping through the night.

  Have you ever thought about how it would feel to your baby to be left in a room to cry, mommy or daddy ignoring your needs, vomiting and having no one clean it up? Your throat so sore that you can't cry anymore and mommy and daddy think you are stopping crying because you "get it?" when in reality you just can't cry because the pain is too unbearable?

  Or how about if you really needed a drink or water/milk and no one would let you have it because you aren't supposed to want it at 3:00am? Haven't you ever woken up thirsty in the middle of the night?

  Our children are so precious, I can't imagine subjecting them to this torture. Try the No Cry Sleep Solution. It is much more humane and naturing.
  
  

• This is the best book on sleep I have found...
  By A2H2PRTKLA4QBL on 2000-10-03
  Hurry for Dr. Weissbluth! My one year old is now going to bed at 8 and sleeping through the night (4 nights and counting) for the first time in his life. He is also beginning to nap in his crib. A cloud has lifted from our house. This book combines discussions on sleep research with practical how-to information. Weissbluth emphasizes keeping the child from becoming over tired and training the child to achieve sleep continuity. He does recommend allowing a child to cry if neccasary, but that is not the ideal or primary thrust of the approach (like Ferber). I found this approach to be more logical and research based than many popular sleep books. It is better than Sears' "Nighttime Parenting" if you have a child with real sleep issues. It is more scientific and practical than "Babywise" (which my pediatrician says is based on poor research). It is a gentler approach than Ferber, who I feel puts too much emphasis on the act of crying. Also, this approach allows greater flexibility than Ferber's method.
  
  
• Thoughtful, effective, humane approach
  By on 2000-05-30
  Our daughter slept with us in the family bed for 8 months. We loved it but I was tired of being a 24 hour a day mom since I lay beside her during naps. I looked for an approach to help her nap in her crib. Sears and other co-sleep advocates weren't very specific or helpful in this area. Ferber was relatively against the family bed and his techniques sounded too harsh to me. Weissbluth was almost the perfect solution. He was okay with co-sleeping and nursing the baby to sleep. He explained sleep and sleep training with the goal of helping readers find their child's natural rhythms and preventing sleep problems, instead of treating sleep as a problem (see Ferber). Weissbluth's methods resulted in some crying, but not "crying it out" by any means. Putting the baby to sleep at the right time was key. It took some patience, but after 2 weeks of daytime nap training she really caught on. Then we started putting her to sleep in her crib at 7:30 pm, intending to bring her into our bed when she woke. To our surprise, after 3 nights she slept in her crib until 7 am. I sometimes miss the family bed but we're all better rested now, and we can always cuddle in the morning.
  
  
• Just because he's an MD....
  By A2CQTVT000Z0FK on 2003-08-25
  doesn't mean he knows a thing about child psychology. Apparently he knows so little, he doesn't even know how unqualified he is to comment on the topic. I only have a B.S. in psychology, but nothing I learned in any of my social pyschology or development classes support what he touts in this book.

  And as a parent, I can't even fathom the kind of emotional neglect Weissbluth advocates. I know that as parents we get desperate for sleep. We'd consider just about anything to get the kid to sleep. But considering and doing are very different things. Don't let a short term problem (difficult sleep) have long term effects by taking rash action that will emotionally injure your baby. I recommend Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution over this parent-centric garbage.
  
  

• Overly harsh and rigid sleep regimen - (some good advice)
  By on 2000-07-23
  In this book, Dr. Weissbluth explains in detail the importance of sleep (nighttime and daytime) to a child's well being. He indicates the key mistakes parents make (primarily, keeping irregular schedules with overly long periods of wakefullness). I bought this book along with Richard Ferber's "Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems".

  Dr. Weissbluth gives very detailed instructions on getting your infant on a sleep schedule from a young age (3-4 months; possibly earlier in some babies). In some ways it simplifies things to have someone give such specific criteria to follow. However, there are some aspects of the book which particularly bothered me:

  1) It does not take into account individual differences between babies -- To me, it doesn't seem logical that all babies are going to need exactly the same pattern of sleep.

  2) Parents are instructed to let babies cry as long as it takes for them to fall asleep without intervention at night -- I agree it's important that babies learn to soothe themselves, but I MUCH prefer Dr. Ferber's program with periodic reassurance from parents (and for parents) that all is well. To let a baby cry alone for 2, 3 hours at night even if it gets the desired result of learning to sleep through the night seems cruel and selfish. In fact, Dr. Weissbluth comments on Dr. Ferber's approach saying that he is sure it could work but that it puts too much of a burden on parents to have to keep going in at periodic intervals. I think that when a baby is faced with an important but difficult lesson, parents should not feel burdened to help them through it.

  3) Dr. Weissbluth frequently comments on the "magic window" of putting a baby down for a nap, when he is tired, but not overly tired, and how parents need to adapt their schedules to their baby's needs -- I think it's absolutely correct to emphasize the importance of respecting a baby's needs, but this seems easier with an only child. We have an older daughter who has to be driven to and from school, and other classes, pets to take to the vet, doctors' appointments that need to be kept... It's not always possible to fit all of these commitments at precisely the right moments when a baby is well rested, and a nap is not being compromised. Dr. Weissbluth frowns upon naps taken in car seats, strollers, carriers etc. as not being as restful as a nap in a crib. I agree but I think reality sometimes means a nap takes place in less than ideal circumstances.

  Overall, I think the book does a good job emphasizing the importance of sleep and in outlining general patterns of sleep for children of different ages. I do not feel comfortable, however, with the methods used. I would urge anyone who would like to give their baby the opportunity to learn to soothe himself at night, to consider reading Dr. Ferber's book and at least trying his method. If teaching your baby to sleep through the night works within a framework of the parents periodically reassuring the baby (for us it worked beautifully with our older daughter, and we plan on using the same method with our baby son), surely that is preferable to success that comes with a baby crying by himself, for as long as it takes.
  
  

• Great guidance about sleep patterns, lacking in love
  By A3KE7X6T36IIKE on 2002-05-18
  Dr. Weissbluth is very motivational and really explains how sleep is important to your baby, which encouraged me to make our 9 month old's sleep a number one priority in our household.

  Dr. Weissbluth's timetable for babies over 4 months was really helpful to us when we structured our baby's activities, naps, and bedtime. Dr. Weissbluth's has some good suggestions as to when to start baby's nap and bedtime wind down time and when to arose baby from sleep in order to help establish a good sleeping pattern.

  Unfortunately, Dr. Weissbluth advocates an extreme form of the cry-it-out method, even though he claims he doesn't (which I found to be very contradicting). A variety of testimonials from parents appear in the book proclaiming that their baby fell asleep after 10 minutes of crying, or 20 minutes, or 45 minutes. The author even goes as far to imply that if your baby cries for longer than an hour that you haven't followed his program exactly, which isn't true. I followed his program exactly for one day and my baby cried for one hour at both her morning and afternoon nap time without falling asleep at all! The experience was not beneficial to her mood, my mood, or our baby-mommy relationship. I really am from the mindset that crying and screaming is a form of communication for a baby and shouldn't be ignored. I went against my instincts to follow his program because I was desperate, but found that letting my baby cry for so long was not only traumatic for both of us, it just didn't work.

  I feel that Dr. Weissbluth's method was much too rigid and extreme for my parenting style. However, I do feel that much of the information and tips in his book about timing and sleep routines are helpful when you are trying to set up a nap and bedtime sleep routine. I took the information about sleep patterns and schedules from Dr. Weissbluth's HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD and combined it with Ferber's ideas about sleep associations in SOLVE YOUR CHILD'S SLEEP PROBLEMS. I then used the easy to read and follow THE NO CRY SLEEP METHOD by Elizabeth Pantly to tailor a sleep training program that was right for both me and my baby.

  I'm happy to say that in just two days I weaned my baby from our family bed and got her to sleep through the night with only two brief night wakenings needing my attention (which is a great start for now...I'm not complaining at all). I was able to have my baby associate sleep with a "lovey" doll and blanket, not just with nursing, with only minimal crying. And when I say minimal I mean less than 2 minutes. I highly suggest that you read Elizabeth's Pantly's NO CRY SLEEP METHOD in addition to Dr. Weissbluth's book HEALTHY SLEEP HABITS, HAPPY CHILD before you subject yourself and your child to the trauma of hours of crying.
  
  

• Scare tactics and no references
  By A1CLH6TQI8DLFW on 2006-05-20
  I was hoping to learn more about children's sleep habits based on actual studies and scientific knowledge, but this book didn't reference any studies. The author is supposed to be a sleep researcher, but it's impossible to tell the difference between his opinion and fact. He insists that sleep is the most important thing, and that if your baby doesn't get enough sleep she will end up ADD, a failure in school, a miserable person, etc. Then he goes on to encourage putting your baby to sleep by any means necessary, including letting her cry for hours. But he provides no scientific evidence for any of these assertions.
  
  In one of the success stories, he quotes a woman who let her baby cry for 59 minutes, at which point the baby fell asleep and she said, "to think, I could have taken that achievement away from him." I think the idea that a baby feels any sense of achievement after being neglected for so long is insane. But even if you don't agree with me, this guy provides no evidence to back up his assertions about sleep. He's just using scare tactics to sell books. Poor sleep deprived parents, don't let this guy scare you into not responding to your babies! Responding to your children when they cry teaches them to be loving, compassionate, and responsive adults. Unless they have a true sleep disorder, they'll end up getting enough sleep over time.
  
  The only useful thing I got out of this book is that if your (very young) baby stays up for more two hours, he or she is probably overtired. I started putting my daughter down for naps every two hours or so, and she became much less fussy. But once she hit six months the two hour rule no longer seemed to apply.
  
  
  
• Flexibility and Workability
  By on 2000-08-19
  I wanted to respond to the person who reviewed this book from Calgary. I am also from Calgary. Although the quotes you mentioned from the book are acurate, the context in which you have placed them in your review are not. I am a caring mother with a 7 mth old. I bought this book when my child was 3 mths old. The reason I read the entire book was because of its flexibility. In the section 4-12 mths where he suggests starting to allow your child to cry he also points out that if you are not ready for this approach to try again later when your child is older. We followed the Dr.'s advice. I was not comfortable with allowing my child to cry. The Dr. says that sleep training does not involve crying if you time it correctly and follow the biological sleep cycles of your child. We found that this book was a happy medium between those "experts" who suggest sleeping with your child until they are 12 and the other "experts" who suggest you let your child "cry it out" at 3 wks old. You definately have to take this program and modify it for yourself. He suggests you watch your baby and do what works best for you and your family. Nothing you read can be followed straight to the letter and work for everyone. I found as a new mother I was desperate to read something that would tell me the "right" information. The fact is, you just have to find what works for you and makes you feel good about being a parent and what works for your child. I now have a little boy who sleeps 9-11, 1-3, and the entire night from 7pm to 7am. He is happy and cheerful and loves his crib and all things associated with sleeping. Just a note, in total (over the past 4 mths of doing the program) this has involved about 20 minutes of crying total (not per day, or per sleep time). You do not have to leave them to cry to have this program work for you! Congrats Dr. for a book that CAN work for everyone.
  
  
• Disgusting - I couldn't disagree with this man more
  By A3BZSRX4V8ZTOV on 2004-09-29
  This is the first online book review I have ever written.
  
  Although there is some interesting info in this book, I was so disgusted with Weissbluth's answer to a woman's question about her baby vomitng from crying (page301) that I had to WARN LOVING MOTHER'S who may be looking for a peaceful solution to their baby's sleep issues.
  
  Here is his answer: "HOWEVER, IF THE VOMINTING ALWAYS OCCURS I THINK YOU WILL WANT TO ALWAYS GO IN TO CLEAN HER PROMPTLY AND THEN LEAVE HER AGAIN. IF THE VOMITING IS IRREGULAR AND OCCASIONAL YOU SHOULD TRY WAITING UNTIL AFTER YOU THINK SHE IS DEEPLY ASLEEP BEFORE CHECKING AND THEN QUICKLY CLEAN HER IF NEEDED."
  
  ATTENTION MOM'S: Read the NO CRY SLEEP SOLUTION by Elizabeth Pantley. It makes you feel good about the peaceful approach to a peaceful nights sleep. AND IT WORKS!
  
  It doesn't feel "right" to me to make my innocent precious baby puke herself to sleep. If it doesn't feel right to you, don't do it. There are other ways.
  
  It is not your baby's fault that it doesn't know how to get to sleep on it's own. We taught them to rely on our loving touch because they needed us. Now that they are a bit older and we've run out of patience, should we throw them in there crib to figure it out for themselves or HELP tehm RELEARN to sleep on their own?
  
  I say help them relearn in a peaceful way.
  
  I am speaking on behalf of your sweet baby, please try the NO CRY SLEEP SOLUITION by Elizabeth Pantley first. Be patient. It works and your baby deserves it.
  
  PS I have NO affiliation with the NO Cry Sleep Solution except being a fan of the book.
  
  
• Sleep...at last!
  By A38PBPEYN9KO30 on 2001-01-18
  My father-in-law gave me this book two weeks after the birth of my second child. I wish I had been given it before the birth of my first! With my first child I was a die-hard advocate of Sears' attachment-style parenting. At age two-and-a-half my daughter was still nursing to sleep at naps and bedtime when our newborn son came home. Needless to say two weeks worth of trying to nurse both children, (especially difficult at bedtime), was absolutely wearing me out.

  The transition to sleeping without nursing was not an easy one for my daughter, nor was it easy for me and my husband! Our daughter cried a lot--45 minutes to five hours at the worst. However, even after crying and screaming and raging for that amount of time our daughter was still the same loving child (although a tired one for the first two weeks).

  During the first two weeks our daughter slept extremely lightly and would wake up many times during the night. Now, after using this method for seven weeks her sleep has improved dramatically. While nursing she would typically go to sleep at 10pm and would wake one or two times every night. Now she sleeps from 8pm to 7:30am, and occassionally wakes during the night, but is able to go back to sleep on her own. She also takes a one hour nap every day.

  We used a video monitor during the training so that we could see what she was doing. This made us feel much more secure in letting her cry.

  I highly recommend this book. I could have been sleeping through the night for the past two years if I had had it sooner!
  
  

• VERY POORLY WRITTEN
  By AY01UZSFY2QLS on 2004-11-19
  This is my third "Baby Sleep" book and by far the worst I have purchased. I feel that the Dr. has completely missed his audience. If you are interested in statistical sleep data and the amazing credentials of this author, by all means, purchase this book. If you are a sleep deprived parent, desperate for solutions to your baby's sleep issues, go buy another one such as The No Cry Sleep Solution.
  
  While I believe Dr. W is very knowledgable in his field, this book is so hard to follow and so full of useless statistics and scientific studies that his techniques are almost impossible to find. And with the expanded version, the editor failed to re-organize the cross refrences ("turn to page so-and-so to read more about this particular topic") so you are constantly on a wild goose chase trying to find the tables and information referenced within the text.
  
  A parent who is sleep deprived needs a book with exact techniques, solutions and action plans written clearly and easily found within the text. This book lacks all of these requirements. It is 503 pages long and I would venture to say that only about 90 of those pages are relevant to the parent looking for answers to a sleepless child.
  
  In conclusion, I appreciate all the study and work Dr. W. put into this book, but wish instead of coming out with a "new expanded edition" he would have cut out some of the irrelevant statistical mumbo-jumbo and self-stroking and gotten to the desperatly needed point of healthy sleep solutions for babies.
  
  
• Should be titled NEGLECT YOUR CHILD
  By A2ZD6WZPHE1PGE on 2006-03-08
  I find it disturbing and saddening that people would praise this book. I don't care what some parents say about Weissbluth's technique working for them; in my opinion, you are neglecting your child and ignoring your responsibilities as a parent if you let your child cry for hours, let her vomit in her crib from sobbing so hard, and lock the bedroom doors so she can't "bother" you when you decide to go to sleep. Since when did parenting become a job that ended at your bedtime? Why should your child panic and feel abandoned because you're worried about getting your own "shut-eye?" How is it healthy for a child to finally learn to fall asleep after realizing he can't rely on his parents to soothe him?
  
  I do not want to give a merely emotional response in this book review, so let me assure you that I read this book with as practical and rational a mindset as anyone else. Like most other parents who finally turned to this book, I struggled with getting my toddler to sleep at night and to sleep through the night. She would scream as if being tortured and my husband and I felt like we had no control over our lives because we were always at our daughter's call. Finally I decided to try something different and, at the urging of my sister-in-law, checked out this book. Thank God I didn't actually spend my money and buy it. Although I admire Weissbluth's factual information and am convinced that sleep deprivation is harmful to children, I find his book extremely difficult to read. One topic would be discussed on, for example, pages 27, 51, 114, and 203, forcing you to jump all over the place to gain a solid understanding of that particular issue. The only way I was able to address my issues was by opening a Word document on my computer and typing notes that I had highlighted throughout the book. In other words, Weissbluth doesn't provide cross-referencing, nor does he provide clear-cut solutions, but rather makes you work to find them. Plus, he only touches on the surface. He doesn't tell what to do when the toddler who cried for an hour before falling asleep wakes in the middle of the night crying again. He also doesn't address an issue that another reviewer brought up: How to deal with a toddler who becomes terrified of her bedroom, and especially her crib, because she associates it as the place where her parent abandons her. Also, the book is contradictory. As one reviewer pointed out, Weissbluth stresses the importance of putting a child to sleep at the same time every night, yet on another page he says parents should be flexible and put their child to bed based on the time she woke from her nap, her attitude that day, etc. What on earth?... I tried to organize his advice into an outline like I made in college, but finally I gave up. I am desperate for advice and do not have time to organize Weissbluth's book into a chart with Roman numerals and alphabetized sections so I can make some sense of his book! Who has time for that?
  
  Basically, if you want to skip past the research and know what this book suggests, I'll tell you: Let your child cry. Do not peek in on her. Do not talk to her at night. Wake her at the same time every morning, put her down for a nap at the same time every afternoon, and lay her down to sleep at the same time every evening and close the door behind you without looking back. When she cries, turn up the volume on the TV or go sit in your car and listen to the radio. Basically, Weissbluth has one goal in mind: Getting the child to sleep. Admirable, I suppose. But I would admire him much more if he would consider how much emotional and psychological damage could be done to a child whose parents never respond to her cries.
  
  So what happened with my toddler?... My husband and I tried Wiessbluth's advice. My daughter stood in her crib crying and shrieking and shaking violently all over, screaming for me and even trying to climb out of the crib. She was not misbehaving, as Weissbluth suggests. She was absolutely terrified because she was alone and didn't know where we were. After listening to her cry for some time, I (on the verge of an anxiety attack and feeling absolutely rotten) called my mother for some good old-fashioned advice. "Why on earth," she said, "are you letting your daughter cry for you? You're there to comfort her. Go do it!" It was the best advice I've ever received. I ran upstairs and held my daughter and told her, "I'm sorry," over and over again. She did not act superior because she had "won," as Weissbluth seems to think she would act. She did not try to dominate me the next day or throw endless tantrums. Nothing about her changed - but I changed. I regret ever following Weissbluth's advice. Please, don't put your child through that. The fact that you're looking for parenting advice shows that you care about your child. Find some other, more sensitive way to help her learn to sleep.
  
  
• A TRUE expert and MD/Pediatrican's expertise
  By A2X216OF4IAGYU on 2002-09-05
  Read this book regardless of what your childrearing philosophy is. Whether or not you choose to follow Dr. Weissbluth's advice, you will still gain incredible information on the physiological developments of your child. If nothing else, you will gain an understanding so that you don't need to feel guilty when your 6 week old baby suddenly changes sleeping habits (Dr. Weissbluth explains that a neurological development occurs at this stage, and can cause an abrupt change in sleeping). There are so many books about this subject out there, yet I know of no other that is written by an MD/pediatrician who has been studying infant/child sleep patterns for over 30 years. Now, that's EXPERTISE!

  People who criticize that this is about crying it out have not read this book. While he does justify that method, it is hardly necessary if you follow his advice. Namely, learn to read your child's body language and make sure he/she gets restful naps. My son goes to bed at night, awake (usually by 6:30 p.m.; Dr. Weissbluth also advocates earlier bedtime) and plays in his crib before falling asleep. I am not lying! I used to nurse him to sleep and didn't think this would be possible. But, Dr. Weissblith is also very supportive of nursing and co-sleeping (even though I have yet to hear of a SINGLE household that has a co-sleeping infant that sleeps un-interrupted through the night.) (Just my opinion)

  Read this book to gain an understanding of the importance of sleep (possible linkeage to ADD and sleep disorders) and how so many of our traditional methods (driving in car to sleep) are actualy HARMFUL to our children.

  This book makes sense, is based on hard SCIENCE (references to Harvard studies, among others), and will save you oodles of heartache; especially if you read it before your newborn is born! Teach your baby to love bedtime; you really can!
  
  

• Not exactly the kinder, gentler approach to sleep
  By A2B72F8YW9USFG on 2004-06-05
  While Dr. Weissbluth had some good tips (e.g., take a child outside in the a.m. to reset the circadian rhythm; have them nap before overtired), I disagree on certain points.

  First, I believe that letting a child cry to sleep and then, even after the child throws up, letting him or her sleep in her own vomit (after briefly ascertaining that the child is alive) is cruel. That's taking the claim that children are manipulative way too far. Secondly, my child has had pain from teething; she sleeps well when not teething and wakes at night when she is teething. If this is my invention to excuse her poor sleeping, why does she only sleep fitfully when teething? And, why does teething bother her during the day? Finally, I think letting a child fall asleep standing up in the crib crying is also cruel.

  Again, I feel there are some good facts regarding sleep as well as some good tips. Once the book began discussing leaving a child to cry, and going to such extremes as to letting a child sleep in vomit, it lost me.
  
  

• Be warned, "Cold Turkey" is NOT for everyone!
  By on 2000-09-27
  I bought this book based on the glowing reviews listed here and was disappointed. If you are currently pregnant and want to get started on Weissbluth's techniques the day you come home, his technique might work better for you. If, however, you are like most families these days and follow the advice of never letting your baby cry (if you can help it) in the first three months, and then suddenly try the "cry til they fall asleep, they will eventually" method, you might be in trouble. Weissbluth states that letting your baby cry it out is NOT the way to get your child to sleep, and then everything he says leads you to letting your baby cry it out.

  After about 4 days of trying with Weissbluth and hearing my baby cry for upwards of two hours only to quiet for about 15-45 minutes before crying again, I ran out and bought Ferber's book. Ferber started working for me in less than three days, with excellent results within a week. Weissbluth gives the Ferber method credit but says, to paraphrase, most parents get tired of counting the minutes, going in and soothing their child, and finally just go cold turkey anyway. However, I think that most parents would be glad to take the time to sooth their child, who is confused about being put down in their crib all alone and left to wonder if their parents are ever coming back! The soothing is almost more for the parents' reassurance, anyway, I think. It helped me to cope with a crying baby...I was able to see he was just fine. And your efforts wouldn't last more than a week or two before your baby figures it out.

  Weissbluth's book is also a bit confusing in that there are many questions that I found were left unanswered. There also are some areas left vague. One area is subtitled "Weeks 4 to 8" and then it goes right into "three to four months." Is my baby ready for the "three to four months" chapter techniques when he's 9, 10, 11 weeks old and by all accounts that I know, still considered a two-month old? I was very confused.

  I think the older your child is, the easier this method might be. I started at 12 weeks and tend to think I was rushing it. I backed off and am still not trying to get naps accomplished in the crib (my son is now 4 months). Weissbluth states that napping "on the move" is very bad sleep and that it should be avoided. However, if your child will only nap in the car, or in a swing, or in a baby carrier, and he won't nap when laid in his crib, what is better? A "poor quality" nap to begin with, or a "poor quality" nap immediately after he wouldn't sleep in his crib and cried for an hour and then is really exhausted (and so are you)? Please, let's get realistic.

  I did find Weissbluth's theory on sleeping to be interesting, and I am using some of the background information as a basis for how I'm doing things in my current sleep training with my son, but for a better all-around technique, read Ferber. Or better yet, read both like I did and glean what you want from each.

  Finally, try not to laugh at Weissbluth's parent stories, which I think are supposed to make you feel like you aren't alone in your sleep struggles. When you read about the woman who wonders if she is a bad parent because her baby cried for a WHOLE 15 minutes before going to sleep, and your baby is working on his second hour, you'll begin to laugh (albeit hysterically) at how easy some parents have it.

  Good luck with whatever theory you try...all sleep-deprived parents need it!
  
  

• What a relief!
  By on 2002-03-11
  Though I love the idea of attachment parenting, and have tried diligently to attend to my son's needs 24/7 for the past 13 months, I was getting wiped out. I had to face the fact that I had absolutely no time to even use the bathroom by myself, and that mothering without a break at all was causing me to be impatient, grumpy, and ill-tempered with my child and husband. I was not at all the picture of the serene, smiling, educated attachment mom that I wanted to be. So, I gave in. I bought this book on Wednesday, and it's now the following Monday. My 13-month-old son is napping calmly twice per day, and he continues to sleep through the night. Previously, his night sleep was great, but he would only nap if I would hold him, thereby immobilizing myself for one to two hour stretches, twice per day. Plus, this sort of sleep was not restorative for him.

  I give the book only 4 stars, though, because some degree of crying seems inescapable, and I wish that it weren't. At worst, however, my dear child cried for 15 minutes. Now, he doesn't cry at all, or for just a second. Can you imagine laying your child in his bed, saying "sweet dreams, little one," and closing the door without a fuss? Plus, Dr. Weissbluth helped me to differentiate between crying for needs and "protest crying." He doesn't advocate sending the child to bed when he's not tired, and having him cry until he's so exhausted he falls asleep. This is important. Best of all, I am recharged and ready to play with my son, read to him, cook for him, take him visiting and to the park... previously, I was just too exhausted to do this stuff cheerfully or well!

  Dr. Weissbluth's method stresses flexibility, and he gives many options. There are concessions made for co-sleeping mother-child pairs, as well as moms who would like to nurse their child to sleep. He understands that all children (and parents!) are unique, and his book can help all types of families to better enjoy their time together. WHAT A RELIEF!
  
  

• For those who are serious about raising a child
  By A361XRMQZ2DVU9 on 2000-04-04
  Over a year after picking up Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child I'm writing back to endorse Dr. Weissbluth and his book. I find it interesting to read through the other reviews here and contrast our own experience with the many positive and few negative experiences. For those considering adopting Dr. Weissbluth's methods I offer the following. Our daughter is one of the most happy, well adjusted, and pleasant children I have ever seen. We have received constant compliments since she was very young about how alert she is, as well as how she is always smiling. She has been well ahead of the averages in just about every developmental category (coordination, verbalization, etc.). She has slept regularly through the night during the vast majority of her first year and maintains the schedules outlined in the book. While both my wife and I like to attribute all of this to good genetics, we know a big part of her disposition and development is that she is well rested, and that makes everything else fall into place. This stands in stark contrast to the majority of babies we see who usually appear lethargic in contrast, often looking around with a dull stare without interacting with their surroundings.

  The past year has not been without challenges. Early on it took a rough three nights to get her sleeping through the night (meaning 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep). She did this at eight weeks, and my wife was crying along with her; feeling guilty and hurt but unwilling to turn off the baby monitor. On several occasions when travel or illness interrupted the schedule we had to go through the cycle again, though with each cycle she had an easier time getting back on schedule. The effects of not getting enough sleep are obvious; she gets passive, cranky, and is visibly not herself. At one year of age she has no problem sleeping a straight 12 hours each night (7pm-7am) plus 2 naps each day (1-2 hours each). Again, we have to be conscious of her schedule and plan our activities around those times. Following the schedule is a decision we have made and are fortunate to (for the most part) be able to accommodate. None of this is cruel, harsh, or about abandoning your child. It is about being the adult in the relationship; planning and caring for your child not just for today but for the future. Raising a child is not as simple as reading an instruction manual or cooking from a recipe so expecting exact step by step instructions is not reasonable, but the book has more than enough guidelines to get you there.

  We are also fortunate enough to have Dr. Weissbluth as our pediatrician and I can tell you that he is easily the nicest, most gentle and understanding doctor in the world. The dictionary should have his picture next to the word `Grandfather'. Dr. Weissbluth's warmth and understanding have been especially important to my wife who has been the one to really put his teachings to the test.

  One last note - we get the occasional "you are really lucky" comment. We don't buy it for a minute. Our daughter is a terrific little girl because we consciously work at it and follow the guidelines in the book. The last thing any new parent needs is yet another piece of advice (you get it from everyone, right?), but do yourself a favor and check out this book.
  
  

• An Excellent Resource for Parents
  By on 2001-01-19
  I bought this book while I was still pregnant and found the author's advice made sense to me. Unlike the very strict "Babywise" and its opposite, the Attachment Parenting approach, this author backs up his advice with numerous scientific studies regarding children and sleep. I began to understand the importance of sleep for my child and vowed to follow the book's guidelines. I found it difficult to let my child "cry it out" and took Ferber's recommendation and calmed my son in his crib after 5 minutes. I only needed to do this a couple of times, though, and my 13-week-old son now sleeps 8-9 hours consistently (in addition to 2 long naps a day). This book contains excellent explanations of the following: the importance of sleep, the physical development of your child and how it relates to sleep, and how to foster good sleep habits. I highly recommend this book.
  
  

• Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

• The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
• The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer
• Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition
• Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
• The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD)