Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child [Paperback]

However, be prepared for a long, cumbersome read. Like many other reviewers have stated, this book needs some good editing. It is difficult to understand in parts, contradictory at times, and just an overall boring read! Difficult to get through the whole thing when you're a tired mom!

Despite all that, I'd still consider the book worth buying. But for those of you who just want to get to the facts and solutions, and only have a couple of hours to spend reading, there is an even better book out there. It's called the Sleep Sense Program, by Dana Obleman. You can order it at wwww.sleepsense.net

We were following Healthy Sleep Habits to the letter, but our son was still not sleeping through the night consistently. When we came across Sleep Sense, we quickly ordered the book and devoured it. We found that Dana's techniques were very similar to Mark Weissbluth's. The difference we found in Dana's book was removing the soother from our son's bedtime routine. As soon as we did that, no more night wakings!

If you have to pick one book, I'd pick Sleep Sense for its quick, no-nonsense read, easy to implement, effective tips as well as the extras it comes with (workbook, electronic sleep log and audio interview with Dana). But if you really want to get in-depth and truly understand how children sleep, what causes sleep problems, different types of sleep problems and how to fix them - Healthy Sleep Habits is the book for you. Personally, I'm glad I have both, and refer back to them whenever my son enters a new sleep pattern.

At six weeks of age I began introducing a schedule for my daughter, and it worked. I had a fabulous, happy, well-rested baby who at 6 months began to sleep throught the night (7pm-7am). She is now 5 years old and still does. What is more, her younger brother (now 2 years old) has the same sleep habits - despite being a VERY different person. He is much more stubborn and strong-willed than my daughter and was a much more challenging baby. The techniques worked on him too.

So many friends gape in disbelief when they witness our early bedtimes, and the lack of hassle with which my children go to sleep. The fact that my husband and I can enjoy nuturing our own relationship in the evenings while the kids are in bed is very important to our growth and commitment as a couple.

Do everyone in your family a favour and read this book. Don't feel the need to read it cover to cover - hit the points that are pertinent to your own child's age and situation. I still refer to mine as my kids grow. It not only helps your children be healthy, it helps you maintain some time for yourself. If the parents are not happy, healthy and well-rested then the kiddies won't be either.

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.