The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night [Paperback]

The author is sensitive both to parents who co-sleep, and those who use a crib in a non-judgemental way. She gives good advice for both without being preachy. The book is written in a very honest compassionate way, from the authors own sleepless experience, and that of many others she has helped. She has conducted much personal research prior to writing this book, including a test group of sixty families with sleepless children. As the title states, this is NOT a book about letting a child "Cry it Out". It is not a specific program but a collection of sound advice and ideas which are sure to help. Parents are also taught to have realistic expectations for the childs age, and how to determine if there is a problem or not.
I'm sure there are more indepth books on sleep available, but this one was concise and suited our situation nicely.

I let my first baby cry it out 4 years ago - it took 5 weeks and she would cry for hours at a time, and I cried too. And then we had to do it over again after teething or a cold or a vacation. I still regret it, but back then I didn't think I had any other choice. But now there was no way I would go through that torture again, so I suffered through 15 months of sleeplessness instead.

A friend gave me The No Cry Sleep Solution 4 weeks ago and we have made incredible progress! My baby falls asleep so much easier and wakes up only once. He takes a 2-hour nap, too.

I love that this book doesn't assume that all babies - or all parents - are alike. It gives a tremendous variety of ideas to choose from. It covers every possible aspect of baby sleep - from routines, to habits, to the sleep environment, to creating sleep-cues, to reading your baby's sleepy signals.

The chapter on Basic Sleep Facts taught me all I needed to know about my baby's sleep problems, without being overly long or technical. I like that the reader creates a personal sleep plan from the many ideas in the book, and I like that the author doesn't dictate one right way. You can be a co-sleeper or a crib-sleeper, a breastfeeder or a bottle feeder, use a pacifier or not - she respects all your choices and gives you ideas to work within the range of your own comfort zone.

The tone is compassionate and caring, like reading a letter from a kind and wise friend. I plan to give this book as a shower gift and new baby gift every chance I get. No one should suffer through sleepless nights OR crying it out - this book is the absolute answer to gentle baby sleep -- and better mommy and daddy sleep, too. (There's even a chapter on how adults can get better sleep too.)

If your baby is keeping you up at night this is the smartest [money] you could ever spend. ZZZZZZZZ