Customer Reviews

The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night: Foreword by William Sears, M.D.

5 star:		(271)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

A great book for both preventing sleep problems, and finding realistic solutions to existing ones. The book has one section for newborn babies, birth to four-months, and one for older children. For the reviewer concerned about the cover photo of a child sleeping on a pillow, the book begins with a section devoted to safety including the dangers of pillows, blankets and many other things.

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.

The No Cry Sleep Solution is the best book on the topic of helping your child to sleep that I have read to date. It answered many of my questions and concerns about infant sleep habits and gave me clear and practical guidelines for helping my daughter sleep. Now she naps better, sleeps better throughout the night, and bedtime is a relaxed and cozy time for us. This book is perfect for parents who do not want to sleep train their children through cry-it-out methods. It offers gentle, sensible guidlines to ease your baby or toddler into better sleep associations. It is well written, clear, and has a loving attitude. It is a big relief after books written by so called "Sleep Experts." It is a must have for anyone struggling with sleep issues.

I was desperate and this book saved me. My 15 month old was waking up every 2 hours every single night. He wouldn't nap more than 20 minutes. I was seriously sleep-deprived.

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

Sound advice for desperate parents who are considering letting their baby cry it out because they have no other answers. The other answers are in this book, with helpful worksheets at the end. Calm, encouraging tone and clearly described how-tos will allow exhausted, vulnerable parents to take charge of their family direction again, without compromising their basic principles.

I could type that word forever. I am a mom who loves and respects her child. I have realized from the beginning that my son cries for a reason. I have done my best to address his needs immediately.

However, when it comes to sleep I have been at my wits end from day one. My son could never get past 20 minutes with his naps. He has always started screaming at this point. Other books address that this is "normal", as some babies have a hard time transitioning from light sleep to deep sleep. They will eventually learn to transition...WHEN???? At 17 months, I was still holding my son so he would sleep through a nap. I needed some time to myself. I was trapped.

I read Elizabeth's book and was so relieved to read that there are ways to help your child transition to deep sleep. I didn't have to hold him all day. We are one week into the program and my son is taking two 1 - 2 hour naps a day!!! I still have to pat him during certain intervals, but he stays asleep. He doesn't wake up crying anymore. He actually makes a happy noise when he's ready to get out of bed!!!

Next phase it to get him to fall asleep on his own!

Get this book tired mamma and daddy. You'll be glad you did.

I was hoping to find some real concrete advise on getting my 7 mo old daughter to sleep, but it didn't pan out. The entire approach is based on examining and setting up routines, unfortunately, that was not part of our problem. I tried all of the methods outlined and my daughter is still in our bed for the bulk of the night. I will have to do the "cry it out" thing anyway, just with a lighter pocketbook!

How many people have asked you 'Is your baby sleeping through the night'? and then followed it up with 'Well, you just have to let them cry-it-out (CIO).' I heard this constantly and even a person just suggesting that I let my little baby CIO made my heart hurt. I knew I would never, could never, do this to my child. And you know what, I didn't have to...and neither do you.
When you sit down to read this book, Elizabeth becomes your friend instantly. It's a page turner! Her writing style feels like a big hug from a mom who has been exactly where you are right now. And the best part. Not only do feel like you are commiserating with another mother in the same boat as you, you see that the there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Elizabeth will get you to that light. There are many books out there that try to fit all babies into one mold by having strict schedules and make parents feel like they need to be in control. As you have learned with your child(ren) this simply is not true. Not all babies respond to the same methods. Elizabeth presents methods for all types of families and their parenting styles. She respects you. Whether you are breast or bottle feeding, have a crib sleeper or you co-sleep, or if you're just trying to get rid of the pacifier, it doesn't matter; there are options for everyone - and they WORK. When I read this book my baby was waking so often I couldn't even count. I was at my rope's end. Elizabeth has you log night wakings, and when I counted 13 (not a typo) times in a 12-hour period, I knew I needed some serious help. With Elizabeth's method's, we got down to 3 wakings, then 2, which is fine with me as a nursing mother. Trust your instincts. Following your baby's cues will build a wonderful trust between you and your child. Parenting is a 24-hour job. A baby does not understand why, just because it's 3 a.m., he can't receive the love and attention that he gets from you at 3 p.m. A clock should not dictate when we give our all to our children. Show your child that he can trust that you are there for him, and that he can be helped to go to sleep in a warm, loving, safe environment, without being left to cry or wondering why he can't be with you. Elizabeth's book will help you do just this.

Before I began to follow the advice from the No-Cry Sleep Solution I was at the end of my rope. I was exhausted beyond belief. I had not a single night of uninterrupted sleep for more than a year and the effects of fatigue and stress were abundant and obvious. Advice was streaming in from friends and family. It seemed everyone knew just what to do to get my sweet little girl to sleep. But the #1 suggestion was to ignore her cries...something I could never do.

It was then that I discovered Elizabeth Pantley's gentle sleep suggestions. Shortly after I started her method, I began to see improvements in my daughter's sleep. It wasn't long before she slept through the night completely. By completely I mean an average of 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep! I was elated, and still am! Now when I tell people that my daughter not only naps for 2 hours in the afternoon, but sleeps 12 hours straight at night, they are amazed. Some people are in disbelief. But it's true and has been for about a year now.

Her book is a quick read and is easy to follow...necessities for us sleep deprived moms! There is no one easy solution, of course, but this book helps you find a peaceful solution to sleepless nights for YOU AND YOUR BABY!!!

FINALLY, a book that makes sense to sleep-deprived people! I always thought there were only three options when it came to sleeping with a baby in the house: 1) You just get lucky and have a natural-born sleeper; 2) You can let them cry it out; or 3) You can just deal with the constant night waking.

Thanks to Elizabeth Pantley, I realized there is a gentle, loving way to teach my daughter to sleep without a single tear! After a few nights of following our sleep plan, my daughter started sleeping through the night. This was accomplished without ONE single tear!!!!

Unlike in other books, there is no strict format to follow. You can adapt the ideas to fit your child and at your own pace. No more feeling guilty for not just letting her cry it out and being tired all the time. No more guilt about not following the very rigid programs in some other "sleep books."

Thanks for all the sweet dreams, Elizabeth!

My 23-month-old (still breastfed) son has just now started sleeping through from 8:30 pm to 7 am, every night. He's sleeping well because he's happy, comforted, comfortable, and secure - not out of exhaustion & frustration. We never did "let him cry it out", and were convinced there had to be a gentle, loving way to help him learn to sleep well - there is, and this book shows you how. I think this book has a lot to offer every sleep-deprived parent - co-sleeping or not, breast or bottle-fed - without making value judgements.

I can't say enough about the "No-cry sleep solution". I'm certain that I'd still be waking up 4-5 times a night with my son now (as I did for the first 20 months of his life) if it weren't for this book (the original or "toddler" version - I've read both). If you're looking for a loving & gentle alternative to chronic sleep-deprivation of the worst order, without any crying (for you or your child), this book is a great choice.

This book was recommended to me by an expert board-certified lactation consultant who I know & trust very well. She specifically commented that this book is compatible/realistic in expectations regarding breastfed babies, where she didn't feel that some other books, like "Baby Whisperer" are (and I agree with her on that).

Just to show how far we've come in three months, thanks to this book: I'm still breastfeeding my son, just not during the night. He understands this, and is OK with it (he says "Milk in the morning" with a smile as we get him ready for bed in the evening). After we finish cuddling & reading in the evening, he *asks* to go into his bed, where he clearly feels cozy and happy. He asks to hold hands with me for just a few minutes, then he lets go (while still awake), and I sit with him until he falls asleep, usually 10 minutes or so. He's asleep by 8:30 pm, and wakes up at 7 am, calling out "Mummy? Good morning Mummy!", rested and smiling (he *always* used to wake up crying, and was still quite obviously tired, but I think he just didn't know how to go back to sleep). We cuddle & he nurses first thing when he wakes up, and then we're ready to start the day. Now I'm sleeping enough that I can even get up and - gasp - have a shower and be dressed before he wakes up, so our morning routine to get out of the house is a lot faster & easier. And my husband and I are back in our own bed together, yay! I'm a much nicer & more patient Mummy with a decent night's sleep, and my son is very happy & well-rested now too.