Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
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Book Reviews of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Book Review: This book has worked 10 times over!
Summary: 5 Stars
A friend of mine gave me this book 8 years ago when my first daughter was born. She called it her "sleep bible." I applied the principles taught in the book, (although the first few days I admit I was wimpy in letting my baby cry) and by the time she was 5 months old she slept from 7:30pm to 6:30am and took two 2-3 hour naps a day. She was (and still is) a very contented and happy child.Meanwhile, my friends were asking me how I could get my daughter to take such good naps and sleep through the night. So I started loaning my book out. Since then, I have loaned it out 7 times with positive results every time. When my best friend came to visit she brought her year-old son with her. She had to hold him to sleep for naps and bedtime (which was whenever she went to bed - 10 or 11pm.) He also had never slept in his own bed. He whined every time she put him down. I told her he was going to "sleep camp!" We put him to bed at 7:30 and left him with my husband. My friend fretted and worried while we went shopping. Finally, I let her call after 45 minutes. My husband laughed and said, "He cried for 45 minutes and then went to sleep." By the time she left, he was taking two naps a day and sleeping from 7:30pm - 8:30am. He would let me hold him, and play on the floor without whining. It was an astonishing change of behavior!
I have had two more children since I used this book with my first daughter. And although the second one was colicky, we were still able to help her to sleep through the night. My third one is 7 months old and is very tenacious, but as I write, he is taking a nice, long afternoon nap and when he wakes up he will be happy and ready to play!
If you are thinking of buying this book, take the one-star reviews with a grain of salt. Obviously, not everyone will agree with letting a baby cry it out. But there are over 300 reviews on this book, most of which are 5 stars. My experience has been that if you follow the principles (even if you fudge a little, as I did) you will have a happy, rested child!
Book Review: read this book -- real expertise without an agenda!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is such a wonderful book. I have read it multiple times and have purchased it for so many friends. I have followed Dr. W's advice with both of my daugthers -- one is now 28 months old, the other 8 months old. They both sleep so well. They take long 2-3 hour naps and sleep 12-13 hours a night. Who knew that children actually need to sleep this much?! I know that some people are uncomfortable with the idea of their child crying, but if they follow Dr. W's methods there are fewer tears overall, and often there is no crying at all! In fact, if you follow the advice in this book, you will see fewer tears, less fussiness, fewer discipline problems, a better disposition and attention span -- all because your child is getting the sleep she needs. The greatest thing is that Dr. W doesn't have an agenda or some specific child-rearing "philosophy" he is trying to push. He is simply an absolute expert on the biological sleep needs of children. Other people will tell you to impose all kinds of harsh and arbitrary feeding and sleeping schedules on your child in the name of trying to get her to sleep through the night as soon as possible. Others will make you feel guilty and claim you aren't sufficiently "attached" to your child if you don't attend to every cry of protest when nap time comes. Dr. W, on the other hand, gives advice based on his expertise as a medical researcher and practicioner and father, and his only goal is that you and your children get the rest they need in a manner appropriate to their age. He knows that one of the most important life skills your child needs to learn is how to fall asleep and stay asleep. He tells you what you need to know to make sure your child learns how to sleep well. My kids go to bed so early people can't believe they sleep until morning. They are also amazed at how "calm" and sweet my 2 year old is. Bedtime is a peaceful transition in my house, my husband and I have quiet evenings together and both of my children are well-rested and happy. I owe so much of that to Dr. W!!Book Review: THE BEST BABY SLEEP BOOK ON THE MARKET
Summary: 5 Stars
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.Book Review: This book works, if you follow its advice
Summary: 5 Stars
This book works. I have two children, and started using Weissbluth's techniques when my oldest (now 3) was about 5 months old. Within three nights she was sleeping through the night, from 8PM to 8AM. My son is now 5 months old, and he has been sleeping solidly for 12 hours a night since he was 3 months old, thanks to Weissbluth's techniques. I personally know of a dozen children who sleep 12 hours a night, plus naps, after implementing Weissbluth's recommendations.
This book DOES recommend letting your kids "Cry it out", crying themselves to sleep. Every parent I know who has used his techniques has children that sleep well, and the entire family is happier, as a result. Every parent I know that does not allow their kids to learn how to self-soothe (which is what happens when they realize that you aren't coming in to feed them again, or rock them, or pop a pacifier in their mouths), have children who are waking up 2-3 times a night, throughout their early childhoods (we're talking 3, 4 and 5 year-olds not sleeping through the night).
It is worth three or four nights of sitting outside your child's door, listening to them cry, to enjoy months and years of solid sleep for your entire family. Learning to disengage from the world and fall asleep is a skill that needs to be learned, and Weissbluth gives parents the ammunition they need to overcome their natural emotions (wanting to soothe their children the moment they start to cry), and realize they are teaching their children an important life-skill.
My son cried for 45 minutes the first night, 20 minutes the second night, and 2 minutes the third. He does not cry when I put him in bed now, unless he is overtired. My daughter always cried for 5 minutes or so, but then would sleep solidly through the night.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Buy it. Read it. Use it. And enjoy a good night's sleep (except for nights that involve teething and sickness...sleep just doesn't happen on most of those evenings!)
Book Review: Do Yourself a Favor and BUY this book
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a new mom, and my baby was born 2/17 so she is now about 4.5 months old. She takes three naps a day (lately though, just morning and afternoon, late afternoon nap is disappearing JUST as Dr. Weissbluth predicted!) and she goes to sleep around 7 PM and wakes up at 6:00 AM SMILING and is VERY happy all day! She started sleeping through the night around 3 months.
EVERYTHING Dr. Weissbluth has said about infant sleep has COME TRUE and we have followed his plans to the letter. It's not a "fixed" plan, but has some general observations for "easy" as well as "colicky" babies. If you follow them, I promise you will SUCCEED!
Especially important is the "two hour window" of wakefulness from infants and WATCHING for sleepy signs before meltdowns can occur. When she doesn't get naps due to a special event (which he understands can happen) she gets crabby and whiny.. so basically, our life is around HER nap times, not what is convenient for us. We respect her body's need for sleep and hope we are starting a life of good habits for sleeping.
BTW: He doesn't condone "cry it out" only. What he realizes is that most parents don't have the strength to do it "gradually" and will give in. "Extinction" or "CIO" is the best answer to train your child that nighttime is for sleeping, not playing. Helping him or her to SELF-SOOTHE back to sleep is the best gift you can give your child. We also always put her down drowsy but awake so she learned to fall asleep that way. She wakes up for feedings at 2 or 3 AM, and i promptly respond. but those are very different cries than the 9 or 10 PM "play with me" cry!
He debunks "attachment" parenting with rational arguments and clear science.
Don't suffer needlessly. Get a highlighter, take notes and refer to this book as your baby grows to teen years. As a rested child, your child will have better memory skills, and better attention skills. A study out today is looking at disrupted sleep as a possible cause of ADHD/ADD.