|
|
 - A Great Sleeping ToolThank you Dr. Sears! My son and I (and husband too) are all sleeping better. I took his advice and started napping with my son (he has plenty of other suggestions, but this was most fitting for us). It took awhile, but he now naps on his own and doesn't wake up at 30 minutes like he used to. I miss my naps a little, so we still co-nap on occassion...but now I can do laundry, dishes, email, etc. while he sleeps if I want to. YAY! My husband read the section on co-sleeping and decided it was something we should do...I didn't need any convincing...we're all sleeping together and waking up well rested! Rating:  - On the Fence...I have very mixed feelings about this book, especially since I have had it for about a year, am 25 weeks pregnant with #2, and have a 19 month old who STILL wakes up multiple times per night. Since Emma came home from the hospital, she was pretty clear that she was going to be difficult about sleep, so it was easy for me, naive and worried about EVERYTHING, to fall into Dr. Sears AP approach to nighttime parenting. I took on the sole responsiblity of parenting her to sleep b/c I honestly believed I was the only one who could. She was breastfed, and while I think it is impractical to try not to let a breastfeeding baby fall asleep at the breast, I definitely think that we could have modified our methods to allow more Dad interaction. Some of the reviewers have said basically that this is a mom-centered book but that isn't entirely the case. He does have a whole chapter on dads and how they can get involved at night and with sleep. I just didn't want to let her cry at ALL and being with Dad made her cry. In the early days, when babies wake up all night, co-sleeping did seem to help with sleep deprivation, but I wish that I had been more adamant about her sleeping by herself sooner. I have a book on breastfeeding by Janet Tamaro, and she makes the point in the section about sleep/nighttime that any habit can be broken, but it will take time. The naptime strategies help; I do have a very good napper. Her nighttime habits just haven't really matured. And I do respect the fact that children sleep differently, but I need help, not someone to tell me that over and over. The Drs. Sears do say that if something isn't working for you it needs to be fixed, but I wish there were more solutions instead of what seem to be general suggestions. Okay, I now have Dr. Weissbluth's "Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child," and Emma now sleeps through the night (11-12 hours) with not a peep out of her. I totally recommend his book. It took three days and she was sleeping like she NEEDS to. Cheers!! Rating:  - Found this book very usefullI was very against putting my baby asleep using the 'cry it out' method. This book justified my beliefs and gave very good reasons why that method is not effective. It gives good tips on getting baby to sleep on their own without causing them undo distress. I was able to take what I could use from this book and use if effectively on my son. Rating:  - worthlessI wouldn't give this book one star if I didn't have to! Don't buy this book if you have other Dr.Sears books. All he does is repeat the same info over and over again. Plus, his viewpoint is based on just that: his point of view. No research on infant sleep patterns, nothing. It's pure fluff and nonsense. Claiming that you are damaging your baby by letting him/her cry it out is also irresponsible. He compares our industrialized society with societies that are less industrially developed placing too much value on how these people parent their children without focusing on the fact that if these people had the means, they would live like we do, too, and would probably end up parenting their children like we do, too. Or does he truly endorse that parents and children sleep in the same room for years and years? Come on! Sears' book doesn't help and only exhausts the parents, especially the mother. If you are interested in infant sleep, read "Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. He at least knows what he is talking about, and bases his book on scientific research. Plus, he has some REAL solutions, not just opinions. Rating: - The Baby Sleep Book: The Complete Guide to a Good Night's Rest for the Whole Family IT WORKS! It took a few days but my 4 month old has been sleeping through the night for a month now (with a few nights when he was sick or going through a growth spurt and needed feedings) I HIGHLY recommend this!
|
