Trust your instincts!
I purchased this book when my twins were 4 months old...ready to explore the world of independent sleeping on my own. Being new to parenting and exhausted, we were ready to make some changes. When I read Pantley's book I was so relieved to find some great suggestions that felt so natural and intuitive. With my son (the colicky one) the techniques were working perfectly. After a few days he was learning to lay in his crib and wriggle himself happily to sleep. At the same time his twin sister (the peaceful one)suddenly changed from a baby that never cried to being unable to sleep longer than 30 minutes (naps) and would wake up screaming. She would only fall asleep nursing, and would wake instantly when laid in the crib. It would sometimes take over an hour to put her down and then she would only sleep 45 minutes(at night) at the longest. Most nights her screaming lasted for an hour. Talk about being exhausted! She also went from being heavier to gradually slowing in her growth and sometimes I had to struggle to get her to eat at all. My instinct said there was something wrong, but not even my pediatrician would listen. Of course everyone said she was manipulating me and I just had to let her cry it out. I'm so glad I had read Pantley's book. It gave me the strength to ignore everyone and listen to my instincts. We looked into every avenue of possible problems and when she was just over a year old we found out she was milk intolerant and also fluoride intolerant. Overnight she was a different baby. She started sleeping for two hours at a time!
Her path to sleeping better was patchier since she had a year of terrible sleep patterns to recover from. But today at two years old she and her brother lay in their beds and fall asleep to a lullaby and sleep almost through the night. She still isn't a "perfect" sleeper, but I am so proud that I didn't let her down or destroy her trust in me. I listened when she cried and fixed the problem. Not every child will experience this extreme situation, but even teething is enough to disrupt a childs sleep. Being in tune with your child will be a far greater asset than an infant traumatized into sleeping. I recommend this book, not just beacuase of the great tips on improving sleep patterns, but because it will teach you to be an advocate for your child.
What a sleep saver!
This is such a great help to all mother's out there who don't feel that letting their babies cry themselves to sleep is admiral option. It shouldn't be an option at all, and this book agrees! It helped me understand her sleeping patterns, and to help my princess through them. I have told every mother I can about this book. It's not only for mother's who are having problems with their children not sleeping, it's for all mother's to better understand their children's needs. I LOVE this book!
Thank God for this book
I was so thankful when I read this book. If nothing else it made me feel relief that I was not alone in having a child that was not a good sleeper and not alone in being a parent that did not want to let my son "cry it out" as everyone was telling me. I implemented some of Elizabeth's ideas and immediatly my son slept better. It also enlightened me to many reality's that I did not know and so changed my pserspective on the whole problem. Thanks Elizabeth!
A practical guide to more sleep for you AND baby
I truly enjoyed reading this book; it includes a ton of practical tips and tricks that actually work! I've used it both for my toddler as well as my baby and had excellent results.
Elizabeth Pantley's style is easy-going yet precise; reading her book was actually fun and entertaining, which definitely helped in understanding the concepts Ms. Pantley discussed.
What I most liked about the book was the fact that it all seemed so common sense; sometimes we just need to be reminded of some of life's most basic principles and apply them to the areas we have difficulties with, in this case sleep.
This was the first of Ms. Pantley's books I read, and I was so intrigued by her writing that I bought all of her other work as well. If you want to become the best parent you can possibly be, read her books and apply them to your life! You will be amazed by the results you can achieve!
Helpful for mom of twins
Lots of good ideas for new moms. I haven't read the book, but got it for my daughter who has 4 month old twins. Obviously, she can use all the help she can get. =)
(713 reviews)
