Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition

Great book. Worked like a charm.
I bought this book months ago but held off writing this review until we actually used the “method.” First, a bit about the book as a whole: I truly loved it. You’ll learn all about sleep from infancy through adulthood. Sure, it’s not a quick read if you’re a sleep-deprived parent and you could easily save time and money by googling the basics. But the information in the book has, in my mind, three benefits: First, some of it is just interesting. Second, it goes beyond infant sleep problems and gives you background that you can use for sleep success and troubleshooting as your child grows. Third and most importantly, the background provides context to what you’re doing; if you actually read the book, you’ll understand the logic behind the steps you’re taking, which helps when the going gets tough. Ferber’s tone is informative, sensible, and compassionate. The book is, ultimately, empowering. He points out that babies and toddlers don’t know what’s best for themselves; deciding and doing what’s best for them is your job as a parent. That was powerful to me as a new mom. If, like I did, you come to the conclusion that sleeping through the night is in your child’s and your family’s best interest, odds are this book will enable you to make it happen.Now the important part: It worked. My daughter’s sleep was all over the place. We gave her time to work things out on her own, but she never did and so we began sleep training at six months. Like most, I worried graduated extinction wouldn’t work and we’d be putting our daughter and ourselves through this mini ordeal for nothing. I was wrong. It took three nights, and the only truly bad one was the first (she was already able to put herself to sleep so might have taken to it somewhat quickly). In the weeks since sleep training, she’s consistently slept about 10.5 hours per night and most nights drifts off without a whimper. The only “issue” she’s had since was waking extra early the first few days and needing a nap not long after but book gave me the background I needed to address this small issue as well.I have no philosophical objection to allowing a baby to cry for this purpose and know that it doesn’t cause long term harm, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard and that you won’t question yourself. I’ll just say that reading Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems mentally prepared me for it and will help if you, understandably, are hesitant. I was, but now that our whole family is getting the sleep we need and I have a baby who smiles and coos most nights as I lay her down, I’m completely sold on Ferber.2022 edit: I still love this book. We took the same approach with my son, albeit a few weeks earlier since it had gone so smoothly with my daughter at age 6 months. He protested A LOT more and took more than 3/4 days to consistently start sleeping through the night. It was hard. Still, by 6 months he was sleeping well consistently, and by 10 months he stopped waking up before 6. Anyways, that was all a year ago and he’s sleeping nicely as he reaches 18 months. I’ve also found myself referring to the book a lot more for the older kid issues it devotes most of its pages to–confusional wakings, protesting at bedtime, room sharing, etc… It always comes in handy.The book isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (though I maintain it will WORK, literally, for just about everyone who sticks with it) but I am so grateful for it. Do I think our kids might have started sleeping on their own eventually if left to their own devices? Sure, I guess (emphasis on eventually). But I’m really glad we were able to set them on a good path in their sleep from an early age, allowing us to better enjoy our waking hours as a family.

Che dire, a nessuno piace sentire il proprio figlio piangere, la prima notte specialmente è stata durissima e dopo 3 ore di strilli ho pianto pure io e abbiamo ceduto…ma dalla seconda notte è andata sempre meglio e ora, alla quinta notte, il bimbo quasi non protesta più quando viene messo nel lettino e dorme anche 7 ore di fila! Eravamo arrivati allo stremo, nostro figlio di 6 mesi si svegliava ogni ora di notte, e per rilassarlo e farlo addormentate funzionava SOLO il seno..appena si addormentava, se cercavo di staccarlo e spostarmi si svegliava e dovevo ricominiciare…di giorno zero voglia di giocare o uscire in passeggiata o fare altro..non dormivamo noi, ma non riposava bene nemmeno lui! Il libro mi è stato utile anche per rendermi conto che la situazione stava degenerando anche per la sua salute ( non stava dormendo abbastanza, stava mangiando troppo di notte, stimolando così la digestione, la fame notturna, la diuresi notturna ecc)….di giorno faceva lo stesso con i pisolini…credo che prima di giudicare il metodo come “estremo” vada presa in considerazione la situazione generale, mettendo i pro e i contro sul piatto della bilancia… meglio qualche notte di strilli per trovare un equilibrio o mesi e mesi e mesi di clima teso in famiglia? A noi sembrava che la situazione stesse peggiorando ogni notte di più, altro che “è un periodo, passerà!”…. comunque andarlo a consolare ad intervalli trovo sia più sensato ed accettabile del cosidetto “cry it out”, il bimbo non si sente proprio abbandonato ma protesta per il cambiamento, nell’ unico modo in cui è capace…ma loro si adattano velocemente alle novitá..io non sopportavo più la situazione, mi sentivo sempre meno lucida e mi sono decisa … inoltre ho pensato che, se non lo avessi abituato a dormire in un altro modo, avrebbe comunque pianto con l’inizio dell’asilo nido al mio ritorno al lavoro (mica la maestra può dargli il seno per i pisolini!)….Adesso dormiamo tutti di più e il tempo che passiamo insieme è di miglior qualità !

Leitura fluida. Fantástica explicação sobre a importância e o funcionamento do sono do bebê. Repleto de exemplos e estatísticas confiáveis sobre sono. Lí quatro livros sobre o tema, enquanto minha filha tirava sonecas. Esse é o mais claro, bem fundamentado deles. Diferente do que alguns dizem, o autor é altamente sensível e de jeito nenhum sugere que você simplesmente deixe o seu filho chorando. É uma leitura obrigatória para futuros pais de primeira viagem. Bebês precisam dormir! Famílias precisam dormir! E pais podem ensinar e orientar seu bebê a dormir desde o começo.