Sleep books

I want to get a book or two to read about sleep training, etc. Babies are 4 mo (1.5 adjusted, but are beyond their adjusted age). I've been reading about the Sleep Lady, Weisbluth and Ferber. Which did you use and why? What did you like/not like?

Thanks!

 

I read the Baby Whisperer when I was preg with my singleton and I thought it was a great concept except that everytime she nursed she would fall asleep and that was contrary to the whole eat, activity, sleep, you plan so I figure the twins would be much of the same and they were. They were not breastfeed for long but even on the bottle, they would fall asleep. So I read Weisbluth as a recommendation from Moms on this list and I liked his approach and knowledge and it seemed to work even with twins. Ours were 2 months early so it really put some perspective on the brain development for sleep and that they would take their own time to catch up in the sleep area and boy did they. I still go back a read and re-read all the time so that is my recommendation.

 

Back when I was pregnant, the book by Weisbluth was
THE highest recommended, so it was the one I chose
to read first.

I like his approach to sleep (sleep begets sleep) and really
used his guidance in learning how to recognize my
sons "sleepy cues" and when to lay them down.

They learned to put themselves to sleep as I
put them down awake, like Weisbluth recommends.

I was comfortable with his suggestions, so I did
not read any other books related to the topic.

 

We did HSHHC as well since Weissbluth is / was our pediatrician (we're moving back to Europe this week). I like his approach, he's a nice person and it has worked really well for all 3 kids. I highly recommend it.

 

I like HSHHC the best.

I have a few quibbles with it, so I'll get them out of the way first:

- some factually erroneous statements about breastfeeding
- too much emphasis on a by-the-clock nap schedule - babies' needs vary a lot more than he takes into account (eg at 8 mo my babies still need 3 naps per day and still don't like going much longer than 1.5 hrs awake!)
- some self-contradiction (the biggest one being this: babies are supposed to be awake no longer than 2 hrs at a time; they are also "supposed" to nap at 9 and 1 - so this only works if you have a little robot who always wakes up no earlier than 7 am, and who naps for at least 2 hrs at a stretch! yeah right!)
- a little out of touch with reality sometimes - he says that if your baby is cranky in the late afternoon, it's due to poor sleep/not enough sleep. In my experience, and from what I hear from every mom I know, just about ALL babies are fussy in the late afternoon no matter how well-rested they are.

But on the whole, I think it's the best sleep book out there:

- written by a doctor who's actually done a lot of sleep research, not just someone with an opinion and a soapbox and a desire to make a quick buck off exhausted parents
- realistic assessment of babies' need for night feedings - unlike some of the trendy books that tell you your baby shouldn't eat at night after x weeks, he says that it's normal for babies to need night feedings up to 9 months
- great contradiction of the old wives' tales about filling babies up with solids and/or bottles full of cereal - "sleep comes from the brain, not from the stomach"
- tons of helpful info on how much sleep babies really need and how to spot the sleepy signs
- sleep begets sleep! the more they sleep, the more they sleep!
- takes account of adjusted age for preemies - always insists on counting age from the due date
- flexibility of approach - CIO is a prominent part of this book, but there are other methods too; he's not against cosleeping; he's not against nursing to sleep

 

I like HSHHC as well, I enjoyed many of the techniques in Happiest Baby on the Block (especially the shushing, works like a charm) but now that they are getting older, Weisbluth seems to have some good info, but like with any approach, you take what you like and leave what you don't. I like the consistency and routine and sleep begets sleep of HSHHC, but like the pp am not so sure about the rigidity of the nap schedule, we have developed an alternate schedule that seems to work well for the tempermant of our babies.

 

I read the Baby Whisper when I was pregnant but found that more than 1/2 of her suggestions weren't really applicable to twins, especially if you're mostly on your own with them. I did use her EASY routine for the first 6 months though - that was great. The best sleep book I've read and used BY FAR is Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. The No Cry Sleep Solution was NOT my style at all. I've turned into a super-practical person since I had twins and that book just didn't seem to have strategies that work for our family. The Happiest Baby on the Block was our bible for the first three months in terms of calming techniques, but I caution you about using some of those tips in the long term - they can create difficult-to-break habits, like having to rock your 25-lber to sleep! Oh, my back!

 

QUOTE(xavier2001 @ Dec 16 2007, 09:04 AM) [snapback]536058[/snapback]
I like HSHHC as well, I enjoyed many of the techniques in Happiest Baby on the Block (especially the shushing, works like a charm)


Me too.. HSHHC and Happiest baby on the block (get the DVD if you don't have time to read two books!).

HSHHC has a lot of good info and practical advice for how to help your kiddos get the sleep they need. Happiest baby has great techniques that I still use with my 9 month olds (Shushing rocks!!!). GL!

 

Another fan of HSHHC and Happiest Baby on the Block fan here!! Both great books that helped tremendously!

Good Luck!
Suzi

 

Weissbluth is expected to finish his twin sleep study within the next 1-2 years. Too late for us, but still good it will be out there.

 

HSHHC. I like that he is a pediatrician and that the book is about sleep...not a general baby care book. I also like that he favors routines but doesn't demand a schedule from the babies. I do find that the book is confusing to read and contradicts itself in several places. However, I have found that by practicing his suggestions (listed below) we are having good results and I hope it prevents us from having to CIO later.

Best suggestions from the book:

Watch for sleep signs and put baby down BEFORE getting over tired (this is huge for us)
Sleep within two hours of wakefulness (although I've yet to get them to stay awake more than an hour without showing signs of sleepiness)
Sleep begets sleep
Follow a routine

 

I also loved HSHHC!!! I read it when the babies were 2 months and it completely changed my world. They were sleeping, happy, and most importantly I felt like I had a plan...and a little bit of control!!

Good luck!

 

i have heard sooooo many good things about hshhc. i just bought it (5 mins ago) on ebay. can't wait til it comes!