This book is one of the very few (Dr. Sears books are the other ones) that helped me to feel validated in my longing to just be a mom 24 hours a day/7 days a week, not just when it was convenient for me or "time" to be. The fact that Mrs. Pantley has done some work with Dr. Sears helped me to know that "the no-cry sleep solution" book was going to be one filled with loving, gentle advice. And, boy was it ever! I really can't recommend it highly enough!

I AM a little tired, and my 13 month old is not the best sleeper, so I am trying some of the solutions in this book. I am glad, however, that I am not feeling the pressure to let my baby cry it out that I felt when I read several other books on the subject. Not many of them applaud the philosophies of co-sleeping or nursing long term. I know in my heart that co-sleeping and nursing is not a "bad habit" but society dumps that pressure on moms not to do it. This book is very encouraging for moms who DO nurse during the night and let their babies sleep with them. What a breath of fresh air!

This is the only book I have read so far that offers useful but gentle advice and gives the parent "permission" to not let their child cry it out all night.

Not only books I have read, but grandparents, other Christian friends, even my pediatrician's office staff, all seem to give me the "guilts" when I admit I am not physically able to let my kids cry it out. It literally makes me sick to my stomach. And I know that "this too shall pass" and I will miss those magical middle of the night hours when I can just breathe in his baby smells and watch him nurse in his sleep. This book also helped me to put that into perspective.

I especially loved the comparison to Mrs. Pantley's sweet son and the other baby at the ballpark. I will treasure that anecdote always because it puts into words so eloquently what I have felt in my heart when I see a "well-behaved" baby who's parents are practicing "detachment parenting" and I feel compelled to compare how our children act.

I will be reading all of Elizabeth Pantley's books to help me be a better mommy to my precious children.


Sent from above   February 18, 2003
 59 out of 65 found this review helpful

When I found this book my 9 month old was waking up every 90 minutes all night long, and taking several cat naps a day. Sleep deprived can't begin to describe the desperation I was feeling. And yet I refused to abandon my baby to cry it out alone. This book was truly and answer to a prayer. It gives simple, and practical solutions in a format that is easy to read no matter how little sleep you're getting. Elizabeth Pantley's strategies are a wonderful and loving alternative to the host of "Cry it out" advice you've received and rejected. The key for me was patience and persistence. This is not an immediate fix, but a light at the end of the tunnel.


It really works!   November 11, 2002
 58 out of 59 found this review helpful

Finally, a book that really can help the sleep-deprived parents out there teach their babies to sleep better without leaving them alone to cry themselvs to sleep. There is a better way! This book is a detailed, informaive text on normal sleep and baby sleep patterns. It is non-judgemental regarding breast/bottle feeding and other decisions that parents may make. It offers detailed information on developing a customized sleep plan for your own family and each individual baby.

We had tried letting our daughter "cry it out" before with terrible results. Not only didn't it work, but she got so stressed out by it that she suddenly refused to nurse anymore. Needless to say, we were never going to do that to her (or any other child of ours) again. This book offers an alternative. No longer must we choose between sleep-deprivation and "crying it out." Elizabeth's approach is based on a gradual relearning of "sleep-associations" so that your baby will learn to get herself back to sleep without your help, but emphasizes that the baby can learn at her own pace!

For all those desperate parents out there, please give this book a try. You will be sleeping before you know it!


Useless fluff   December 21, 2002
 57 out of 108 found this review helpful

My MIL sent us this book when our 4-month-old continued to wake every 1.5-2 hours and wouldn't sleep in his crib. I appreciate her thoughtfulness, but we found this book completely useless. I could have achieved the same results by doing absolutely nothing.

Maybe it's just my personality type but I like my advice backed up with scientific facts and some actual research. This book was way too touchy-feely for me. After we read it, neither my husband nor I could name more than a handful of concrete things to do, and these were so minor and silly that they made no difference. When you have a child who hates to go to sleep and cries when you try to get him to sleep and then cries when he's over-tired, how exactly do you reach that "no-cry" period? We tried a lovey, like she suggests. Made no difference. We tried slowly taking away his pacifier. No difference. We tried not letting him fall asleep on the breast. Still waking up constantly, if not more often. We tried sleep logs. Great, now we have a bunch of pieces of paper we can turn into paper airplanes to throw at each other when we're up at 4am.


This is the book for you if....   September 7, 2002
 51 out of 55 found this review helpful

...if you are "helping" your baby back to sleep every time he wakes up by breastfeeding, rocking or giving him a bottle or pacifier.

...if you would love some more sleep yourself but you won't do it if the process makes your baby cry.

...if you believe your baby needs you and wouldn't understand if you just left at night and didn't come back til morning.

...if you rush to your baby whenever he or she makes a whimper.

...if everyone else (even your doctor) is suggesting you let your baby cry it out, but you know in your heart you could never do it.

...if you are soooo tired, but still believe your baby is very much worth the extra effort you give.

...if you can't bear to hear your baby cry during the day or during the night.

... if you think that your baby is the most precious little thing on the face of the earth.