The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley

[naturegirl419]

I'm curious who has read this book and implemented some of these strategies? How old your child was, what you did, and how it worked?
Thanks!

[Blueone]

We did the weaning to the crib. I started around 9 months and slowly increased the hours in the crib. It worked really well and at 10 months he now sleeps in the crib all night unless he wakes at 5 and wants to get up. I generally pick him up and bring him into bed at that point.

The crib isn't in his own room though because we are staying with my parents (husbands deployed) and so we share the room we have.

[MsVyky]

I read it and loved it. We have a family bed, but we now have DD taking 2- 2 hour naps a day and sleeping for 6 or 7 hour stretches at night.

[Italiamom]

We tried a few of the tricks at 2 months, and then gave it serious, dilligent, several week shots at 6.5 months and 10 months. Despite all the raves, nothing in that book has helped us at all. DS still wakes every 1.5-2 hours at 1+ years. No cry my behind!

[andlee]

I've just started working on getting DS to sleep longer using this method. He's been waking up every 2 hours to eat, which I know is normal but makes me craaaanky.

Yesterday was day 1, and I just worked on not picking him up right away when he gets upset, just soothe him while he's laying down, and I also didn't offer the boob right away when I did pick him up (which I was guilty of doing without realizing).

He slept 5 hours in a row last night! Maybe just a coincidence, but I'm a convert.

[zinemama]

I tried it. It didn't work for me. Nothing worked for us except eventually nightweaning.

[wombatclay]

moving to the Family Bed/Nighttime Parenting!

~~~~~~~~~~
We have used the NCSS (the "for toddlers" version since that one has the same info as the baby one, plus more!) with each child. I like that it's a list of ideas and options rather than a "Do this, this, and this and you'll get that, that, and that". I guess I don't trust books that promise that sort of thing when it comes to kiddos and sleep! Plus, things that worked one week might not work the next, so having options helped... I felt like at least there were things still to try.

I also like that she repeats (a lot) that a sleep problem is only a problem if it bothers you/your child. It isn't a problem if it only bothers your mom, or the lady at church, or the moms at the playgroup.

In my personal life NCSS was about 50/50 in terms of success with dd1, about 80-90% perfect for dd2, and though ds is only 9mo the NCSS ideas we've used have worked in that 80-90% zone. Kellymom breastfeeding site has a NCSS section with chapters provided free online in case people don't have the book...

[Jayray]

I liked it. We tried some things that didn't seem to do anything (introducing a lovey) and some things that did work. At 12 mo. using the gradual changes suggestion, we've gotten DS to go to sleep "on his own" in the crib--really this is just his last eye closing is in the crib instead of in arms. I was really skeptical that it would work, but we've been making the small changes for less than two weeks and it's working. We did have one night of serious fussing when DH took over the final rocking to sleep, but then basically nothing. Sometimes one little cry out. I was pretty surprised. But DS has a relatively easy personality.

HOWEVER, this has not helped with nightwakings yet. I guess that's another issue.

The other thing I like about the book is that she says, if it's not working or you can't handle any more at the moment, just go back to your old way and try again another night. I know consistency is important, but it is nice to be reassured that you can give up when you need to!