Which baby sleep book helped you?

[lolalotta]

I am totally exhausted...my 9 month old lo was up 5 times last night. She needs bf to settle back off and I just don't know what to do anymore. :(

Read Alison Scott Wright's book. My DD was the same until 6 months & I was lucky enough to have ASW stay for a few days. Her methods really do work & by night 3 DD was sleeping 12+ hours undisturbed.

No cry sleep solution was fab

I actually used a sleep clinic who were fabulous

Three in a bed .
I had 'Three in a bed' and 'The no cry sleep solution'.
I read three in a bed and went with my instincts (which were to chill out and let them in with me but that may not be what you want!)
We're all different and i haven't slept sound for years and love one of them in with me.
Good luck though,hope you feel rested soon+

Another vote for the no cry sleep solution here - it's by Elizabeth Pantley and you can get it on amazon. Really helped me, but it's not about quick solutions - you have to be in it for the long game.

And another vote for the no cry sleep solution - worked perfectly - after having failed horrible attempts at so called "controlled crying".

Thank you so much for your replies! Can any one tell me a little bit about the sorts of methods used in the no cry sleep solution?

This is the thread where I wrote about my NCSS attempts with DS - my normal username is Bicnod so you can search the thread - I think I summarized various bits of the book on it.

HTH

I bought the Baby Whisperer - don't, as she's awful.

I gave up on books at that stage. He's now 13 months and sleeping much better except when cold-y or teething, and he was DREADFUL. I think (though this may be very cynical) that a lot of 'sleep training' is more like good timing. Don't despair! But good luck with it.

Thanks Bicnod!
Moomma, when did things start to get better? And how???

Sorry I meant bewitched!

He stopped feeding so much during the night quite suddenly - he had been waking every three hours like clockwork until he was about ten months. I started to try just cuddling him instead of automatically feeding, which was hard because it meant I had to wake up a bit more . You could try giving her a little water and a cuddle and hold off on the milk until you are sure she won't drift off without it. She'll get the idea. Maybe do that once or twice during the night and give in the other times so you don't get too tired. Does she eat well during the day? Can you sneak in another feed somewhere during the day to make her less interested in food during the night? My DS definitely improved once he had regular meals and VERY regular breastfeeding.

Sleep: he went through a shocking phase when he was learning to sit up and crawl as he was doing it in his sleep, and he still sits up in his sleep sometimes and wakes up cross/confused. He never slept through until he was about nine months, and then did it once or twice only before the next bout of teething. There's a big sleep regression associated with development as they approach their birthday - eleven months or thereabouts - so basically I would expect the next couple of months to be improving overall, but sometimes shaky. I've read other people say their children had improved out of all recognition by 14 months and (touch wood) even my shocker seems to be on track.

Just to put it in perspective for you, he fought sleep from six weeks, and used to scream before every nap for at least ten minutes. Then, from about six months, he was happy to be rocked/walked until he was asleep, but woe betide you if you put him down before he was completely out. Now, he likes to be held for a couple of minutes to settle down and then put down to go to sleep (usually with a parent in contact with him, just a hand on his back to stop him from rolling around and waking himself up). During the evening, he wakes two or three times but very briefly. During the night, he wakes once or not at all. He still finds it hard to switch off if there are any distractions, but he's vastly improved, and he's the one who has decided to do that, not us.

Good grief, I've written a book. Basically, it gets better is the message.

Mooma, thank you so much for taking the time to reply,I really do appreciate it! My dd is actually very nearly 10 months... I have been feeling so zombie-like from lack of sleep that I hadn't actually thought of actaully just trying a cuddle instead of automatically feeding her everytime she wakes... I think might try that tonight! I have been to a sleep clinic and they have reccomended going cold-turkey on the BF and leaving her in her cot and not picking her up but staying in the room next to her cot and patting her until she settles off. I know she will go mad if I don't pick her up though... I have always picked her up when she has needed me. I am not sure I have it in me not to comfort and hold her when she is in so much distress! I am so confused! I will definately give the cuddles a go tonight and see what happens. Oh and I am going to try and up the BF in the day too...she isn't really into breakfast at the moment as she feeds so much at night!

You should pick her up when she needs you imo, you're doing the right thing.
Hope you get some rest tonight and the cuddles work+

I got the sleep related book by Gina Ford, can't remember the name right now but its the only one related to sleep, the sleep guide or something like that. Very useful.

The sleep sense programme by Dana Obleman. I have it on electronic copy if anyone wants me to email it to them.
After 15 months of DD waking 2-3 times and night and ending up in our bed by 2am each night, I read this book and she slept 12 hours straight by the 4th night and we haven't looked back since.
Message me your email address if you want me to email it. I did the 'Stay in the room method' and it worked a treat.

You know your daughter. If you need to pick her up to soothe her, do it. And good luck!