Teach Your Child to Sleep: Solving Sleep Problems from Newborn Through Childhood

by Millpond Sleep Clinic

When a baby doesn't sleep well, the entire family suffers. Now, parents and children can sleep soundly through the night using these proven and effective methods from one of Europe's preeminent sleep clinics. Covering a range of common scenarios, parents will learn to identify the root cause of their child's sleepless nights and take simple steps to correct the situation--and can see results in as little as two to three weeks! The most frequent sleep problems and their causes are detailed, and parents also will find pros and cons of popular sleep techniques, as well as tips for encouraging good sleeping habits. 

Genres: Parenting

528 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best resources on children’s sleep I’ve come across. A well-written synthesis of the science of sleep and the most popular / effective methods of dealing with sleep problems. It’s got a little troubleshooting guide in the end that targets specific problems, with real-world examples from the authors’ work at the clinic.

[Martha Imprialou · Rating 3 out of 5]

A no-nonsense guide on baby and child sleep, think this one will be the only one I will need on the subject. It has a collection of diagnostics of common sleep patterns and ideas on how you can help a child gradually improve their sleep. I liked it because:
- it is short and to the point with no 'book-stuffing' content, unlike many parenting books
- has a down to earth tone, is not advocating for sleep training and is transparent about the pros and cons of it
- it describes the sleep patterns that are developmentally appropriate for each age and asks you to consider if your child has a sleep challenge in the first place or if their sleep is normal for their age
- offers a variety of approaches as each child is different (there is one 'cry-it-out' approach, but also other more gentle ones)
- covers a variety of ages (0-6 years old, and content is specific to each age group)
- nice collection of case studies at the end from the sleep clinic

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should be burned. It advocates controlled crying & not cuddling your child during the night. It is full of lies.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a baby that screams bloody murder, will not sleep, will not latch, is up all hours of the night; if you are stressed to the point of meltdown, shaking uncontrollably from anxiety, and crying at all hours from complete exhaustion - this book is for you!

One of the single best sleep sources I've come across, and believe me I've read them ALL: it's full of easy-to-follow graphs and illustrations, and is a SHORT and EASY read! I found it very helpful in terms of understanding the difference between baby sleep and adult sleep, and how much sleep a baby needs at different stages of development.

It covers sleep issues up to age 6, so keep that in mind.

Special Note: For those who think this book promotes the cry-it-out method: if you actually READ it you would see that the book discourages the cry-it-out method, and states that method should not be used before 6months of age, but concedes that some parents may have tried everything else and are simply out of ideas.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Controlled Crying: ...The key to this technique is not to cuddle, pat or pick him up. ... If you apply the rule properly, your child should not cry for much more than an hour - but be prepared for more, just in case....it is worth reminding yourself of three things: the crying will not cause your baby or toddler any psychological damage. ...On rare occasions, a child may cry so much that he vomits. This can be distressing for the parents but unlikely to happen more than once or twice. It can be emotionally challenging and wearing, as parents find it counter-intuitive to leave a child to cry for long periods. ...This method is inappropriate for children with anxiety problems."

[Arnina Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good guide to sleep - not overly prescriptive but gives guidelines by age and flowcharts on common problems. Great reference book in case of sleep issues