Good Night Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake Up Happy [Paperback]

Kim West (Author), Joanne Kenen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2006

Kim West has worked one-on-one with thousands of people in more than ten years of private practice. Her amazing success with getting kids to sleep has led her clients to dub her The Sleep Lady. Good Night, Sleep Tight outlines Kim’s proven two-week technique in easy-to-follow language, featuring case studies that give readers real-life examples of the sleep roadblocks children often encounter-and the tools to overcome them. Kim has appeared on “Dr. Phil,” the “Today” show, “NBC Nightly News,” CNN and “Good Morning America.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

 Parenting magazine

“GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT is the first book of its kind to clearly explain why bedtime is such a challenge for so many kids and their parents, and to offer solutions that won’t torture anyone.”

Anthony E. Wolf Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, author of It's Not Fair, Jeremy Spencer's Parents Let Him Stay Up All Night! andGet Out of My Life but First Could You Drive Me and Cheryl to the Mall? A Parent's Guide to the New Teenager
“Kim West and Joanne Kenen have written a book that can only be tremendously helpful for any parent. Ms. West has an amazing knowledge about children and sleep. She gives very specific, very clear and very do-able suggestions for virtually every sleep issue, and she knows what works. If a parent has a concern about any sleep problem with their child, this is the book that has the answers. I found it wonderfully helpful, and extremely readable."

Howard Bennett, M.D., author of Waking Up Dry: A Guide to Help Children Overcome Bedwetting
“A godsend for tired parents everywhere. I highly recommend this book to the parents of infants and young children who have a problem sleeper on their hands.” 

Armin Brott, author of Father for Life
“Right after ‘boy or girl?’ the next question new parents often hear is ‘How’s he sleeping?’ After going through Kim West’s painless, practical, and easy-to-implement program, they’ll be able to honestly answer, ‘Like a baby.’ ”

Maureen O'Brien, Ph.D., author of Watch Me Grow: I'm One, Two, Three
" From yoga to co-sleeping to twins, West provides novel advice and practical methods to help parents make the best sleep choices for their family."

Dr. David Kessler, Dean of the School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
“Parents and children alike should welcome this common sense, family-friendly guide to childhood sleep from birth to age five. This book will teach parents to gently start to shape a baby's sleep in infancy, sparing them the months or even years of sleep-deprivation that so many families endure.”

from the Foreword of GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT, Faith A. Hackett, M.S. Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Courtesy Staff Physician, Johns Hopkins Hospital Staff Physician, Anne Arundel Medical Center
“For all the parents who have lost countless hours of sleep trying the tough love approach of letting the baby cry it out, this book comes as a wonderful, informative reprieve…. I’ve been looking for a definitive how-to book on sleep that I can recommend without reservation. GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT is that book.”

Richard & Shirley Viscarello, Perinatologist and Nurse Practitioner, Maternal Fetal Care, PC, Stamford, CT.
“We unknowingly created our daughter’s sleep problems by never ‘teaching’ her how to put herself to sleep…. The ‘no cry’ solution didn’t work, and letting her ‘cry it out’ was never an option. How could we ask our child to solve the problem by herself that we had created? With Kim’s knowledge and thoughtful, caring approach, we were able to gently empower Sophia to put herself to sleep. Kim has an amazing gift to share and we tell all of our OB patients about her!”

Cleveland Plain Dealer
“West offers ways to soothe both parents and baby…. [GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT] is handily divided into age groups, with suggestions for good sleep patterns beginning at birth…. [It’s] helpful to have it organized in one book.”

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Vanguard Press (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593153562
• ISBN-13: 978-1593153564
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Sleep Disorders

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a mom who tried everything, September 11, 2006

By 

Jennifer "BTDTMom.com" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Night Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake Up Happy (Paperback)

I really think my son might be the worst sleeper in the world. From day one he's been an intense, super-alert little guy and never liked to sleep. I think I have read literally every book on child/baby sleep and this one is my favorite. Here's why:

I originally decided to go with the No Cry Sleep Solution method since it seemed to be the most gentle. Unfortunately it and the other "no cry" methods were not a fit for my baby's personality. After more than a year of using these methods he was sleeping worse than ever. Then one day I stumbled upon Kim West's Good Night, Sleep Tight in a state of utter exhaustion and desperation -- my son was 18 months old and still not sleeping through the night. Even though it wasn't a "no cry" method, it was much more gentle than the harsh Ferber or Babywise methods, so I decided to give it a shot. And it worked.

West's method appealed to me because it was firm enough to be effective with my spirited son, yet she understands the importance of making changes gradually. (I never once left him to cry in his room alone). Following her recommendations did involve some crying, and the first three days were tough, but it didn't seem traumatic for my son since I was right there with him the whole time. It seemed more like he was frustrated at the routine change than anything else.

Also, unlike most other sleep books, she is respectful of parents' needs to make their own decisions and occasionally go against her recommendations. Most of the other authors tell you flatly what you need to do and offer no alternatives. West makes recommendations, but also includes suggestions for how to work it if you're just not comfortable implementing her recommendation.

I had to modify her ideas a bit to make the process go more slowly for my intense, hyper-alert child, but I found this to be a great balance between being gentle and being effective. And, I'm thrilled to report, that after following her method for about two months my son started going to bed happily (his crib is now one of his favorite places) and has slept through the night ever since. It's like a whole new life! He's happy, I'm happy, and I'm no longer cranky from exhaustion all the time.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent advise, effective sleep coaching strategy!, May 31, 2006

By 

goody - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Night Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake Up Happy (Paperback)

I have used the methods in this book for both of my children and it is very effective. Both our children are good sleepers, I feel in part because of the sleep lady and her suggestions. Knowing we wanted to avoid the "cry-it-out" approach, we initially tried the "Baby Whisperer" (Tracey Hogg) and "The No Cry Sleep Solution" (Elizabeth Pantley). Those are also very good books but the "Sleep Lady" was more detailed than "Baby Whisperer" and the technique works a little quicker than "No Cry" (sleep lady shuffle involves some crying, you're just right there to comfort). The "No Cry" technique can take about 8 weeks to take full effect and the "Sleep Lady" is about 3 weeks if you are consistent.

I do agree with previous comments that the Sleep Lady doesn't seem to take into consideration different family situations and baby's temperament, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. Also, if you would like to co-sleep with your baby, use the "No Cry Sleep Solution" book because her suggestions involve getting a good night sleep with baby in bed and also provides safety tips. The Sleep Lady is somewhat condescending about breastfeeding and seems to view it only as a means of delivering nutrition. Elizabeth Pantley is more sensitive about the breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this is NOT the "cry it out" method... and it works!, September 11, 2006

By 

J. Lawton (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good Night Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady's Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake Up Happy (Paperback)

At 4 months my son started waking every couple of hours. I read a review of this book in magazine and, after one night of getting up every HALF HOUR, I bought it. I never used the "shuffle" part of it- my presence in the room was too distracting for him. But, there are so many variations included in the book so it can be adapted to your situation. The limit of 15 minutes of crying/fussing was helpful, and the "OK" to go and get him if he is really wailing regardless of the time frame reassured me that I wasn't "ferberizing".

The sample schedules given for feedings, naps, snacks, meals, and bedtime were very helpful. Those, combined with the "sleep window" clues, have allowed my son to get the rest he needs. It isn't regimenting your child, it is clueing the parent in to your childs natural sleep schedule that each age group inherently follows (the book is age specific to 5 yrs old.)

My son now giggles when we walk into his room for naptime... he loves his crib! And, at bedtime, we lay him down at 8pm and he doesn't make a peep until 7:30 am. I couldn't have done it without The Sleep Lady! I have bought this book for a couple of new moms and recommend it to everyone.