Customer Reviews

The Sleep Book for Tired Parents: Help for Solving Children's Sleep Problems

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a wonderful resource for parents who want to work out bedtime issues in a way that is consistent with their own values and needs. Rather than pushing a single approach, Ms. Huntley guides parents to think about options and to choose a bedtime strategy that fits for their family and for their baby. Out of all of the current resources for families regarding infant sleep issues, this is the one that I recommend most highly!

What I lked best about this book was that, no matter what your "philosophy" or special situation, it's got supportive, helpful advice to get you past the immediate problem. Even "living with it" is offered as a constructive decision rather than as a failure, a surrender. It's so user-friendly and realistic. I've recommended it to other parents of special-needs kids, even though it isn't specifically directed at us, because it's flexible enough to fit our lives, too.

By 4 months I expected my baby to be sleeping more than 2 hours at a stretch, but that was not happening. It was becoming obvious that all three of us needed more sleep. The teacher at a new mom's class recommended this book and it is a lifesaver. My husband and I agreed that we did not want to
"Just let him cry it out" but we also agreed that we did not want a permanent family bed. While we did not mind bringing our son into bed with us during the night we wanted him to nap and start out the night sleeping in his crib, hopefully for more than two hours. This book offers several choices to sleep training and does not make you feel like a bad parent if you modify a method to fit your needs. By the fifth night of following one of the methods our son was putting himself to sleep for 4-6 hours for the first time at night, in his crib. And all this with limited crying on all our parts!! He even is beginning to put himself to sleep for naps in his crib too. Both my husband and I feel we have seen a vast improvement in a very short period of time. It's hard to believe, but it really does work. IF YOU ARE A TIRED PARENT, BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!

I am a developmental psychologist and I teach a workshop on "Bedtime Challenges" at a university child development center. This is my number one reccomended book in that class. Too many authors of child-rearing books on a variety of topics urge a one-size-fits-all approach. The value in this book is the realization that both children and parents are different. They have different temperaments, needs, family values, etc. that have to be considered in developing a sleep strategy. I agree with the previous reviewer who said you might look for more depth in another book, but AFTER you review the options in this one. And truth be told, many parents will not need that. My one complaint is that the book (like so many) gives somewhat short shrift to the sleep problems of toddlers. Once children are in a real bed, EVERYTHING changes. Good luck to anyone who buys this book. Sleep problems are the most common, frustrating and perhaps the most difficult to address behavior problem in typically developing kids. But relief always comes eventually.... eventually they just grow up ;)

It is short and doesn't give in-depth information of specific problems...But...it is a very good starting place. If you are not sure where to go and what styles of "sleep training" you are wanting to try. It also lists other books to look into for more in-depth information on the specific issues covered. I also liked the simple but informative questionnaires that help you see what exactly is wrong, what you may be doing wrong, and where to begin.

I've raised two daughters on my own and now have 4 grandchildren. Sleep problems seem to go along with babies and children so when I read this book, I was absolutely taken by the compassion that Becky shows when she suggests different ways to handle all kinds of sleep situations.

She takes into consideration that one size does NOT fit all, as so many of the parenting books seem to do. She has a variety of suggestions that can be used, used in part or ignored depending on the needs and temperaments of the parents and baby. Never did I feel I had done it "wrong" or my daughters were wrong in the way they handled sleep problems. Wrong isn't part of this book, solutions to situations that are presenting problems are the focus and if one way doesn't work, there is always something else, a combination of "something else's".

I've looked for other books by this author and have found none. She shows such compassion and caring in her book that more needs to be written by her, such wisdom should not go to waste.

I've recommended this book to many people and have received great responses.

Please, lets hear more from Becky Huntley

The book had some good information and was a good overview of 4 sleep philosophies for babies and infants. The information was pretty basic, though. I had already seen most of the information online and from other sources. If you're looking for a very basic overview and assistance with choosing a specific method for your child, it is somewhat helpful. If you're looking for a more in-depth explanation, this book won't help you much.

This is a really great book. I purchased it to understand better about how to help my 6 mo old sleep through the night. I learned more about sleep patterns and what to expect or not expect from different kids at different ages which was extremely helpful. I like how the author gives different perspectives on the main approaches to improving healthy sleep habits and gave tools for parents to systematically track whichever approach they try. I also work with families that have children with challenging behaviors and sleep issues is often a hot topic so I am able to use this book as a reference for those families who need help.

Our pediatrician recommended this book and it turned out to be a good overview of child sleep info with a nice, straightforward rundown on the common approaches to coping with your child's nighttime sleep (or lack thereof!). You'll have to go elsewhere for much info on naps or details for different ages, but this is a great place to start, especially when you're too exhausted to focus on more than a paragraph at a time, and then if you've got the steam you can look into some of the recommended reference books. Good guidelines for making a plan of action even when you're too tired to finish a sentence!

very helpful and straightforward, gives a variety of approaches and how to modify depending on your preferences, values and parenting style