10 Best Sleep Training Baby Books
Updated on: September 2023
Best Sleep Training Baby Books in 2023
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, 4th Edition: A Step-by-Step Program for a Good Night's Sleep
It's Never Too Late to Sleep Train: The Low-Stress Way to High-Quality Sleep for Babies, Kids, and Parents
On Becoming Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep "2019 edition"- Interactive Support
- #1 Bestselling Book on Infant Sleep
- Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
- On Becoming Babywise is more than an infant-management concept. It is a mindset for successful parenthood.
- Help for any parent to develop a plan that meets both the needs of a new baby and of the entire family
- Dr Robert Bucknam, M.D. and co-author Gary Ezzo are two of the world's leading experts on infant management concepts
Getting Your Baby to Sleep the Baby Sleep Trainer Way
The Baby Sleep Solution: A Proven Program to Teach Your Baby to Sleep Twelve Hours a Night
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition
The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent's Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5
Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents
Baby Sleep Training in 7 Days: The Fastest Fix for Sleepless Nights
The No-Cry Sleep Solution, Second Edition
Train Your Newborn Baby to Fall Asleep
Compassion, consistency and patience are the keys to successful sleep training. This guide will give you useful tips and suggestions used by professionals, such as a pediatrician.
Some people are fortunate to have plenty of help, while others are just one or two parent households. If you are like me and you have a partner that works all the time, you will feel extremely lonely and exhausted. My son was severely colic - the first 3 months of life were essentially sleepless. Night after night I sat with a screaming baby in my arms and was unable to offer comfort. I stayed with my mother for extended periods of time, because my fianceé's work schedule. I could not handle it alone and all the sleep deprivation was wearing me down.
I suffered for weeks until a great friend of mine invited me to an event hosted by Big City Moms; a wonderful NYC based organization that offers support groups, lunches, seminars and a plethora of information to new parents. The event was a sleep training seminar with a sleep expert from Dream Team Baby. The information was invaluable and lifesaving. Within about a week of trying, my son and I slept more.
Now, an important disclaimer - most babies WILL start to sleep through the night on their own - when ready. Though some babies have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep; but with sleep training you can eliminate all the guesswork behind getting better, restful sleep for your whole family. Secondly, do not attempt to sleep train a baby younger than 8 weeks; any child younger will not be able to handle the training and it is unnecessary.
Establishing a bedtime routine is the biggest component of getting the training to help. You must teach your child that when a certain group of events happen in succession, it is time to sleep. I know the idea of creating a routine for an 8 week-old baby seems insane, but it works! I was skeptical myself, because I thought my son would not be receptive. I was totally wrong! Sleep training changed my life.
Dream Team Baby is a group of experts that have come together to create this sleep training method. Founded by two moms that had a really hard time getting their little ones to bed; these women tried every method, read every book they could find and sought advice with no luck. Both felt and knew there had to be a solution that worked for parent and child - with ease, compassion and love. They were determined to help other mothers tackle this seemingly impossible task.
The team includes a pediatrician, behavior analyst, psychotherapist, lactation consultant, and a nurse practitioner. These women (yes all women!) can understand the plight of a mother and are all experts in their fields. Together this group has created a wonderful, gentle approach to sleep training.
There are many sleep training methods available. The most popular is the Cry It Out method. The Dream Team does not support this method nor do I. With that said, the CIO method can be very difficult and extremely frustrating to your little one, who is still in need of lots of comforting. However, as a parent it is up to you to decide and find what works best for you and your family.
Additionally, Dream Team Baby, offers sleep services. They can stay over night or half a night and help you get through the beginning of sleep training. The consultants can also offer support over the phone and really understand what us parents are going through. The company does offer their sleep training seminar independent of Big City Moms as a webinar on their website;
The Sleep Training Steps
According to the Dream Team Experts, the best time to put your little one down is between 6 and 8 pm. I started trying this a few days after the seminar. I would dim the lights in our room and start eliminating noise and not play with my son as much, while I set up for a bath. I would pull out a footed sleeper, a clean diaper and all the other essentials, including a warm bottle of milk. After a bath I would massage my son with lotion, dress him and give him his bottle. All of this, including talking softly and moving slowly created a very soothing environment. When I saw he was close to sleep I would place him in his crib.
Now, he did not sleep through the night right away and still isn't, but we are getting more sleep. It took about a week to see some real results. For others, it may take only a few days. The first night he slept a solid four hours, and continued to go to sleep right after eating. By the end of the first week, my son slept in two 4 ½ hour sessions. He only woke to feed once that night. It was amazing!
Another great piece of advice is to get or use a lovey; these make great sleep toys. Your child will have something soft to cuddle with and feel close to. Additionally, if mommy rubs the lovey on her or sleeps with it for a night before giving it to baby, this really helps. The lovey will have mama's scent and baby will feel extra safe and relaxed. I found offering my son a lovey really calmed him down and helps him sleep. My little guy loves to rub it on his face and grab it with has hands.
Napping is an integral part of any baby's schedule, however as they get older they need less naps. To help your child get sleepy after a 12 hour day, limit and schedule nap times. The Dream team suggest 3 naps during the day. The first should be 3 hours long and the next 2 an hour each. When I first started sleep training, I followed this rule and it really helped and worked. Now my son, 6 months old naps about 3 -4 times a day; but each nap is about 45 minutes to an hour. The rest of the time he is awake, playing and interacting.
Check the temperature in the room your child sleeps. If the room is too hot or cold, it could be a good reason why he or she is not getting enough rest. The room should be between 60 and 68 degrees. Any warmer or colder could cause your infant extreme discomfort and lack of sleep.
Another great sleep aid is a white noise machine. It can recreate the noise infants heard in the womb and offer comfort. I have never used one, but some parents swear that is the best thing to help put and keep their little one asleep.
End Result
It has been about 2 months since I started sleep training and it has made a huge difference in my life! My son now sleeps 8 hours a night, wakes for a small bottle and then sleeps 4 more hours. This is the ultimate goal of sleep training - having your child sleeping 12 hours a night. It seems impossible and daunting at first, but with patience and consistency it will work.
Lastly, sleep training only really works if everyone is on board and involved. Make sure your partner and any additional caregivers are aware of your sleep routine. This consistency will help keep your little one on a schedule and sleep, no matter where they are. It will take time, but do not give up. Join a mother support group or talk to your family. Sleep training will help you get your life back in order and restore some normalcy. It can also help everyone feel a little better and give mommy some time to recharge her batteries. Once your infant learns and understands the signals for bedtime, everything will come together.
