[feliz6]

I have just started reading save our sleep. Still have more than half the book to read but I'm not sure if it's for me. I have heard of baby bliss and the no cry sleep solutions. Can you give me an idea as to what these approaches are? Any recs?

[Lokum]

Not sure what your sleeping 'problem' is.

SOS is very routine-oriented.

No Cry Sleep Solution and No Cry Nap Solution is more about making a plan to tackle your issue.
So for some people, co-sleeping is not a problem, for some, they want to get the baby out of their bed. Some want the baby to sleep longer than 2 hour blocks at night, some want to break a feed-to-sleep habit, some would love to feed-to-sleep if it meant the baby would actually sleep!

Pantley helps you diagnose your 'problem,' and your goal. What do you want to change? Then she suggests a heap of ideas, techniques, environmental factors etc and you pick and choose from these to make a plan - only the things you're comfortable with.

Then you follow your plan, and hopefully the baby (possibly in small, slow increments) responds.

It worked for us. I wanted DS to stop screaming and wrestling me before day sleeps, and then to go to sleep by himself, in his cot. It was taking 45 minutes of rocking him while he writhed in our arms, and then he'd sleep for 45 mins.

I started with the goal of getting him to fall asleep in my arms without screaming, and in less than 10 minutes. Then I was going to move on to getting him to fall asleep in the cot.

DH and I set up a huge, elaborate sleep routine that we both followed religiously. It included playing the same tune, at the same volume, and sitting in the same position on the bed beside the cot, reading the same book, and saying the same words. And staying calm, consistent and backing each other. Within days DS was falling asleep without screaming, soon within 5 minutes. It became so easy and nice to cuddle him to sleep that we didn't bother with Part B (getting him to fall asleep in the cot.)

I liked No Cry Nap Solutions as it doesn't tell you what to do, or what the baby should do. It helps you figure out your own plan, depending on your needs and what you feel comfortable with.

[HurryUpAlready]

I did a combination of Save Our Sleep & the settling pages from Baby Love (Robin Barker), and it worked a treat for us when DD was 6 months old (she was ready for it by then, and I was really ready for it by then).

She cried for 25 mins and slept thru the whole night, and every night since - she is now 9 months old.

I'd at least give it a go (depending on how old your baby is).

Before I tried it I asked the advice of all my friends who have kids, and they all said they had success with letting the babies cry. They all recommended it to me.

Even now if my DD wakes too early (ie. before 6am) & wants to get up, I give her the dummy, leave her to cry for a couple of mins & sure enough, she goes back to sleep for at least another sleep cycle (if not longer).

I'd try it OP, but that's just me.

[tamjk]

I'm voting the No Cry Sleep Solution, it helps you work out what is causing the issue you are having problems with and then gives ideas for fixing it.
Save Our Sleep struck me as just treating the symptoms of an issue without working out what the underlying cause was, some people get lucky and have it work but if you have a child with an underlying issue that's causing the sleep issues I feel following this book can do a lot of damage.

[axiomae]

Look up Sheyne Rowley's Dream Baby Guide. It's far more all encompassing and has variations on routines for different types of babies. It doesn't just focus on sleep either - it looks at all other things that may affect sleep, such as communication, independence, feeding etc.

[elle-M]

I know you have to do what works for you and your family, but as a paediatric nurse who has studied child development and infant attachment, I would rather poke chilli covered sticks into my eyeballs than follow Tizzie Hall's SOS advice.

[pratique]

I used a combination of SOS and robin barkers advice. It worked wonders for our family.

There are many strict routine haters on EB for obvious reasons. If you do use it you have to ensure it is done with common sense. Whilst we followed the general concepts and ideas, flexibility is needed. I would recomend it.

We have never had sleep problems with our children.

[Missy Shelby]

She whose name shall not be mentioned on EB...

I have never read TH but from what other EB members have said it is very much routine based and has not much room for flexibility, something you must have when dealing with a small baby that cannot verbally tell you want they want or what is wrong.

[soontobegran]

I used a combination of SOS and robin barkers advice. It worked wonders for our family.

There are many strict routine haters on EB for obvious reasons. If you do use it you have to ensure it is done with common sense. Whilst we followed the general concepts and ideas, flexibility is needed. I would recomend it.

We have never had sleep problems with our children.

But if parents have no problems with their children's sleep then it wouldn't need 'saving' (as per Tizzie) so wouldn't need to seek her help. Some parents just strike it 'lucky' with children who settle themselves into a great sleep routine.

Tizzie presumes there will be sleep issues just because parents can't go to sleep and stay asleep all night, Tizzie presumes parents will not be able to cope with the needs of their baby because their lifestyles are different after children.
Some parents realise life will change and are able to accept their baby's non routine knowing it is the norm and others will struggle with the changes...these people don't need to be told their baby is the virtual devil incarnate who has been born to make their lives sh*t.

I'd prefer a reference book which has been written by a mother who actually has experienced a new baby, the hormones and the crazyiness because those who haven't can simply not relate with any sense of authority,knowledge or empathy.


ETA--Flexibility is definitely not a element of SOS. If parents can read it and tweak it to suit then that is cool but IME it is her way or it's the wrong way.

This post has been edited by soontobegran: 10/11/2012, 01:34 PM

[mum2jp]

The best book i have read was Pinky Mckay 'Parenting by heart' . She also has one called 'sleeping like a baby'.

Like you i began reading TH SOS when it was recommened by a friend as DS was having a rough patch sleeping. I didn't get very far into it before i knew it wasn't for me. I felt worse reading it as i knew i couldn't do the things that TH said you 'need' to do in order for your baby to 'learn' to sleep. It was such a relief to read Pinky's PBH and realise that there was nothing wrong with my parenting skills or DS sleeping patterns. He was just being a normal baby, wanted comforting and my instincts were already telling me what to do. DS at almost 2 goes to sleep fairly easily and sleeps through the night even though he was cuddled, rocked, fed to sleep untill over 1. He just grew out of the need when he was ready. Not sleep training him didn't make him a bad sleeper at all.

This post has been edited by mum2jp: 10/11/2012, 01:40 PM