This book was recommended to me by parents and doulas as the "go to" book for child sleep. I am glad I read it, but it certainly had some significant short falls. (please note that I read it from cover to cover, I didn't just skim it) The biggest "Pro" (and why I think it is such a highly regarded book) is that it looks at sleep as a day-long process, addressing both napping and night time sleeping and how they interrelate. The biggest "Cons" were: - it was very difficult to find specific information. Some topics (such as sleep training) seemed to be dealt with, fragmentedly, in different sections of the book. -I had a hard time trying to figure out what techniques were applicable to which age groups. My child was on the cusp of being age appropriate for sleep training, so this caused me particular stress. The book suggested that the extinction method was the best, as it yielded the quickest results and was hardest for parents to "cheat" and thus sabotage the training. Reading other literature, I found that this was NOT appropriate for a 4 month old, but from what I read in HSHHC, I thought it was. (luckily I didn't try it!) -There was very little practical information on how to implement sleep training methods. As I learned, the devil is in the details...and there were many situations where this book left me hanging. For example, it gave advice for training methods to deal with the first sleep of the night, but did not give information on how to deal with nighttime wakenings. My recommendation to parents: Read this book when your child is very young, maybe before they are born, because you can use the information in it to set the foundation for good sleeping. Then, hopefully, you won't have any sleep problems at all. If you have a kid who isn't a good sleeper, like I did, also read "Solve your child's sleep problems" by Richard Ferber. I had been under the impression that this book would just say to "cry it out", but in fact its message and procedures for sleep training were far more gentle than what I took from HSHHC.

I've read several sleep training books and this is by far the best one. It's method is simple and yet very effective. My son now naps regularly and sleeps pretty much throughout the night. The best part is that it works the minute start. The read is slightly dry, but nothing too dull. However if you want a zero cry sleep solution, this may not be for you. The best thing I can pull from the book is if your timing is right; there is no crying (for both baby and mum!). I highly recommend this book to anyone who has a new baby and wants some regularity in their lives. My son's naps are now consistent throughout the day and he is a very happy three month old little boy!

I bought this book after trying a few different options when my first son was 8 months old and refused to sleep...After two nights following this book he was sleeping 10-12 hours, and now at 3 he is still an awesome sleeper. His 7 month old sister sleeps 12-14 hours a night because we followed this book. I am so thankful and recommend it to everyone I know.

This book has alot of scientific facts that help understand how good naps and night sleep are important for a baby. Give tips for different age of babies and child. If you dont have time to read the whole book, you can go directly to your babie's age. I would recommend it.

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a few others and even though I read the poor reviews, I figured that the majority of the positive reviews had to be correct...that this book was in fact work purchasing. WRONG! I read everything...I mean everything. I could not get through this book. Dr. Weissbluth was unbearably repetitive and unbelievably contradictory in his advice. Everything the reviewers said who gave this book poor reviews is true. Thankfully I have a baby who always slept fairly well...I can't imagine having one of the described "fussy" babies and having to get through this book. If you absolutely must read this book because you think that my review is wrong too, please borrow it from the library instead. The $20+ I spent on this book could have purchased quite a few baby items instead of this oversized door stop I'm now stuck with....or better yet...would you like to purchase it from me???

Most sleep books are anecdotal and not research based. Dr. Weissbluth explains why children need sleep, and what norms are appropriate, and why it shouldn't be negotiable - similar to proper food habits and the use of carseats. Contrary to some posts, he doesn't say you have to let them cry it out, he explains different methods of sleep training and why extinction crying is the easiest. I believe he also notes that about 10% of children are outside of the norms of sleep and may not follow his schedule. We have referred to this time and again when it was time to "retrain" our girls after interrupted sleep patterns. The trick with this or any other book, is it use it with common sense and adjust your approach as it fits your child.

This was a pretty good book, it explored napping and bedtime sleep which was appreciated. However, it is a little dry and not easy to read. Lots of evidence and studies as to why sleep and naps are important, which I didn't find very useful.

my naturopathic doctor recommended this book. My 4 month old was not naping during the day. He was sleeping through the night but would not nap. I read the information in the book and now he is 6 months old and is on a regular nap schedule and goes down without any soothing and/or crying. I am so relieved and happy to have found this book. Some parts are a little repetitive but overall I would recommend this book to anyone needing help with sleeping for their baby.

The information contained in this book is so informative. I purchased the book when my eldest was 4 months old because he wasn't a good daytime napper. The book gave me the confidence to do what I knew was best for him and within a few days he was on a consistent nap schedule. With my daughter, I started sleep training at 6 weeks and within a week I was able to put he down for naps awake but drowsy after only a few minutes of soothing and she would fall asleep. My family was amazed at how easy of a sleeper she was. The book is a little disorganized with the information so it is best to read the beginning chapters and then go to the specific age of your child.

I read this book first while very sleep-deprived and then re-read it later when not so wiped. It helped us enormously. The earlier you read it, the better because it helps you put your baby to sleep so she can learn to fall asleep on her own (not be rocked to sleep). The second most important thing I learned was how to recognise your baby is tired and to put her to bed, for naps and the night, before she is overtired and cannot fall asleep easily. There are many more important things I learned from this book, too many to mention here. I cannot recommend this book enough.