The No Cry Sleep Solution By Elizabeth Pantley

I absolutely love books by Elizabeth Pantley. She just seems to “get it”. She understands parents, and she understands children. Her writing is very easy to read, while still providing fantastic information. This book reads very quickly, which if you’re a sleep deprived parent, is very important.

I became attracted to the various books she writes because of their “no cry” titles. Since I don’t enjoy hearing my children cry, I thought I would give her books a try. I was particularly adamant about reading this book because there is no way possible I will ever again let a baby of mine cry it out all alone in their crib in an attempt to teach them good sleeping habits. I feel I am now too in touch with my mothering instincts and too aware of not only what babies need, but also how they think and feel. So, as a parent to a baby who is not too much of a sleeper, I came to the point of needing to find a book that would allow us to get a good night’s sleep without crying.

I turned to this book and found the answers I was looking for. While I very much believe in co-sleeping and wasn’t willing to give it up, there are times when a new parent just really does need to sleep. Therefore, I needed a book that took this into account. Many books that “train” a baby to sleep advocate for the baby sleeping in their crib only. Everything about this book is respectful of parent and baby needs as well as each family’s individual situations. This plan should work for all choices and circumstances. It doesn’t matter where your baby sleeps or if you breast or bottle feed. This plan can work for everyone.

With this book, there is finally a middle ground. You can have a baby that sleeps, but without the crying. Most other books say a baby either has to cry it out or the parent basically has to suck it up and deal with it until the child eventually sleeps through the night. That’s precisely why this book is so refreshing. Pantley doesn’t guarantee success overnight. She does take a very practical approach, however.

The best part of this book besides the wisdom it contains is that Pantley outlines a practical, doable plan that is easy to understand. The plan is also flexible in that she gives a bunch of options, and then families are able to choose what options will work for them or what they want to try. There are charts, logs, and questionaires in the book that, if paid attention to and filled out, give the parent a sense of direction when the book is finished. It’s so easy to read a book, and still think, “What should I do next?” This shouldn’t happen with this book.

The guidance outlined in this book coupled with the practical, gentle solutions will be a welcome relief for parents who feel tired, but unwilling to let their babies cry it out. I believe this book can work for any family and encourage those who need some help to give it a try.