How to Get Your Baby to Sleep By William Sears M.D. and Martha Sears R.N.

This is a very small and short question and answer type book. I couldn't tell if the questions were made up by the authors or if real people had actually written the questions. There is some great information contained in this book. It is fast, informational, and easy to read.

One drawback to this book, however, is that the information is very repetitive. For as short as the book is to begin with, the same information seemed to be repeated continuously. Other than that though, there are some good suggestions.

The best thing about Sears sleep books is that they are very conscious of the philosophy to be sensitive to your baby's needs. They are not for the cry it out method, which is appreciated by any mindful parent. Therefore, the suggestions in this book can be trusted. They offer simple tools and suggestions on how to get your baby to sleep better.

Several of their suggestions I appreciated were the wearing down approach. You or your partner can wear your baby in a carrier until baby falls asleep and then gently lay baby down. They also suggest it okay for dad or someone else to take the putting to sleep shift sometimes so mom doesn't get burned out. The book stresses that it is good for other people to be able to put baby to sleep and not just mom in case there are times when mom may not be available. They also recommend to put baby to sleep in various ways. The authors call this sleep associations. It is good to have a bedtime routine for baby such as a bath, some stories, a massage, some songs, etc. But then to get baby to sleep, one night you may rock baby, the next you may nurse baby, that way baby can fall asleep in a variety of ways.

There is also information regarding safe sleeping environments (they are big advocates of the Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper), babies who have their days and nights mixed up, sleep sharing, SIDS, causes of frequent night waking, how to help baby relax, nighttime parenting, sleep at different ages, nighttime feedings, tips for tired moms, and much more. Be prepared though that this book is simple and short, so many of the answers are very brief. Some of the answers are sufficient, but others I would have loved them to be expanded upon.

The difference between this book and Elizabeth Pantley's No Cry Sleep Solution is that Pantley's book is much more in depth. It contains a lot more information and is still my favorite baby sleep book. Pantley's book outlines a plan, while this book just contains small nuggets of information.

All in all, a good read, but perhaps not necessary for everyone.