The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby--and You

First, I'm a firm believer in this book! Before reading and applying what I learned, my 4 month old son was sleeping in 2 to 3 hour chunks. If you're like me and have to pump in addition to that, you know how exhausting that can be! I was quite ignorant about how sleep works with babies, and it was apparent in how poorly my son slept his first four months of life. I was miserable and exhausted, and I needed help. Luckily, someone suggested this book to me when I was asking for help, and now my son is sleeping through the night and having solid naps.This book isn't just a quick fix kind of book that gives you tips and tricks. The author starts the book giving you the "theory" behind the sleep training methods that she presents in the middle of the book. Basically, she explains how baby sleep works (naps, nighttime, overtired babies, etc.), what you should and shouldn't be doing to get your baby to sleep (and why), and then gives a couple chapters explaining how to help your newborn sleep based on week periods (0-6 weeks, 6-12, 12-20). The middle of the book is dedicated to a couple sleep training methods that she suggests you begin around 3 to 4 months, with the approval of your child's pediatrician. The methods presented are extinction CIO, Ferber CIO, and a gradual fading of sleep props method. The subsequent chapters deal with problem solving when you're stuck, tricky situations (multiple kids, traveling, etc.), "Reality Check" (explaining that nothing will always be perfect and completely predictable), helping parents sleep, etc.Something I really like about the book is that there is a summary at the end of each chapter that contains all of the key points from that chapter. It is super helpful when you need a quick refresher of what you just read, especially if you're sleep deprived when reading the book.Final note: If you're completely not okay with any cry it out method, then this probably isn't the book for you, though it will still be very helpful for understanding naps. She does devote a section at the end of the book to explain why cry it out won't harm your baby (my son's pediatrician agreed). It's worth reading if you aren't completely convinced against CIO.If you've read this far, I'll end with saying that I highly recommend this book to anyone who is about to be a first time parent. Good luck!

This book was recommended to me by a friend who successfully used the methods outlined in this book. This book is concise and to the point. It can be read quickly and it’s easy to implement. I read The Happiest Baby on the Block and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child which we’re both good. But The Good Sleeper was very clear and easy to read with clear steps. My 4 month old son only took naps that were 40 minutes during the day and would only sleep at night if we feel asleep nursing, only to wake up 40 minutes later to start the whole process over. My husband and I were spending hours every night getting him to sleep. We implemented the Cry It Out method with one nursing session through out the night. It was painful to listen to the crying which was 21 minutes the first night for the two times he woke up. I feed him at 5:15 am and he woke up at 8am super rested. I implemented the CIO method the next day. All is his naps were over an hour (not including the crying) the next after about 15 minutes of crying. My son is sleeping better than he ever did. I highly recommend this book. A few difficult nights of crying is worth it when you see your child and yourself rested.

This book is fantastic! As a new parent, I knew that sleep would be the most challenging part of my parenting journey. This book breaks things down clearly by stage and topic, making it easy to refer to and follow, even when exhausted and anxious (as you'll often be with a new baby!). Though at times I felt hopeless, I kept coming back to Dr. Kennedy's book and its bullet points and persevered. This book works. The information is based upon sound sleep science and the easy-to-follow bullet points are extremely helpful to keep you on track in creating a good sleeper. At 12 weeks, thanks to Dr. Kennedy, our son naps soundly three times daily, sleeps for 6-8 hour stretches at night, and is capable of putting himself to sleep on his own. He's been taking all naps and spending full nights in his crib since week 6 and is just an all-around champ of a sleeper! You will have ups and downs, but this book gives you all the tools to teach your baby good sleep habits. I know there will be some regressions as we move forward but, with this book, I'm confident we'll get through them. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

This book was amazing when it came to explaining how the sleep cycle works, how to read your baby's drowsiness cues, how to get them to nap, the importance of naps and ways to soothe the baby to sleep. But at the end of it, it basically recommends the cry it out method. It gives plenty of examples of gentle soothing and how they don't really work until you finally do the "extinction method" (put your baby down, close their door at bedtime and don't open it again until morning). I'd suggest this book for 0-12 week babies as it's been very helpful. It helped me understand that my baby needs a TON of naps during the day, and by doing that, she'll be easier to put down at night and therefore will sleep better. All in all, her biggest belief is in the cry it out method. With the techniques she gives prior (ie: the importance of establishing a good nap routine), you can hopefully avoid the cry it out method.

I have literally read every book going to try and get my baby to sleep and came across this book in my local library 3 years ago, it was the best book, by far, that I read and I followed the advice to the letter and my now 3 year old had been a great sleeper her whole life. I now have a 6 week old and am unable to take this book out at the library again due to lockdown so have bought this time round.What I really like about this book compared to others, is the facts and science around it all, it’s not just the opinions of the author, it’s all backed up with science, and makes complete sense. It’s also really uncomplicated you follow, some of the books were just too confusing with too many rules, but this keeps things really simple and genuinely works.I always recommend this book to every new parent as it really has worked for me!

Came across this book just by chance and has to be the best purchase I have made. Really helped me with sleep and my little one. Very easy to read and stttaight forward. She gives you different examples of how the techniques have been used on other parents that have visited her.Really really can't stress enough how good this book it

This book saved my sanity. I was so sleep deprived when I started reading. Did relligiously what the book says with two of mi kids and it worked like a charm with both of them. I have the best sleepers and nappers that other parents are jelous of. I am forever greatful to the author. It changed the quality of my life dramatically.

Absolutely worth it!

Excellent book. Very informative and easy to follow.Our night time waker was sleeping through again in 3 days .