The No Cry Sleep Solution

How old was your baby when you used The No-Cry Sleep Solution?
13 months old

How old is your baby now?
Two years

When you first met Elizabeth, what was your sleep situation?
I was still breastfeeding Emily. And while I nursed her before bed, I didn’t nurse her to sleep. She would always fall asleep in her crib. However, she would wake at night every few hours. And at that, sometimes wouldn’t go back to sleep for hours. We were all exhausted!

How is your baby sleeping now? 
Wonderfully! She goes to bed by 8 p.m. every night and sleeps straight through till approximately 8 a.m. There is a period of restlessness every night between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m., and I hear her over the monitor, but she doesn’t need me to help her back to sleep. And the times that she does wake up calling for me (usually with a whimper — maybe a bad dream), I simply tell her, “Mommy’s here, everything’s all right. Go back to sleep.” She does just that!

What one most important piece of advice would you give parents of a night-waking baby?
I know it seems hard, even impossible at times, but have patience. And be persistent. Don’t lose heart.

What ideas were most helpful to you?
The early bedtime was key!

Did you ever try a cry-it-out method? What happened?
We tried it for about 10 seconds. That was too much.

Looking back, what idea from the book most affected the way you approached your baby’s sleep?
Understanding the importance of naps. Emily’s naps seem to directly affect her nighttime sleep. The better she naps in the day, the better she sleeps at night. If she doesn’t nap, or naps too late, she can procrastinate big time at bedtime and tends to have a night waking.

After your baby was sleeping through the night, did you have any times when she/he suddenly started waking up again? What did you think? What did you do?
YES! But there was always a reason — the biggest one being molars. Those teeth were killers for her! We dealt with it. We gave her medicine to help her deal with the pain and helped her go back to sleep.

How did your husband or partner help throughout the process?
What a sweetie he is! He supported me through and through. And, as always, he took an active part. He would wake with her at night when he wasn’t working to keep her from wanting to breastfeed (by sheer sight of Mommy — no other reason) and re-upping that habit. And if I was up with her all night and was super-tired, he would wake up with her in the mornings so I could sleep in.

Do you talk to your friends about your baby’s sleep?
When I tell my friends (or anyone) that my daughter not only naps for two hours in the afternoon, but sleeps 12 hours straight at night, they are amazed. Some people are in disbelief. But my favorite is when I am applauded for my adherence to an early bedtime for Emily and for the good sleep habits I have taught her. There is some pride in that. And I am happy knowing that my daughter has HEALTHY sleep habits.

How does it feel to sleep all night?
Blissful!

Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing from The No-Cry Sleep Solution (McGraw-Hill, 2002).

You are welcome to reprint the article on your website or in your newsletter, provided that you reprint the entire article, including the complete byline with author’s name and book title. Please also send a notice or copy to elizabeth@pantley.com. Thank you.