The No Cry Sleep Solution

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

How old is your baby now?
24 months

When you first met Elizabeth, what was your sleep situation?
Chloe would not sleep the night. She would sleep with us all night long, nursing all night long, until I was getting miserable. I loved having her in bed with us, but I was getting annoyed and desperate for sleep.

How is your baby sleeping?
Chloe sleeps all night. She goes to bed at 7 p.m. and wakes at 4 a.m. to come into bed with me. After she’s in bed with me, she nurses until 5 a.m., and we get up for the day! That’s 10 whole hours of sleep!

What solutions were most helpful to you?
The solutions I liked best were going into the room, singing to her and calming her. I liked the idea that she wasn’t crying all alone in that big dark room. I wanted to help her through this sleeping problem, and it worked!

What setbacks or problems did you need to overcome?
I knew that I needed to quit nursing Chloe in middle of the night, but I didn’t want it to be a horrible experience for her.

How did you overcome this?
I started giving her a drink of water instead of nursing her. She always refused it, because she wasn’t really thirsty, but it worked to night-wean her. I also used many of Elizabeth’s other suggestions — I couldn’t have done it without her knowledge!

Do you have any tips for parents just beginning The No-Cry Sleep Solution?
Have patience! And do not give up! Your baby will not be waking in the middle of the night forever!

Looking back, what idea from the book most affected the way you approached your baby’s sleep?
I had thought about the cry-it-out method and it didn’t appeal to me. It hurt to hear my baby cry. What appealed to me was the fact that Elizabeth doesn’t suggest that you leave your baby alone to cry — not even for a minute.

Did you ever try a cry-it-out method? What happened?
I tried it once, and my baby was so upset that she wanted to stay with me for days afterward. It was very heartbreaking!

What surprised you most about Elizabeth’s program?
There really is NO crying. 🙂

What makes Elizabeth’s ides so unique?
She approaches the night waking issue with a motherly point of view. She gives advice in a way that shows she’s been through this before.

After your baby was sleeping through the night, did you have any times when she/he suddenly started waking up again?
No. No problems at all. Not even when we go out of town.

How did your husband or partner help throughout the process?
He didn’t. He has always been a sound sleeper. He wouldn’t hear our daughter crying even if she was right next to him!

Did your pediatrician know what you were up to? What kind of feedback did you get from him/her?
He told me that her bedtime was too early. I disagreed. Elizabeth also advocates an earlier bedtime, and she explains why it’s important. He also said to just let her cry it out… I don’t even want to go there.

Did you have any friends or a support group during your sleep plan?
No, no support from the people around me, so I was very glad to have support from my online friends and Elizabeth.

How did Elizabeth help you?
How didn’t she help me? I have evenings off now — and great sleep!

Do your friends come to you for sleep advice now?
Oh yes!

How does it feel to sleep all night?
It feels so good, I can’t even describe the feeling I have in the morning! I feel alive and like a better parent.

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

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