Books for Baby Sleep Training
By: Jm Solutions
Tags: Baby, Parenting, Baby Sleep, Baby Sleep Training

Originally published at http://parentbasics101.com on May 2, 2020.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links when you click our links and make purchases. We are independently owned, and the opinions here are our own. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons.

How to baby sleep training

Many new parents face a struggle to get enough sleep at night and are desperately searching for baby sleep training methods that work. There are plenty of sleep training techniques, processes, and tips for helping your baby sleep through the night, but which one is right for you? In our Baby Sleep Training Ultimate Guide, we cover the popular methods like Ferber, fading sleep training, cry it out, pick up and put down, and the chair method for sleep training. Most parents want their babies to fall asleep on their own — without rocking, nursing, or needing a pacifier. Why? Because if a baby needs those things to fall asleep, she will search for the same things during the middle of the night to help soothe her back to sleep.

“When should I start sleep training?” is a loaded question because there isn’t a single “sleep training age.” The answer is different for every baby and family. What works for your best friend may not work for you. Parents discover that at 3 months old, a baby’s sleep pattern becomes more regular and somewhat predictable, which is much different from the seemingly erratic first few weeks after birth. The change in a 3-month-old’s sleep cycle implies she is prepared for a more structured schedule. John Hopkins Medicine published a helpful article about newborn sleep patterns.

What the experts say:

“Everybody with a baby has been sleep training since the minute the baby arrived on the scene. Learning to sleep is a skill that we teach with swaddles, pacifiers, swings, nursing, white noise, consistency, and bedtime routines. All of these, collectively, constitute sleep training.” - Alexis Dubief, Precious Little Sleep

With a vast amount of information about how to get your baby to sleep through the night, it can be difficult for new parents to understand where to begin. There are books, sounds, gadgets, methods, and even old wives tales about baby sleep training. The next section covers a list of sleep training baby books we uncovered that will help you get on a path of a good night’s rest for both you and your baby.

Books for baby sleep training

Below is your sleep training baby guide that outlines books for baby sleep training. Remember, it’s not only your baby who needs to be ready for sleep training, but parents also need to be prepared to put forth the necessary time and dedication for the entire family to rest better. And sleep training takes time. Baby sleep training in 3 days is possible for some families, while it may take weeks for others. Only parents and guardians can decide what is best for their infant.

Best baby sleep training book for breastfed babies: The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through The Night by Elizabeth Pently at Amazon (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*)

-Guides parents to discover and work with their baby’s natural sleep patterns-

Best baby sleep training book for toddlers: Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get A Good Night’s Sleep by Jodi A. Mindell at Amazon (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*)

-The author unpacks baby and toddler sleep problems and provides instructions to sleep train your baby successfully.-

Best baby sleep training book for active parents: Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents 1st Edition by Alexis Dubrief at Amazon (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*)

-Finally, a sleep for your baby book that won’t put you to sleep while reading it.-

Best baby sleep training book for structured parents: Baby Sleep Training in 7 Days: The Fastest Fix for Sleepless Nights by Violet Gionnone R.N. at Amazon (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*)

-Possibly the best baby sleep book of 2018, it remains a popular choice among parents.-

Best sleep training book with bonuses: Baby Sleep Miracle by Mary-Ann Schuler (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*)

-Designed to help mothers and their babies get a better night’s sleep and to overhaul into a healthier emotional environment.-

Best baby sleep program

The previous section listed the best books for baby sleep training, and each book has a program to follow, but what is the best baby sleep program, and what is a baby sleep program? Many baby sleep training methods are synonymous with the cry it out sleep training method. In this method, the parent allows the baby to cry himself to sleep. Some people criticize the system claiming it has long-term adverse effects of anxiety, although it’s challenging to link teenage anxiety to cry it out sleep training.

Other baby sleep training methods include fading sleep training and the Ferber method.

Rest assured (pun intended) that following a baby sleep training method:

Does NOT have to include cry it out sleep training if you don’t want to.

Does NOT mean you skip feeding your baby when she’s hungry.

Does NOT mean neglecting to comfort your baby when he’s in pain.

Does NOT imply avoiding to change a soiled diaper during the night.

All of the baby sleep training books recommended imply a safe, secure, and loving environment for your baby to thrive. Most baby sleep training programs don’t answer, “when do babies sleep through the night,” instead, they address “how to help your baby sleep well.” There are two reasons why “when do babies sleep through the night” is a loaded question. One, because all babies are different, even within a family. For instance, your first child may learn how to fall asleep on his own at 3 months old as a result of sleep training, but your second child was a great sleeper at 8 weeks old. Kids are different. Two, because sleeping through the night is defined by the parents’ sleep habits. For me sleeping through the night is 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep while my wife functions best on 9 hours of sleep. Parents are different.

The bottom line is that the best baby sleep training program is the one that works for you.

Baby sleep training without crying out

Let’s discuss the Cry It Out baby sleep training method a bit more because it’s often controversial, especially among those who never practiced it. Is the cry it out method harmful? What if a sleep training baby won’t stop crying? Is there a no cry sleep solution method? Those are all great questions about the cry it out sleep training strategy.

The parents who favor a no-tears approach accept that sleep time offers a chance to interact with your baby by creating peaceful, comfortable evening time routines and by rapidly reacting to your infant’s need for comfort and food. Supporters of a no-tears strategy believe the cry it out sleep training causes the baby to develop negative associations with bedtime.

Sleep specialists who promote the cry it out methodology (including pediatricians) oppose the idea that the cry it out method is harmful. They state it isn’t terrible for children to cry alone for short time frames with frequent visits by Mom or Dad — and the final product is a very much refreshed, more joyful infant. They state no-tears rest systems may make babies excessively reliant on comfort from a parent at sleep time, making it harder for them to figure out how to calm themselves to sleep.

No cry sleep solution

Here are some tips for finding a no cry sleep solution:

Stick to a consistent nap schedule. A regular daytime nap schedule supports nighttime sleep.

Avoid allowing your baby to get overtired by putting him down to bed early in the evening, around 7 PM.

Slowly introduce changes. For instance, if your baby is used to going to bed at 8 PM, then slowly adjust her bedtime by 10 minutes a day until she starts going down at 7 o’clock.

Slowly introduce changes. For instance, if your baby is used to going to bed at 8 PM, then slowly adjust her bedtime by 10 minutes a day until she starts going down at 7 o’clock.

Discover a calming bedtime routine that works for you and your baby. For example, a warm bath, massage, read a book, then bed. Follow the routine every night.

Create a safe and comfortable sleeping atmosphere for your infant by discovering what helps your baby fall asleep. My baby boys liked, and still like as teenagers, a dark room with a fan that provides quiet noise. My daughter, however, wanted silence with a night light.

Learn the difference between a whimper and a real cry. Babies often make sounds throughout the night, and you won’t have to respond to every sound. If you are unsure, wait a moment before you disturb her to see if she falls back to sleep.

Sleep training baby won’t stop crying

Perhaps you are one of the many parents who use the cry it out baby sleep training method. What happens when a sleep training baby won’t stop crying. Inexperienced parents who take this method to the extreme may give the reason for claims that the cry it out method is harmful. It’s essential to establish some guidelines about how long to let your baby cry before checking on him. Most parents won’t make their baby cry it out for hours upon hours. Usually, parents will provide comfort to the baby after a certain amount of time.

The cry it out is not working; what do you do? Keep in mind that not all baby sleep training methods work for every baby all the time. If the cry it out method is not working the switch strategies and try fading sleep training or the chair method.

If your sleep training baby won’t stop crying but was starting to sleep well at night, then your baby might be fussy for a reason. If your baby is fussy throughout the day, not eating, and is losing sleep, then visit the pediatrician. Kathrine Gammon wrote a helpful article for the New Your Times called What to Do If Your Sleep-Training Baby Stops Sleeping.

Hatch baby sleep program

There is quite a bit of buzz on the internet about the Hatch baby sleep program. Hatch makes smart devices that help babies, kids, and adults sleep better but doesn’t have a Hatch baby sleep program. However, savvy parents use Hatch baby rest settings to improve the quality of a baby’s sleep. Hatch makes two devices for babies and toddlers: Hatch Rest and Hatch Rest+ (plus) (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*). Both are controlled with a smartphone app so parents can turn up the white noise and turn down the built-in nightlight without disturbing your baby.

The Hatch Rest helps your baby sleep because it’s a sound machine, night light, and sleep timer. The Hatch Rest plus has everything Rest does with added features that include Alexa controls, a baby audio monitor, a digital clock display, a backup battery and is Wi-Fi enabled. The devices are so easy to use, you won’t need a Hatch baby rest manual to begin incorporating your Hatch device into a baby sleep program.

A brilliant feature that is standard to the Hatch Rest and Hatch Rest plus is the nightlight (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*).

The Hatch baby REST app quickly lets you choose the best nightlight color that helps your baby sleep. The Hatch baby app has rest sounds that include: wind, rain, static noise, waves, and others so that you can find the perfect baby rest sounds for your infant. Hatch REST devices are easily programmed to help your baby sleep well.

Baby Sleep Miracle program

The best book for baby sleep training with bonuses is Baby Sleep Miracle by Mary-Ann Schuler. Baby Sleep Miracle program (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*) is built on scientific research and Mary-Ann’s experience as a mother and child psychologist. Baby Sleep Miracle pdf (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*) is an ebook that is easily downloadable to your computer, tablet, or smartphone. However, be skeptical of Baby Sleep Miracle program free downloads, since they might be coming from unreliable sources and may contain untrustworthy information. To be sure you’re getting the authentic Baby Sleep Miracle program visit babysleepmiracle.com (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*)

Mary-Ann Schuler delivers bonuses to make Baby Sleep Miracle a reliable baby sleep program. The bonuses include two other ebooks and a soothing noise for babies.

The first bonus ebook that comes with the Baby Sleep Miracle program is Double Trouble Sleeping Struggle which is written for parents who have more than one child to help them tackle the difficulties of getting more than one child to sleep at night. My spouse and I wish we had this book when our kids were infants and toddlers. Because my older two kids are only 16-months apart, they shared a room for a couple of years. Now, my youngest and middle teenage boys share a room. Siblings sharing a room is challenging, and Double Trouble Sleeping Struggle addresses those challenges.

The second ebook that comes with Baby Sleep Miracle is Night Terror Stopping. There’s a sense of helplessness that parents feel when their kids have night terrors because it seems like there is nothing we can do to help them. In Night Terror Stopping, Mary-Ann Schuler provides hope to parents and kids that a peaceful night’s rest is possible. You’ll be encouraged and empowered to help your child.

The final bonus is soothing noise for babies. Many people describe it as the Baby Sleep Miracle pink noise (Disclosure: Affiliate link. We are compensated for our reviews.*). I, along with my two boys, like soft background noise while sleeping. We recommend trying the Baby Sleep Miracle pink noise along with sleep noises that come with Hatch Rest to discover which one works best for your baby.

For a more in-depth look into Baby Sleep Miracle, read our blog post, Baby Sleep Miracle Review.