f you’re reading this, you are probably in the throes of sleepless nights with your infant. Maybe there are bags under your eyes and dark circles. You’re probably yawning and wondering why you have the only baby in the universe, it seems, who refuses to sleep. Take heart, there’s help.
Perhaps you’ve thought about “sleep training” but have felt unsure about which method to choose. If so, the following guide will help you take the guesswork out of choosing the right sleep plan for you and your baby.
The Sleepeasy Solution
In a nutshell: This approach, developed by Jill Spivack and Jennifer Waldburger, pediatric sleep experts who own the popular Los Angeles-based sleep consultancy Sleepy Planet (which has loads of Hollywood clients - yes, celeb babies cry too!), was developed with an efficient yet compassionate approach in mind. In short, you might hear some crying, but you’re going to discover how to phase your baby into learning how to sleep.
See The Cradle's Will I Ever Sleep Again and The 6 Sleep Stealers.
The Sleepeasy Solution - both the book and DVD - walk parents through the sometimes-wretched process of starting a sleep-training program for their baby. Spivack and Waldburger’s compassion and understanding for parents’ raw emotions come through the pages and across the TV screen. They walk new parents through how to deal with those emotions, helping them build a bullet-proof sleep plan for their babies. Overall, the program offers a great middle ground between a “no cry” and a “cry it out” system, and it’s ideal for parents who are not interested in either extreme.
Pros:
Jill and Jennifer speak in ways that real parents can understand. For example, when they say that babies need their “sleep nutrition,” you’ll feel encouraged to continue with the program (instead of giving into heart-tugging cries).
And, more than just nighttime sleep, this program gives you age-specific tips on frequency and length of naps - another hot-button topic for new parents. You’ll be flipping back to these pages frequently as your baby grows.
Cons:
Like any sleep program, you’re going to hear some crying. This method isn’t cry-proof (though few are), so prepare yourself for some tears, even if they’re only temporary.
This method advocates for frequent “check-ins” on your infant while she is crying, so for the first few nights that the baby is adjusting to things, expect fragmented sleep (though this should only be temporary).
What the experts say: “We pride ourselves on having created the ‘least-cry’ sleep program,” says Spivack. “We are also happy to offer exhausted parents who are too tired to read the option of watching a 45-minute DVD to get the answers they're searching for. In essence, the DVD is the next best thing to having sleep consultants right in your living room, guiding you through the process and holding your hand every step of the way.”
