Book Nook: The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers

It's been a while since I finished a book. I started reading a Jack Reacher on a recommendation by Sam and I just couldn't finish it. I don't like the way the author writes and it just wasn't the book for me. Then the holidays hit and I just haven't had time to sit and ready.  So I picked up The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Gentle Ways to Stop Bedtime Battles and Improve Your Child's Sleep by Elizabeth Pantley at the library and just finished it.

I know I've talked about Everly's sleep issues before. No, nothing has changed and nothing is better. I read the No-Cry Sleep Solution probably about a year ago. I decided to try the toddler version this year to see if I could squeeze any sleep luck out of it. After finishing the book I've decided that Everly has separation anxiety which causes sleep issues. She has every single one of the symptoms Pantley laid out in her book. It's just something Everly has to outgrow so wish me luck because she won't outgrow it until 3-5 years old. I've felt so hopeless when it comes to getting Everly to sleep. She's so tough and no matter what I try or for how long nothing seems to work. Just last night I had to walk her up and down the hallway for 30 minutes before she could fall asleep because she would just scream if we tried to go to any bedroom in the house. 

Anyway, for those of you with normal children who are having a hard time getting them to sleep I recommend this book. When I ask Everly's peditirician about sleep tips, he suggested closing her bedroom door and letting her scream it out. This is not an option for me. For one, I know it wouldn't work with Everly's personality. Honestly, I believe it would make things much worse (we've tried it a few times actually). If you don't want to do the cry it out method Pantley has lots of good alternatives. She doesn't believe the cry it out solution works so she has done research and has headed up many test groups to see what works. Her ideas are a process and I think she says try them for at least two months but you should start to see some change rather quickly. 

Some of my favorite chapters/sections of her book are:

• Stay vs not staying when putting your child to sleep and the steps to accomplish either one
• Night waking with reasons and solutions 
• Bad dreams, nightmares and night terrors
• Trips to the parents bed and how to stop them
• Naps 
• Family bed to independent sleep
• Separation anxiety

I really like the author and the way she writes. I'm planning on reading her No-Cry Sleep Solution book before my next baby is born just to refresh. She writes as if she is another mother just trying to help you get some sleep for the love! Rather than an expert who knows way more than you and makes you feel like you're doing everything wrong. I've been really sensitive when it comes to sleep books becuase we've had such a difficulty getting Everly to sleep well for us. These No-Cry Sleep Solution books are by far my favorites.