Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

After hearing raves about both books I was curious as to what the moms on the board thought.

Have you tried both? Was one better than the other?

I'm DESPERATE for some sleep. It amazes me how one night he'll sleep for 12 hours and another night he'll get up 2 times and won't go down unless he's fed. I've tried CIO.....it doesn't work with him. He's 6.5 months and over 20 pounds....he doesn't *need* to eat but unfortunately its now a habit.

Your thoughts?

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

Well I'm a HUGE fan of the Weissbluth book (HSH, HC) but I might as well tell you now, if you don't want to do CIO, don't bother with that book because his sleep training methods do involve CIO.

I never read the No Cry book.

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

I own both, and which one is better depends on your child.

If your child responds to rocking and other gentle soothing to sleep, No Cry Sleep Solution may do the job.

My daughter never found my company soothing unless I was nursing her, so Healthy Sleep Habits had the only answer for me. It involved crying though.

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

I don't mind CIO. It worked with my daughter b/c she had a schedule. Jack doesn't have one although he does go to bed the same time every night.....that is the ONLY routine I have. I never know when he's going to get up in the morning so naps are usually cat naps. BUT sometimes his morning nap could be 2 hours. Like I said - every day is different with this kid and its awful for both of us.

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

I also have both books and they are both useful and many general ideas are common (routine, consistency, watching cues, okay to nurse to sleep). I have not had to let Anjali CIO although she is waking at night right now.

At 8 wks old she started sleeping 5 hours and it just increased and by 2.5 months she was sleeping 8 or more. Then it went to 10, but at exactly 4 months and 1 week she started waking again! So by 5 months I had to make some changes, I have been following HSHHC ideas of consisent wake up time in the morning and first morning nap being around the same time everyday and that makes a big difference. This is really what the "training" is about. I haven't followed his CIO advice and hope I won't need to.

So, she wakes up b/t 7 and 7:30, naps b/t 9 and 9:30 for 1 to 2 hours and the rest of the day she usually is up for 3 hrs and then sleeps again. I just try to watch her cues, respect her need to sleep and do my best to not get her totally addicted to nursing to sleep every single time. I learned my lesson from Lyla that I have to rock, pat and sometimes let her fuss/cry.

SO, it might help you to wake him at the same time everyday, and if you follow Weisbluth's suggestions, he will probably fall into more of a predictable schedule. They do "train" easily at this age.

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

Dr. Weissbluth should win the nobel prize (if there was one for sleep of course) He is amazing, his book is amazing - amazing!

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

I skimmed through the No Cry book and it didn't really give me what I needed. Last week I started reading Weissbluth and within a few days my DS started sleeping through the night, taking real naps, and falling into a little bit of a schedule. And I haven't had to use CIO. His book just makes so much sense and really works. I'm a huge fan!

Re: Healthy Sleep Habits vs. No Cry Sleep Solution

The only thing I got out of Healthy Sleep Habits was watching for cues and how much sleep a baby should be getting at a certain age. I can't do CIO so that book really wasn't for me, I ended up selling it on ebay because I only got through the first couple of chapters.
I never read No Cry but I know the general ideas and that is mostly what we use.