Life
When you first bring home a new baby, you may treasure those late-night bonding sessions spent staring into your babies eyes as your rock him off to sleep. But it won't be long before you and your partner will want to get back some of those precious lost Zs, and teach your baby to fall asleep without your help. But if you're going to take on this task, you're going to need to call in some backup. Before you decide to sleep train, you'll want all of the resources for crying it out that you can get.
The experts have weighed in on both sides of the cry it out argument. In an article in the Wall Street Journal, New York Pediatrician, Dr. Michel Cohen stated that parents can begin to sleep train their babies as early as two months, before they get used to the idea of being soothed to sleep. While Dr. Sears told Parenting magazine that allowing a baby to cry it out goes against the mother's instincts and is a bad idea.
Parents need all the support they can get to make it through this sometimes difficult period. Thankfully, there are books, websites, and forums designed to bring moms and dads together to discuss the challenges and benefits of letting their babies cry themselves to sleep. And with a little help and a lot of patience, your entire house will be sleeping peacefully in no time.
1
Good Sleep Nanny
A maternity nurse and sleep trainer, GoodSleepNanny claims she can help your babies get to sleep better in three nights. If you're already tired, it couldn't hurt to hear what she has to say.
2
Cry It Out Mama's Support Group
Over 1,000 mamas strong, the Cry It Out Mama's Support Group on Facebook allows moms who have tried or are considering using the cry it out method to share advice and offer support in a judgement-free zone.
3
'The New Basics' by Michel Cohen
Dr. Michel Cohen's The New Basics: A-to-Z Baby and Child Care for the Modern Parent ($10) is a great resource to help parents tackle everything parenting, including cry it out sleep training.
4
Netmums
Netmums, the largest online parenting network in the UK, has an active sleep support forum that covers everything from co-sleeping, napping and sleep training.
5
Cry It Out Mom
Twitter account Cry It Out Mom takes a lighthearted approach to motherhood. Check it out for a good laugh on a sleepless night.
6
'Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems' by Richard Ferber
Dr. Richard Ferber's Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems ($12) answers parents questions about the cry it out method, and provides evidence that CIO is a safe method of sleep training.
7
The Precious Little Sleep Site
Mom Alex Dubief started sleep training website, The Precious Little Sleep Site, as a resource for parents who want to help their babies sleep better. The site includes sleep guides with tips and tricks by age from birth to preschool, expert sleep training advice, and parent forum.
8
My Sleeping Bub
An Australian mom and nurse, My Sleeping Bub's Twitter account claims to have baby sleep training super powers. Why not follow her feed and take advantage of them?
9
'Go The F**k To Sleep' by Adam Mansbach
Don't be fooled by the beautiful cover art, Go The F**k To Sleep ($10) is not a sweet bedtime story. It's a parody of a children's story, written for the weary parents who could a good laugh when their babies are up crying. If you really want to laugh, check out the audio book, read by Samuel L. Jackson.
