52 Sleep Secrets for Babies

More than 11,000 babies are born every day in the United States. Their parents prepare the room, buy all the equipment and diapers, go to birthing classes, find a pediatrician and anxiously await their arrival. Rarely do these parents have any preparation for the sleep deprivation before them. Kim West, author of "Good Night, Sleep Tight" and nationally known as "The SleepLady (tm)" has written 52 Sleep Secrets for Babies" to help new parents learn what they need to do to get their babies - and themselves - the sleep they need.

The Sleep Lady®approach is founded on my general beliefs as a family therapist: I'm a proponent of parents developing and maintaining a secure attachment with their child while creating a family life where everyone is happy, healthy and well-rested. My sleep approach builds on step-by-step changes in bedtime, napping and overnight routines so that a child can develop sleep independence and sleep more soundly and longer while feeling confident that Mom and Dad will be nearby and responsive. It's a gentler alternative for families who can't stomach the idea of letting their babies cry it out; for families who have tried Ferber without success; and for families who had success earlier on with crying it out but find that it isn't working now. I have also worked with families who believe in co-sleeping but whose babies don't really sleep all that well, even nestled snugly with Mom and Dad. And I've guided many families who did co-sleep for a few months or a few years but now want the family bed to revert to a marital one.

52 Sleep Secrets for Babies summarizes much of what I have learned from working with hundreds of families and that I now teach to the new parents I see in my practice and through my website. So many have asked me for a quick and easy to follow guide to helping their babies learn to sleep and to help them prevent problems down the road, I have put together this little book that you can carry with you anywhere and refer to before and after sleep problems arise.