There are few words like "crying it out" that bring all the sanctimommies to the yard to make you feel guilty about the way you're getting your baby to sleep. Pretty much all parenting decisions you make are hated by some group of people, but I don't think I've ever felt so attacked as I was the day I told a family member I was attempting the cry it out method. In hindsight, I should've shared some books about crying it out, because everyone assumed I was not only abusing my baby, but letting her cry for hours upon hours while I peacefully snoozed.
Chances are, if you want a book about crying it out, you're exhausted. You're tired of a baby who doesn't sleep, you're tired of the nightly struggle, and you're at the end of your rope. That's exactly how I was, and when I followed a cry it out method that didn't leave my baby screaming for hours on end, she went to sleep in 45 minutes. The next night? 30. One day later, she was sleeping through the night.
I'm not alone in using this method. A study found that out of 40 books about parenting and sleep advice, 61 percent endorsed crying it out. Most of the books recommend a gradual cry it out method with scheduled check-ins, while a few did suggest going cold-turkey.
Of these seven books about crying it out, some suggest checking in with your baby while others suggest a more hardcore approach. When it comes to you and your baby, you know what works best. But if you're looking for any type of advice on using a cry it out method, one of these seven books is sure to help everyone get some sleep.
1'Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems' by Richard Ferber
The master guide for crying it out is Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems and it's a must for anybody who wants to attempt getting their baby to sleep by teaching them how to self-soothe. You may have heard of the cry it out method being known as the Ferber method ― it's named for the author of this book. Trust me, this is the method I used and it is worth every read.
2'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child' by Marc Weissbluth
Another popular choice, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child uses a cry it out method to help your child fall asleep to their natural cycle without any sleep associations. You'll be amazed at what you learn about your baby and their sleepy cues with this book.
3'Sleeping Through The Night' by Jodi A. Mindell
Focusing on bedtime instead of middle-of-the-night training, Sleeping Through the Night will give you the tools you need to focus on a reliable schedule for your baby and banish any negative associations with sleep.
4'The Sleepeasy Solution' by Jennifer Waldburger
Even when you're ready to try a cry it out method, it's never easy to hear your little one cry. The Sleepeasy Solution offers lots of reassuring words and is sensitive to parents who may be having trouble feeling at ease with crying it out. The approach in this book is gentle and keeps your baby's well-being as its priority.
5'The Happy Sleeper' by Heather Turgeon & Julie Wright
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For a cry it out method that still allows you to be as nurturing as possible while teaching your baby to self-soothe, try The Happy Sleeper. The book is backed by research, so you can feel confident knowing there's a reason for it to work.
6'On Becoming Baby Wise' by Gary Ezzo & Robert Bucknam
An incredibly popular baby sleep book, On Becoming Baby Wise is also a little more hardcore than most. While the book suggests some sleep training methods that involve crying, it also recommends a schedule that may not work for everybody. In short? Look at the basic principles of the book and make it work for your family.
7'Twelve Hours' Sleep By Twelve Weeks Old' by Suzy Giordano & Lisa Abidin
Another book that's pretty popular but a little intense is Twelve Hours' Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old. You can use some of the cry it out and self-soothing tips in here, but remember that you know your baby best, so don't feel like you have to follow a strict feeding schedule to get your baby to sleep. The book offers some techniques for those who are comfortable, but again, make it work for your family.
