The Chronicles Continue

So I went to Chapter's today to pick up a book that was recommended by a bunch of the anti-cry-it-out (CIO) websites, The No-Cry Sleep Solution. After a quick skim, it was clear that the book was essentially the same as everything I've been reading online that I've already found to not be particularly useful. Also, she's described as a "mother and author," which pretty much tells me that she's just another opinions in a sea of opinions.

I eventually came across a book called Bed Timing: The "When-To" Guide To Help Your Child Sleep. It's written by a couple, both child psychologists (and parents), specializing in behavioural and developmental psychology (the one is also a professor of neuroscience). They talk about how the "how" of sleep training (which they broadly define in order to include non-CIO methods such as No-Cry) is less important than the "when," explaining how the developmental stages of infants and young children make certain ages ripe for training, and others doomed for failure.

I'm enjoying it so far. The introduction got me immediately, talking about how so many approaches make parents feel guilty for putting their own sleep needs ahead of their children's. They stress that a good parent is a well rested parent, and we have to do what we can to have the happiest and healthiest household possible.

The book is somewhat academic, in that it doesn't rely heavily on anecdotal evidence, but rather charts, in detail, developmental stages and (briefly) describes research supporting their claims. I think this is why I connect with the book; I'm a science minded person and require credible evidence to make a compelling case. We'll see how useful it ultimately ends up being, but at the very least, it will give me some insight into how babies' brains develop, which in and of itself is interesting and valuable.

That being said, today was a crappy day on the sleep front. Crappy naps, failed bedtime, and an eventual very late sleep. Put her down in her crib at 10pm. Wrote this, now I'm going to bed (only to likely be woken up in an hour or two).

Blarg.