Book Review: The No Cry Sleep Solution for Newborns

I received the following item at no cost to me to facilitate my review; however all opinions remain my own. For more information, see my full disclosure policy.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I spent a lot of time preparing. Childbirth and parenting classes, books on parenting and childbirth, fancy registry items that all the popular sites insisted I couldn’t be without… I did it all.

One thing I didn’t prepare for though was our newborn’s sleeping. I had given it some thought. I knew I wanted to cosleep with Ethan, but that our mattress was too soft for it to be done safely, so until he got older he would sleep in a fancy bassinet beside our bed… or so I thought. Ethan however had different plans. As soon as I layed him down it became a crying session. Whether we layed him down in a awake, sleepy, recently asleep, in a deep sleep or any other possible time. This of course, led to some unsafe sleep habits as my husband and I tried desperately to get sleep… any kind of sleep.

We eventually got into a (much safer) groove, and for the most part, Ethan sleeps pretty well now. Looking back on what I know now, there’s definitly some things I would do differently.

Now with baby #2 on the way and Ethan still being little, sleep is something I can’t afford to figure out through trial and error. I need to have plans (and backup plans) in place before baby is here. This time I’m preparing for my newborn’s sleep with Elizabeth Pantley’s new book, “The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Newborns”.

Elizabeth Pantley is a parent educator, mother, and author of the No Cry solution series, which includes several books dedicated to sleep. Her latest book, “The No-Cry Sleep Solutions for Newborns” focuses on ensuring good sleep habits from the moment baby is born.

Initially, I was hesitant to give this book a go, as most books that delve into the realm of baby sleep advocate some sort of form of Cry It Out (CIO), which I’m extremely against. This book is definitly not that. Within the first couple pages Pantley proclaims that she does not believe that a baby should ever be left to cry herself to sleep.

The book starts out talking about the author’s experiences with her own children and grandchildren, and how this book can help you with your newborn’s sleep (and thus your own!) It then launches into a summary of the 15 keys to amazing newborn sleep that makes up the majority of the book. The summary is a good place to start as you can easily see what each key is about and then flip to the subsequent chapter for more details. This is great if there is a specific topic that you want to read first (pink noise, the sucking reflex).

Throughout the book, Pantley draws upon a wide variety of research and opinions to support her points. These include research studies, her own experience and the experience and thoughts of other parents who have used Pantley’s methods. These things together make for very relateable chapters.

Many of the keys in the books will look familiar to seasoned parents or parents who have already done other reading. Getting to know your baby and their sleep signals, respecting babies inner time clocks and happily awake time, and various comfort measures to recreate the womb (swaddling, pink noice, movement) are all things that are included. I did none of these with my firstborn until late in the game. Had I known what a difference they would actually make in my son’s sleep I would have used them much sooner.

My favorite key in the book is actually a fairly simple key…Have realistic expectations. With my first, I was constantly checking on apps, websites and in facebook groups wondering if my newborn was ‘normal’. Unfortunately, a lot of of what you read in these things go against basic newborn physiology. Expecting a newborn baby to sleep through the night? Expecting them to have a consistent schedule? Honestly, expecting really anything is setting up so many parents for failure. I loved that this is one of Pantley’s first chapters and covers both the science and annecdotal aspects of so much misinformation (but my friend’s baby sleeps through the night?)

If you’re expecting a book with a play by play or a schedule of exactly what you need to do, then this book is not for you. The No-Cry Sleep Solution focuses on the natural biology of newborn children, and how parents can make the transition from womb to world easier on baby. It is about adjusting your own expectations rather then trying to adjust your baby.

This is a book I highly recommend parents place on their reading list – particularly first time parents (though seasoned parents will likely benefit from the ideas presented as well). Ideally this book will be read before baby is born (who has time to read a book when they have a 2 week old?), but can be read anytime while baby is new. It dispels the myths associated with newborn sleep and intead teaches parents tips and tricks to ensure newborn sleep that is developmentally appropriate and biologically conscious.

For more information on The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Newborns and The No Cry book series, visit Elizabeth Pantley’s website, No Cry Solution.

“The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Newborns” is available for purchase on Amazon.com and at most places where books are sold.