A Reading List Review - Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child 
by Dr. Marc Weissbluth

The major premise of the book is:

Sleep begets more sleep. 
Less sleep begets less sleep.

If we do not hold sleep time as sacred as we hold feeding, diapering and play, then we will have children who suffer from a chronic lack of sleep...taking your child from this --->




to this:
<----


Dr. Weissbluth argues that much like adults who suffer from chronic fatigue, children who suffer from chronic fatigue experience loss of memory and concentration, short attention span, moodiness, and have difficulty attaining good sleep despite being overtired (being "wired").

While describing typical sleeping patterns for infants in his sleep study and pediatric practice (babies at such and such age sleep X hours on average, babies at...) Dr. Weissbluth identifies various developmental milestones infants reach - with the most important being in months 3-4, when babies begin to respond socially. 

Where Dr. Weissbluth rubs most against the "attachment" parent crowd is when he encourages you to utilize a "let cry" strategy to efficiently and effectively help develop healthy sleep habits once the child no longer requires nighttime wakings in order to be appropriately nourished. At this point, nighttime wakings become more about social stimulation and habit than about physical need. In fact, Dr. Weissbluth argues that to not establish nighttime sleeping at this point is to go against the baby's physical needs to create an overtired child (review above) instead of a happy child (see below): 

So if you want happy, well-rested baby (and parents), just remember what Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for Dads says: if [the let cry strategy] didn't work, no one would do it!