Table of Contents
Foreword Wendy Middlemiss vii
Introduction: If You're Reading This Before Your Baby Is Born ix
1 The Sleepy Fetus 3
What's Going on In There? 5
2 Newborns in "The Fourth Trimester" 11
Understanding Your Baby's Sleep Cycle 13
How Your Baby's Brain Is Different from Yours 14
A Closer Look at Adult Sleep 17
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream 19
Your Baby's Sleep Cycles 20
Common Medications That May Affect Your Baby's Sleep 21
Baby Wake Cycles 24
It Pays to Answer Promptly 24
Decoding Your Baby's Cries 25
The Swaddling Option 26
Drowsy But Awake 27
3 Where Should Baby Sleep? 29
The Great Debate 31
Bed Sharing: The World's Oldest Sleeping Arrangement 33
The Biology of Mother-Baby Night Closeness 38
Bed-Sharing Negatives 39
Bed-Sharing Safety Checklist 43
How and When to Stop Bed Sharing 46
Co-Sleeping 47
All About Cribs 48
Setting Up Your Baby's Room 59
Baby Soothers 62
4 Six Weeks: The Crying Peak 65
The Six-Week Crying Peak 67
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) 71
Colic: The Waking Nightmare 79
Dealing with Exhaustion 90
5 Three to Four Months 97
Developing a Daily Routine 99
What's Happening in Your Three-Month-Old Baby's Brain 100
Feeding and Sleep: The Big Differences Between Breast and Bottle 102
Nap Routines 107
Charting Your Baby's Day/Night Patterns 113
The Nighttime Put-Down 116
Tips for Handling Your Unique Baby 120
6 Four to Six Months 125
The Four-Month Sleep Shift 127
7 Six to Nine Months 137
Your Baby's New Sleep Patterns 139
Is It Time for a Change? 139
What Is Sleep Training? Does It Really Work? 141
8 Nine to Twelve Months 155
All About Toddler Sleep 157
9Twelve Months and Beyond 163
The Challenge of Toddler Sleep 165
Exercise Is Important 165
Handling Delaying Tactics 166
Twenty Tips for Toddler Bedtime 167
Coping with Your Early-Morning Riser 170
The Changing Nap-time Scene 170
Containing a Roaming Toddler 171
Monsters and Night Fears 172
Moving from Crib to Bed 174
Bed-wetting 175
Sleep Problems When Traveling 177
Family Upheavals 178
A Distant Memory 179
Glossary 181
Resources 185
Endnotes 187
Index 191