You’re not alone if you dread sleep training and don’t know where to start. Sleep training can be a challenging task for all new parents, but we’re here to help!
If you’re looking to learn about sleep training, there are plenty of books available on the topic. Among them, we have selected the following 10 must-have baby sleep training books for you. They will come in handy when you don’t have as much me-time or sleep as you do right now.
Find the one that best fits your parenting style, and get ready to set up your little one for sleeping training success! Regardless of what you choose, we know you’ll do great.
10 Baby Sleep Training Books Hand-Picked for Your Reading List
1. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is considered one of the classics of sleep training practices and was written by Dr. Marc Weissbluth, a pediatrician who specializes in children’s sleep disorders. He uses methods that include both nighttime sleep and nap-scheduling.
We love that every section of this book has stories of children with real sleep disorders and the methods of therapy that he recommends for those circumstances. It makes it more than just abstract tips, but instead gives a complete image of what sleep training can look like.
Best Sleep Training Book for Breastfed Babies
2. On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo
How do you adopt a flexible parenting style in the best interest of your child? Try the ‘Babywise Parent Directed Feeding’ concept (also known as ‘child-led’ feeding). This is an empowering approach that naturally synchronizes your baby’s feeding time, waketime, and nighttime sleep cycles, so the whole family can sleep through the night.
Sounds like a dream right?
Meet this all-time favorite newborn parenting manual! It’ll teach you how to focus sleep training on feeding schedules. You’ll be able to bring security and order to your baby’s world. And most importantly, you’ll become a parent who always has the energy to respond to any baby’s need!
The Ferber Sleep Training Book
3. Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Dr. Richard Ferber
This bestselling and groundbreaking classic has helped countless children fall and stay asleep at night and perform well during the day. It was written and published by Dr. Richard Ferber, the nation’s foremost authority on children’s sleep problems.
In the latest edition, Dr. Ferber includes new research on the development of normal sleep and body rhythms throughout childhood. He discusses the causes of most sleep problems from birth to adolescence and recommends proven solutions for each so that parents can choose the strategy that works best for them.
Best Newborn Sleep Training Book
4. Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp
Given the title, this book seems like a no-brainer. Of course, we want our children to have healthy sleep habits, solve their sleep problems, and have them become the happiest baby on the block!
So how does the book propose that we do it? In four basic principles.
First, the author claims that babies cry during their first 3 months because they miss the womb, or as he puts it, they’re “born 3 months too soon.” Second, he offers a “calming reflex” or the end to all crying, essentially. Third, the 5 S’s (swaddling, side-stomach position, shushing, swinging, and sucking) for calming. Finally, the “cuddle” cure.
These are some great techniques for parents who don’t want to use the “cry it out” method. Give it a try to find out if it works for your family!
Potty, Eating, and Sleep Training for Toddlers
5. The 3-Day Nanny by Kathryn Mewes
This book isn’t just about sleep training—it’s about promoting better overall behavior. It has step-by-step advice for sleeping through the night, trying new and healthy foods, improving behavior, and potty training.
All in all, it seems like this book promises to solve every problem you’ll face from now until your baby is a toddler and beyond!
The most exciting part? The author, Kathryn Mewes, says every new habit and behavior can be added within 3 days. So if you’re looking for the fastest method, maybe Mewes’s book is the one for you.
The Sleep Training Book to Make Moms’ Lives Easier
6. Get Your Sleep On by Christine Lawler
Millennial parents are the first to parent with social media as a major part of their lives. This is undoubtedly impacting their parenting approach, creating parenting trends, and changing the narrative of what a future “Mom” looks like.
Christine Lawler definitely targets an audience of millennial women transitioning into motherhood. This sleep training book claims to be “a no-nonsense guide for busy moms who want to preserve attachment AND sleep through the night”.
Turning over the cover page, the description gives you a look into what’s inside: a series of baby sleep training methods and tips that are gentle AND effective. Get back to your busy mom life with one of this mom’s easy-to-apply sleep solution options!
Pro Tips on Co-sleeping and Breastfeeding
7. The Gentle Sleep Book by Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Are you looking for expert tips on gentle sleep training/no cry methods? Gentle sleep training is a more gradual approach that usually involves fewer tears. This book challenges the traditional controlled crying and pick-up/put-down techniques. It also tackles common issues such as frequent waking, night terrors, and night dryness.
Using non-traditional methods and creating daily habits to promote healthy sleep, this compassionate book shows you how to effectively nurture a happy and sleepy baby at night-time.
Family-friendly Solution for Baby, Toddler, or Preschooler
8. The Sleepeasy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack
Written by two of America’s leading experts on children and sleep, this book provides a fresh perspective on the no-cry method, which they call the “least-cry” approach.
Jennifer and Jill are experts in giving parents the tools they need for a successful night’s sleep for the whole family. Their “least-cry” approach makes sure that healthy sleep habits are put in place early on to eliminate guilt or stress for the parent during this process.
Gentle Sleep Training with the ‘Soothing Ladder’
9. The Happy Sleeper by Heather Turgeon and Julie Wright
This book shows parents how to avoid and undo bad sleep habits while establishing good sleep patterns for their babies. Moreover, it aims to eliminate the “helicopter parent” and promote children’s and parents’ independence. The expert’s guide is sensitive and nurturing while enforcing structure and routine.
From healthy naps, optimal sleep patterns, to independent sleep, this book tries to cover everything you need to know to nurture a happy baby, while the parents themselves stay well-rested.
Practical, Science-based Sleep Training Advice
10. Precious Little Sleep by Alexis Dubief
Wondering what’s the one thing you need to help your baby sleep better? Then Precious Little Sleep (the 2nd edition) is a sleep training book you probably don’t want to miss. It explores topics that every mom would be curious about, including realistic expectations for baby sleep, ways to navigate the tricky newborn phase, and how to promote healthy napping.
The Ferber method, pick-up/put-down, cry-it-out, fuss-it-out, gentle sleep training, and full extinction…This book covers almost every sleep training method out there. And to top it all off, it is a quick and easy read—great news for sleep-deprived parents!
We’ve shared some of the best sleep training books on our reading list to help you and your baby sleep through the night. No matter which sleep training method you finally choose, consistency is key. And don’t forget that while babies’ sleep is precious, so is yours!
If you’re looking for the perfect baby monitor for when you’re sleep training your little one, check out the CuboAi baby monitor. This reliable and discreet baby monitor will provide you peace of mind during the sleep training process!
