The Gentle Sleep Book

For Calm Babies, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

By: Sarah Ockwell-Smith

Narrated by: Katy Sobey

The Gentle Sleep Book offers gentle, no-tears sleep solutions for exhausted parents of newborns to five-year-olds.

A large percentage of parents find their young children's sleep - or lack of - challenging. This new audiobook from Sarah Ockwell-Smith, founder of BabyCalm, will be an indispensable guide for parents, whatever challenges they are facing with their child's sleep - from the day they bring their newborn home until their child is settled in at school.

Examining everything from frequent night waking in babyhood through bedwetting in toddlerhood to nightmares and refusal to go to bed in preschoolers, this audiobook provides extensive scientific and anecdotal information plus plenty of gentle suggestions to help everyone get a good night's sleep.

This is a gentle, evidence-based approach that doesn't involve leaving a baby to cry or shutting a sobbing child in his or her bedroom.

©2016 Sarah Ockwell-Smith (P)2016 Hachette Audio UK

Critic reviews

"Sleep is not a battle. It's a balance, and in this book Sarah helps parents find that balance...the practical advice for real situations is very helpful." (Juno)

Interesting Perspective

Wasn’t sure if the research shared was US, Australian, or Global based. I appreciated the non US-centric perspective. I feel like I have healthier expectations of my child’s sleep and have several elements to consider while being empowered to creat my own action plan.

Nice enough, but it didn't work for me

This is a nice book, with some scientific data, but as I have a high need child, most things presented here did not work for me. Maybe they can work for you.

A must read for anyone caring for children!

This was a fabulous book and so helpful. I'm a Birth Boot Camp Instructor and mom of 2, and purchased this for help with my youngest who is currently bedsharing. I will recommend this to my students as well, and honestly to anyone caring for children, especially those who are with them in the evening and at nap times. I must listen again to retain all of her helpful information.

It's fine but not much about 2-4 years

What did you like best about The Gentle Sleep Book? What did you like least?

There is some good information in this book, especially on babies and newborns. Information we wish we had for our first daughter and had figured out by our second.

There really isn't much content for 2 -4 year old despite saying "and Pre-schoolers". Which was why I had purchased it, so pretty disappointed. Lot of repeating. The last third seems as much self praise (or at least replied letters on how good the advice was, which filled a lot of time and wasn't useful) as actual advice. Started fast forwarding towards this point.

There seems to be differences between US pediatric practices verses UK pediatric practices, so how do you know what's best? And honestly the one thing she drills on is "go with your instincts and not what people are telling you". I agree with this concept.

if you just want reassurance, heres your book

not sure i needed to listen to this book for 7 hours to realize not sleeping for longer than 5 hours at a time (despite implementing over half of her suggestions for the past 15 months) is no fun and I'm not the only one. not entirely helpful or practical. although I will attempt some suggestions not tried, by the time I do he will probably have "out grown" the issues we currently face.