The Gentle Sleep Book: For Calm Babies, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Sarah Ockwell-Smith (Author), Katy Sobey (Narrator), Hachette Audio UK (Publisher)

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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.

Listening Length

8 hours and 45 minutes
Author

Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Narrator

Katy Sobey
Audible release date

July 26, 2016
Language

English
Publisher

Hachette Audio UK
ASIN

B01CYO9T5Q
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 45 minutes
Author	Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Narrator	Katy Sobey
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	July 26, 2016
Publisher	Hachette Audio UK
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B01CYO9T5Q
Best Sellers Rank	#53,664 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #90 in Parenting Infants & Toddlers #187 in Sleep Disorders #535 in Physical Illness & Disease

Customer reviews

5 star		69%
4 star		14%
3 star		10%
2 star		4%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Emily Wilhelm

If and When...

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

I had read "Baby Wise" and "The Happiest Baby on the Block" before my baby was born. I was prepared to have her sleeping through the night in twelve weeks 😂. If that has worked for you, Bravo, but if your baby is like the majority, he or she does not like to be put down, wants held while they sleep, wants to nurse all night, wakes frequently...well then here is the book to help calm your insanity. It isn't because her solutions are overnight miracles. Her solutions are gentle and take time. In the meantime you will come to learn how our culture has shaped our expectation around babies sleep, and how to adjust your expectation and cope with the sleeplessness until the solutions outlined in this book have had proper time to help your baby and you get some sleep!

117 people found this helpful

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April Schemper

Loved this book!

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is probably the fourth or fifth sleep training book I bought. Our guy (who is breastfed) started cosleeping with us at five months and continued until 17 months! I moved him into his room at 17 months and was staying with him on a floor mattress. Just feeling kind of stuck. He would sleep in there if I was there and I could get him to sleep for an hour or two in there alone before waking up. I could only get him to sleep in his crib if I nursed him to sleep in the crib and crawled out. I'm 5'10" I have no idea how I fit in there!

Anyway, I tried some cry it own (knowing it wasn't for me) and I tried pick up put down. I never even got far enough to try extinction or any of the other sleep training methods. One night, lying on the floor mattress with a 18 month old contently laying next to me and my husband sleeping alone in a king sized bed in the next room I found this book and decided to give it a try.

The author is intelligent and infomed on the subject, both as a professional and a mom. The writing style is easy to follow. At the beginning she asks you to read all the chapters, but shares how you can skip ahead if you really want. I opted to read the whole book and really appreciated it - sometimes you do that and feel like it is a waste. I learned not only about infant and child sleep, but adult sleep. It also just perfectly tees up the next section where she shares specific recommendations for your child's age group.

I went into reading this book with a different vision than I had at the end, but as any parent knows we have to stay flexible! What I realized is that I'm not that far off from where I want to be. Also, the author provides some extra tools and tricks to help make baby more comfortable in their own room without you.

So, I'm extremely happy that I got the book. I'm smarter, but I also feel a whole lot better about where I am and where we want to be.

31 people found this helpful

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B.B.

Read this book!

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018

Verified Purchase

Oh my gosh! this book was a lifesaver! I had purchased so many books trying to figure out how to get my little one to sleep, only to realize that there is nothing wrong with him! Im so relived I purchased this, gave me peace of mind that there is NOTHING wrong with my little guy, only my expectation. Would recommend to anyone having a child.

31 people found this helpful

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Eileen P

Some good substance, very specific opinions like all “sleep experts”

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2021

Verified Purchase

If I had to summarize the takeaway of this book in the most simple of terms it would be: Babies and toddlers can’t and should not be expected to sleep like adults, there are some things you can do to aid the process in sleeping longer but they get there when they get there. Sarah makes a good case as to why babies sleep the way they sleep and why it’s normal.

Her approach is very specific and simply won’t work for everyone and anyone. For example she is a big advocate for bed sharing (upwards to school age), which isn’t for everyone. It’s a very holistic approach and she makes it clear that you don’t change things over night. If anything she reassures you throughout that the way your baby sleeps is normal, but don’t expect to find a magic solution in this book.

I appreciated some of the content, but my advice to sleep deprived parents... save your money when it comes to sleep experts/training and know that this too shall pass.

12 people found this helpful

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Lucia O

Babies aren’t bad sleepers, it’s normal for them to wake up

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

I love this book, it reaffirms what I feel towards sleep training my baby! I know everyone means well with recommending the cry it out methods but it feels wrong to me and it was nice having someone put into words why it feels wrong. We bedshare and still breastfeed several times a night. Tried cosleeping with her crib in our room but she would wake up several times a night crying and wouldn’t go back to sleep she would wake up and sob when we would put her back down into her. bed. I know it’s not for everyone but bedsharing works for us, (there are more suggestions in the book)

15 people found this helpful

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Sarah G

Wish I read this before baby arrived!

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

I bought a couple of sleep books when I was pregnant (and naive, ha!) not realizing that they included some version of cry it out. Once my baby arrived I spent about 5 months feeling guilty for breaking “the rules” about feeding to sleep, not putting her down drowsy but awake etc. It added a tremendous amount of stress to the already stressful newborn time.

This book along with a couple of social media accounts made me realize the biological norm of how babies sleep and I finally let go of feeling guilty and accepted that my baby is normal (although not a “good” sleeper). I love Sarah’s practical and gentle approach and bought another one of her books. She is my only source for all things baby/toddler now. Wish I’d found her sooner!!

7 people found this helpful

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wavrida

Finally a book that is geared to co-sleeping and breastfeeding ...

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2017

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Finally a book that is geared to co-sleeping and breastfeeding. This is the only resource I'll go to when I think my baby isn't sleeping right.

34 people found this helpful

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Joseph

Science based sleep advice!

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

I really liked this book, especially because the author actually looking into the science behind sleep and what is normal and healthy. I thought the study she cites about the stress levels of infants who undergo sleep training was very interesting, and I also really liked her point that what works for one baby does not mean it will or should work for another. I know my sleep habits and needs are totally different even from my parents or siblings, so the idea that there is one sleep schedule that every baby should follow is kind of crazy to me.
I highly recommend this book, it helped me have realistic expectations and that alone relieved a lot of stress and helped me come up with better strategies for helping my son sleep.

48 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Hannah

The only baby/toddler sleep book you should buy!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

My son is now 22 months old and I have been on such a journey with his sleep that I feel I have read EVERYTHING out there on child sleep!

This book is the only one I would suggest reading in regards to realistic expectations about baby/toddler sleep as it references actual research and doesn’t make you feel like a failure if you have a little sleep thief like I do. Now that I’m a more experienced parent I would say wholeheartedly please please trust your instincts, not what some “sleep trainer” may tell you about leaving your child to cry. Babies and toddlers are human beings with a strong need to connect with us, you will get through the sleepless nights and you really will sleep again.

My son has actually been diagnosed recently with sleep apnoea (potentially from enlarged adenoids). This book briefly covers this condition. What this book really helped me to do was trust my instincts about keeping him close, responding to him, comforting him and breastfeeding on demand. I also appreciated the advice about bedtime routines and gentle night-weaning (it really is possible to gently nightwean a boob monster!). What I didn’t need to hear from well meaning friends, relatives and even misinformed health professionals was that I had created a sleep problem by responding to and breastfeeding my child on demand.

Despite his sleep apnoea, sleep has actually improved naturally over time just like this book encourages you it will. And I say that as a parent of a child who has had the worst sleep out of everyone I know!

133 people found this helpful

pipsqueak

Horrendous book!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is quite simply awful. There wasn't the option to give it zero stars so I reluctantly had to give it one star. It's perfect for people who have fallen into a trap of their baby not sleeping and responding to their every whim with cuddles and night feeds which will encourage further dependency. It's littered with patronising rhetorical questions. Alot of what the author advocates is her own opinion and she twists (or ignores) research to fit her own views. I think the use of damning and emotive language to slate parents who are trying to instigate some semblance of a routine is quite frankly disgusting!! This book just made me angry. Don't waste your time or money unless you want reassurance that allowing your child to do whatever they want is okay!
Buy 'The Baby Sleep Guide' by Stephanie Modell instead.

61 people found this helpful

AmazonShopper

Lots of ideas but could be better edited together

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

It's ok. Repeats itself and contradicts itself in places without explaining the nuances - e.g says to wait until they are tired, or to be consistent with bedtimes, or to try for a later 8pm bedtime in different parts of the book. Would have benefitted from a good editor / reviewer to fix these issues. But has lots of ideas so I have used it to formulate a plan. Yet there isn't much in the way of how to implement a plan - my baby is hooked on feeding to sleep so how do I gently wean her off that so I can use the other methods? It doesn't really cover this. Also a Shame it doesn't cover babies waking to wee. I'm sure that this affects some babies and a dream wee can help them. Also (I guess true of many a gentle book) the author is keen to tell you her preferred method which can be a bit annoying.
On the plus side it includes evidence based suggestions and talks about the not being any quick fix, which is sensible advice. I

55 people found this helpful

Laura

Nice idea, little substance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

This was a sleep deprived purchase in the newborn days but in reality I have found that it was of little use. It is quite wishy washy in the way it is written and seemed to have no resemblance to my daughters sleeping pattern. They settle into a pattern eventually, you just need to give them time.

37 people found this helpful

Ms. K. M. Rowlandson

Great advice

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is lovely. It makes me realise I am not a bad parent for listening to my child's needs and that although she isn't sleeping, that's ok. Gives some practical tips to help at each stage too.

41 people found this helpful

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The Gentle Sleep Book: For Calm Babies, Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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