One of my biggest worries as the parent of a newborn is getting that baby to sleep. Luckily, I found the book Good Night, Sleep Tight: The Sleep Lady’s Gentle Guide to Helping Your Child Go to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Wake Up Happy. The book is a fantastic resource for information about the physiology of sleep and children’s sleep needs from birth through age five. It addresses how to shape sleep for children and issues that may arise at different ages. The book even talks about improving sleep for those choosing to co-sleep.

This is a book that I have found myself looking to for information about my children's sleep habits many times over the last two and a half years. I have been able find how much sleep my children should actually be getting at each age as well as example schedules for that time. I have learned about taking away pacifiers, addressing sleep issues with teething, and how adding a new sibling can cause new sleep problems to arise, even in previously strong sleepers. Now, I am revisiting much of the book as I try to get my seven-week-old on a schedule and into a bed in his own room. I have gotten so much advice and support from this book that it is now my go-to gift for new parents.

Kim West, one of the book’s authors, is known as the Sleep Lady. She coaches parents to help them guide their children to be great sleepers. You can find out more about Kim and her philosophy at SleepLady.com. - Sara I.