Get Your Sleep On: A no-nonsense guide for busy moms who want to preserve attachment AND sleep through the night

by Christine Lawler

Sleep training. People talk about it like it’s so easy. But how do you do it in a way that fits your style, protects your relationship with baby and actually works? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you. In this quick and easy guide, I’ll distill all the basics from the best resources out there on baby sleep. I skip the parent shaming and a ton of fluff that the other books are filled with, and I’ll give you the best cliff’s notes version out there so that in an hour or so you can be a sleep-expert, too. I'll explain why sleep is so important, and tell you the biggest secret out there about smooth sleep training ( it has nothing to do with how much crying you can tolerate). Parenting isn’t one size fits all, so I give you three solid options that can fit anyone’s paradigm and I'll walk you through a 14-day plan to revolutionize sleep for everyone. What are you waiting for? Let's get your sleep on!

Genres: Parenting

84 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2017

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book transformed my life. Thank you Chrissy! Be sure to check out her website. She has a free newborn guide that helped us develop healthy sleep habits before officially sleep training at 4 months.

[Sadie Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of information presented in this book that is available on her Instagram account so I didn’t feel like I learned anything new or groundbreaking to really help my child sleep better. For parents not familiar with her other platforms I’m sure this will be more helpful than it was for me personally. I picked up a few new tips so it was definitely worth my time in that regard so I’m glad I took the time to read it and I could highlight things to come back and reference at 2 in the morning.

[Nicole Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

what I’ve been looking for

My husband and I have struggled to find common ground when it comes to sleep training. We’ve read multiple books together that did very little to get us on the same page. This one is so practical and straightforward, it’s basically impossible to interpret differently. I’m so grateful that my friend suggested this book.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I follow Chrissy on Instagram, so when my baby went from being an excellent nighttime sleeper to waking 3-5 times every night, I knew that reading her book would be helpful! I love that this book is concise and to the point - I didn’t need to page through a thick book full of jargon to find a simple plan to follow! This book takes a ton of guesswork out of sleep training and gives you simple action steps and tips (which is exactly what I was looking for).

*I docked a star for some cuss words sprinkled throughout the book, which was entirely unnecessary in my opinion. I wish authors would have a little more class sometimes.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As one who studied child development, I would have liked to have heard more about the research, though, I recognize this was not the author’s goal. So for a book written in layman’s terms for the general public, I think it was straight forward and to the point. I appreciated the author’s non-judgemental attitude toward different parenting approaches.

[Jamie Hood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming back to edit now that Eastyn has been sleep trained for 5 months… loved reading this book. It’s basically Chrissy giving a walkthrough for if you’re using cry it out or Ferber method. We used the Ferber method (checking in using timers), and we loved it.

I know there’s different opinions out there, but we loved sleep training. Yes, it’s a few days of lots of crying, but the trade off is awesome. Now, Eastyn doesn’t cry nearly at all when we put her down for naps or bed. It’s saved us a lot of sanity and has taught her independent sleep skills. The trade off of 3-7 long days of crying is worth it when you think that every night after that is an easy bedtime routine. (We trained Eastyn at 4 months, and now she is almost 9 months, and we’re still seeing benefits.)

I’m curious as to why people are opposed to modified cry it out sleep training, and I would love to hear opinions.

Could you sleep train using the Ferber method without this book? Definitely. But it’s nice to read this book and see a map of what Chrissy recommends. I didn’t buy her course (or Taking Cara Babies’ course), but at this point in time, I don’t think I would have needed it. Maybe there’s useful info in there, but this cheap book and occasional Google searches worked for me.

I also love Chrissy’s positive attitude, both in the book and on Instagram. She doesn’t care what people think, so she says it as it is. (Also, I appreciate that she at least used to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and although she doesn’t go anymore, she is still respectful of the church. Hard to find that attitude these days lol.)


Original review:

I follow Chrissy on Instagram, so some of the advice was familiar, as she has shared it on there. However, I think this book is perfect for a mom just needing a quick read and guide to sleep training (it took me a few days to read, but honestly could have finished it in two hours).

There are SO many resources out there, and it’s so easy for me to get overwhelmed by the advice and information and to feel like I’m doing something wrong. Chrissy lays it out simply for you without any shame at all, which is also found sometimes in books or advice I feel like. It is very straightforward and to the point, and if I need to do extra research, then I can. But I also feel like I have a basic understanding, and then I can build on that with my own instinct.

I finished the book quickly and now know what to do, so definitely not a waste of time reading a thick book. She understands that most moms don’t have the time to read a thick book lol. She does have courses you can buy… I feel like if I need extra help, like if the tips in this book don’t help at all, then I’ll buy her course or the Taking Cara Babies course.

I love the book’s tips for modified CIO (although Chrissy also talks about cry it out as well). I will probably use modified cry it out (also known as Ferber method) to train Eastyn next month. Maybe I will come back to edit this review/rating to say how it went following her advice lol.

[Panna · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you agree with these statements in the book, please, please, don’t have children! Have a doggo, have a cute cat, or whatever. A 4 months old does not know how to selfshoot. The ability to selfshoot begins to form around 3-5 years. If you let your baby cio, they only will learn that their needs only matters during the day. They eventually stop crying because they think their caregiver can’t come, and they biologically shut down before the (example) lion comes and eats them. It is antropologically normal. The other thing that throw me off guard was that she reffers to nursing like only cover the baby’s hunger. Big no. Nursing is also for comfort, for connection and even for development. Oh, and don’t get me started on that, that babies have a NEED NOT WANT to be close to their caregivers. They are not protesting they are fighting for the BIOLOGICAL NORM.
If you interested in gentle sleep choacing, follow resting in motherhood, taylorkulik or kaitlinkimmer on Instagram. If you have questions, i am more than happy to send you researches about why cio is wrong.

[Amber Aposhian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super quick read. Planning to start sleep training this weekend, and so I felt empowered getting a plan to tackle both night sleep and naps. Book includes recommendations for what order to conquer things in, what to do when regressions and illnesses pop up, how to still have a life with a sleep trained baby. Hopefully all goes well and I’ll go from getting no sleep at night and a chronic contact napper to superb sleep at night and no more contact naps (which I will miss, but babe is getting way too big).

Took off a star because she recommended using amber teething necklaces which are not supported by research AT ALL. Yikes. At least she told you not to let your baby sleep wearing one around their neck.

[Aaron Sabin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast read that presents strong arguments for sleep training, specifically the “Cry it Out” method. The most powerful argument of the book is that teaching your baby to sleep is good for them, and letting them cry it out gets them to learn the skill of self-soothing, which is beneficial for them in the long run. While it can be very painful to hear your child cry and not tend to her, the alternative is also quite painful. In the long run, it’s best to choose the option that teaches your child to get the sleep she needs. The book probably could have been a bit shorter, as it was repetitive at times.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful and succinct. I would have liked a bit more detail in areas, but I’m a researcher. I was hoping to use this pamphlet in my BYU parenting class as a supplement for our discussion on sleep, but there is so much swearing. Why Chrissy? Other than that, the author seems to want to genuinely help parents in a non-judgmental way!

[Emily Poppe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exact plan for sleep training

This is a great bang for your buck. The book lays out a plan for you and keeps things really simple and straightforward. I love that it didn’t take 6 hours to read and then still leave me asking “now what?” After reading it I know exactly what steps to take to sleep train my baby.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was only interested in this because it mentions "preserving attachment", but the entirety of that is the reassurance that making your baby cry won't mess up attachment. That's not really my concern, I'm interested in still cuddling when we want to, but not having to do it each time he sleeps! Not worth the little time it took to read.

[Alyse Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

Amazing and compact, right to the point guide to sleep training. Very insightful and I will definitely be telling with my other mom friends who are also struggling with sleep issues to read this.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet, and to the point. A good basic overview of sleep training techniques if you don't feel like reading a bunch of other books on the subject. Definitely favors cry-it-out methods over no-cry methods.

[Bradley Strathmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time parent and reviewer here! This is a condensed cliff-notes guide to sleep training your baby.

Biggest takeaways:
-how to prevent overtiredness
-the different versions of the CIO (cry it out) method
-a solid 14 day approach to sleep training

New parents, give it a go!

[Donald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straightforward and Conciss

I love how straightforward and concise this book is. Gives plenty of guidance without all the fluff. I felt confident sleep training my daughter after having read this.

[Anna Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoughts the book was very thoughtful and made you feel like you were speaking to a friend. No judgements. Just facts. I do think there was a lot of information I had already knew but always nice to see the science behind it.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, easy to read book

Easy to read, no “fluff”, provides 3 options for sleep training. I look forward to testing out her suggestions soon.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice quick how-to guide on sleep training. Actually really helpful and gets straight to the point. Very helpful during our time with sleep training. I recommend this to all parents!

[Mariana Paula Tagliabue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really useful!

I’ve took a lot of tips for my little one and myself while sleep training and it’s been a peaceful ride!!!

[Laura Gorney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really practical tool for getting baby to sleep better for everyone in the home to benefit.

[Tiare Nord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read. I wish there was a bit more but I may follow her approach and see how it goes!

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want guidance on sleep training your babe, I totally recommend this! It’s inexpensive, short, sweet, and to the point.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most straight to the point and understandable of any baby sleep book or website I've seen.

[Bethy Lansford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found some helpful hints in this book, but not anything that I couldn't Google already.
-amount of nighttime sleep and daytime sleep a baby needs at each age
-a schedule of what that might look like
-sleepiness cues

However, I did come across a few troubling anecdotes. In one instance, she talks about letting a baby cry it out for 4 hours. That seems excessive to me, personally. No recommendation of perhaps addressing intolerances (in formula or in mother's breast milk, fixed by addressing mother's diet). No tips on helping relieve gas or anything.

Another, was from her own experience. She claims her baby would "poop in protest" at nap time. I don't know about you, but that seems like a superhuman skill to poop on demand 😅 pretty sure the baby's body clock just hadn't adjusted yet.

If you dislike babywise, you will absolutely dislike this book. Babywise recommends allowing a child to cry 15 minutes before going in and comforting. As you can see from above, she allows hours to pass.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear, concise guide to sleep training. I found this super helpful with both my boys. I like how it is short, sweet, and to the point!
•
Chrissy has a lot of amazing information on Instagram, and while this is helpful, it can often be a lot to sift through. You can sit down and read this in a day and feel confident about where to start with baby sleep. I like the three, non-judgmental approaches to sleep training laid out in this book. It allows you to focus on what works best for you, your specific child, and your family. I love how Chrissy explains the approaches she used with her children and how it differed depending on the needs of each kid.
•
The only thing I wish this book had was more info on navigating sleep (naps) at daycare. This book kind of assumes that your baby stays at home with you every day. This isn't the reality for everyone, and it also shouldn't be the expectation.
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In addition to this book, I also love her sleep series that you can sign up for on her website!

[Elisabeth Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Chrissy on Instagram and love her tips. This book basically helps you find the right sleeping plan that works for you. She does focus a lot on the cry it out method because it worked for her, but she teaches you how to modify it to your comfort level and what's going to work for your baby. I'm excited to start sleep training my son next month!

[Carolann]

Really enjoyed this book and you can read it in a couple of hours. I'll hold off on rating until after baby is here