McGraw-Hill Announces Long-Awaited Release of *The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night* by Parent Educator and Renowned Author Elizabeth Pantley

Babies CAN learn to sleep without "crying it out," according to book released today by parent educator Elizabeth Pantley. Drawing on experiences of "test mommies," Pantley presents a gentle, consistent method to help babies learn to sleep through the night. Her approach can be tailored to parents' unique circumstances and is founded on respect for both babies' and parents' emotional and psychological needs for rest. Says respected pediatrician Dr. William Sears, "At long last, I've found a book that I can hand to weary parents with the confidence that they can learn to help their baby sleep through the night-- without the baby crying it out."

March 29, 2002 -- *The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night* by Elizabeth Pantley hits bookseller's shelves and Websites today, touting a breakthrough approach for a good night's sleep without tears.

Historically, there have been two ways to deal with getting a baby to sleep through the night: the hotly debated technique of letting the baby "cry it out," or "wait and be patient" until the baby begins to sleep on his own. For parents who don't believe in letting their baby cry it out but who desperately want to sleep now, Pantley's sanity-saving book presents a third option. Her successful solution has been tested and proven effective by scores of parents and their babies from across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Pantley explains, "Very often, when a frequent-night-waking baby wakes up and starts to cry, he's not hungry or thirsty or wet or even lonely; he's just plain tired -- as desperate for sleep, perhaps, as his parents but, unlike them, clueless as to how to fall back asleep."

"During the first year or two of life, a baby wakes up during the night," continues Pantley. "This is not a problem: It is a biological fact. The problem lies in our perceptions of how a baby should sleep, but even more than that, it lies in the parent's own real need for an uninterrupted night's sleep. Parents require long stretches of sleep to function at their best in their busy lives. The optimum idea, then, is to respectfully and carefully change a baby's behavior to match his parent's needs more closely."

The 10-step plan leads parents step by step through the process, one day at a time, until baby and parents are all getting a good night's sleep. This is accomplished by:

--Shedding new light on a baby's sleep patterns and helping parents set realistic goals

--Showing parents how to analyze and assess their baby's current sleep patterns

--Offering a variety of sleep solutions that fit every parenting style, whether families co-sleep with their baby or have their baby sleep in a crib, and whether they breastfeed or bottlefeed their baby

--Helping parents create a tear-free customized sleep plan that works for them and their baby

--Giving parents the tools to take positive action to help their baby sleep — and the encouragement to help them enjoy their babies in spite of temporary sleep deprivation

Dr. James J. McKenna, professor of anthropology and director of the Mother Baby Behavioral Sleep Center at the University of Notre Dame says, "It is refreshing to see and to be able to endorse an approach toward tender infant and child caregiving that does not claim to 'know' who and what every baby 'should' be, or what every parent 'should' do to achieve parenting success. Elizabeth's book speaks to the uniqueness of each family in a loving and knowledgeable way."

Attachment Parenting International welcomes this groundbreaking book: "Finally, a book that deals sensitively with a sensitive issue. This book is not one of empty solutions; Ms. Pantley offers real-life, workable answers to one of the most challenging and confusing situations that parents face."

Pantley herself has lived through sleepless nights with two of her babies, and she clearly understands the impact this has on a parent's life. "As I worked with my group of test parents, I discovered how alike we all are. Different names, different places in the world — but the same heart. We know instinctively what our babies need — what our babies want. We have strong instincts that we know exist for our babies' optimal survival. We are even willing to suffer ourselves, if it means the best for our babies. We are mother lions, mother bears, and father tigers, too. We love our babies absolutely; we can't bear to hear our babies cry, and yet we are desperate for a full night's sleep."

*The No Cry Sleep Solution* is full of reassuring advice and real life testimonials — and it gives parents the tools they need to effectively and gently reach their goal: a good night's sleep for everyone. With no crying.

Pantley's Website (www.pantley.com/elizabeth) features a wealth of information on this book and her others, including excerpts, reviews, and interviews from parents who have tried the Pantley method.