Alison Scott-Wright - The Sensational Toddler Sleep Plan: the step-by-step guide to getting your child the sleep that they need

The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan

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First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Bantam Press

Copyright Alison Scott-Wright 2021

The moral right of the author has been asserted

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The information in this book reflects the authors own opinions and methods, but is not intended as a substitute for advice from a qualified medical practitioner. Always consult a qualified medical practitioner before starting, changing or stopping any medical treatment or making any changes to your childs diet. So far as the author is aware, the information given is correct and up to date as at date of publication. Practice, laws and regulations all change, and the reader should obtain up-to-date professional advice on any such issues. The author and publishers disclaim, as far as the law allows, any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use, or misuse, of the information contained in this book.

Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.

ISBN: 978-1-473-59399-2

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

This dedication is twofold. Firstly it is to my daughter, Chelsea, who has blossomed into an amazing young woman. She has long been my rock and was especially supportive while I was writing this book, for which I am truly grateful.

Secondly this dedication is to all my wonderful clients and followers, many of whom have become very dear friends. Your continued endorsement and purchase of multiple copies of The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan for your pregnant friends has directly led to this sequel. I must also mention your many thousand babies and children who have happily responded to my sleep-training and routines, and shown how easily they can sleep well when given the opportunity.

It is no exaggeration to say that Alisons first book, The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan, was an absolute game-changer for me and for my baby daughter. It was a helping hand when we needed it most, a wise voice that rose above the noise, and a guide that offered me some semblance of control when everything felt overwhelming. It is no small thing to find yourself suddenly responsible for a lovely little human, and at times the challenges of those early months felt immense. I turned to Alisons book on a really bad day, and it gave me hope. I have since recommended it to many new parents, and they have come back to me in their droves to say thank you and that it was a game-changer for them too. If youve already read it, then youll likely know what Im talking about!

But, much as wed like to believe otherwise, there are always new bumps in the road of infant sleep. Your napping newborn is suddenly a one-year-old, and they dont need quite as many naps now. Perhaps they arent sleeping at night as well as they once did. Or they never really found their routine. While Alisons first book was my sleep bible for the first year of my daughters life, I am so relieved that The Sensational Toddler Sleep Plan is now here to see us through the next few years. For all the parents who found help in The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan, this is the book that will keep you on track. And for those who havent read the first book and who have either been struggling with sleep for over a year or who have hit a difficult patch, this is the book that will fix things for you!

There are stories from other parents who have been helped by Alison in these pages and I hope that by the end of this book youll have your own story too but I wanted to share mine here.

We knew before she was born that Sienna was a breech baby (in her case, she was positioned with her head above her feet) and that this is known to sometimes cause hip problems in a child. We were therefore offered a routine scan when she was twelve weeks old to check how her hips were developing. We werent expecting any issues, so we left that appointment feeling shocked and quite distressed: wed been told that she had hip dysplasia and were given a harness that she had to wear for 24 hours every day for at least the following six weeks. It was horrible to see our cuddly little girl with her legs strapped up and to the side like a frog. She was very uncomfortable for the first few days, and I felt miserable that I couldnt make it better for her.

I expected things to improve as Sienna got used to being in that position, but that wasnt at all the case. Instead, the things that had been difficult beforehand the sleepless nights, the crying, the fussy feeding all became much more challenging. I knew that Sienna had previously displayed some of the symptoms of reflux, but Id never been particularly worried, and wed been told time and again that all babies struggle to sleep and that there was nothing unusual about a particularly tricky witching hour in the evenings. But the fixed position of the harness exacerbated every symptom, and in the evenings she now cried for hours before eventually falling asleep, completely exhausted.

I was so grateful when a lovely friend whose child had also experienced hip dysplasia and sleeplessness reached out to offer support. In our conversation, she mentioned a book that had been hugely helpful: The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan. I bought it straight away. I was desperate to find a solution and to help my poor daughter. She wasnt sleeping well at all, which meant that she was overtired, and that in turn made her even more miserable! And, if Im honest, I was struggling too. Im not ashamed to admit that there were tears from both of us on quite a few occasions. I felt so guilty, like I ought to be doing more to help her. And the lack of sleep was very challenging. I was lost in a fog, doing stupid things (like putting my coffee in the freezer!) and feeling completely detached from myself.

In The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan Alison covers so much more than just sleep much as she does in this new book so that her readers can be absolutely sure that they are doing the right thing for their child. I remember reading about the signs and symptoms of reflux, and recognizing almost every single one in my daughter. I reached out to Alison, and she called me almost straight away. She promised that things would get better; all the information was in the book and she was on hand to help me too.

The relief was incredible.

With Alisons guidance, we saw a doctor who prescribed medication to assist with reflux, and the change in Sienna was almost instantaneous. She was calm, settled and so much happier. She couldnt have slept while so uncomfortable, and Im so grateful that we were given the right tools with which to help her. Her sleep gradually began to improve, but we still had no routine whatsoever, which meant that planning our days was very difficult. I was also really keen to have my evenings back; I wanted some time to myself to unwind after such full-on days and to eat dinner with my husband again!