Save Our Sleep

Tizzie Hall is not a clinical professional yet professes to help your babe sleep. I used this book 10yrs ago, as a new mother and it made me feel trapped in a routine and trapped in my house because trying to live life around this was impossible. I tried so hard to make it work but it perpetuated my breastfeeding issues, my supply dried up because it was supply and demand LIKE IT SHOULD BE. Please consult you gp or your child health nurse or read pinky McKay instead! If I could rate 0 I would.

My sister recommended this book because my two nephews are amazing sleepers so my partner and I have followed Tizzie’s advice with our baby from birth and my 5 month old is a perfect sleeper and has slept through the night since 2 months old. As a professional who plans to go back to full time eventually, it was imperative to teach my baby to sleep and this book allowed me to do exactly that. Everyone comments on how happy and calm my baby is as well. My baby is a very well loved little boy and while it’s a nice feeling to be needed, it’s an even better feeling knowing that I am teaching him important life skills and hopefully he will sleep perfectly well into adulthood.

Brought this book when our LO was 12 weeks old, catnapping, sleeping no more than 4 hours overnight, 20 mins through the day. Tired, exhausted parents and a very tired & unhappy baby. I quickly brought the ebook and read frantically. Went cold turkey on the dummy fixed the bedding (all cotton/ correct clothing) and applied the SOS techniques. Such a game changer, little did we know our LO was cold and not being burped enough/correctly.
Day 2 we had to wake LO at 7am (and not a peep from the night before when went down). From then we waited and sure enough a few weeks passed and still sleeping 7-7. we have since purchased the SOS bedding in stages and other bits (highly recommend the comforters). This book has been invaluable to us and we have such a happy baby and get to enjoy being parents. Often I refer back to the ebook for routines and when to change them and have also purchased the feeding ebook prior to when our LO started solids. This lead on book has helped us navigate introducing solids, meal prep/cooking ideas and been a fabulous extension on the Save Our Sleep book. Everyone tells us how lucky we are to have a baby sleep 7-7 and we tell them it was never luck but Tizzie Hall’s SOS and to only expect the routines/techniques to work once bedding has been implemented.

I do not get the negative reviews - we have followed this book from 3 months and our baby girl is 2 years old now. She has slept through constantly from 8 months. This is by far the best book I have ever read for my baby girl.

If I wanted to destroy my mother-child bond (at best) and risk my child’s life (at worst), I’d be thrilled to follow the advice in this book. Written by a former nanny, and Dr (that a veterinary doctor though...); this woman has even suggested she wouldn’t use these methods with her own children. Glad I was able to avoid the pitfalls of this one. No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley is a wonderful alternative to this trash. 👌🏼

Please do not follow this advice.

This book has the worst parenting advice for babies! The author has no qualifications, hasn’t even had a baby and actually recommends you to leave your baby screaming until they vomit. I can’t believe this book is allowed to be sold. Do not buy or follow her methods as they will be very detrimental to your babies health!!!

Great book, Tizzie really helped me!

Unfortunately the author has no qualifications for writing this book and the advice is not evidence based.

Excellent reviews (and responses from the author) are available at The Analytical Armadillo

If you’re at the point where you can’t do it anymore and need help, the following are evidence based advice and support:

The Beyond Sleep Training Facebook page
Pinky McKay - Australian. Books and Facebook.
Sarah Ockwell Smith - The Gentle Sleep Training Book and Facebook
Tracy Cassells at Evolutionary Parenting on Facebook.

As desperate as I was being a first time mother of a baby that never slept I bought this book after a friend recommended it.
It sounded like the perfect idea to put the baby on a routine and “teach” her to self settle which is cry it out in better words. I can pretty much sum up the experience as the worst 2 days of my life. My guts felt it was wrong, bub that was putting on weight beautifully stopped putting on weight. Then I decided to do my own research and found so many good authors that embrace the gentle parenting and explain how and why babies sleep the way they do, based on science. I can name Dr William Sears, Carlos Gonzalez and Pinky Mckay as good authors if you are having dramas with a non sleeper baby. As much as the sleep deprivation can be cruel, your bub is the most precious thing you have in your life, don’t risk their wellbeing and development because of bad advice from this horrible book.

Please don’t buy this book. Out of date, unscientific and ungentle. Techniques such as using excessive blankets are a SIDS risk. No qualifications and taking advantage of new mothers

Um nope, there are other ways to meet the parents needs, how about we support parents instead of make them feel they need to ‘fix their baby’ because they have to do it all alone until they are burnt out, I cannot imagine how anyone thinks that it’s acceptable to treat a person that’s dependant on them in every aspect of life like this, would you accept your elders or anyone completely dependant on a carer treated like this? Then why our children? We are their safe place, the people they should always be able to depend on no matter when, this might be the time to lay the foundations teaching them they can rely on you ANY time day or night no matter how ‘trivial’ this could potentially save lives.

Thank goodness for the Beyond sleep training project, if you need help, support or just to find others that can empathise, either in the same boat or that have been there I recommend you search them on Facebook xx

This method is proven to cause anxiety and depression years down the track AVOID AVOID AVOID
You wouldn’t lock your friend who was sad in a room on their own while they’re crying

This is a dangerous book, and series of books! Tizzie has no medical training, she was a nanny!

This book is horrible! This woman doesn’t even have children! Your children are supposed to have comfort and love and fall a sleep in your arms! It’s natural! Your child loves you that’s why they want to be with you! And they are a baby! Let your mothers instincts guide your child! Not this woman!

Best baby book I have ever read. Literally a manual for babies! I never had any questions with my first baby due to this book telling me everything I need to know and my my baby was sleeping 12 hour nights from 9 weeks old

Obviously this book is very polarising. All I can say is that my wife and I both work full time and the routines in this book have helped us raise 2 very happy healthy boys, who are both very good sleepers. Could not recommend this book more highly.

If I could give this book zero stars I would. It is very dangerous advise and should not be followed by anyone

No

I was recommended this book when I was pregnant but was reluctant to buy it after reading what it was about and thinking I didn’t agree with this technique. Fast forward to now, I have a 4.5 month old baby girl who is so amazing but.does.not.sleep.well. She was still waking every two hours and sleep deprivation was finally catching up to me.
So In the early hours of the morning, I finally bought this book and everything started to make perfect sense.
I started to follow this routine from that moment, making some of my own tweaks to suit my family and it only took 1 day for my baby to learn to self settle to sleep.
My end goal is a lovely 5 hours (that’s all I ask) of uninterrupted sleep and with every day that passes I know we are getting closer because my baby is doing things she’s never done before, like sleep for longer than two hours, EVER.

It’s definitely worth a read and everyone can take what they want from it to create a plan that works best for you and your family.

We pulled this of the shelf ina bookstore. We should have known better. You have to research which books are best. If you just choose randomly, then you get someone like this who bases her advice on what worked for her, anecdotally. There is a lot of solid knowledge in the world about parenting. It doesn’t appear here.

Following her formula for feeding and sleeping was impossible with our child. It drove my wife crazy for the week we (foolishly) tried it. It made her feel useless.

This book is awful and should be banned

This really worked beautifully for our family. I'm sure my baby cried less and slept better than many others. We also got to sleep too.
Every time we deviate we generally find there was a reason behind the original advice. Like if you pump then everyone gets more sleep, if you choose not to that's fine but there'll be some sleepless nights. She always provides explanations and alternative options. It's not some kind of horror regime, it's a practical system that ensures the wellbeing of both the child and the parents.
I find the strongly negative reviews quite confronting, it's like they're reading a different book. Tizzie is upfront about her experience and knowledge. Parents all can use their own disgression. We live in the information age, if you have any difficulties, questions or want to explore different avenues all the information is available.
Also I don't believe that having children of your own or not is at all relevant. You wouldn't want every researcher/teacher to have had their own specialty. Her experience in the field is more than sufficient!
That said, always read widely and never follow blindly.

Trusted friends with happy kids recommended this book to me. I was sceptical when I read some of the reviews however after reading the book front to back a few times and following the sleep schedules & settling techniques I am wondering if some of the reviewers have even read it.... when settling a newborn she only suggests letting him/her cry for 2 mins before going in and settling. We have a 7 week old who is sleeping 15-16 hours a day and only waking once for a feed around 4am (plus a dream feed as per the schedule at 1030pm). We have a happy & healthy baby & we are both getting decent sleep which means we can be happy & healthy parents. Highly recommended!

This book completely disregards a babies biological needs and recommends leaving them alone to cry which in numerous studies has shown to have long term effects on mental health. Some of the things suggested actually make me sick, I'm not sure how publishing this is legal!?

Most of this book offers advice to other parents, advice that should be only given by medical professionals. So imagine my shock and horror when I found out that her 'credentials' and 'expertise' came from her time as a baby sitter and motherhood and not from scholarly recognised sources.

This book reminds me that while anyone can become a parent, that doesn't make you a good one.

It also reminds me of what some people will do to earn an extra few dollars from vulnerable parents.

Just cuddle them.

Following SOS leads to a disconnected baby and I've seen first hand the results of scheduled feeding (mastitis and underweight baby) and I can't imagine why anyone would take advice from someone who is no formal qualifications. Listen to your baby!

Please be aware the author has zero qualifications in children's health or psychology, and the book was written prior to her even having her own children. There are many studies available warning of the negative effects of this style of 'training', and just because many parents will claim it 'works' does not mean it is healthy or the best option for your child. Infant sleep can be challenging but before risking the physical and mental health of your infant, consider other appropriately qualified authors, and do your own research first.

This book has methods proven to be seriously harmful to babies and children. The author is clearly out to get rich off desperate parents and doesn't care for child welfare at all. Save your money, love your baby and research the dangers of CIO method before trying it. Absolutely the worst book to exist for parents!

Great book if leaving your child to aspirate their own vomit under too many blankets is your thing.

Terrible what a load of rubbish ignoring your child letting them cry them selves to sleep there only little for so long enjoy that time

I was given a copy of the first edition by my mother when I was pregnant with my son, who is now 5. I am now pregnant with baby number 2 and will definitely be using this book once again as a guide. My son thrived on the routines mentioned in this book, and as such our home life was blissful. Friends of mine were tearing their hair out with 'demand feeding' and over-tired babies & toddlers....needless to say most of them begged me to reveal the "secret" as to how my son slept so well and was so happy and content! They quickly converted to having a "routine" :). For new mothers, this book is a great resource. Please pay no attention to the naysayers. I am always dismayed at people who out-and-out condemn something simply because they disagree with it. You will know what is right for you, your baby, and your family as a whole; so use the parts that appeal/work for you and discard those that don't.

EDIT Dec 2014: Since having my third bub, now 4.5 months old, I wanted to add to my previous review. The routines in this book were a great help with my first 2 bubs - my 19 month old has slept wonderfully since about 4 months of age, mainly by just roughly following the sleep routines. My third bub however made it clear that she is a 2-3 hour breastfeeder during the day, which is fine by me! My experience as a mother meant that I was guided by her, and not by a book. This is something I would really stress to new mums - not all babies are capable of going 4 hours between feeds. Length of time between feeds is dependent on many things, bubs stomach capacity and mums milk storage capacity for starters. Persisting with a 4 hour feeding schedule has the potential to cause an under-nourished baby and a low milk supply. Please note that breast size has nothing to do with milk production/storage. Plus, breastmilk production is supply & demand, the more often bub nurses, the better for your milk supply.
I also want to add that there are lots of reasons that babies want to suckle at the breast - food is just one of them. Breastfeeding also provides comfort and stress relief to babies. It's natural, normal and instinctive for them to nurse frequently. Don't ever fall into the trap of thinking "it hasn't been 4 hours so I'm not going to offer my breast"!!! Especially at birth and in the early weeks/months, nurse all the time and for goodness sake don't time each feed!! Your baby and breasts are different to everyone's so be led by your bub. My bub feeds frequently throughout the day, but has a predictable nap routine and wakes for one feed at night. She also self-settles naturally even though she feeds to sleep often. Don't be fooled into thinking that stretching feeds or not comfort-nursing will turn your bub into a better sleeper! Or, that you have to follow the feed routine in order for the sleep routine to work.
Lastly, if you ever have concerns about anything to do with feeding/sleeping please try to contact a lactation consultant or talk to experienced mums (2+ children) who have lots of breastfeeding experience. Ms Hall did not have any children of her own when this book was written, had never breastfed a baby, and this inexperience and lack of true first-hand knowledge is really obvious to those of us who are experienced mums. It's also worth noting that most breastfeeding experts disagree completely with her advice as it has the potential to cause a low milk supply.

This book literally saved me! 4 years later and I have 2 wonderful sleepers and one more on the way! There's no way I could have done it without SOS! Tizzie- YOU ROCK!

My second child was one of those impossible baby's, after 10 weeks of her not eating properly, or sleeping for more than an hour at a time I was desperate. My dr told me about this book and I never looked back. After 3 weeks she was fully in tizzies routine and sleeping through the night. I am now pregnant with number 3 with every intention of using these routines from the start.. Not only did it save our sleep but it saved our sanity.

Should be taken off the market. Promotes cruel methods.

I was given this book as a hand-me-down, and had it stashed at the back of a cupboard until the second full week of no sleep got me rummaging for it !

This book polarises people and I can see why. It basically outlines a method of parenting, with a good dose of "if you don't follow my advice you're doomed". It basically offers a very strict routine which the author says you must follow to the minute at all costs, and apparently if you don't follow the routine or you deviate from it by 30mins then your child will never learn to sleep and will probably never sleep properly till they move out of home and have kids of their own :)

I read this after 2 straight weeks of 2hrs of sleep per day, and all it did was compound my PND, making me feel like I was ruining my son by being unable to implement a strict enough sleeping routine. I admire anyone who can stick to this routine because it is very strict, and it would significantly impact a parent's (esp. mother's) freedom and flexibility to go about a normal life.

I'm giving this 2stars, to acknowledge that other baby books I have read did not adequately prepare me for how challenging it can be to get a newborn to sleep. It taught me the importance of a routine, but that's it really. It can go back in the cupboard again because there isn't much else of use in it.

First time dad of twins and I think this book is fantastic. The methods really work and I don't agree that it is abuse to the child, that some other reviewers have stated. As for not being a mother herself when she wrote this book I don't think it matters as she has used her experience from helping other parents. I have met a lot of people with degrees and have children and they are hopeless parents and I wouldn't want their advice. This works! Happy children and very happy parents too.

3 weeks in our baby was screaming every evening - thinking colic or pain. We got this book and followed it all (except self settling until 9 months). Would never look back - I understand that cues need to be heard and responded to but this routine saved us all including our son.

Don't even bother with this unless you're happy to let your baby cry and scream in their cot while you stand by and do nothing. A total waste of money.

Only use for it was kindling

Best thing I ever purchased! Follow it and good things will happen :)

We tried this book at a moment of weakness and it left me feeling worse! I threw it out the window in frustration and my baby and I both got the best night sleep we had in a week! Look I understand it works for some but mums please believe me when I say you have to trust yourself and your instincts not let someone else tell you how to deal with your special little individual child that has his/her own special little way. This is a tough love book and I choose to parent gently with my heart. If you really want to read some advise look up Pinky McKay she's just lovely.

X Mum to a wonderfully well adjusted happy little man

Please people. Be realistic when it comes to parenting. My question to these people who follow this book is why are you having children at all if all you want them to do is shut up and sleep. I am a childcare educator working in a nursery where I have just recently got a few babies who follow this routine. Just so mothers of children who will be attending day care know.....THIS DOES NOT WORK if your child is in the room with up to 7 other babies. Not only do they have to compete for quietness in the cot room to be able to sleep at 9:50am and then 2 h 45 mins after they wake but also a lot of these kids miss out on things during the day because they are made to go to bed. On top of this parents who run this routine must also realize that as a life skill your child needs to learn how to recognize their own needs and wants - like sleeps, when they are hungry etc, not what their parent is making them do at that time. They are only babies for such a short time. Enjoy them. Have stories to tell them when they get older about how they kept you up all night.

With my first bub I would have said what all the bad reviews say. He was the type of bub that thrived on attachment parenting. So it came as a shock when my second came along and all he did was cry all day and I couldn't put him down. He was mis diagnosed with reflux and I had depression by the time I decided to try thus book and so did my partner. The routines on this book have changed our lives for the better. My bub thrives on the routines and the advice on introducing solids is fantastic. I'm sure we would have suffered a family breakdown if it wasn't for this book. The only thing I don't agree with as others have said is expressing milk in the early days. Breast feeding is already challenging enough without pumping milk in the early days. And I'm also not too fussed if my baby still wakes for a night feed.

Every baby has a routine, that's right - but not necessarily all the same. Forcing the baby into any routine that is not hers is stressful for mother and baby and makes the family's life miserable. As such, this book is a total waste of money, time and, more importantly, happy new-baby family time, if your baby happens to be one that can't accept the proposed routine. And the breastfeeding advice is dubious at best.

I'm a new mum and I was pulling my hair out with having no sleep. A friend recommended this book to me and I followed the routine with great success. My baby now sleeps until 6:30-7am with me only waking her once during the night for a feed. The self settling is hard but worth trying. As long as you can tell the difference between emotional cried and protesting it will not harm your baby at all. Definitely worth the money for some sleep.

I have read this book and other sleep technique books. Basically this book pushes for you to just leave your child (from 2 weeks) to cry alone in their crib. I'm not sure whether the author has a degree in psychology/psychiatry but other qualified authors think such a technique will do irreparable damage to your baby. This book is a waste of time

Tizzie's sleep routines worked a treat in our house at a time where I was an emotional wreck with a 4mth old that would not sleep. Within a week, he was sleeping 12hrs overnight. We did the sleep routines from 8wks with our second and we have not had a broken sleep since. Our children are 3 and 1yrs now and both are happy, well adjusted children who know that we love them. We do not leave our children crying upset, only protesting. There is a difference. I did not however follow breastfeeding advise though.

Days after reading this book and putting our first baby on a routine she was sleeping through the night. We took from the book what worked for us and we have a happy and content baby who hardly ever cries. Every baby is different and won't work for everyone but its worth trying. Also Tizzie is extremely specific when it is and isn't ok to leave a baby to cry so we never left her in a state of anxiety or stress and were rewarded with a self-settling baby.