The Debate That Never Rests

Should babies cry themselves to sleep? Dr. Ferber gives the controversy a twist

One of the known methods of torture is sleep deprivation. It can make a person desperate. That is why parents of small children, as soon as all the common-sense strategies backfire and a woozy reality sets in, start combing bookshelves for a sleep guru. Someone who will please explain, preferably in three easy-to-follow steps, how to get their baby to sleep.

I know this because I'm one of them. My program, developed by a woman my husband and I call the Baby Nazi, instructs parents to schedule what baby and mommy should do at every given moment. Severe as it sounds,...

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