Posting a request I received from the author of the No-Cry Sleep Solution. Please contact her directly if you are interested.

Her name is Elizabeth Pantley, parent educator, mother of four, and author of Gentle Baby Care and the best-selling book: The No-Cry Sleep Solution (now available in 11 languages!). She is currently in the process of writing a sequel which addresses gentle solutions for sleep issues for toddlers and preschoolers.

She writes:"In my first book I worked with a group of �gTest Mommies�h who read the manuscript, tried the ideas and emailed back their results. They were an important part of the book. I have gathered a group of 25 test moms for the sequel.

I have 10 moms from the USA, 4 from Canada, 6 from New Zealand, 2 from UK, and 1 each from South Africa, Australia and Israel. I would love to sign on an English-speaking mother from Japan. Can you help me find a willing mother?

I�fm looking for a mother of a child (or children) between the ages of 2 and 5 who have sleep issues and who would like to work with me for a month or two. (The more difficult their problems the more I can help them.) They must have frequent access to email, as we work exclusively by email. If so, please have them send me a note.

Thanks in advance for your help."

Elizabeth Pantley, author

Website: http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth
elizabethpantley@seanet.com

Wow! What a neat opportunity to work with such an esteemed author and learn some alternative ways to get your baby to sleep.

Here are some other great resources that might be of interest to mothers who are struggling with wide-awake babies:

The Australian Association of Infant Mental Health www.afcca.com.au/Files/Child%20Crying%20AAIMHI.doc "Policy Statement on Controlled Crying"
Nighttime Parenting by Dr William Sears http://www.askdrsears.com/
100 Ways to Calm the Crying by Pinky McKay http://www.pinky-mychild.com
Good Nights by Dr Jay Gordon http://www.drjaygordon.com/

All of the above discuss the challenges that parents face when babies wake at night, and how to satisfactorily meet baby's needs without ignoring the parent's need for sleep. I think the above paper by the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health presents a very balanced view of the sleep issues.

Sleep issues are extremely difficult to handle. There is so much conflicting information out there, including well-meaning friends and relatives who advise people to let babies "cry it out" or put them on strict schedules. Many mothers have found that a gentle approach is easiest on them and easiest on baby!

Good luck! Karen

The first link above no longer works. The correct link to the paper outlining the risks of controlled crying programs to infant health is:
http://www.aaimhi.org/documents/position%20papers/controlled_crying.pdf

Hi there, not sure if anyone can helpme. I am visiting Tokyo next month for 2 weeks and the apartment we are renting does not have a crib available. I really dont want to bring a portable crib from New Zealand as my daughter isn't a great sleeper and settles better in a proper "american Style" crib. Is there a rental agency that rents baby equipment short-term? I would appreciate any advice.

Yes there are lots of baby equipment rental companies. The reception desk for the apartment should be able to put you in touch.

http://www.hoxon.co.jp is one company, but the pages are all in Japanese.

Japanese families most often sleep with their babies, and their apartments are quite small, which means it is just more convenient all round on a futon for mother and baby.

there is also a used baby goods / furniture shop around called B-Kids. It is part of Book Off a used book store chain. I guess it depends on where you will be living and if you can find a b-kids near you but if you can maybe you can find a used baby bed.

There are rental services too. We are renting a baby car for our car for four months which turns out to be the same price as a used one about $80. I'm not sure how much the bed would cost but im sure there are rental places. You can order them over the phone (in Japanese of course) and you can pick it out and get the number from baby magazines. The magazines are at book stores everywhere, and kind shop staff might help you find the ad's in the correct magazine.