Helping Babies Sleep and Nap for Long-Term Benefits



“This is the most novel, natural, and easy approach
to helping your infant achieve heathy sleep habits.”

Mairav Cohen-Zion, Ph.D.,
Laboratory for Sleep and Behavioral Neuroscience,
University of California, San Diego

I’ve told so many people about the difference the 90 minute schedule made in our lives.

It was such a maddening and insane time. Of course as a parent I was worried that there was something wrong with my baby, concerned that I could not comfort him, and just massive amounts of sympathy for him as it was obvious that he was suffering.

But, at 3am, when you’ve been up for hours, your arms feel like they are going to fall off from bouncing and carrying the baby, and every time you even go to sit down, much less put him in the crib, he starts to scream, a scream that just pierces you to your core, then the sympathy starts to dry up. And I felt angry that he wouldn’t just go to sleep, resentful that I was giving him everything I could and he was still not happy, and just plain mad. Â

Oh, and then the guilt started. Guilt over not being able to meet the basic needs of your baby and guilt over being so angry at him. Â During the day, the only time he slept was when he fell asleep while feeding or being pushed in a stroller. But as soon as I went to move him, he woke up and if he was awake, chances are he was crying.

The pediatrician assured us there was nothing psychically wrong, Â He didn’t have gas, etc. And when your baby cries like that, you’ll do anything to make it stop. Â I tried pacifiers, rocking, car rides, etc.

The only thing that was remotely successful was to feed him. I overfed him; he became a snacker, never drinking enough to keep his belly full long enough to get a solid nap. I was a mess, mentally and physically. I couldn’t shower unless my husband was home. I felt like a hostage to my own baby.

Then after Dave talked you, we tried your method and it worked. As soon as he woke, we set the timer. 90 minutes later I would feed him, and he would fall asleep. It took a few times  for transition into the crib to be successful but we just kept at it.  When he started sleeping better in the day, he instantly started sleeping better at night. Â

Within the month he started sleeping through the night and I was able to put him down into his crib while still awake. Â I could shower, the bags under my eyes were disappearing, dinner could be something other than take away.

But, the biggest change, was his demeanor. Julian had become a smiley, happy, even giggling boy. At one year he was still taking three two hour naps in the day, and I became the envy of my baby group. At six now, he is still a good sleeper. It really saved my sanity!

Thank you!
Maria John

“In this book, Dr. Moore, a mother and sleep
specialist, has brought a long established but
well kept sleep secret– the BRAC method–into the forefront, with the goal of helping parents share
with their children a gift that will last a lifetime
the ability to sleep through the night.”

Beth Malow, M.D., M.S.
Associate Professor, Department of Neurology
Medical Director, Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center

I recently finished reading Dr. Moore’s book The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program. The book provided realistic and straightforward descriptions and solutions to common sleep management problems in infants. Unfortunately, our society is in a chronic state of sleep loss and sadly infants and children are no exception. Of all the infant/child sleep books I have read (and there have been many!), this is the most novel, natural, and easy approach to helping your infant achieve his/her appropriate sleep need and ultimately healthy sleep habits in infancy and childhood.Â

This is an ideal book for parents who are interested in learning the skills to help deal with common infant sleep difficulties and understand the scientific underpinnings, mechanisms, and importance of their children’s sleep. Dr. Moore answers prevalent infant sleep questions and dispels common myths by providing a solid scientific rationale written for the lay reader.Â

I believe this will be a breakthrough approach to sleep management in infancy and I will highly recommend this book to patients, colleagues, and friends. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. It was a true pleasure!

Mairav Cohen-Zion, Ph.D.,
University of California, San Diego

“Finally, a how-to book on infant sleep from
a scientist and mother. Polly Moore understands
the intricacies of infant sleep and is empathetic
to the roller-coaster of parenthood.”

Sara C. Mednick, Ph.D.,
Author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.

Knowing may be half the battle; when it comes to parenting, knowing what to do may be the other half.

Dr. Moore’s book breaks new ground, providing parents with knowledge and a plan of action based on that knowledge. Dr. Moore’s concise, understandable overview of circadian rhythms, homeostatic and circadian influences on sleep, and the 90-minute BRAC demystifies the physiology underlying sleep in developing babies. These scientific principles are translated into a plan of action in the NAPS program. The program is understandable, easy to implement, and effective.

This book also provides deeper knowledge and solutions. Strategies to address common sleep problems are provided, and evidence is provided to refute popular myths and guide decision making around important issues such as nighttime feeding and self-soothing. A must read for parents – and pediatric psychologists!

Judi Profant, Ph.D., C.B.S.M.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist,
Certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior,
University of California, Irvine

“Moore not only gives great advice about infant sleep, she educates parents about the importance of safeguarding a baby’s need for a calmer, quieter life than our sped-up culture demands.”

Jean Kunhardt, MA, LMHC & Lisa Spiegel, MA, LMHC
co-directors of Soho Parenting
& co-authors of A Mother’s Circle:
An Intimate Dialogue on Becoming A Mother

Dr. Moore has provided an important service to all new parents by providing a step-by-step, scientifically based approach to promoting natural, restful sleep in children. Along the way, Dr. Moore explains in clear, simple prose exactly why sleep is so important in babies and children using information culled from over fifty years of sleep research. By working with the natural rhythms of the child, the N.A.P.S. program removes much of the confusion, mythology and dubious ‘rules-of-thumb’ that confront a new parent dealing with a sleepless child.

The “90 minute baby sleep program” is a vivid example of how basic scientific research profoundly improves our daily lives…and the lives of our children.

Marcos Frank, PhD
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Finally. A book about babies and sleep that offers parents a simple and natural technique that is structured but not rigid. Well written, with the experience of a clinician and the voice of a mother, Polly Moore clearly outlines the biology of babies and sleep and uses a developmental approach which makes sense.

What makes this book a standout is that Moore allows room for the unique temperaments of each baby as well as different family lifestyles. This is a book I would recommend as essential reading for all parents even before the baby arrives. And to those parents who struggled the first time, this book will show you the way to better sleep for everyone in the family.

Mary Ann LoFrumento M.D., F.A.A.P.
pediatrician and author of Simply Parenting-
Understanding Your Newborn and Infant

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Recent Comments
  • Clara Edwards: Our daughter had been an erratic sleeper (much of it our fault, in retrospect) and frequently ended up...
  • Emilio Gonzalez: Ferber does a good job of describing what happens when you sleep. Apparently everyone wakes up in...
  • Roberta Reid: I guess my main problem with Ferber was the way that it’s an exact, rigid theory or philosophy....
  • Amber Laws: We were careful to put him in bed before he was completely asleep so he could adjust to the idea of being...
  • Debbie Hubbard: Good luck.posted by dragonsi55 at 7:07 AM on September 29, 2006
  • Douglas Witherell: This idea that you can have a child sleeping quietly in three days is more to appease the parents,...
  • Robert Spangler: The “Cry it out” method didn’t work on him — what did work was something...
  • William Aguilar: The thing is, children are not interchangable. For varying reasons, some kids sleep well righr away...
  • Robin Kelly: We got a baby massage book and started “bedtime” about 30 minutes before we put him down for...
  • Jessica Miller: That being said, rdurbin already wrote down everything I wanted to say–especially the part...
  • Justin Schultz: An idea? To appease us? We spent many months with various techniques that didn’t work, Ferber...
  • Linda Allmon: The second one was a preemie (about 7 weeks) and it literally took years for him to settle into a good...
  • Tara Mccandless: But they do, frequently, until their child is asleep. Have you read any other part of it than the...
  • Darrell Jones: I agree with the being present and patting on the back and telling him it is night night time while...
  • Todd Mcclelland: I think even if you don’t use his process, he’s got a lot of interesting things to say...