The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer

Harvey Karp argues that human infants are born three months too early and require a theoretical fourth trimester to ease their transition into the world. He presents a method called the 5 S’s, which are specific physical actions designed to trigger a newborn's biological calming reflex. These five steps include swaddling, placing the baby in the side or stomach position for soothing, making loud shushing sounds, rhythmic swinging, and providing opportunities for sucking. Karp explains how these techniques replicate the sensory environment of the womb to stop crying and help babies settle into sleep.

This book is written for parents of newborns and infants who are struggling with long periods of crying or fragmented sleep. Readers turn to this manual for a structured, hands-on framework to manage colic and fussiness during the first few months of life. Most caregivers walk away with a practical toolkit for de-escalating infant distress. By mastering these specific motor skills, parents gain a sense of competence in soothing their children while increasing the total amount of sleep for the entire household.

Practical, growth-minded and clear-cut; an easy read.

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