A Swedish author says he's created a book that can make anyone fall asleep
The 26-page book was written by Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin, a Swedish author. And right now, it's #1 and #5 on Amazon's UK and US charts, respectively. (It's actually the first self-published book to top Amazon's charts.)
At first glance, "The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep" looks similar to most kids' books for bedtime: According to the synopsis on Amazon, "you will follow Roger The Rabbit when he gets help from Uncle Yawn and the other friends to fall asleep in the evening."
But where this book differs from other childrens' books is its alleged use of psychological techniques, which don't appear to be independently verified.
So how does it claim to work? Forssen Ehrlin says he spent years developing techniques to help children relax - it even worked on his mother during a long road trip, he says - and spent "another three and a half years to come up with the perfect story, so that all the techniques were used in the correct order," he told The Telegraph. The "techniques" mainly have to do with pronouncing words slowly and calmly, emphasizing certain words and acting out gestures.
Hundreds of parents and online reviewers claim "The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep" is the best way to get your child to rest and drift off in just minutes. Here's what some Amazon reviewers had to say:
My son is always such a night owl, and it was getting hard on all of us so I figured what the check, can't hurt right? I got the audio version since I wanted to try it out right away. Both of us were asleep before the book was over. Definitely becoming part of our bedtime routine!
I bought this for my almost 3 year old niece. She has always had such a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. She has NEVER before fallen asleep while being read a book. I read the reviews on Amazon and the Facebook page for this book. I was convinced it could help my sister get my niece to sleep and figured it's worth a shot. Last night was the first time she tried it. My niece fell asleep halfway into the book!!!! My sis continued reading the book until the end as instructed and my niece only woke up once to use the bathroom last night. We are amazed by this book and highly recommend!!
Wow - I just bought this and it works like a charm. My two year old daughter always fights sleep. It normally takes 1-2 hours & she was out cold within minutes. This will definitely be a regular part of our bed time routine.
There are two "critical" reviews of the book, and one of those reviewers claims he played the audiobook in the car for his son but fell asleep at the wheel and crashed his car, putting their two lives in danger. (Whether or not this is a fake review, you should obviously never listen to this audiobook while driving.)
On Amazon.co.uk, however, a full quarter of the reviews give the book only one star, with many parents saying it didn't work at all.
If you're interested in falling asleep more quickly, or helping your little ones get to bed, check out "The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep" (it costs $12 for a paperback copy, but the audiobooks are cheaper), or download a free copy of the e-book from Forssen Ehrlin's website.