I have two analogies that I use on occasion to illustrate the possible basis for
certain 'undesirable' behavior of baby:  one relates to resistance to going to
sleep at night (often around 4 mos of age) and the other relates to the 4 hour
(or clock-regulated) feeding schedule.  When applied to mom & dad, they don't
make sense any more.

Picture yourself happy, comfortable, and content, falling asleep in your
husband's arms.  Then  during the middle of the night, you wake up to find
yourself alone in a dark room.  Then you discover you're in a cage that is
taller than you are and you can't climb out.  You start to call out but no one
hears.  You get louder and as time passes, you become more frightened and upset.
You see, you can't speak the language either!  After what seems an eternity, HE
comes to rescue you with much cooing, clucking, & sweet voice sounds.  Or, HE
comes to see why you are crying & hollering.  His voice is not loving &
friendly.  He checks to be sure  your clothing and covers are okay.  He lays you
down again, pats your back, tells you to go to  sleep, then turns out the light
and walks out, closing the door!  How long would it take you to become
suspicious of falling asleep in his arms again! - Presto - 'sleeping problems'.

It's dinner time:  8:00pm.  You put a plate of food on the table for your
husband.  It's the proper measured amount in the proper nutritional balances.
Good stuff!  After 20 minutes, you take the plate away, finished or not.  You
lock the kitchen and tell him he can eat again at midnight.  At midnight, you
call him to the table again, same plate, same food, same amount, same 20
minutes.  Repeat at 4am.  Try it again at 8am.  How long would he put up with
this?  If he's not hungry, he doesn't finish, but can't come back in an hour.
If he's more hungry than  what you offered, too bad.  He must wait 4 hours for
the next meal.  We do this to our puppies.  We wouldn't dream of doing it to our
husbands.  We know that our own need to eat varies from ravenous to
uninterested.  Why do we do this to our babies?  Babies are not puppies.

I look forward to other ideas.

Phyllis Adamson, BA, IBCLC