To celebrate Mother’s Day and the launch of our first e-book, “The Gift of Sleep: teach your baby to sleep in 3 days”, Mia Freedman appeared on Today with her 3yo son (who is a Gift of Sleep graduate), sleep whisperer Elizabeth Sloane (author of The Gift of Sleep) and 1yo Ruby Anne who is another Gift Of Sleep success story.
Take a look:
If you are an an exhausted mum or know one, you can find the e-book here which is all about teaching your little one how to self-settle. Because this Mother’s Day your whole family deserves the gift of sleep. For more information go to www.thegiftofsleep.com.au
Comments
53 Comments so far
Can you buy the book in paperback? Would rather be able to hold it in my hands.
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I just bought this book today. I can’t wait to try it. The turning point for me was when the GP read my blood test results and I am deficient in every finding and my blood pressure is getting worse, again. I have lost the ability to focus on our school-age child who has had to miss days from school because our toddler’s sleep behaviour is over-ruling all else. Our toddler is normally happy and active but he fights sleeping with the determination of Bourne on speed. Fingers crossed.
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I can’t recommend this book highly enough! Thankyou so much, 5 weeks in and we’ve slept through 7pm til nearly 7 every morning. Have recommended to two friends as well and both have also had success. Spread the word!
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Hello,
I bought a copy of the gift of sleep e-book after seeing the Today Show segment. However, i was really disappointed to find out that after i had logged into the e-book three times; i could no longer download the e-book i had just purchased for $19.95. Can you please explain why?
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Hi Stacey, if you email Bec@mamamia.com.au she will sort it out for you straight away!
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Can you only get this as an ebook
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Hi, I am interested in following this method, but when my daughter wakes in the middle of the night (or sometimes when settling for the evening), she gets very distressed and emotional (8 months). If I go in she just gets worse. I know the book suggests picking the bub up, but when i put her down she gets worse. Do you think this could work for us?
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THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU!!! We just got the best nights sleep since February. We just completed night 3 of the gift of sleep program with our daughter Lily (7.5months) and just like the book said our precious little girl slept through from 7pm to 6.30am. Having just started back at work this program and the invaluable information in the book has saved us and given both me and my partner the confidence to trust our instincts, the routine and most importantly trust that our baby just needed to learn the gift of sleep.
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Nicole, this absolutely horrifies me too.
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Quick question: can the book help me to teach my 6.5 mth old to settle in places other than his cot?
Truth is I’m lucky, he is a really good night sleeper but can resist sleeping during the day. If we’re out of the house, there is no chance of him sleeping in his pram. He used to fall asleep eventually on a walk, but doesn’t anymore. Any ideas?! I hate being chained to the house on my days off work!
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Here’s an email I got this week from Robyn …
Hi Bec, Elizabeth and Mia,
I don’t even know where to start. THANK YOU is probably the best place! Your Gift of Sleep ebook release timing could not have been more perfect – my 6 month old son Hugo was a dummy addict. I’d breastfeed him to sleep each night, then pop the dummy in. He’d usually sleep through from 7.30pm til about 12.30am, then from that time til morning I would usually be up at least 3 or 4 times during the night, popping the dummy back in or breastfeeding him again to get him to fall back to sleep. In the 3 or so nights before your Gift of Sleep book was released I couldn’t get him to fall back to sleep so was bringing him into our bed, which is something we definitely did not want to encourage. When I saw the The Gift of Sleep was available, I bought it straight away and read it in one sitting late that night. We had a friend staying with us though, so we only started the program 3 nights ago. AMAZING! The first night was pretty trying on my Hugo and I – it took about 45 mins to get him to settle at the beginning, but we followed the steps perfectly and got there in the end. Then he woke at about 12.30am, and didn’t settle til almost 2am, however slept through until 7.30am! Day sleeps were good – only a few minutes of crying then off to sleep. The next night was easier – only 12 mins to get him off, then a period of only about 10 mins during the night where he was awake. Then last night at 7.30 he cried for a minute, then fell asleep. I heard him stir at 6am, then he put himself back to sleep! It’s now 7.30am and my little boy is waking up – I can hear him blowing raspberries in his cot through the monitor!
I honestly feel like I have a new little boy. He really does seem happier and more content, and has a much bigger appetite now! I gave him lots more food yesterday and he wolfed it down, must be to do with all the sleep he is now getting – and the fact that he’s no longer getting milk during the night. Also we are now 3 days dummy-free and that is amazing!!! I realise now that I had been abusing the dummy, and feeling like I needed it more than he did. So in the last 2 days I didn’t even bother taking it to places where I thought I’d need it – the shops, a doctors appointment – and he was perfect, didn’t ”need” it at all.
For what it’s worth, I don’t care if these methods are or aren’t similar to those advocated by Tizzie Hall or Gina Ford (or any other author for that matter) – I haven’t bought those books, but I found your Gift of Sleep format the best – a quick simple read (that’s all it should be), that I can read on my Kindle and iPad/iPhone late at night.
I can’t thank you all enough. The Gift of Sleep program is so easy to follow and it has worked for us. Next step for me – dealing with my massive boobs in the morning that aren’t used to not feeding during the night!
Robyn xxx
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And here’s another testimonial we received this week. This one is from Jacqui …
Dear Elizabeth, Rebecca and Mia,
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’ve just finished night 3 of the Gift of Sleep program with my 21 month old daughter, Ava. And I want to cry… I’m so relieved! She is going to sleep on her own, without her bottle (her previous addiction!) and soothing herself back to sleep when she wakes during the night.
I downloaded your The Gift of Sleep e-book on Monday after reading about it in Mia’s column (thanks Mia – love your work!). I was at wits end. I work full-time, as does my husband who travels for work. So sleep is precious. Ava has not been sleeping well since last August and we’ve tried everything… or so we thought. She was waking 3 to 4 times per night. I figured hey, I’m smart, surely I can fix this… Well no I couldn’t and that just made me feel worse. I’d actually become quite ill and rundown. Besides being just well, plain grumpy!
And for the price of my weekly coffees, your The Gift of Sleep book has solved the sleeping crisis. Ava is eating better. Breakfast had previously been a battle. And yes, it is only day 4, but I know that we have a happier and brighter little girl. Even though she was always happy. She just seems happier in herself. And I feel human!!!
And even though The Gift of Sleep suggests having support at home to get through it, I didn’t as my husband was away (he is a pilot) as were my parents. I say this not to brag, but to say to all the Mum’s out there thinking about it, YOU CAN DO IT! Yes it is a challenge, but the improvements are immediate and enough to get you through the next day and the next. I couldn’t put it off another day so I just started and it worked!
I had so much more energy last night that I baked a cake and painted my nails… Now that hasn’t happened in a very long time!
Thanks again… I’m off to wipe my happy tears!
Jacqui xoxo
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And here’s another one we just received from Sam …
Hi Mia, Bec, and Elizabeth,
I need to thank the three of you for changing my life. Last week when you released ‘The Gift of Sleep’ I was at the point of breaking down. Again. I was feeding my daughter to sleep for every night, nap, and every time she woke up during the night. It had worked well for 8 months, but for the last month she wasn’t having a bar of it. Every sleep was a fight. I was constantly trying to shove my boob in her mouth, she was constantly trying to do anything but eat, I was going insane.
Every feed was lasting for at least forty five minutes, thirty minutes of that would be a fight. I knew it wasn’t working, I knew I needed to do something else, but I didn’t know what, or how. This combined with some old issues that had reared their head resulted in a lovely diagnosis of post-natal depression.
Then, you released ‘The Gift of Sleep’. I never thought that controlled comforting was something I would do, until I tried it. My little girl fell asleep within half an hour that first night, and slept until 6 the next morning. She has only woken up twice during the night over the last week. For the last three days there isn’t even grizzling before she falls asleep. She babbles to herself for about two minutes and then is asleep. It’s amazing!
We are both more rested. We are both more relaxed. My hubby is no longer on tenterhooks wondering when I will snap/melt down next. I now enjoy my little girl again.
I can’t believe how much my life has changed in just a week. I honestly can’t express just how thankful I am. I don’t know how I would have survived another night with no sleep. You’ve saved my family.
Thank you, I owe you more than you’ll ever know.
With love,
Sam.
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Here’s an email I got this week from Bev, the mother of 10 month old twins.
Hi Elizabeth, Mia and Bec
Before starting The Gift of Sleep our twin girls were waking up in excess of 20 times a night and ultimately sleeping in our beds from about 3am onwards. We tried patting, rocking, music, dummies feeding them & taking them into our beds just for some sleep. Nothing was working! The small amount of sleep they were getting was diminishing & during the day they were not happy campers – sleeping if we were lucky 45 minutes the whole day. It was overwhelming for us all.
On Sunday I picked up the paper and was flicking through it not really reading and saw an article The Gift of Sleep, I went onto the website downloaded the e-book and read it. I begged my husband to offer any amount of money to Elizabeth to come and help us!! He said we should try The Gift of Sleep book ourselves first. Discouraged I said I would think about it (surely someone else doing it would be easier). How wrong I was.
On Tuesday at 7pm with both girls crying and not showing any signs of sleep I decided there and then to start the Gift of Sleep program — anything was better than this. I followed the program word for word, sitting on a chair in the hallway book in hand waiting for the hysteria. It did not come. Forty minutes later and both babies asleep. A few resettles and some knocking during the night and our 2 beautiful babies woke up happy — no signs of trauma from the night. The next day following the same principles they both slept for 3 hours in total!! I was overjoyed! On night two, with some trepidation as they had slept so well during the day, I did not believe they would settle as easily. Within 8 minutes & one resettle both babies were asleep. That night they only needed to resettle a few times and they slept until 6.30 am. That day 3 hours sleep again when I got home from work I noticed a change in my babies — they looked brighter and happier playing independently and full of energy.
Night three and both babies were asleep within 5 minutes of putting to bed, no crying no grizzling. Nothing! Not a peep! For the first time in 10 months we have had a full night’s sleep. Our precious babies woke up at 6.15am in their own room in their own cots. We went and got one each and yes took them back to our bed where they played happily.
I am thankful to Elizabeth and The Gift of Sleep team at Mamamia!
Bev, Ruby & Anisha
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Hey Mia, I have a question – totally unrelated to sleeping
– I think I remember you saying a while ago that you wouldn’t publish pictures on mamamia.com.au of your kids or your husband (I’m not sure where, might have been awhile ago) but recently that seems to have changed as I noticed last year you did a magazine spread featuring your kids and now Remy features in your Today appearance. Just wondering if anything happened to change your mind?
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After thinking about this for a week, the clincher came last night. Up with both my boys at various times through the night. They both have dummy addictions that I’m keen to be rid of.
My challenge is that at the moment my husband is away, so its me 24/7/
The boys share a room (they are 13 and 29 months respectively).
So I’m diving in headlong tonight. My sleep is crap anyway, so that doesn’t matter. Quite excited about a world without dummies.
Bec, any alternative suggestions about tackling two littlies at once??
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HI Christy
It’s definitely do-able. Bev (a mother of 10 month old twins) just did the program last week and now has her two little ones sleeping through the night. She was previously getting up TWENTY TIMES!!!
Now I know that Elizabeth would say that you should treat them as though you were sleep training twins. So split them up. If you can put them in separate rooms — just while you’re doing the program. Otherwise it would be a shame if one settled and then the other woke up and the woke up the sleeping baby. (DId that even make sense? LOL!). So – if you can – put them in separate rooms just for the 3-5 nights of the program while you’re locking it in. Go to the FAQ section of the book and read what Eliz says about twins. Hope that hleps!
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I bought this book last sat and it is a winner. My 8 month old had been waking 2-3 times and I was getting only a max of 5 hours a night. I had already used save our sleep for settling but didn’t know about sleep training for night sleep. I started Tuesday and we had a couple of rough nights but the third night was good and have had 2 full nights sleep. A huge thank you Mia and Elizabeth for putting this together, we forgot what a full nights sleep was like. It isn’t easy but the pay off is worth it.
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Congratulations Nat!
Ah, the bliss of sleep. You deserve it. We all do!
M x
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Hey Nat
Can we get a testimonial off you? I’m collecting them for the GOS website! Email me at rebecca@mamamia.com.au if you’re happy to submit one. And we’ll send you a thank you goodie.
Bec xxx
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My daughter is 7 months and wakes up every two hours to feed (on a good night!!) but she only weighs 6 kg. is she to little for this to work??
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Hi Sarah
Elizabeth’s rule of thumb is: to do the program the baby should be 8kg OR six months old .. whichever comes first. So if she’s 6 months old, she’s fine to do the program.
Bec x
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Can you please explain to me what a babies weight has to do with it or whether a baby is 6 months ? This makes absolute no sense developmentally. What qualifications does Elizabeth have?
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Hi Katie
I’m sorry that it makes no sense to you. You’ll find that pediatricians and children’s health experts recommend that only babies over six months do any form of gentle sleep training — one of the reasons for this is because once a baby is over 6 months – from a nutritional point of view – they no longer need night time feeds (assuming they are being well fed during the day). This developmental guideline is supported by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and the Raising Children Network to name a few.
As for her qualifications … Elizabeth has formal qualifications, having studied (and completed) the “Maternal Nurses Aid” course and she also has a “Newborn and Baby Health” certificate. She has spent 25 years working as a nanny in Australia and overseas. For the past 20 years she has worked for “Mothercraft and Nannies” (a Sydney agency) where she gained a reputation for being the sleep program expert. Elizabeth has also observed sleep study units and has done her own private research into sleep since she’s passionate about the area. She has worked with thousands of families both here and in the UK. And she has three children of her own.
Hope that clears things up for you.
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Hi Bec, I am aware that certain health professionals have used the line that babies don’t need the nutrition overnight after 6 months. I would really like to see the research that backs that argument, especially in relation to breast fed babies. I haven’t been able to find it. Overnight without a breastfeed is a long time for a baby that has only just started to have solids. And for those who think that the guidelines have changed back to 4 months I urge you to look at our Dietary Guidelines. These guidelines are being revised, but they are likely to remain the same as the WHO recommendations. Also babies can be quite distractible at this age and trying to get them to feed more during the day can be difficult. As many mothers have found out these babies often feed better overnight.
Babies often gain comfort from breastfeeding when they are teething, at wonder weeks times and if they are trying to fight off an infection. Does it make sense to deny them this just because they are 6 months or older? When babies are extremely wakeful, other gentle settling techniques apart from breastfeeding may be helpful but it is completely appropriate to breastfeed overnight after 6 months of age.
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Perhaps you should check with your GP and/or maternal and child health nurse.
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If I could afford Elizabeth I would have her here tomorrow. My baby was born @ 33weeks & spent 40 days in special care. Since coming home I have spent nights sitting up with him sleeping on my chest or in my arms. He will not sleep for more than 20 minutes if put down. He is always overtired & nights are a nightmare. Before I purchase the book, will the techniques work as he likes to be held close & being a prem baby does it work the same.I have had 6 months of no sleep.
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Oh Naomi, it’s Bec here (I co-wrote the book with Elizabeth). I can hear the stress and fatigue in your comment. Elizabeth has worked with hundreds and hundreds of babies in the exact same situation as your little one. I know she will say that he needs to be six months corrected age. And also get the okay from your paediatrician before doing this sleep training. We don’t want to take him off a night feed if he still needs them. If the doctors give you the okay, then yes the book will work. But if you feel there are special issues involved, Elizabeth could do an email consultation for you privately for $50. Email me at rebecca@mamamia.com.au if you’d like me to put you in touch with Elizabeth. Hang in there. Help is on the way. xxxx
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Naomi, Please do not do this to your immature little one. Read up on more gentle techniques. Pinky McKay, Elizabeth Pantley, William Sears.
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Katie, why don’t you do a piece for mamamia on alternative sleep methods (also outlining your qualifications). Clearly you’re not a fan of this style, so why don’t you present “the other side”? Genuinely not having a go at you, controlled comforting isn’t for everyone, so you could present an alternative. It would be better than just occasional comments etc.
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Hi Faybian, I tried to reply some time ago but my comments were blocked, so will try again now. It would be wonderful if Mamamia did a piece on gentle sleep techniques. Qualified researchers in the area such as Gethin and McGregor, authors of “Helping your Baby to Sleep” would be great. Helen Stevens and Cindy Davenport, authors of ‘Safe Sleep Space” also have a more gentle and developmentally appropriate approach.
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This sounds like a great book, but I’m not sure I’m willing to part with $19.95 for an e-book. Sorry.
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Hey Tip Master,
Just so you understand, I have written three printed books myself and worked closely on Gift Of Sleep with Bec and Elizabeth as well as writing part of it.
In fact this book was my idea.
The fact it is an ebook not a printed one has no bearing on its quality.
It is simply because we wanted to make this book as easy and fast and affordable for mothers as possible.
It is the same length and with the same production values as a printed book.
It’s actually better than print because we can embed links to websites and further information on aspects like research etc
But had we printed it and had to pay for printing, distribution etc it would have had to be more expensive. Not to mention harder for parents to find.
Hope that explains it. At less than the cost of a lipstick, I reckon it’s a bargain.
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Of course it was your idea Mia, nothing like a couple of $ to get you endorsing anything
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This is worth reading just to think about
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Up, up and away!
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Can anyone tell me whether the method/practices described in the book will work with older children? My biggest problem is a 6 year old who never learnt to self settle or put herself to sleep, the unwelcome byproduct of an infant sleep disorder. She has pretty much grown out of the sleep disorder but the behavioural issues remain…….
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Hey – that sounds tough! You pooooor thing!. I’ll ask Elizabeth to respond to your question here….
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Or a 2.5 year old who’s recently started waking up several times a night wanting a bottle of milk, after being a good sleeper for almost 2 years? We’re getting frazzled here…
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Hi Free
It’s Bec here (co-author of the book with Elizabeth) … yes, the book can definitely help you. The book has tips for teaching older children who are in (big beds) how to stop bed- hopping. Or if your little on is still in a cot — we have solutions for that too.
xxxx
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Hi AnotherMelB
I emailed Elizabeth your question and this is what she said:
“Behavioural issues of course are not as simple as a three night program… but i think starting with boundaries is very helpful for older children. Such as setting up a gate and ticking all the boxes with bedtime routine (which we go over in the book) … Consistency is very important but I totally understand that it’s easier said than done! They are old enough at 6 to FULLY understand questions and requests. How about a STAR chart for staying in bed all night etc. Happy to give you more info if needs be, would need extra detail in regards to night waking. Best Elizabeth x”
AnotherMelB … Elizabeth does phone and email consultations (for $50 and $75 respectively should you need it).
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Remy is SO cute…and in his favorite outfit
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I think the e-book is a great idea and I hope it helps a lot of mothers. How is it different to what the books like BabyLove, Tresillian and Karitane say? I thought controlled crying was always one of the options.
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I was fortunate that I haven’t had sleeping issues with my child. Fingers crossed they don’t come now! But the idea of an ebook is bloody brilliant. Not everyone lives in Sydney or can afford Elizabeth. I know I’d be more than willing to pay $20 to try to find help with a parenting issue, especially about as something as important as sleep.
Now if only mamamia publishing could write a book about how to stop a 2.5yo from destroying multiple laptops and iphones, I’d be ecstatic!
And Remy is scrumptious. When he comes to Melbourne, he has a fellow Superman available to go fight crime.
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Crime fighters unite!!!!! Xx
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My 4 year old daughter has this superman outfit! Great!
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I loved watching that. Remy is adorable!! Mia, you looked beautiful! xxxx
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Hahaha Remy is such a legend
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Remy is gorgeous!
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I used elizabeth’s program a few nights ago after my 18mo started waking in the night (and need patting to go to sleep) because we moved house… only took 1 night, and she’s back to 11 hours sleeping through and putting herself to sleep. Thank yoooooouuuuuu!!!
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Aw! Too cute!
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Remy is so cute, handsome and beautiful! I love the superman outfit
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Mia, your son is gorgeous x
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