Sleep - you know children need it for everything from appetite to behavior control, but it also impacts their ability to learn and reach their full academic potential. The body consists of a sophisticated group of systems wherein something that affects one system tends to affect many others. Adequate sleep gives children the best possible chance to retain information, control behavior, and reach their full potential.

Let’s start by taking a look at memory. During sleep, the brain prunes and strengthens connections made during the day. These connections are important for not only learning but also maintaining clear, quick thinking. With enough sleep, the brain can use memory in the most efficient way possible.

For example, when a memory is retrieved, the brain adds new information to the memory when it’s recovered. In that way, your child applies old memories to new situations, enriching and adding to her experiences and knowledge. Sleep helps protect and use memories for future application.

The case for children getting enough sleep gets stronger as studies reveal the unique nature of childhood sleep and it’s ability to enhance the learning process. Children’s brains work differently than adults. Their minds learn faster, creating more connections than adults as they learn and grow. During sleep, children’s brains process new information to incorporate it into new skills and knowledge.

A 2012 study compared the ability of children versus adults to convert implicit knowledge into explicit knowledge. Sleep, as it turns out, gave children the advantage. When implicit knowledge training was followed by a sleeping period, children showed more improvement in related motor functions related to their implicit knowledge than adults. The gains the children made were linked to more slow-wave sleep activity. It makes sense that during childhood when we need to gain as much knowledge as possible, so we’re given the sleep patterns necessary for increased knowledge conversion.

Beyond the brain’s ability to learn, sleep affects children within a learning environment. Mood and behavior control correlate with adequate rest. Children and adults alike have a hard time monitoring their mood when they’re tired. Sleep-deprived children are more likely to be irritable, disruptive, angry, or sad.

Whether your child is in elementary school or high school, adverse behavior from sleep loss can cause problems. Disruptive children are more likely to need extra discipline and miss information because they aren’t paying attention.

Sleep deprivation also increases feelings of anxiety and depression. Tweens and teens often face more of these issues than younger children, but if your child is already at risk because of their age or family history, getting enough sleep is even more critical.

Helping your child establish healthy sleep habits early in her life can set her up for better learning and academic growth long term. These habits may involve setting bedtimes or upgrading your child’s bed with a new mattress. Make sure you know how much sleep your child needs. It can vary anywhere from 8 to 13 hours, depending on your child’s age and individual needs. Children who get better sleep show an increase in math and reading performance, both of which are important for success even beyond the school-age years.

High-quality sleep goes hand in hand with learning success both inside and outside the classroom. When it becomes a priority, you’ll be giving your child a chance to reach her full potential.

Thank you Samantha Kent for this guest blog, Sam is a researcher for SleepHelp.org. Her favorite writing topic is how getting enough sleep can improve your life. If you want to read more sleep articles she has written please visit http://www.sleephelp.org.

This flu season is kicking everyone's butt! Winter 2017/18 has been one illness after another for so many people – I hope you are some of the lucky ones to have avoided anything too nasty so far!

In our house we have had both strep and flu so far this season, which is bad enough for anyone to deal with. But my baby starts daycare next week, so I’m pretty sure that we will soon get the rounds of daycare germs, like hand foot and mouth and stomach flu. All those germs mixing together, it’s a bit of a nightmare isn’t it? I remember a friend in the UK sending me a picture of a notice from outside her toddler’s daycare room which said they had chicken pox, hand foot and mouth and sickness and diarrhoea – talk about a way to make parents run away screaming!

Often a baby’s sleep will regress after they have been sick, so how do you keep them on track or work to eliminate any habits that have been created whilst you were getting through the period of sickness?

1. Let your baby recover in their own bed

It's so tempting at 2am when you're up for the 7th time to pull them into your bed, just so you can get some much needed rest. I get it, you want to give your baby cuddles. But you have to remember that this will also increase your chance of getting sick and parenting is a 24/7 job - you don't get sick days. A healthy Mom or Dad are much better able to care for sick kiddos – you can’t pour from an empty cup after all.

I know when I am sick, all I want is my own bed, and this is also the case for children. Your bed probably has too many covers for them, which along with your body heat can make sleeping in your bed unsafe. You are best to keep them in their own sleep space and make a bed up for yourself on their floor. It may be uncomfortable but it's only for a night or two until they get well.

2. Don't be afraid to give them a night feed

If they are not eating well during the day, or need extra fluids, it's fine to feed them during the night even if they don't normally have a night feed. Just keep the night feed going whilst they really need it and work on eliminating it once your little one is on the mend. A few days won't create a habit that can't be undone, after all. If you continue the night feed once they are well, it will require some gentle sleep training to get them back on track, but shouldn’t take more than a couple of nights to eliminate it once more.

3. Separate the sick and healthy

If your children room share, consider separating them for a few nights. This will reduce the risk of the sickness spreading and it will also give the healthy child the opportunity to get the sleep they need to stay healthy. They will be disturbed by their sibling coughing all night or changing of sheets if it's a stomach bug. Remember to keep the sick child in their own bed and create a fun adventure for the healthy one to have a sleep over somewhere else for a few nights.

4. Let them rest

Even if your little one doesn't nap anymore they will need to catch up on sleep, so let them rest when they can. This may mean early nights or an extra nap. There’s no better way to get well than to sleep, after all.

5. Double layer bedding

I remember when another Mom told me this tip – it was life changing! If your child has a stomach bug then double layer bedding, putting a waterproof sheet in between 2 sheets. This means you just remove the top sheet and the waterproof layer and the bed is already made underneath. If you have a trundle bed also use this to save changing sheets in the middle of the night. No one likes changing sheets at 2am so make life easier for yourself, and get your little one back to sleep sooner by minimising the amount of time it takes to get them settled in their bed once more.

I hope everyone gets healthy really soon, and that these tips help you to get through the sickness with your sanity intact! Hopefully Spring is just around the corner, and then it’ll be Summer before we know it! I’m already dreaming of lazy Summer nights…

If you need help getting your baby back on track with their sleep after sickness, please complete the contact form on the My Little Sleeper website to set up your consultation here https://www.mylittlesleeper.com/contact.

As children get older, it's best to adjust their bedtime routine so that it is suitable for their age. What works for a 6 month old at bedtime doesn’t always work that well for a 3 year old. Kids thrive on consistency, but they also learn to push boundaries and typically this is done at bedtime. Giving toddlers some control over choices at bedtime can help avoid delay tactics. So, what do you do when your bedtime routine is getting longer and longer and involves multiple requests for more drinks and trips to the bathroom. Well, quite simply, you get an Ooly!

As a Sleep Consultant, I am usually pretty sceptical about electronic sleep companions, but when I first heard of the Ooly I was excited by the idea that I could adjust the morning wake up time via my phone if my eldest two were sleeping later than normal. A sleep aid that is controlled by an app – brilliant! But for us, the best bit about this new toddler sleep companion has been the impact Ooly has made on our bedtime routine.

Who is Ooly?

Ooly came about because of the frustration so many parents experience battling their children every night at bedtime and having them wake up way too early in the morning. This is the story of two sleep-deprived parents of three, Marie-Eve and Martin, trying to find a way to get their kids to go to bed and stay there all night long until a reasonable hour. Their dream was to come up with a solution so everyone in the family could sleep soundly at naptime and through the night, completely uninterrupted. Wouldn’t life be a lot more enjoyable if everyone woke up at 7 a.m. instead of 5 a.m., feeling well rested and restored?

How does Ooly work.

We decided our Ooly is a girl Owl. In the evening, you set Ooly’s schedule to turn yellow at 6.45pm, which the girls understood meant time to be getting into the bath. She stays yellow for half an hour, giving us time to have a bath, get into pjs and read a story. I let my daughters decide if they want a shorter bath time and more stories, or if they are being silly and taking time to get dressed they know this will mean less time for stories. At 7.15pm, Ooly turns red which means into beds and time to say good night.

Half an hour is a good length of time for a bedtime routine for a 3 and 4 year old as it is enough time to wind down from their busy day. When Ooly is red, they know it is time for me to leave the room. No hand holding, no extra requests, it is simply time for them to go to sleep. The colour coded system is super easy for toddlers to understand, and reduces those last minute requests at bedtime – Ooly says night night!

How does it help them fall asleep?

My daughters share a room, and as sisters they are very competitive. On day one of having Ooly I gave them the challenge of racing Ooly to fall asleep. At 7.30pm, Ooly's light turns off and this is when they must be asleep. As yet, I haven't had to provide further incentive for this or any consequence as the challenge of being asleep before Ooly is enough for them right now, but you can always add rewards for this if it helps motivate your child.

Wake up

We have used toddler clocks for some time now and they both understand the concept of staying in their room until the clock goes green. Ooly is set to turn green at 7am and they know not to get up before this. My eldest does have a habit of sleeping in on a Monday (wish she chose to do this on a Saturday or Sunday, but that would just be asking too much!!). When I see she is not stirring by 6.55am, I use the app and push back Oolys wake up time to 7.30am. This means that if she does stir a little and sees that Ooly is not green the chances of her going back to sleep are increased.

My thoughts

The girls love Ooly and see her as an exciting part of their sleep environment. She has been dropped a few times and because of her silicone casing, this has not affected usability. As a sleep consultant, I don't recommend night lights as they can suppress the production of melatonin. However, there are some children that are scared of the dark, and having the option to leave Ooly's light on all night is great for this.

Pink/Red lights are the best at night time, so I would recommend that you select this option for the overnight light if your child needs one. You can also adjust how bright she is which is great for children who get scared of the dark. On the flip side to this, I love that you can turn the light off completely. We do not have the light on at night in the girls’ room, and their room is pitch black. I am a strong believer that a toddler that can’t see where they are going is less likely to get out of their bed!

As with any new product and technology, we did have a few minor operating glitches at first. These have been worked out easily and didn’t require much effort from myself other than to delete and reinstall the app. Customer services are very responsive and quick to rectify any problems you may be having.

As a sleep consultant I am very excited at the multiple functionality that Ooly offers, not just to improve bedtime, but to tackle those early risers too! Ooly – we love you!

If you need an Ooly to be your child's new sleep companion, here is a discount code for you to get 10% off "LIKTTLESLEEPEROOLY" http://www.ooly123.com

Lack of sleep isn’t just an adult problem, as many children suffer from it too. It’s not unusual for children to wake during the night, but it may be tough for them to fall asleep again. This is a concern that parents should actively address, especially because inadequate sleep in children can have negative consequences. Research shared by Reuters Health highlighted the potential problems children might face when they don’t get the recommended amount of sleep. These include poor behavior and trouble with attention, emotional control, reasoning, and problem-solving.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specified that toddlers require 11 to 14 hours of sleep, while children ages 3 to 5 need 10 to 13 hours. Fortunately in most cases, a child’s lack of sleep can be easily remedied. One way to go about it is to allow the kid to stay physically active. Kids are energetic by nature and they need an outlet for which they can channel all that energy. In that regard, a healthy amount of physical activities can bring about a slew of physiological benefits for a child. First of all, it’s a good way to combat obesity. CNN reported that it’s still a major problem worldwide, with 213 million children and adolescents classified as overweight in 2016. It is generally known that obesity can serve as a precursor to a range of other health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In this digital age where gadgets can retain children’s attention, it’s all the more vital to encourage outdoor play. Furthermore, outdoor activities help children exercise their curiosity. When they see cars or airplanes passing by, or changes in the weather, it helps them learn something new. A post on Tootsa featuring freelance garden designer Sophy Lennon revealed how the mom of three gets her children excited about the outside world. She lets her kids explore and participate in fun gardening activities. The children also love to play “I Spy” as well as read nature spotting books. These suggestions are just a few of the many methods that can stimulate a child’s brain. A day of outdoor play can cause a child to sleep more soundly at night, because physical activities help produce more melatonin, a hormone which makes people sleepy. Additionally, being exposed to natural light can aid a child in developing and/or enforcing his/her circadian rhythm. With a better understanding of a day and night cycle, children can grasp the concept of bedtime easily. While outdoor activities may improve a child’s sleep quality, it won’t mean much if there isn’t an established bedtime routine. A previous My Little Sleeper article pointed out that a routine aids a child in forming good sleeping habits. The process can include story time, a massage, or a bath. The bottom line is: Preparing for bedtime should be something a child can look forward to. When a child sleeps well, the parents can rest easy, too.

Exclusively submitted to MyLittleSleeper.com

PinkCherry_RJ

Photo source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/boy-playing-with-fall-leaves-outdoors-36965/

Today's guest poster is Katie, a wellness and self-care expert who spends most of her time writing for the blog Sleep Health Energy. Sleep Health Energy is a corner of the internet where experts on quality sleep and optimum health share their wisdom with a growing community of readers. Katie's areas of expertise include natural remedies, DIY cosmetics and staying healthy when travelling. When she's not writing for the blog, you can find her trying out new plant-based recipes, trail running or exploring the world as well as new places in the UK, where she's currently based. In this post, she shares her tips for prioritising you-time as a parent.

The Importance of Taking Some You-Time as a Parent

If you’re a new parent, the idea of having some time to yourself may feel like a distant memory. Between trying to be the best parent you possibly can, keeping the show on the road at home and probably trying to hold down a job into the bargain, parents can tend to push their own needs aside. This happens especially in those first few years before a child goes off to school and when they need constant vigilance to make sure they don’t get up to any mischief.

When life seems so hectic, doing anything entirely for themselves is generally every parent’s last priority. If you find that you’ve put yourself at the bottom of your priority list, however, it’s time to re-evaluate. If you keep giving and giving and do nothing to replenish your stocks, sooner or later you’re going to have nothing left to offer your family. You burning out is going to do nothing to help your children. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

I know how tempting it is to just collapse onto the sofa once your children are asleep and mindlessly stare at the TV for a couple of hours before getting into bed yourself. I know how easy it is for the days and weeks to rush by in a blur. But it’s time to change that.

Re-evaluate

Just because you’re a parent, doesn’t mean the things that make you YOU have become any less important. What was it that used to make your soul sing? What did you do for no one’s benefit but your own? Whether it was reading books, taking dance classes, going for morning runs or even jumping out of aeroplanes, you need to start doing it again.

Maybe you didn’t really have any hobbies before children, but you always fancied trying your hand at something. Now’s the time.

Plan

Okay, so some things have changed. You can’t necessarily just go off and take a spontaneous exercise class anymore, these things have to be planned in advance! Make sure you schedule some you-time into your week. By having it in black and white in your diary or on your phone calendar you’ll be more likely to follow through than if it just remains a vague idea in your head.

The reality is that if you don’t actively schedule in this time for yourself, a million other things will come up and it probably won’t happen.

Coordinate

Both you and your partner deserve equal you-time, and the other one should be prepared to pick up the slack when one of you is out taking some time for themselves. And vice versa!

But do stuff together too…

Don’t forget about your relationship. If you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by family, accept those offers to babysit, or get recommendations for a trusted babysitter. Get out and go climbing or dancing or whatever it is you used to do BC (Before Children). It’s good for your kids to get used to being looked after by other people from a young age so they don’t get too clingy, and your relationship will be far stronger as a result.

Take the kids along

Doing something for yourself doesn’t necessarily mean that your kids have to stay at home with your partner or a babysitter. Lots of gyms offer creches and childcare whilst you do your class, or even offer parent and child classes. Do you run? Invest in one of those running strollers and take them out for some fresh air. Are you a travel addict? Travelling with kids isn’t as scary as you might think. Whatever it is, see if there’s a way to take your little ones along with you, even if it involves a bit of extra effort. It’ll be worth it.

It’s the little things

Your you-time doesn’t always have to be something written down on the calendar. Treat yourself in small ways every day, whether it’s eating your favourite foods in a mindful way or doing five minutes of meditation, or anything that makes you feel good.

Stay true to yourself, treat yourself kindly and make sure you remain YOU and don’t lose your identity and become just ‘mum’ or ‘dad’. You’ll have far more to offer your children.

For more tips on staying healthy as a parent, follow Katie at Sleep Health Energy on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/sleephealthenergy

Hi, I'm Alison, a UK based blogger and share random food related thoughts, adventures and experiences of a Sheffield based, sleep deprived mum of 3 veggie boys (9, 4 and 1), and our cooking and eating together.I have a Diploma in Nutrition with a special interest in children’s nutrition, but putting theory into practice isn’t always easy when you are tired from feeding the baby all night, your 4 year old is demanding Coco Pops for dinner, and your 9 year old vegetarian son has decided he has an aversion to most vegetables. Here are my thoughts on food and sleep!

This parenting lark is pretty tough, isn’t it? I’ve got three boys, aged 9, 4 and 14 months, and most days I still feel like I’m making it all up as I go along. Day to day, I’m constantly worrying about and obsessing over how well they are sleeping (never well enough), and how much food they are eating (the big two are eating me out of house and home, and the baby is surviving on a bowl of porridge and fresh air most days). Sleep and food are often the biggest worries for parents in those first couple of years; they cast such a big shadow over all the decisions you make as a parent and you can easily become a slave to naps, mealtimes and bedtime routines.

I remember when my oldest son was small, my baby group friends and I would talk endlessly about how the babies had slept the previous night, trying to remember how often they had fed that day, then doing our best to replicate it, if the night had been a good one. And by good, I mean if the babies had slept for longer than a 2 hour stretch. Now, on baby number 3, I’m just too sleep deprived to remember what happened half an hour ago, so have no hope of trying to recreate the perfect day’s food in order to achieve the perfect night’s sleep!

There has been much written in recent years about how food and sleep are so closely linked, and there is plenty of useful advice and tips that parents can adopt to try and help their little ones sleep better.

First the ‘science bit’ – tryptophan is an essential amino acid (essential indicates that it is not made by the body, so needs to be ingested in the form of food), which is like nature’s sleeping pill. The brain converts tryptophan into serotonin and then to melatonin, which induces and maintains restful sleep.

Great, so which foods do we get tryptophan from, you ask? Some foods rich in tryptophan include:

OatsDairy foods – milk, yoghurt, cottage cheeseEggsFishTofuPoultryBananasNuts and seedsQuinoaBuckwheatSweet potatoes

So, plenty of everyday healthy foods which we should be trying to include regularly in our diets, and serving up to our children once they are eating solid foods too. Providing meals and snacks which are based around many of the foods above, with the addition of plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, is an ideal way to fuel and nourish growing kids, whilst also helping to promote the all important full night’s sleep.

Eating a healthy balanced dinner, containing slow release carbohydrates, some lean protein and plenty of vegetables, followed by a dairy based pudding, would be a great way to help children’s bodies and minds prepare for a restful night. How about trying an age appropriate sized portion of homemade mushroom risotto, oven baked cod, green beans and peas with greek yoghurt and fresh berries for dessert. A delicious dinner time, whatever age you are!

Combining a dairy product with a carbohydrate rich food further increases the level of tryptophan in the bloodstream, making a small bowl of wholegrain cereal with milk an ideal pre-bedtime snack, particularly if dinner was earlier than usual, or the kids didn’t eat very well. It is important to keep snacks before bedtime small however, because eating too much just before bedtime can cause the digestive system to become overloaded, making sleep more disrupted.

So, now we know a little about the foods that can aid sleep, how about those foods to avoid before bedtime?

High fat foods have been linked to disrupted sleep, as fat stimulates the production of acid in the stomach which can rise up the oesophagus causing heartburn. Burgers, fries and fatty desserts are best avoided at all times, but particularly before bedtime.Caffeine is another one to avoid. For adults this would include the obvious; coffee, tea, and energy drinks, but chocolate also contains caffeine, so steering the kids away from chocolate treats before bedtime should mean they sleep better, and their dentist will thank you too!Large portions of protein rich foods in the evening can also disrupt sleep, as protein is harder for the body to digest and contains the amino acid tyrosone which promotes brain activity – not what you want at bedtime! Make sure that children are eating sufficient protein at breakfast and lunchtime, and keep protein portions smaller in the evenings.For adults, alcohol may cause you to fall asleep quicker, but often causes you to wake more frequently and have less restful sleep over all. Alcohol also causes many people to snore in their sleep, disrupting the sleep of their partner too!

If you are struggling to think of recipe ideas or ways to include tryptophan rich foods in your family’s diet, how about some of my suggestions below:

Breakfast

Mysweet potato porridge is a brilliant way to start the day for the whole family; with oats, sweet potato, carrot and milk, and finished with your favourite fruity or nutty toppings, it’s a warming bowl of deliciousness that is high in fibre, slow releasing carbs and potassium.

For an even quicker breakfast option, how about a toasted bagel slathered in peanut butter and banana slices. Great for kids of all ages, as it satisfies their naturally sweeter palate, but delivers on the nutrition front too, making parents equally as happy.

Lunchtime

Myseedy loafis packed full of crunchy seeds, making it super tasty and filling at lunchtime. I love this topped with smashed avocado or turmeric scrambled eggs, and the boys love to dip toasted fingers into softly boiled eggs.

This jewelled couscous salad, served with stir fried tofu chunks and a dollop of hummus is another family friendly lunchtime option. Light and summery, it makes a great option for dining al fresco in the sunshine. If you are not a fan of tofu, replace it with another tryptophan rich protein source, such as fish or poultry.

Dinnertime

One of our regular family dinners is oven baked salmon fillet, served with sweet potato wedges and steamed broccoli – delicious, whatever your age, and packed full of heart healthy fats, slow release carbs and the all important sleep inducer, tryptophan.

The perfect quick and easy to prepare kid friendly dinner has to be stir fry - chicken noodle stir fry, with babycorn, sweet peppers and mangetout, served with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of crushed peanuts, scores high in the taste stakes, and fills even the hungriest of tummies with healthy and nutritious fare. Swap out the chicken for tofu if you are vegetarian, or serve the noodles and vegetables alongside a steamed white fish fillet.

Desserts

Greek yoghurt topped with fresh fruit and a few seeds or chopped nuts makes a great dessert or snack at any time of the day.

How about swapping more traditional dairy desserts, such as yoghurt, for some cottage cheese with chopped apricots and raisins stirred through to sweeten? Low in sugar, with plenty of protein and slow release carbs, it makes a tasty dessert and is also a great alternative at breakfast time.

Snacks

My blueberry quinoa flapjack bars are the ideal kid friendly snack. They contain no added sugar, but are sweetened by fruits, and the quinoa and oats release their energy slowly, making them a great mid afternoon power-me-through-till-dinnertime snack for hungry tummies.

All kids love the crunch of a cracker, but regular crackers are often high in sugar and fat which are not great for kids. These oaty chickpea crackers are great for dipping into hummus or salsa, or serving with a slice of cheese for a light pre bedtime snack. Adults love them as much as kids!

If you enjoyed these recipe ideas and would like more of the same, why not follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or check out my blog at www.dippyeggplease.wordpress.com

The summer months are here and that means many of us will be looking forward to vacations. As fun as these will be it comes with its stresses, what to pack, have we remembered everything, will the kids be nightmare on the journey, did we lock the house up when we left? One topic that is always on parents' minds is their little one's sleep, especially if you have just got your child into some good sleep habits and you don't want them to regress to being up all night again. Vacations almost always lead to some some disruption to their sleep, whether due to jet lag, naps not working out on the journey or just a different sleep environment meaning they aren't as happy going to and staying asleep. Therefore I've put together some tips to help reduce your stress and encourage some healthy sleep whilst you are away.

Packing

Familiar items from home will help your little one fall asleep and stay asleep. Remember to pack their favorite teddy or lovey. If they are old enough to have something in their bed and don't yet have anything, introduce this a week or two before your trip. It may not seem like they are too bothered about it initially, but in a new environment this will be comforting. If you have two, pack two, just in case one gets lost or dirty.

Other items to pack:

Tin foil & tape to black out the light. Unless you are in a hotel it's likely the window treatments won't allow for a pitch dark room. Make sure it's tight to the window so the tin foil doesn't rattle or fall down during the night. There are travel blind products available: however, some are difficult to stick to the window and can't be custom fit to the space. They also take up more room in your luggage compared with tin foil. Use a travel white noise machine, whether on an app or an actual machine. If using an app make sure to turn your phone onto airplane mode and face down so if you get a message in the night it won't disturb them. When picking an app, look for one that is consistent white noise throughout the night, not one that turns off after 20 minutes. Sleep sack or blanket? Hotels won't provide bedding in a pack and play or travel crib so if your child uses a toddler pillow or blanket at home, it will be worth while taking this with you.

Sleep space

If you don't bed share at home there's no need to start on vacation. Some children will become restless at night if they are suddenly sharing their sleep space. Do what you can to create their own sleep environment and make sure it's safe.

Call ahead to see what options are available at the location. Even ask them to send you a photograph as quality can vary markedly from hotel to hotel. Most hotels now do provide pack and plays, but don't assume this. If your child is too big for a pack and play, look at purchasing a toddler air mattress or a camp bed. Failing that, you can also use cushions to make a bed up on the floor. If they wake in the night, don't worry about waking others. Do as you would at home. Don't reintroduce any previously used sleep props such as bouncing, rocking and feeding.It may take a little bit more time and effort to get your little one to sleep whilst on vacation. However, the effort is worth while when compared to the work you will have to do to break the new formed habit when you return home.

Nap-time

Little ones that normally nap in their crib for naps, may struggle to fall asleep on the go. Don't stress too much and do what you can. They may take a shorter nap than normal as they are not used to the motion to fall asleep and then wake after their first sleep cycle. Allow for a quieter afternoon and early bedtime.

Plan naps and journeys accordingly. If you know your little one will sleep on the go, take advantage of this and plan the car journey for when they are due to nap. Schedule quiet days to give your little one the opportunity to catch up on their sleep. Especially if they are waking earlier in the morning or having short naps.Don't assume they are ready to drop their nap if they are struggling to nap on vacation. Do what you can to get them the rest they need. Get back to your normal schedule when you are back from vacation.

Routines

Stick to your bedtime and nap time routine. Your little one will be more accepting of their new sleep environment if they have their consistent routine.

If you will be having a late night, adjust their day schedule to allow for this. Give them a later nap so they are not overtired going to bed. Don't introduce new habits at bed time; you may find it takes your little one longer to fall asleep in their new environment but try to stick to your normal routine. As mentioned earlier, it is easier to put in a bit of extra effort whilst you are away than spending weeks trying to resolve sleep trouble once you get back.

Schedule & jetlag

It can take 1 day for every hour you are adjusting their schedule.

For a short vacation with 3 hour time difference or less, consider keeping them on your home time zone.Remember jet lag doesn't just affect sleep; it affects their whole internal body clock, so be prepared for them to be hungry earlier or later than normal. Don't rush the adjustment. Follow their lead and use age appropriate awake times to get them on track.

When you return home from vacation have some quiet days so you can get back to your usual schedule and routine. Any bad sleep habits created whilst away should stop. It may take a night or two for this, but any longer will make it harder to eliminate them. If you have had terrible sleep whilst you were away, often this resolves itself by simply having everyone back in their own beds. If you find things are not resolving a week after returning from your trip you may need to do some sleep training to get back on track.

Please contact us at My Little Sleeper if you have any questions or need help with this.

Safe travels!

Like this post? Please share and comment below.

When you have questions about your child the first people you often go to is your pediatrician, friends and family. Asking for advice on whether they are feeding ok, are they meeting milestones at the right age and how to calm them during the witching hour. Having a network of people around you to seek advice is important, as long as they are giving you the right advice. However, there are times when you should go to professionals with your questions. You go to an ENT if your child is having constant ear problems, or a physical therapist if they have delays in their motor skill development. Then why not go to a sleep consultant if they are having sleep troubles.

Yes, there are other resources available to help you improve your little one’s sleep. However, the advice you receive may not work or only provide a short term solution to their sleep troubles. What if they hit bumps in the road? What do you do if what worked before doesn’t work again? There are many benefits to hiring a sleep consultant. Make sure when you do hire one that they are certified in child sleep development and have experience in this field. You are trusting them with your child. Most sleep troubles are habits that require breaking. An experienced sleep consultant will know when there is something more than just a habit, a medical issue for example, and will refer you to a specialist if this is the case.

Why else should you hire a sleep consultant?

Books

There are many excellent sleep books available and all written by reputable authors with unquestionable experience. The problem with these books is they all make a good argument that their method is the best and only method you should use. As a sleep deprived parent you probably only have the time to read one, maybe two books. So which book will solve your baby's sleep troubles? Sometimes parents follow all the advice and still have an early riser or a short napper. Parents of multiple children will agree that no child is the same and they come with different sleep personalities. So how can one book be tailored to all children? Books can’t give you feedback on your progress and advise small tweaks to your child’s routine like a sleep consultant can. What they can do is educate you about sleep and help you encourage healthy sleep habits. But there comes a point when a sleep consultant will be able to tailor a sleep plan specifically to your child and their sleep troubles. Yes, you will pay more money hiring a sleep consultant than buying a book, but you’ll likely solve your child sleep issues more quickly with a consultant than the time it takes you to read a book.

Friends and family

My children were born and are being brought up on a different continent from our family and close friends. This makes it difficult when you have questions that are best asked in person rather than over facetime and skype. My youngest was so petite as a newborn (born 5lb13oz) and none of our family realized this until they saw her in person even though we kept explaining she was a peanut. Many of our parents will offer advice based on their experience from when we were babies. Have you ever heard “when you were a baby we just let you sleep …..”?

In the past 10 years alone there has been a lot of research on how we can make a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of SIDS. As well as this there has been a lot of development in products available to parents. Family won’t always know what products are now available that will help encourage safe and healthy sleep. You must also consider that what works on your friend’s child may not work on your own baby. As mentioned earlier, all babies have different sleep personalities, different sleep needs and awake time limits.

The internet

It’s so difficult not to consult Dr Google, especially at 3am when you are awake for the 10th time since 11pm. “Why won’t my baby sleep” has been typed in by many parents to seek answers to this repeated question. The internet is quick and easy to bring up information to many questions, but are they from reputable sources? Will they just scare you into a self-diagnosis of an extremely rare illness that’s causing your newborn to be consistently waking? The internet should be used to find a highly recommend sleep consultant whose philosophy and methods match your parenting style.

Mom groups

Every mom, or parent for that matter, will benefit from having a group of moms to meet with regularly. Whether it's through NCT, local businesses or just friends from your neighborhood, they are a great way to support each other and talk through what your baby is doing that week. There are a few things that moms will never be truthful with each other about in fear of being judged. One of these is how much sleep they are getting. Everyone has a different definition about sleeping through the night. One mom may say their child sleeps through which is 10pm-5am, whereas another mom believes 7pm-7am is sleeping through. You may not know each other that well and not feel comfortable enough to quiz each other about the exact details and take the information at face value. When you have little time to talk, you may get advice on how to achieve better sleep that is a condensed version and the key information is lost. A sleep consultant will write a full plan for you to read, go over it as many times as you need and give you lots of opportunity to ask questions. Key information won't be lost.

If you are looking for help with your child’s sleep and overwhelmed with all the advice from multiple resources, then let My Little Sleeper help you. We are certified child sleep consultants and most importantly, moms. We won’t recommend any methods or techniques that we haven’t used ourselves or are prepared to implement with our own children. We offer a FREE 20-minute phone consultation to talk through what’s going on and how we can help. Call now to make the first step to restful sleep.

When new parents talk about their newborn, more often than not they will include in the conversation how little sleep they are getting or how many times they were up in the night. The realization of newborn sleep is a lot harder than any parent expects or remembers. When you brag that you got 3 hours sleep in a row you realize you are not getting enough. When I speak to sleep deprived parents they will often tell me stories of their quest to get more rest. From rocking a toddler in a ride on car to singing the entire sound track of the Lion King to get little ones to fall asleep, I have truly heard it all. As a mom of two, I know all too well how you will try anything to get any form of sleep. However, there are a few things that you should never do to get your baby to sleep. When the nights run into weeks then into months, the sleep deprivation adds up and your decision making has gone from logical to desperation. Always think through the way you are getting your baby to sleep whether it's from a safety point of view or to avoid creating a bad habit. If you can avoid them from the beginning then you won't need to go through the difficulty of undoing it later down the line. You are basically putting off the inevitable, a tough few nights changing a habit will be easier now than when they get older and the habit is established.

1. Sleep On The Couch With Them

It's true, a baby will sleep better snuggled in your arms or laying on your chest. You are warm and comfortable and they feel safe just as they were in the womb. But is it putting them at risk of SIDS? Yes. It's very tempting late at night to get comfortable during the marathon feeding sessions and to doze off. I am not judging, I have done it myself when my eldest would nurse for 1 hour 45 minutes each waking. If you have a little one with reflux and needs to be upright after a feed, this is the hardest time to stay awake. Find a way to avoid the 10 minute snooze. SIDS can happen to any family, as Dr. Sam Hanke, a pediatric cardiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital,knows all too well. His good intentions of giving his wife a break, resulted in sadness and heartbreak.

2. Rely On Motion To Get Your Baby To Sleep

Newborns don't naturally produce melatonin until they are around 3 months old. This is a hormone that helps us fall asleep and stay asleep. Therefore, your little one will need some assistance to get into a drowsy state. Snuggling and some rocking is fine before bed. Consistently doing this long term will develop a crutch and your little one won't learn how to self soothe at bedtime or during the night. As much as we would love them to stay small and snuggly, they quickly grow and you don't want to be rocking a 30lb toddler every night. Other motion you may have found works to fall asleep is the car. Avoid going out in the early hours to have a drive around. Driving whilst sleep deprived is as dangerous as driving when drunk. According theNational Sleep Foundation, "being awake for 18 hours straight makes you drive like you have a blood alcohol level of .05 (for reference, .08 is considered drunk). If you’ve been awake for a full 24 hours and drive—say, after a night where you just couldn’t fall asleep—it’s like you have a blood alcohol level of .10 "

3. Assume that staying up late will make them sleep in.

The occasional late night is fine, life happens. Sometimes intentional and sometimes not. If this becomes a habit, your little one will spiral into an over tired frenzy which is difficult to get out from under. Respect their bedtime and base this on their awake time. So when they woke from their last nap should dictate when they go down for the night. This goes for older children that don't nap. If they woke early that morning they will need an earlier bedtime. It's easy to assume that if you put them to bed later they will crash out and sleep better and longer. Wrong. In fact, the exact opposite happens. An over tired baby will wake more during the night and wake on time or earlier in the morning. So if you keep your little ones up late for a family party on a Saturday, be prepared for them to be awake at their normal time the next day. If you know it's going to be a late one, plan ahead giving them a later nap so you are adjusting their schedule and they are going down with the same awake time as normal.

4. Swaddle Them For Too Long

Swaddling is the cheapest and easiest way to calm a baby and help them sleep as it helps reduces the startle reflex that causes them to wake. The AAP confirm, that when done right it is safe to swaddle newborns.Dr Moon says, “I would stop swaddling by age 2 months, before the baby intentionally starts to try to roll,” he further then states that “If babies are swaddled, they should be placed only on their back and monitored so they don’t accidentally roll over.” So what do we do now? I hear everyone with a 2 month old asking themselves, especially if your little one sleeps amazing when being swaddled. You can swaddle them with arms out, giving them access to their arms should they roll. My eldest rolled during the day front to back at 7 weeks and back to front at 12 weeks so don't assume they won't roll until they are 4-6 months old. The Magic Sleepsuitis a great product to help reduce the startled reflex and can be used once your little one is 12lbs. The Zipadee-zip sleep sack is another transition product that will help your little one sleep without waking themselves in a startle.

5. Put A Bottle In Bed With Them

I am writing this tip from my own experience. My daughter had a cup of milk in her bed for 6 months from 2 years old. Yes, a sleep consultant did something that created a habit, I am normal after all! The reason (self justification). Her bedtime is 30-45 minutes later than her non napping older sister. So to help keep her quiet whilst her sister fell asleep we gave her a cup of milk. It wasn't a crutch for sleep as she would continue to hang out in her crib for 15-20 minutes before falling asleep. However, this habit became an issue when the requests for more and more milk became 3 cups, wet bedding due to soaked diapers and daily morning showers. After speaking to her pediatrician who wasn't overly concerned but did point out that too much milk can cause anemia and an imminent dentist appointment. I decided enough was enough. I did not want to continue to put her at risk of tooth decay and I needed to reduce the endless cycle of laundry. So avoiding this habit from the beginning is best, no matter how tempting.

6. Ignore Their Sleep Cues And Put Them On Your Own Schedule

When I meet with parents, it varies as to whether they are happy or not with their little one's routine. Each baby has their own limit on awake time and you should follow their cues and know when they're getting tired. Getting the right timing will mean it is easier to fall asleep and they will nap better and longer. It should take them 5-10 minutes to fall asleep. Anything less than this means they have crashed from exhaustion and will likely wake after a sleep cycle. Work on understanding their awake time limits and let them naturally set their own schedule. It can take 2-3 weeks of nap training to see consistency develop. A good day with the right amount of restful sleep will result in a better night. Sleep breeds sleep! Work with your baby's natural temperament, not against it.

7. Forget your baby's sleep environment

Sometimes all a baby needs is the right environment. Small changes can improve their sleep and avoid the need for sleep training. Many babies like white noise to help lull them to sleep and stay asleep. Ensure this is consistent white noise throughout the night and not one that turns off after 20 minutes. Make their sleep space pitch black. Even the smallest amount of light can suppress the production of melatonin My favorite blackout blinds are from Blackout EZas they truly block out all the light. Also cover all small lights on monitors, humidifiers and white noise machines.

Like this post? Share and comment with other parents in need of sleep

Hi there! It’s nice to “meet” you! My name is Kimmie, and I am one-half (the Chicago portion) of the sister-founding-duo of Your Milk Shoppe, a maternity service to support YOU- our mamatribe of expectant and new moms. As mamas ourselves, raising littles in big cities away from family, we felt under-supported and overwhelmed with the process of preparing and bringing home baby. So, we decided to do something about it. We are certified Maternity Consultants with a mission to encourage, educate, and empower our fellow mamas through your motherhood journey. We are the milk that keeps mom alive… because moms need milk, too!

Question for you: how many hours do you think parents-to-be spend preparing for baby… 10, 200, 3,752? (In my household, it was probably pretty close to that high number.) So, we get it. We bring in professionals to help us navigate so many BIG changes in our lives… an event coordinator for our weddings or a realtor for our first home purchase… so why during arguably one of the most important life events - bringing home a new baby! - do we feel we need to go it alone?? You don’t have to. You don’t have to completely stress and spend every prenatal waking moment scouring websites, reading product reviews, and buying WAY more than you need. All the while, weighing the input of every female in your life, because TRUST, they have an opinion, and you’ll hear it! You just don’t have to. You can confidently transition into parenthood informed, empowered, and not totally exhausted before the little bambino even arrives. Here is the low down on one of our favorite services, and why we find it to be so beneficial for new and expectant families.

What is a Maternity Consultant?

A maternity consultant (or baby planner), provides information, education and resources to assist expectant parents in making informed decisions while transitioning into parenthood.

Why hire a maternity consultant?

Many people hire baby planners to save time, money and energy! A baby planner can help expectant parents sort through the over-abundance of information and resources to help determine what is necessary, relevant, and helpful to you. At Your Milk Shoppe, we work with parents to develop a customized plan to meet your specific needs.

Your Milk Shoppe’s services include:

Baby and nursery planningChild prep educationBed rest supportMaternity concierge services (including but not limited to): errand running, child care placement, registry preparation and deliveryGreen proofing (educating about eco-friendly pregnancy, birth and home environment options)Post-partum and return to work plansEducation regarding stages of pregnancy, birth options information and referrals to childbirth education classesBaby wearing education, safety awareness, and child proofing educationWe offer services to benefit mamas in ALL stages (just check out the Services tab for more info!)

Who benefits from maternity consulting services?

Parents during all stages of expectancy…whether you are trying to conceive, already pregnant, just about to give birth, and even post-partum!

How does baby planning work?

First, call or email us for a free initial consultation to allow us a chance to learn about you and your family so that we can better recommend a customized baby planning package best suited for your needs! The goal is to assist you with your baby registry, research the most practical and safe baby gear for your baby and stock your nursery with everything that you will need for baby from 0-12 months.

Hope to meet you soon!

XO, Kimmie

Kimmie@yourmilkshoppe.com

312-248-2997

Please note that I am not a pediatrician or a digestive expert. If you think your baby might be experiencing symptoms of reflux, please make an appointment with your pediatrician to ask for their opinion.

I am, however, a mom with a baby who had reflux and can talk about my experience. And, since I began studying to become a sleep consultant, I have frequently heard stories about the impact of reflux on a baby’s sleep. Moms will often ask me whether I think their babies’ bad sleep habits are reflux-based and, if so, whether it would be beneficial to cut certain ingredients out of their diet (e.g., dairy or eggs). Although I cannot answer that question definitively, if sleep-training methods do not seem to be making a difference after consistently applying them, it might be worth investigating further.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is defined as the physiologic passage of gastric contents into the esophagus and generally requires conservative management. GERD is reflux associated with troublesome symptoms or complications and may require further evaluation and treatment.

Symptoms of reflux in full-term infants include feeding refusal, recurrent vomiting, poor weight gain, irritability, sleep disturbance, and respiratory symptoms. GERD in infants can also be associated with coughing, choking, wheezing, or upper respiratory tract symptoms. However, relying on symptoms to diagnose GERD can be difficult in infants, especially because medication does not always resolve symptoms. Rates of GERD are reportedly lower in breastfed infants compared with formula-fed infants, and the incidence peaks at four months of age.

Common troublesome symptoms and complications in children older than one year and in adolescents include abdominal pain or heartburn, recurrent vomiting, dysphagia, asthma, recurrent pneumonia, and upper airway symptoms (e.g., chronic cough, hoarseness).

Given these symptoms, it should not be surprising that reflux may impact an infant’s sleep. If a baby is persistently waking in pain and discomfort, then sleep training methods are unlikely to work as effectively as they would in a baby that is waking because of their reliance on a sleep prop (feeding, rocking, bouncing etc.).

From a personal experience, I had a real oversupply and forceful let down because of pumping for Alfie while he was in the NICU. As a result, every time he fed, he almost choked. After a feed, he would sleep on me for 10 minutes, then wake up crying, no – screaming in pain, which would persist for an hour or longer. During the night, I would feed him and put him in the bassinet. After 10 minutes, he would wake up screaming, again. We tried elevating his bassinet or putting him in the mamaroo, or the swing, or the rock n’ play – anything that would help to stop the tears. He would feed on demand, little and often.

After a particularly bad night, I went to the doctor. We had tried colic-calm, gripe water, bottles rather than breastfeeding and nothing worked- surely there was something else going on? The pediatrician gave him a full examination, talked to me about the definition of colic, checked his stool for blood – in case of a food allergy (it was negative) and sent us on our way with a prescription for some Ranitidine, which is essentially baby Zantac.

Luckily, a few weeks later, around 4 months, Alfie seemed to grow out of his reflux, and was able to sleep easier (twinned with some sleep training). Unfortunately, though, for many babies it can persist beyond that.

It appears that after talking to lots of moms about reflux, the symptoms are widely varied. Some babies spit up a ton, some do not, some wheeze, others do not, some appear to choke while feeding, others are fine.

If your baby is suffering from reflux, it is unlikely that Sleep Training will work. However, once the reflux is under control then Sleep Training can be a great way to help your baby to sleep more predictably.

As sleep consultants, we always remind our clients and friends that we are not pediatricians and are not equipped to give medical advice. However, if after working together we see little to no improvement in your baby’s sleep, we may advise speaking with your pediatrician to get their opinion.

It's an exciting time growing your family but also a stressful time trying to work out the logistics of who's going to sleep where. Making decisions such as do you need to buy a second crib or transition your little one to a toddler bed. Do you have two older siblings that will need to room share. Do you co-sleep with your toddler and wondering what to do when the baby arrives.

Bringing home a new brother or sister may cause an understandable regression in your toddlers sleep. Here are the most common questions answered to help with this transition.

1) What do we do if we are currently co-sleeping with the older sibling?

If you are co-sleeping with your older child, don't kick them out to make room for the baby. The baby can sleep in a basinet next to the bed or a co-sleeper attached to the bed. Toddlers will often have a feeling of jealousy if they know the new baby is sleeping in your room. So if they weren't sleeping in your room before but want to join the family bedroom, allow them if you are happy for them to do so. Make a bed on the floor for them that they can come and sleep on if they wake during the night and want to come in. If you don't want to start co-sleeping, then explain the sleeping arrangements with their sibling are only temporary and they will be moving out of your room once they are a little bit older.

2) Should we move the old child in a big bed?

I am a strong believer that children will have most success transitioning from a crib at the age of 2.5 years at the earliest, ideally 3 years old. When making this transition you want to couple it with reward systems; younger toddlers won't understand these which is why the older the child the better. Getting a newborn to fall asleep at night is difficult enough without having a toddler popping in every few minutes if they are able to get out of their bed. Toddlers have a hard time sharing. They already have to share their parents, their old clothes and their toys. Expecting to give up their crib for their new brother or sister may tip them over the edge. Especially if they are good sleepers. Unless it's unavoidable, don't force them to give up their beloved crib

3) When should we move our older child if having two cribs is not possible?

If two cribs isn't a possibility, or your older child is at the age they are ready for a big bed, make this move 6 months before the baby is born or at least 4 months after. Read our tips on how to make this a smooth transition. It doesn't need to be a fast transition. Make the transition all about them and avoid mentioning this a move due to the arrival of their new sibling

4) What do I do if my good sleeper starts to wake at night?

A regression in a toddler is understandable. Be patient with them and avoid scolding them for waking during the night. Keep conversation to a minimum. If they get out of bed, take them back to their bed, tuck them back in and leave the room. Avoid creating new bad habits that you then need to do sleep training for later down the line. Sleep training when you have multiple children is possible and you will have success. However, you will feel increased anxiety about any tears waking the other sibling. If your child is waking for attention, be sure to give them extra attention during the day and use reward systems to prevent the night wakings.

5) How do I balance bedtime with two children when I am on my own?

Your bed-time routine should be something that works for both children so that you can deal with both their needs. This may take a few nights to get the right routine; don’t be afraid to try a few different versions until you get one that works. Avoid using tv or tablet time for the older child as the blue light will make it difficult for them to fall asleep. Give them a flashlight to make shadows on the wall or read books under their covers whilst you put the baby to sleep.

Like this post? Comment and share with other parents

Pre-children you likely loathed the Spring time change as it meant losing an hour to your Sunday morning. Now you have kids, specifically an early riser, it means for a few days you revel in the fact that you have cracked it and they are getting up later. Sorry to say, but as the week progresses and they adjust their body clock, they will be back to old ways. (read our tips here for early risers).If you send your children to daycare or go to classes that you need to be up and out for, you will certainly want to be prepared for the time change.

Here are 5 tips to help you prepare for the daylight saving.

1) Change their schedule slowly. It's not just bedtime and their wake-up that will need to be adjusted - you will need to adjust the day-time schedule too. If your child is 12 months or younger, or sensitive to any change in their schedule, they will only likely be able to cope with a 10 minute adjustment. Therefore, you will want to spend around 6 days working on this adjustment. You can do this in advance of the Sunday time change, or the week after, depending on which works best for you. Each day, move their nap time forward by 10 minutes. For example, if they usually nap at 9.30am then on day 1 put them down at 9.20am, then day 2 at 9.10am and so on until you are putting them down at 8.30am which, with the time change, will be 9.30am. For older children, they can cope with larger changes over fewer days. Adjust their schedule by 15 minutes over 4 days.

2) Maintain your bedtime routine. We have said it before and we will continue to repeat this key tip-- Consistency! Your little one will be more accepting of sleep when they know what's coming. As their internal body clock is adjusting, a consistent bedtime routine will help them to calm down and prepare for their nap or bedtime sleep.

3) Blackout blinds! Last summer you had a newborn and they weren't affected by the early rising sun; however, now you have an older child they are more sensitive to it being light or dark outside. Time to make them believe it's night time! Here are our favorite blackout blinds as they completely block out all outside light. Any kind of light can suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone our bodies produces to help us fall asleep and stay asleep. If they have light coming into the room in the evening they will struggle to fall asleep, especially at this earlier bedtime.

4) Remember to change the toddler clock! As you change your clocks around the house on Saturday night before you go to bed. Don't forget to change the toddler clocks too. If you are changing their schedule before Sunday, remember to adjust the toddler clock each day to match their new schedule. If you are looking to implement a toddler clock to help deal with this change, remember to use a reward system to help encourage the change in sleep behavior. We recommend the OKAY to Wake toddler clock and the now available OOLY sleep companion.

5) Be consistent with your sleep training. If you are in the middle of sleep training whilst the spring time change ticks round, be consistent with your sleep plan and how you respond to their night waking and day time nap wake ups. There's no reason to put the sleep training on hold, just be conscious of the changes to their internal clock.

Like this blog post? Comment and share with other parents

We are delighted to announce that Desiree Moore has been nominated as My Little Sleeper's "Mom of the Month" for March.

We are lucky enough to work with hundreds of parents from across the world, and although we spend most of our of time talking about their children, we believe that Mom and Dad deserve an occasional pat on the back too. Read our interview with Desiree below. Well Done Desiree!

What area of Chicago / UK do you live in? We live in Streeterville, just north of the Loop in Chicago.

Favorite thing to do at the weekend? On the weekends, we love to take our time in the morning as a family, head to brunch, and take a walk or stop at a park if the weather is nice.

Best thing about being a Mom? The best thing about being a mom is the love you have for your kids, and learning how to channel that love so they grow to be confident, happy, and loving people themselves.

Number of children and ages? I have two kids, ages 2 and 4. I am due with our third this spring.

Why did you decide to work with My Little Sleeper? We were struggling with getting into a sleep routine with both kids for a long time. We lived in the Middle East for a number of years, and while we were there, we traveled a lot. Their unreliable sleep schedules were, in part, due to the unpredictable time zones, sleeping arrangements, and schedules that come with traveling. When we landed back in Chicago, the kids were still feeling the impact of the years without a proper schedule, and we didn’t have the tools to get them into a routine. After several weeks of being in Chicago and running on a couple of hours of sleep at a time, and given that we have a two parent working household, we knew we had to do something affirmative and structured in order to get our kids on a healthy sleep schedule. My Little Sleeper came highly recommended so we decided to give it a try.

How did you find sleep training? From the beginning, the sleep training tools that My Little Sleeper gave us, including step by step instructions from the start of the bedtime routine until the kids were both asleep, felt like tangible, concrete tools that we could actually implement. With this said, given how long it had been since the kids had any semblance of normalcy in their sleep routine, it wasn’t an overnight fix. We worked hard to implement the sleep training, and relied on My Little Sleeper to adjust the plan as necessary on an almost nightly basis until we came up with a set of tools and techniques that were best tailored to our children and to their individual sleep habits.

What was it like after implementing the sleep plan? Once we got into our routine, everyone in the house was sleeping better, and in turn everyone felt better. In our particular case, it was night and day in terms of how erratic the sleep patterns were to begin with, and what they looked like toward the end of the sleep training. Even as we made adjustments, within the first couple of weeks we were already seeing a lot of improvement, and it has continued to make a big difference in the well-being of everyone in our household.

How are things now? We are continuing to sleep well, and have continued with the sleep training tools and techniques that we adopted at the outset. We have approached it as an on-going, work in progress, rather than as quick fix, so that we have long term good habits and long term results.

Have you hit any bumps in the road? We’ve had a number of bumps in the road, especially with our two year old who was stubborn about changing some of the bad sleep habits that had been ingrained in her for years. Since she is on the younger side, I worked with My Little Sleeper to devise strategies that would work well for her particular stage of development, as some of the techniques that my son responded to were not working for her. And, even after we had implemented all of the training and had several nights in a row of good sleep, on a number of occasions the kids reverted back to old habits, and we had to start at square one again. But we continued to work through it and with each day, even on days where there were set backs, things improved.

Advice for sleep deprived Moms? I truly understand what it’s like to be sleep deprived. If you have to go to work or if you have multiple children or demands outside of being able to nap all day(!), it’s not sustainable. If you are able, get help. There’s no reason to improvise or go it alone when there are experts who can give you concrete action items so that you get back on track quickly.

Biggest accomplishment since becoming a Mom: As a working mom, the best I can do is try to stay afloat at work and at home. If my children take away the positives from that, including the importance of hard work, as well as the importance of family, I will have done my job somewhat.

Thank you Desiree!

Aimi and Laura xoxo

“Your baby has Positional Plagiocephaly and Torticollis and will need to wear a helmet in order to fix it” are not the words any parent likes to hear. However, this kind of condition has become much more common since the back to sleep campaign started in the early 90s.

I inevitably blamed myself. Were we really not doing “enough” tummy time? Were we putting my son in baby holders too often? Did he really need to wear a helmet or was there something else we could do? Would he have a flat head forever, get teased for it when he’s 12 and then blame us?

Next thing we are told: “Your son’s head flatness ratio is 5 Standard Deviations from the norm. He is at the extreme end of the bell curve and basically, no matter how much Physical Therapy he has, he’ll never be within the ‘normal head shape’ range, unless you get him a helmet.” Awesome.

A whole variety of reasons have likely contributed to the reason that my son now wears a helmet. I’m sure this is partly related to being born prematurely.

After getting our son’s head shape scanned and analyzed and waiting what felt like a lifetime for insurance approval- we were able to pick up his helmet from an orthotic provider in Chicago just over a month ago. As my husband and I listened intently to the instructions on how to care for his helmet, how to take it on and off, how to ramp up the time frame that he should wear it for and what side effects to look for, it dawned on me… how would this affect his sleep? We had been able to sleep train our son to sleep 12 hours and nap well -- would the helmet cause him to regress?

For the first day, he was to wear the helmet for one hour on and one hour off during awake hours and not for naps or at night. The second day, we ramped it up to two hours on and an hour off during awake hours but not for naps or at night. Next he wore it 3 hours on and an hour off AND for naps. As I tentatively put him down for his first nap in his helmet – he cried for a minute and fell right asleep. I questioned this. Surely he would wake up after 5 minutes because he was uncomfortable? He didn’t. He slept through his nap like normal. Aside from him looking like a member of Daft Punk on the monitor, there was no difference. We continued to ramp up the time he would wear it, with the ultimate aim being 23 hours a day. The first time we put him down for the night in his helmet, he cried a little longer than usual when we put him down but then he slept as normal!

In all honesty, we have been really lucky. A lot of babies can get really hot while wearing the helmet and some can get a heat rash or skin sensitivities. We only dress him in a lightweight onesie (no sleep sack or fleecy PJs) at night, to avoid him getting too hot. When he had a fever, we took it off and there was no way we were going to do a long haul international, overnight flight with it on either. Sometimes the helmet can rub –some babies experience this worse than others – we’ve found a tiny bit of aquafore on his cheeks helps with that.

The smell can be reminiscent of an old sneaker unless you clean it regularly which isn’t cute.

The benefits of it? Well now our little guy is moving around a lot more it helps to protect his head if he falls (although I’m sure that’s not advised by doctors). We don’t need to worry about winter hats in negative temperatures AND we think he looks really sweet in it, don’t ya think?

I am a terrible baker! Ask my husband how many times he has politely eaten one of my cakes that I burnt or had no flavor. I stick to the recipe word for word and get disappointed every time that it never works out. However I have starting to learn with baking you may need to deviate now and then. This got me thinking that sleep training is similar to baking. You need a plan, you should stick to this plan and as you learn more about your little ones sleep behaviors you can start to tweak it a little until you get the result your were working towards. Don't worry, I am better at sleep plans than cakes! ⠀ ⠀ Here are the key ingredients that I use when putting together sleep plans for sleep deprived parents. ⠀ ⠀The sleep issue⠀ I know this may seem an obvious, but you'll be surprised how many people give other parents advice based on what their own child went through. I talk in depth with parents about when the issues started, any triggers that may have caused this. What the child expects at bedtime and naptime. What happens during the night if they wake. Understanding the full details about what's going on and where the parents are wanting improvement is key to puttting together a sleep plan. ⠀ ⠀The childs personality⠀ Next I look at the little ones personality. Do they suffer from separation anxiety, are they accepting of change. Are they stubborn, easy going or demanding. A method for one personality wont work for another. Leaving the room when a child has separation anxiety is just going to make things worse and never solve the problem. This is where sleep training really isn't a one method fits all. Most parents want minimal tears, and so they should. Getting the right approach for the child is going to help reduce the crying. ⠀ ⠀The parenting style⠀ Finally I look at parenting styles. I am not going to put together a sleep plan that the parents are not comfortable with implementing. If you want to continue breastfeeding at night, I wont suggested weaning. It is essential you are comfortable with the approach before starting the sleep training. ⠀

Like this post? Share and comment below⠀

I spoke to a client whose 3 year old (who doesn't normally nap) fell asleep in the stroller at 5pm. Her daughter was sick and had been off school, however they needed to go and pick up her sister. When they arrived she discovered her daughter had managed to dose off which can't have been longer than 5 minutes. Even though there was temptation to let her sleep, especially as she was sick, she also knew that bedtime was equally as important. All appeared well at bedtime with the little girl going to bed, a little later than normal but still within the hour of her normal bed time. #momwin, or at least so she thought!

Unfortunately this power snooze impacted the sleep the following morning causing her daughter to wake 1.5 hours earlier than normal. So the later bedtime coupled with the early morning meant she got 10 hours of sleep rather than her normal 12.5 hours. Insert here lots of tantrums, difficulty getting out the door for school and a not so smug mom. So the 5 minutes took away 2.5 hours of the night time sleep. Lesson learnt!

I appreciate these naps on the go are unavoidable especially when you are on route either in the car or the stroller. Just anticipate a shorter nights sleep as a result and make up the night time sleep debt with an early night the following day.

My Little Sleeper is excited to announce our growing team with Laura, a certified sleep consultant joining the "Chicago dream team". We can''t wait to hear more from Laura in our blog posts as she shares tips with you to improve your little ones sleep. You now have the knowledge and resources of two sleep experts to solve even the most complex of sleep troubles.

Hello! I am thrilled to be joining Aimi as the newest addition to the My Little Sleeper team. Like Ami, I am a fellow Brit. I’ve been living in Chicago for the past six years, and I currently live in West Town with my husband and son, Alfie. I experienced, first-hand, what it was like to suffer from the intense “momnesia” that comes along with having a newborn who doesn’t sleep.

When pregnant, I had grand plans of reading all the sleep books and implementing the plans they suggested – how hard could it be? Unfortunately, Alfie decided to arrive 5 weeks early, without any warning and ended up spending a month in the NICU. Suffice to say, the sleep books went out the window along with any sort of nesting I had envisaged doing in those last five weeks.

Fast forward eight weeks later. Our son was home and my husband and I were spending hours bouncing on a red exercise ball, walking up and down stairs, singing, feeding, burping – doing anything and everything we could to get Alfie to sleep. Twinned with a nasty bout of reflux, Alfie wouldn’t sleep for longer than an hour without waking. Cue an exhausted mommy, an equally exhausted daddy and a really frustrated baby, and it was time to call in the big guns (aka, we hired Aimi to help!).

My husband was skeptical and I was desperate. Aimi came round to our house and put together a plan that we were able to implement over a weekend. A week later, Alfie was sleeping 11 hours. He was putting himself to sleep after 5-10 minutes and, if he woke in the night, was able to put himself back to sleep. NO BOUNCING ON A BALL NEEDED. We now know how to handle sleep regressions and bumps in the road without his sleep reverting back to the patterns of the olden days. As an extra bonus, we were able to travel with him to New York and the UK with minimal disruption to his sleep!

THIS is why I decided to become a sleep consultant and recently qualified under the same program as Aimi. Ask any of my friends – I find myself talking about baby and toddler sleep habits more than a healthy amount. It has become a true passion of mine, and there is nothing more exhilarating than helping families progress from having minimal sleep to a full 8 hours. It is quite literally life-changing.

Outside of sleep consulting, I enjoy baking, brunch, working out (just kidding, I don’t have time), travel, Netflix and exploring new corners of Chicago with my family.

I look forward to working with you!

Laura

There are many reasons why parents decide to co-sleep and, whilst everyone is getting sleep, it is a great way for families to bond and for little ones to feel closeness. Whatever the reason behind the decision to move your child into their own room, these steps will help your little one adapt to their new sleep space.

Preparation

The most important part of this transition is about the preparation. The older the child the more they will understand this change, so talk to them about your plan. That's not to say that younger babies can't be prepare for the move. Don't put it off until last minute. If you need to move them at some point in the next 6 months before a sibling will be born then you can start now; this way they will be familiar with the location.

Playtime in the bed.

They need to learn that their bed is a happy place and that they should feel safe in there. Have play time in the crib or new bed; even put some toys in there during play time. Make sure when you are having this fun activity that they are not hungry or tired. If it's a bed, then get in there with them, read books together. If it's a crib, I wouldn't climb in. It's difficult to get out and it will feel a lot smaller with you in there. Plus you don't want to break it before they even spend one night in their new bed!

Start small!

You don't have to spend too long in the new bed the first time you have play time in there. Start with a minute and slowly increase this each day until you get to around 15-20 minutes. They want to be happy during this time; if they are starting to get upset or frustrated then stop and try again the next day. You don't want them to have a negative association or feel forced to be in there.

Environment

Spend some time preparing the room so the environment is right to encourage healthy sleep. Make sure it's dark and cool. Look at your routine; it may need some small changes. If you usually nurse to sleep whilst lying next to them, this will be difficult if they will be sleeping in a crib. Make sure your routine is consistent, calming and getting them ready for sleep.

Prepare the new bed

Children mattresses are made to be firmer than adults. Some are dual sided with the toddler side being softer and most are suitable from 8 months. If they don't have two sides, consider a mattress topper if they are old enough for the softer side. Put the sheet in your bed for a few nights so the smell is familiar. You can also put the crib in your room for a few nights if you feel it's necessary.

When

Better to start with night time rather than naps and it doesn't need to be an all or nothing. They can start in there and move during the night if they wake up. Work on the length of time increasing during the night. You may want to make a bed on the floor and sleep in their room with them. If during the night they want to sleep with you, but you don't want to go back to your bed, then they can sleep on the floor with you.

When things are going well and they are transitioned into their new room, you can then work on them falling asleep independently without your help. Do the changes separately.

My sweet little peanut, there are many things in life that you don't yet understand and sleep is one of them. You don't understand how good you can feel when you are rested and re charged. All the good things that happen during your sleep such as brain development and growth. When you don't cry for me in the night, I get to sleep and feel fresh in the morning so that we can take on our adventures together feeling energized.

You resist sleep but why? You treat it like a new vegetable that I am willing you to try. It's not new; you have done this every evening (in the most part) for your entire life. It's not an optional extra to a day. We all need sleep to survive just like we do water and food.

Today you were clumsy and bumped your head. I held you in my arms to stop the tears, knowing that a nap would have prevented this fall. Last night you were naughty after dinner and couldn't understand why. It had been a long day at school and you didn't take the time to rest. I know you don't want to miss out on all the exciting things that are going on in the world. Every day you are learning something new. It's a lot to take in, but it can also be exhausting. Every day when I pick you up from school I pray you napped so that when we go to the park you have the extra strength and energy to make it across another bar on the monkey bars. You are so determined to achieve this goal, but each day you struggle to make it to the next one.

When you are older and a parent, I will remind you of this time as you question your own child's sleep habits. The question "Why do kids hate sleep so much", will no doubt come out from your mouth. My response will be, "I don't know, I asked you this exact same question every night, but you could never answer me".

Please listen to me when I tell you that mom knows best. When you take this nap or sleep in later tomorrow, we will all be in a happier place and can share the fun at the park together.

Now shut your eyes and take a nap.

I always ask parents,"What have you learnt about your little one whilst going on this sleep training journey?" The most common answer is that their child is not as stubborn as they initially thought. It's true that so often we get ourselves into habits as a result of survival needs. It may be that your baby will only nap if they are in your arms. They wake up every 2 hours during the night and won't go back to sleep unless nursed or rocked. They only sleep with motion, so every nap has to be done in the stroller or car seat. This may have been going on for weeks, months or even years and so many people are either scared to try something different in case it doesn't work or don't know what else to try.

As I recommend gentle sleep training methods my parents will be paying close attention to what is going on with their baby. Whether it's personality changes due to over tiredness or the opposite, restful sleep. What self soothing techniques the little one develops; if it's stroking their bed sheet or sucking their fingers. So much happens during the first few weeks and as people get more sleep themselves, they have the ability to see much more about their child.

1) What cry means what

As much as I recommend no cry or minimal cry solutions, tears are inevitable. You are changing habits and the way in which your baby falls asleep in order to stay asleep. If they are not old enough to talk, then crying is their only way to communicate. People quickly learn the difference in their babies' cries, whether it's protesting as they are resisting falling asleep, or frustration for waking up during the night, indicating that they want someone to come in as they have gas or have a dirty diaper that needs changing. Turning off the monitor is a great way to really listen to what your baby is trying to tell you. Quite often they have a moan and are not really awake and then will settle and go back to sleep.

2) Are they ready for sleep training

You shouldn't sleep train a baby before 4 months. There are things you can do to help improve sleep habits before 4 months, but formal sleep training should be held off on until they are old enough. There will always be something coming up that will make sleep training more difficult: teething, sickness, vacations. I would avoid sleep training during a sleep regression and sickness. Teething only really last 3-4 nights and a baby that knows how to independently sleep will have less interrupted sleep than a baby that uses a sleep crutch for night waking.

3) Their creature comforts

Babies thrive with routine and consistency; this is key for a bedtime routine. You will learn what they do and don't like as part of this routine. Do they like to sleep in footed pjs or do they prefer socks? Which is their favorite bedtime story and do they like to sit on your knee or lie in their bed? Often little ones like to stroke something like a label or clothing whilst having their milk. Even as adults we have our little quirks, so it's natural for children to have their own too. Finding what they like will help avoid meltdowns and will establish calmness to the bedtime routine.

4) How stubborn are they

An over tired baby is likely to be fussy (or hyper) during the day. They may get easily frustrated when attempting new things such as crawling, walking or talking. You may believe your little one is resistant to change and is stubborn, so sleep training won't work.They like what they like regardless if it's working for you or not. I love these babies as they become my little projects and so far not one baby has put up such a fight that they resisted the sleep plan I put together for their parent. Often parents are the believer in the sleep habits and don't believe anything else will work. I always say, " Until you have tried something consistently, you won't know whether it will work or not". Trying different techniques sporadically won't get you anywhere as it's confusing for children.

5) How much you miss them during the night

If you have been getting up multiple times in the night or holding your baby for naps then you get a lot of time and attention during the night (wanted or not). You are caring for them and loving them and helping them in any way you know. Once they learn to fall asleep independently in their sleep space and stay asleep without needing your help, your goal has been achieved. But wait. Suddenly you miss them and realize you loved that time together. You are probably wondering what it will feel like when they leave for college if this is how you feel being away from them for 12 hours. It can take a couple of weeks for adults' bodies to adjust after months of night wakings. Once your baby is sleeping longer stretches it's time to concentrate on your own sleep so you don't lie awake staring at the monitor all night watching them sleep.

Like this blog post? Share and comment on the social media buttons

Toddler bed time meltdowns are no fun for anyone. We all have trips to the pool, play outside in the summer months, trips out for adventures and exploring. By the end of the day everyone is ready for bed and I often get clients asking how to avoid the tired toddler meltdowns. When a child is over tired they will battle bedtime, have a meltdown, wake early and may have night wakings. How you deal with these is key to the outcome. You're tired too, especially if it's during the holidays and they are not at camp during the day and at home with you or you are on vacation.

Here are some tips on how to prevent the meltdown happening, how to talk them round if they do have a meltdown and how to defuse them.

1) They're not giving us a hard time - they're having a hard time

Remember that they are not intentionally trying to make bedtime difficult. They don't mean to get frustrated because you washed them with the green cloth and not the yellow one. Or put them in the Peppa Pig pajamas instead of the monkey ones. Their emotions have gone into over drive; they are tired and can't control what's going on with them. The ability to rationalize is out of the window. Put yourself in their shoes for a few minutes and think what can you do to make sure they get to bed as smoothly as possible. Don't get frustrated with them. Stay calm and guide them through bed time. If you have a bed time routine, stick to it. If you throw them off, this may add to their meltdown. If they know what to expect they will be more accepting of sleep.

2) Don't join the chaos

Everyone's tired, including yourself. You are no doubt looking at the clock knowing how close you are to sitting down and having a well deserved moment to yourself. Take a step back and help them through it. Understand what they are going through and deal with it positively and see it as a short lived situation that you nip in the bud quickly.

3) Don't dwell on it

If you don't manage to defuse the meltdown, if all hell has broken loose, don't beat yourself up. Learn from it and put something in place to avoid it the next night. Think about what made the situation worse. Did you miss their sleep window? Do you need to do a wash first thing in the morning to get their favorite pajamas clean? Do you need an early night yourself? Whatever it is that caused the meltdown to escalate, don't repeat it. Tomorrow is another day. They are asleep now and hopefully will be until tomorrow when you can start again fresh.

4) Over tiredness can spiral out of control

Adding to over tiredness day after day can have a snow ball affect. This can be caused simply by changing routines, change in naps as you are on the go on vacation or nap transitions. Handle them the best you can and have quiet days, catch up days. Respect that they still need their sleep. Night wakings and early mornings are often caused by over tiredness.

5) Start the day as a new one

When they wake up you don't need to go over what happened the night before if it was merely over tiredness. Get them up and ask if they are feeling fresh from their sleep. Start the day positive and try to keep it that way. If you see a melt down coming again the next evening, shed some light on the night before. "Remember last night, we don't want to have you upset again. That wasn't fun was it? Ok, so what can I do to make you happy tonight?"

Like this post? Comment and share with your friends.

Reading a book or telling a story before bedtime is part of the bedtime routine that calms your child down. It is a way to prepare them for sleep and what better way than to read a book about sleep. You may find yourself reading more than one book at night times as sometimes it can take you child a while to really wind down which is why it's good to have a selection. There are so many books available and finding your favorite may be a case of trial and error. Avoid flap books and ones that have buttons with noises - these are great books, but not for bed time as they can be too stimulating when you are wanting your baby to relax.

Here are 6 of my favorites to read

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Who doesn't love dinosaurs! It's a fun book about bed time manners, highlighting all the delaying tactics that children create before bedtime. It shows them that dinosaurs are well behaved and turn off the light and give a big hug and go straight to bed. This book comes as part of a series that are all fun to read.

Are You Sleeping Little One?

This wonderful story covers animals such as snakes, ducks and giraffes saying goodnight to their babies. Not only do they learn the animals but also learn the word for each baby animal.

The sleepy train. This is my absolute favorite as it talks about riding the sleepy train. There are a lot of calming words and use of "ssh" to help lul your baby into a drowsy but awake state ready for their bed. This book is probably long enough that you won't need to read anymore at bedtimes .

If Animals Kissed Good Night. This is a great book for all ages but particularly for younger toddlers that are starting to learn their animals. It goes through a list of different ones and how they say good night to their babies. It rhymes throughout which helps keep your baby's attention.

The Sleep Fairy. I always suggest this book as a technique for toddlers and older who are delaying going to bed at night. Those that are asking for extra books, drinks and hugs. The story is about two sisters who try to avoid going to bed every night until one night their parents read them this special book about Macy the sleep fairy. The concept is that if they are good and go to bed and stay in bed the sleep fairy comes to visit with a small present. This could have gotten expensive in our house with how often I read it my little ones so I created a sticker chart that the sleep fairy left stickers on and at the end of the week my daughter received her gift. If you think your child may be a little concerned about a sleep fairy coming into their room you can adapt it and say the fairy will leave something at their door.

Guess how much I love you?

This is a beautiful story of a baby rabbit and its mother telling each other how much they love each other before bed time. The baby challenges its mother each time with a big description of its love. A fun and loving story for any age.

I would love to hear your favorite sleep books - share and comment!

I have two daughters that I like to call my test subjects. My younger daughter, Lexi, has been a great sleeper from the beginning, as I made sure I avoided any bad habits. Don't get me wrong, we have had our fair share of sleepless nights with her, but she's been a much easier sleeper than her elder sister.

This last week though has proven that even the best sleepers in the world hit bumps and it has taken some seriously strong coffee to get through this with her.

She came down with a virus over the weekend which left her lethargic, sick and having no appetite, as well as waking up an hour earlier than normal. On the first day, she fell asleep on my husband hours before nap time, but we managed to get her to take a second nap later in the day. Over the course of the week she continued to wake up early in the morning and her naps have been cut in half to 1 hour. She has spiraled into an over tired frenzy.

Last night she hit the wall (and I also mean this literally). After her pathetic attempt at dinner she turned hyper with uncontrollable giggles. I knew straight away that she was in overtired mode, especially as she had only napped for 35 minutes at daycare. Meltdown City was inevitable so I took her straight up for bath time. As expected, the melt down was bad; she was hysterical by the time it came to putting her pajamas on and there was no consoling her. I decided that I was not going to be able to calm this over tired little monster so decided to put her in her bed. Often when she has a tantrum I can leave her for a few minutes to say her piece then go back in and she will lay straight down. Not tonight. She climbed out of her crib and landed like a cat on all fours. This was a brave move for Captain Cautious and she had fear written all over her face as I ran in to see if she was ok. I am confident this is not a ninja move she will be attempting again any time soon.

She finally settled and with all my knowledge about sleep I knew I was in for a long night. Babies that go to sleep over tired will inevitably wake up during the night. Sure enough at 10pm the cry for Mummy began. Her attempts to go back to sleep and settle herself failed. She had a bad cough that was making it impossible for her to get back to sleep.

After some reassurance from me and a drink for her sore throat, she settled and went back to sleep. (2 hours of reassurance that is). She slept until I woke her at 9am and then she took a short nap in the afternoon.

I am hoping the worst of the over tiredness is over as I desperately want her to catch up and be back to her happy self. I am being very consistent with her and making sure I am not creating any new habits like me sleeping in her room or bringing her into my bed. Even though she is in need of these extra zzzz's I know that riding out the storm of sickness will take time and with this consistency she will return to being "my little sleeper"!

If sickness hits your sleepers, remember that extra attention may be needed during the night. Be consistent with your routines as best as you can; however, be flexible if they need to catch up on sleep. Avoid over stimulation; sometimes a duvet day is exactly what everyone needs.

Does sickness affect your little one's sleep? Do they shorten their nap due to coughing themselves awake? Share and comment on this post about your child's sleep during sickness.

Like this post? - please comment and share with your friends.

A consistent bed time routine is as much for you as it is for your baby. If they know what's coming they will be more accepting of sleep. A routine can also help establish good sleep habits which encourages better sleep. For you, having a routine means less thinking - especially important if you have had a long day. Everyone's a winner! Now what should your routine look like? Here are some tips to create a serene bedtime routine.

What should be included in the routine?

Bath: You don't need to bath your baby daily, but some children love water so it's a great way for them to unwind at the end of the day. For older toddlers it's also a great way to get some learning in with foam letters, colored balls or a science experience with water jugs.

Bonding with your child, whether they're an infant or a toddler, is a perfect way to end the day. Massage is a calming time that allows your baby to relax and prepare for sleep.

Brushing teeth: Dentists will agree that oral hygiene can start before your baby has teeth. Use age appropriate brushes and do this before bath time if you think you may get excess drool from the process.

If you have a toddler that has a reward chart, do stickers for the day in one go. Extremely satisfying for them if they get multiple stickers at the same time.

Story time:Chose stories that are not too long and are age appropriate. Avoid noise books and pop ups books as this can be too stimulating. See my bed book recommendations for some good book ideas.

Night night sleep tight:Make sure you say good night to everyone - whether this is their sibling or their teddy. Saying good night is important at the end the day so they know that the next step is bed.

A routine that works for everyone:

Each family has different circumstances when it comes to bed time. One parent may work late so it's a solo event; or the caregiver may start the routine with the parents finishing off. You may have multiple children going down at the same time. Find a routine that works for the whole family. In our house if both my husband and I are home the children bath together, then they get into their pajamas, brush teeth and have stories in their own rooms. They get to say good night to each other then into their beds.

What happens if you are out late one night?

Stick to your order of events but be flexible. They may get a wash rather than a full bath time routine but don't prevent them from winding down. You want them to be calm going to bed so don't stress on the way home which may cause anxiety. Stick to the same order of events, just a shorter version.

Why wait - start from day one

There's never any harm in having a bed time routine from the baby's first week. Newborns are so unpredictable that a bedtime routine will provide you with some consistency to your hectic change in life. It will also help if your baby has their days and nights mixed up.

Preparing for bed should be fun and calming for your child. It's the end of the day and time to say good night. Healthy sleep habits will result in better quality of sleep and more rest for everyone.

Like this blog - comment and share with your friends.

Most parents are looking for solutions to their baby’s sleep troubles to get their baby sleeping soundly through the night. Follow these “best practices” and you will be on the road to a better night's sleep.

Like this post? Comment and share with your friends and family

Taking a nap in a bed or a crib isn't always possible. It can be a struggle to get infants to nap at home when you have older siblings' schedule to work around; or they may still have days and nights mixed up and resist napping during the day. Babywearing is a great temporary solution to this - getting your baby to nap on the go and wearing them has more benefits than just achieving sleep. Don’t feel guilty, just go with it!

My elder daughter was 14.5 months old when her sister was born. It was July and she had recently dropped to one nap. There were a lot of hours in the day to fill in with entertaining her, especially when she woke at 5am! So my younger daughter had to nap on the go in an Ergo carrier.

At 4 weeks I discovered she preferred to nap in the carrier than anywhere else, and only liked to be awake for 45 minutes at a time, so we went with it. This is when I discovered the amazing benefits of babywearing:

Being upright in a carrier reduced her symptoms of colic, therefore she was less fussy and a happier baby. I had both hands free to make trips to the park to push her sister on the swings.If she woke mid nap due to hunger, and I knew she needed more sleep, I could nurse her and she would drift back off to sleep.We travelled a lot, so trying to find flights to suit nap times was difficult, but with the carrier she could sleep at the airport or on the plane, even in line for passport control, which made travel a lot less stressful.I could go for coffee or lunch and know that she could sleep on me and I didn't worry about anyone knocking the stroller or car seat and waking her. I believe our nursing relationship was so much stronger because of the bonding we did whilst she slept. I lost the baby weight much quicker! This certainly was an added bonus rather than the key reason behind my decision to babywear. She was a chunky baby so walking around with a heavy baby helped me burn off the calories.

What if your baby becomes dependent on sleeping in the carrier and you decide you want them to nap in their bed? At 4 months old I made the decision to transition naps from the carrier to the crib. I knew this would be a difficult task as the carrier had become her safe sleeping space, but resting in her bed was my long-term goal. Here are some tips for making this transition easier:

When you decide to transition to naps in the bed you need to try and get 90% of naps in the bed. Especially for the first 2 weeks of this transition.Have a 10 minute routine; this can include changing their diaper, putting comfy bed clothes on, sleep sack, story and then into bed.Don’t create bad habits with a sleep prop. Teaching them to fall asleep independently will avoid sleep troubles coming from props and bad habits.Put them down drowsy but awake.Your baby will resist this change in sleep environment, BE CONSISTENT! If you are committed to this transition you need to make sure you are not giving in too easily as they will sense this, and know if they put up a fight you will put them in the carrier for their nap. I am not suggesting cry it out; there are no cry solutions and techniques, but know that consistency is key to the change.

I rarely used the Ergo carrier for my elder child, mainly because I didn't feel I needed it. However, once I had my second I instantly started to think that life would have been easier had I used it for my first. The Ergo was recommended to me so I didn't shop around for anything different. I now know there are so many products available. Mommycon is an amazing conference for finding the right carrier for you. If I'd had a carrier that suited my little peanut more, maybe this would have changed my decision to wear both girls.

If you are looking to find out more about the benefits of baby wearing, check out Mommycon’s WEAR: A Babywearing conference in Chicago, IL – May 27-29, 2016. For more details and to buy tickets click here

Enjoy reading this? Please share with your friends

Are you in a continuous cycle of your toddler waking up at 5am shouting out for you to get them out of their bed, or worse, they appear next to you letting you know it's morning?

There are various different toddler clocks on the market which include traffic lights, music, or night lights, so why is this one my favorite?

Keep it simple - This clock does what it says on the box. You set the time for when it's ok to wake and the clock lights up a dim green light at that set time every day and stays on for 30 minutes. Alter the clock later and later as they get used to the new time.No night light - As you know I am not a fan of night lights which is why I LOVE this one so much. It stays dark all night and when it does turn on it doesn't shine too brightly, so if they sleep later than the clock it won't wake them up with the sudden light in the room.Two for one - Whilst we all wish toddlers napped for hours and hours, it's unlikely to happen as they get older. When you start "rest time" you can set this clock for the length of time you want your toddler to stay in their room, then just hit the "nap" button and it will start the timer. Toddlers love it - I have so many clients that say their children are proud of their clock, especially when they start seeing the results!

Building Blocks Toys Store have generously provided an OK to Wake! clock to give away as part of this month's product review. To be in with a chance to win all you have to do is like and share this article on your Facebook page, comment with either your thoughts on the product or tag a friend who might be interested.

If you don't want to wait for the giveaway, you can purchase here

Did you find this post helpful? Please share!

No one likes getting up early in the morning, especially if it's before 6am. (Why does 4.58am seem so much worse than 5am?) Some children only need 10/10.5 hours of sleep to feel refreshed, even though we feel like they could do with more. If you have an early riser, here are some tips to push back the morning to a reasonable hour.

Make sure their sleep environment isn't waking them up: size up in a diaper if you are finding their diaper is wetting through; black out blinds to block out the sunrise and white noise to avoid loud morning noises such as traffic and garbage collection. Don't make the morning too exciting for them. When you get them up don't offer milk as the first thing; change their diaper and pjs first. Avoid bringing them into your bed and putting the TV on. Whilst we could all do with the extra few minutes snooze, you want to avoid them wanting to get up to watch tv and instead to turn over and go back to sleep. For toddlers, try a toddler clock. These are a great way to change their behavior and give them a reward for staying in bed until their clock says to get up. Try changing their bed time. Make sure to shift this back by 15 minute increments over a week or two to see if this helps them sleep later.

Like this post, please comment and share with your friends

I am so excited to tell you all about a great product I have recently come across. It's a sleep sack with a LOVEY ATTACHED! Where to start with this genius idea of a product!

SAFETY FIRST! You don't need to worry about your baby's lovey covering their face; it's within reach to stroke or play with, but not to cover their face like traditional lovies may do.It's normal for babies to wake in the night. If they sleep with a lovey or teddy they will reach out to find it to snuggle back in and go to sleep. The longer they have to search, the longer they are awake. Problem solved - it's literally attached to them!You have enough items to remember when you are packing to travel - the Bitta sack reduces your chances by half of forgetting something by combining two items into one!The quality of the material has been created by a Mom so all things have been considered; good quality and washes well! Bitta Kidda didn't stop here; they created a lovie for on the go during the day. It's also a cotton velour lovie that attaches to your baby's clothing.

Bitta Kidda have generously provided a Bittasack to give away as part of this month's product review. To be in with a chance to win, all you have to do is like and share this article on your Facebook page. Comment with either your thoughts on the product or tag a friend who might be interested.

Winner will be chosen Tuesday April 11th

If you don't want to wait for the giveaway, you can purchase here

Good Luck!

Find this post helpful? Please share!

"What am I going to do without nap time?" I hear almost every parent say when their son or daughter drops their nap. I am typing this whilst watching my daughter on the monitor, wriggle around her bed and read 15 books to her soft toys instead of napping. Over the past 2 months she has dropped more and more days. Whilst initially I was in denial and refusing to admit that my sacred middle of the day "break" was gone, today I have come to terms with this. But it doesn’t have to be – I know we all love nap time way more than they do, and you are probably wondering when can you catch up on housework - who are we kidding, nap time is when we get to read Facebook, take a shower and watch the programs we never admit to watching. Here are some tips for mourning naptime and everyone still getting the well-needed rest half way through the day!

1. Don't assume the nap is dropped after one day

If your child plays around in their bed, singing and chanting "incy wincy spider" for the whole of their naptime, don't assume that on day one they have dropped their nap. Continue to follow your naptime routine and continue to put them in their bed for a month before deciding if naptime has gone. It is unlikely that they will go from napping everyday to never napping again.

2. Earlier bed time

They will be exhausted not having their usually daily nap, so bring bedtime forward. If they usually go to bed at 7.30pm, bring it forward to 7pm. They are likely to increase their nighttime sleep to accommodate for the loss of day time sleep. Try not to put them down earlier than 6.30pm as this will just mean an early morning wake up.

3. Rest time

If you are sure that nap time has gone then the sad day of saying bye bye to nap time has come, but it's "HELLO REST TIME". Talk through what rest time involves: quiet time in their bed with a dim light on. They can take books, puzzles, crayons/color books and stickers into their bed/room. Avoid toys that come with noise and batteries, especially if you have siblings napping at the same time. Let them know that if they do want to shut their eyes and take a nap that this is fine; limit this time though, as you don’t this to be a long nap and have them struggle at bedtime with falling asleep.

4. Set a timer

Set a timer in their room. Toddler wake up clocks such as the “OK to wake clock” are great as they can see when rest time is over. Start off with a short time length between 15-20 minutes and increase this by 15 minutes each day. Make sure the clock is in clear sight and you have set your own timer to go off a few minutes earlier.

5. I need to go potty

Make sure you have given them plenty of opportunities to go potty before they climb into their beds. If they are in a toddler bed leave a potty and wipes out if they need to go during rest time. You will find initially they will call you up regularly to help them. Talk over the monitor that this is rest time and they can go if they need to, but you won't be coming up until the timer goes off.

Now put your feet up and enjoy your TV program as your mid day break lasts for another day!

Find this post helpful? Please share!

Packing for Grandma's house, a weekend trip or a vacation to Mexico can be an onerous task. Double and treble checking that you have everything in the bags to replicate your little one's bedroom at their destination. But do you really need to take their rug, bookcase and set of drawers? Here is a list of items that should make the cut and a replacement for the things that can't fit into the suitcase.

The absolute must pack list

Favorite teddy or lovey - this is the most important thing that cannot be left behind - nothing can substitute this when it comes to going to sleep. If you can, take the substitute too - just in case!Favorite book - they will no doubt be excited with the trip and seeing everyone, so help them wind down at the end of the day with their favorite book. To save space chose one that’s small and thin rather than the board books. Sleep sack or blanket - most hotels won't provide any bedding for travel cribs so prepare to take your own, especially if they normally sleep in a sleep sack. If it's winter, to reduce the size, take a summer sleep sack and keep the heat a little warmer in the room.

The substitution list

Travel black out blinds - you don't need to take down your roller blinds and take them with you. The "Gro Anywhere" blinds suction to the windows and fold small enough to fit in your suitcase; a good way to stop the early morning sun coming in and keep the room nice and dark for naps. If you know there are a lot of windows and the size won't cover them, take some tin foil and tape. (Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to put this up – I learnt this lesson after it taking me an hour to cover one window!)White noise - You don’t have to take your white noise machine with you. Download a white noise app. (I like the “White Noise Free Sleep Sounds” by TMSOFT.) Make sure you plug in your phone or tablet so the battery doesn’t run out during the night and you have turned off the ringer so phone calls don’t wake them up. Bath toys - when selecting toys, chose ones that can be taken in the bath with them in the evening to save taking twice as many toys. Stacking cups, plastic bottles and straws to blow bubbles.

Nice to have but not essential

Monitor – Some hotel resorts provide monitors on request so call ahead and ask so you can enjoy a drink on the balcony in the evening.Sheets - some babies self soothe by stroking the mattress, so if it’s a familiar sheet this will help them drift off to sleep.

Enjoy your trip!

Find this post helpful? Please share!

Are you sat with the swimming class schedule for the next season and wondering how the heck can you book a class in advance not knowing what nap times will be? Do you feel like you have just figured out a routine and don’t want to disrupt it, but need to leave the house for some social interaction at some point? Here are some pointers for booking classes at times that will work for your baby.

Each child will have a different naptime routine. Here’s my guide on how to find a good time of the day for the all important classes.

Try to avoid booking a time too close to nap time to avoid them falling asleep during the class or being cranky all the way through. Social interaction is just as important as restful sleep so you don’t want to get these clashing with each other. Likewise, don’t book a class straight after naptime. You don’t want to wake your baby early to make the class if they are sleeping longer or miss out on the class if you have paid in advance. The younger the baby, the shorter the awake time window is, so consider classes that are close to home and short in length. Can they eat during the class? If they can snack during the class (or on the way or way back) this is a good opportunity to utilize the time for food and their class. Probably not a good idea to take pureed sweet potato into their swim class, but I am sure you know what I mean! If this is a class for an older sibling and babies can come along in a carrier or car seat, then book a class during younger sibling's naptime so that you can be hands on with the older sibling in their class.

Find this post helpful? Please share!

"We are never doing this again" were the words from my mouth on every trip back to the UK from America as we were thrown jetlag curve balls faster than Nolan Ryan. Our most recent visit back for the Christmas holidays can only be described as perfect - we nailed it!

I meticulously planned flights, long drives and visiting family at times that I knew would work around sleep and make jetlag work in our favor. We only had one meal where my eldest fell asleep at the table, but I guess 100% perfection would be just boring! Here are some tips to help you enjoy your family vacations as much as we enjoyed our most recent trip.

Talk about the trip - The more they know about the trip the better it will go. Getting on a plane is very exciting for most toddlers, so let them know before you get to the airport that you are going to be going on a plane and that is where you're going to sleep (for nap or bedtime depending on flight time). Make it sound exciting and like a special treat and the reward for them is what’s at the other end, whether it's grandparents, Mickey Mouse or a water park.Flight times - It's very easy to look for the shortest and cheapest flight, but instead look at times that will work best for naps or bed time. If you are taking an over night flight try to book one near to bedtime. Assuming that the meal service will happen 1.5 hours after take off, this is the time you'll have most success getting some sleep. For example, say normal bedtime is 7pm. Book a flight between 6-7pm and you’ll get them to sleep at 7.30-8pm. They will be very tired, but not overtired. Still do a bedtime routine with them even though you are on the plane. Get them ready for bed whilst dinner is being served, putting them in their favorite pjs. Read a story and snuggle down for sleep. Changing time zones - Avoid getting baby on the new time zone if this is a short trip. Keeping them on their own time zone will decrease the amount of jet lag both on the trip and when you return. Put them to bed later and they will also sleep in later. For longer trips with, for example, a negative 6 hour time difference: normal bed time is 7pm, put them to bed between 9-10pm. To allow for this later bedtime ensure they are having their naps later. Long car journeys - if your child is unable to take long and restful naps in the car then avoid taking long car journeys around naptime and allow them to take them in a bed. Taking good and long naps helps with jetlag and prevents over tiredness, which can cause restless sleep. Night wakings - jet lag can cause night wakings, particularly with a positive time change. Don’t assume that at 3am they are ready to be up for the day. Turn on a dim light and read some books and tell stories in their room. It's unlikely they will want to try and get back to sleep straight away, but after some calm quiet time (roughly 45 mins) they will likely be sleepy again. Staying with them whilst they fall asleep will help them settle. If they are toddlers, explain to them this is just a one off to help with the jet lag; this will ensure they don’t expect this every night. If they are still young, try to avoid creating a new habit by only doing this for the first couple of nights. Food - When we are over tired food is the last thing on our minds, but it is also one of the most common causes of jetlag. Their stomachs will still be on the other time zone. If they are not interested in eating meals then make sure they eat small amounts throughout the day for the first 2-3 days. Have in their favorite meals for dinner and even if they are over tired, keep trying to get something inside them so they are not asking for yoghurts or pasta at 3am.

Find this post helpful? Please share!