SleepConsultant

Send PM

Member since:

About Me:

Appropriate the best Sleep Consultants for your needs with our invaluable web log.As baby gets older, you may want to start introducing a daytime routine with a regular pattern of naps to help them – and you – cope with long days. You may think that daytime naps will stop your baby from sleeping at night, but often the reverse is true – it will help them to sleep better. Doing things in the same way every day can help your baby make sense of their world and feel secure. Turn off screen and electronics for baby an hour before sleep time as the light from them promotes alertness and wakefulness. The brain’s inner clock orchestrates the beautiful flow of our bodies through waking and sleep. And knowing a bit of the science behind this process will give you key insights to help your baby move smoothly through this daily dance. If you use a baby sling to carry your baby, make sure you use it safely. The Lullaby Trust has information about swaddling your baby and using slings safely. When squeezing in baby's full 7 to 9 hours sleep just isn’t possible, there are other ways to rejuvenate besides just sleep. Pencil in time for listening to favorite music, reading, cooking, or even working on a favorite hobby. Sleep is not a state you can force your baby into. Sleep must naturally overtake your baby. Your nighttime parenting role is to set the conditions that make sleep attractive and to present cues that suggest to baby that sleep is expected.

There’s no normal amount of sleep and some babies sleep more than others. New babies sleep a lot – sometimes as much as 18 hours a day for the first month or so. But your baby probably won’t sleep for more than a few hours at a time to begin with. Stick to a balanced schedule of rest and play time so that your baby is not overtired or too well rested when it's time to go to sleep Some parents choose to sleep with their baby in bed and some fall asleep with their baby during the night while feeding and comforting – whether they intend to or not. Therefore, it is very important to keep your baby away from the pillows and make sure your baby cannot fall out of bed or become trapped between the mattress and wall. To go with a nighttime routine it makes sense to start making a day-time routine with your newborn. As your baby becomes a bit more predictable you can put some semblance to your day. If you're looking for a compassionate, effective and evidence-based approach to sleep or just advice on one thing like ferber method then a baby sleep specialist will be able to help you.

Don't Rush To Feed Your Baby At Night

It is important that you always put your baby on their back as part of their regular sleep routine – the chance of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are sometimes placed on their front or side Where should your baby sleep? Abbreviating your baby’s nighttime routine for a naptime routine helps reinforce his sleep cues to encourage the transition to dreamland. It is much safer for your baby to be in their cot with just the sheets or blankets, and no extras which could be pulled over their face or cause an accident. As babies grow stronger they learn to move and roll and this is fine. For more information, please read our clear cot advice. Going on holiday or staying with family or friends? Make sure your baby’s sleeping position is safe even when they are not at home: bed positions, mattresses and duvets may not be the same as at home. For sleep regression guidance it may be useful to enlist the services of a sleep consultant.

Far from improving sleep, skipping naps and delaying bedtime are the quickest ways to push your baby into screaming meemies and poor sleep. This is especially the case for infants who are passionately curious. They blink, rub their ears, and fight to stay awake to watch you talking or their big brother clowning around. Night waking is important as it helps reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sharing a room with baby helps baby wake during the night. It also helps when breastfeeding as the milk supply is developed by feeds placed between midnight and 4.00am. If your child is ill, stressed, or really hungry, it’s fine to give him some warm milk in the middle of the night (just a few ounces—or nurse on one breast so he doesn’t fill up so much that he has less appetite in the morning). When most parents hear co-sleeping, they’re likely to think of bed-sharing — where your baby or toddler sleeps in the same bed as you. And even though some families do it, it is not a safe or recommended practice for babies. The good news is that as babies get older, they need fewer night feeds and usually sleep for longer periods. All babies have different sleep patterns and parents and babies are usually happiest if you follow your baby’s sleep cues to form a gentle routine rather than imposing a routine on them. There are multiple approaches to sleep training and a sleep expert will help you choose one that is right for you and your family.

Sleep Requirements For Baby

If your child is old enough to sleep through the night, it’s a good idea not to have nap time too late in the afternoon, because your little one may not be tired enough when bedtime rolls around. As a rule of thumb, try and time your toddler’s last or single nap of the day so that they’re awake again by the early afternoon. What baby hears (or doesn’t) is just as important as what they do or don’t see. Pick up a white noise machine, which can help baby sleep better by canceling out house noise, cars and other distracting sounds. Baby will begin to associate the constant and consistent sound with sleep. You can start getting your baby used to going to sleep without you comforting them by putting them down before they fall asleep or when they’ve just finished a feed. It may be easier to do this once your baby starts to stay alert more frequently or for longer. A good night’s sleep for your baby means a peaceful slumber for you. In the first year of parenthood, being able to get a few hours’ unbroken rest every so often is important for your physical and mental wellbeing. To begin with I would worry that Katie was waking up through the night, but I soon learned that this was completely normal and discovered some simple things that would help her to sleep through the night. While your baby is still learning to regulate their body temperature, it’s important that they don’t get too hot or too cold. A rule of thumb is to dress your baby with one more layer than you would normally wear yourself for bed and then wrap them securely in a blanket, or place them in a baby sleeping bag with the correct tog rating for the room temperature. The gentle approach and caring manner of a baby sleep expert allows them to assist you in the most preferable way to deal with gentle sleep training and to assist you and your family in any way possible.

There is some evidence to suggest that bringing in a mattress from another home might increase the risk of sudden infant death very slightly. When using your own mattress for a second (or more) time, ensure it is still firm and flat with no tears or holes, and is not sagging in places. Thoroughly clean the waterproof layer and ensure the mattress is clean and dry before making it up with fresh bed clothes. Although many parents find that their babies sleep well in co-sleepers, swings, “nests” to be used in beds, cots, and rockers, the general consensus is that these are not safe when used without direct supervision; in certain circumstances, however, parents may find that their pediatrician approves their use. When babies are newborn, how they fall asleep often doesn't have too much impact on their sleep. You may be feeding to sleep and your baby is sleeping through the night, or having good day sleeps. This is because newborns drift in and out of sleep cycles, and haven't yet learned habits of how they get to sleep. Sleeping soundly is a basic, teachable skill. It is as necessary and important as learning how to talk, learning how to walk, and other milestones in a baby’s mental and physical development. And just as you encourage your baby to talk by sounding out “M-O-M-M-A” slowly and repeating the word over and over again, or encouraging your baby to walk by placing a toy just slightly out of reach and saying, “Come here, you can do it,” you should also encourage good sleep skills by giving your baby the opportunity to self-soothe and put herself to sleep without you or other aids. It’s recommended that baby sleeps in their own crib/Moses’ basket in the same room as you for the first six months. But once they are passed six months old, many parents choose to put baby in their own room and often in a cot for the first time. Sleep consultants support hundreds of families every year, assisting with things such as 4 month sleep regression using gentle, tailored methods.

Whatever Gets You Through The Night Is Alright

Throughout human history, in cultures throughout the world, mothers have lain alongside their infants. But people in these cultures were sleeping on very firm surfaces — like mats on a hard floor — and they didn’t expose their infants to soft bedding, which can cause terrible suffocation accidents, and increase the risk of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. Waking your baby - after you ease her into bed - sounds nuts, but the wake-and-sleep technique will bring you many hours of added slumber by preventing sleep problems before they develop. Parents are also encouraged to check in on their baby regularly to make sure they aren’t too hot or cold. Monitor your baby’s temperature by gently placing a hand on the back of their neck. If it feels at all damp, or warmer than usual, consider removing layers to cool them down. When using a thermometer, place beneath your baby’s armpit and gently, but firmly hold their arm down to get a more accurate reading. Unearth more intel on the topic of Sleep Consultants on this Wikipedia article.

Related Articles:

Now Is The Time For You To Know The Truth About Baby Sleep Specialists
Easy Misjudgements People Make About Baby Sleep Consultancies
The Five Utmost Sleep Training Mistakes That You Can Easily Make