MSD Baby Sleep Coach

Fall is here and we are in the midst of Fall Back Time change. Sunday, Nov 3rd at 2:00 AM clock fall back by one hour. Sunday, Nov 3rd 2019 Spring forward...Fall back.... I love fall! Cooler weather leaves changing colors, holidays around the corner and I get an extra hour of sleep. As a parent, I dread my kids waking up too early and having to adjust their sleep patterns. Do you? If so, here are some options to help you and your family through the transition when we set our clocks backward one hour on Sunday, November 3rd. Gradual Approach:  The gradual approach is usually recommended for younger children (3 and under) or those who do not adjust well to rapid changes in their schedules. Start the week before the time change and slowly shift your baby's sleep schedule later.  For example: move bedtime, morning wake up time and nap times later by 10-15 minutes. Keep moving the entire schedule later every few days but ensure your child doesn't get overtired....

Baby Care: Ssssh, The Scoop on Sleep Article featured in: OC Family | OC Register By Jenna L. Jones with Michelle S. Donaghy, Certified Gentle Sleep Coach Bloodshot eyes and fuzzy thinking are typical hallmarks of early parenthood.  And it’s no surprise — 43 percent of new parents get only one to three hours of uninterrupted sleep per night according to a study commissioned by Owlet Baby Care. Because newborns wake up every two to three hours, getting baby to sleep promptly can have a huge impact on everyone’s overall wellbeing. To help parents find a few extra zzz’s in their nighttime routine and shed light on the basics on newborn sleep, we sat down with Michelle S. Donaghy, MSD Baby Sleep Coach. Based in Brea California, she is a certified Gentle Sleep Coach who has helped several hundred families implement better sleep practices. OCF: What are the sleep cycles like for newborns? Michelle S. Donaghy: Newborns sleep a lot but thei...

Sunday, March 10th we “spring forward”!  Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour, before bed on Saturday night March 9th. If you/your child(ren) typically wake at 6am, then they will likely wake 7am.  If you like this change then YAY!  This is a great fix for an early riser. Keep naps and bedtime on the new schedule (1hr later). To protect this new schedule and time make sure you use continuous white noise for all sleep periods and keep the room really, really dark. If the new time doesn’t work for you, below are some options to help your family adjust: Gradually adjust: This is ideal for children under 2 or those who don’t do well with big changes.  Go to bed 15 minutes earlier every night this week.  Each day, wake up your child 15 minutes earlier in the morning.  If napping, put her down 15 minutes earlier for each nap the following day. Continue to adjust the schedule earlier in 15-minute increments (wake up, naptime...