MSD Baby Sleep Coach

Fall is here and we are in the midst of Fall Back Time change. Sunday, Nov 1st 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 1st. 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 every day. Keep moving the entire schedule later every few days but ensure your child doesn't get overtired.  By ...

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...

Summer is officially over and we are in the midst of the fall time change. Sunday, Nov 4th at 2:00 AM clock fall back by one hour. 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 backwards one hour on Sunday November 4th. 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.  By...

Does it seem like just when you have your baby on the "perfect schedule" - it changes?  I hear that a lot from my clients.  As your baby develops and grows, their sleep needs change too.  Keeping up with these changes can be hard for parents.   I have put together all of my sleep schedules for you, across each age group so you can have them in one place.  These are the same handouts I provide to my clients and that I share when I speak to MOPS and Mom's groups across Orange County. Both the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and the NSF (National Sleep Foundation) have published new sleep recommendations which give a range of hours within a 24 hour period.   Where is my child's range? I find it most helpful for parents to know how much sleep is needed for naps and night sleep. Therefore day and night sleep are noted separately on the sleep schedules below. It is also very important to keep in mind that their is "at least a ...

As we start a New Year, let's look back at the top blogs of 2017. #3 - Is my toddler ready to drop to one nap Knowing when it’s time for your baby to make a change and drop a nap is no easy task.  Not to mention most Mom's tell me: "I'm not not ready for less day sleep!"  Read through this blog for tips on how to keep the two nap schedule for longer and if it really is the best time to drop a nap. #2 - Early Rising Not surprising early rising is on this list as it is the second most common question I get, next to night wakings.  Early rising is also the last stage of sleep to be learned so it's more difficult to fix, especially if independent sleep at bedtime hasn't been established. #1 - Schedules, Naps and Awake Windows This blog was the all time most viewed MSD Baby Sleep blog!  Not surprising as a child's sleep changes every few months.  Staying on top of how much sleep your baby or child needs is a daunting tasks.  This blog also i...

Article featured in: VoyageLA Magazine – LA's Most Inspiring Stories Orginal Article Link:  http://voyagela.com/interview/meet-michelle-s-donaghy-msd-baby-sleep-coach-southwest-la-area/ Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle S. Donaghy. So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. I live in Orange County with my husband of 18 years, my two girls, ages 13 and 9 and our three large dogs. My formal education is in psychology and social work, specializing in families and children. At that time, I didn’t know that a sleep coach existed nor what was an essential oil. After graduate school I worked for a small to medium size software company and during the 10 years I was employed in the corporate world, I was fortunate to work in marketing, recruitment, special projects and right hand to the company CEO. It was a wonderful learning experience to work alongside the head of the compan...

Is sleep a priority in your home? "Is my child getting enough sleep"?  A common question my clients ask me.  To be honest it's a question I ask myself often, as sleep is a very big priority in our home.  Not just for my children, but for all of us.  How much sleep everyone in the family is getting, is important for the health and well-being of every member of your family. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has recently updated their recommendations on how much sleep each age should be getting.  But before we look at those I would like you to think about these questions to know if your child is truly getting enough sleep. Does your child fall asleep every time you are in the car? Does your child seem fussy, whining, extra clingy or have more emotional meltdowns during the day? Does your child seem ready for bed much earlier then usual bedtime, most days? Does your child often wake before 6:00 a.m. and wake up crying? If your answer was yes, then your...

Article featured in: Parenting OC Magazine – Back to School Survival Guide Back to School Sleep Tips  The summer months are for enjoying longer days, family fun and later bedtimes.  Now it’s time to focus on getting your child’s sleep on track so they are well rested for school. Here are my back to school sleep tips to prepare for those early mornings and earlier bedtimes. Ideal bedtime In order to know your child’s ideal bedtime, you first need to know how much night time sleep they need.  Children need more sleep than most parents realize.  Sleep deprivation is linked to poor learning and memory. The National Sleep Foundation recommendations the following: Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10-13 hours School-age children (6-13): 9-11 hours Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours The next step is to figure out the time your child has to wake up, to be at school on time.  Let’s assume your 6 year old needs to get up by 6:00 a.m. to be ...

As some of you may know I love doTERRA essential oils and I recently achieved a huge goal that I set for myself and achieved the rank of Silver. I  fell in love with doTERRA just over 4 years ago when I discovered the powerful ways in which doTERRA essential oils could support my desire to take charge of my family's health in a more natural way.   It was a logical transition to then share my love of doTERRA with my clients. When tired families find me, sleep is usually their number one concern.  When the topic of essential oils and sleep is discussed, I always point out that essential oils can help the body and mind relax but they do not replace a child learning independent sleeping skills.  Most children over the age of 6 months are ready and able to learn the skill of independent sleep. If your new to doTERRA and essential oils maybe you have concerns about the safety of essential oils for children, how to use them and which oils are best for aidin...

How to End Night Feeds Your baby is over 6 months, growing well and you have received the go ahead from your child’s doctor that they do not need to eat during the night – great!  But now that you and your baby are ready, how do go about this daunting task? It is helpful to create a nighttime weaning plan so that you know exactly what to do and you’re not trying to make decisions at 2:00 am when your not thinking clearly. If your plan is to stop feeding altogether at night, you may want to consider these options below depending on if you are bottle or breast feeding. “Cold turkey” Which means that you do not feed at all during the night.  You may respond to your child’s night awakenings but not with feedings.  This is typically the hardest for baby’s as they still wake hungry until their body adapts.  So not my first choice unless we are talking about a toddler or pre-schooler. “Reduction Bottles” With this method you have two options....