MSD Baby Sleep Coach

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...

This Sunday, March 8 we “spring forward”!    Be sure to turn your clocks ahead 1 hour before you go to bed on Saturday night.   If you/your child (ren) typically wake at 6am, then they will likely wake 7am.   If you like this change then YEA!   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.  You won’t achieve this without black out curtains or shades. 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.  Continue to adjust the schedule earlier in 15 minu...

Once you and your child are ready to start sleep coaching, knowing how sleep is learned will help you achieve success and get the much needed sleep for you and your lil one. Bedtime is the easiest time to learn independent sleep! When you are ready to begin teaching your lil one the skill of independent sleep - start at bedtime (the easiest time for your lil one to learn the new skill).  6-8 months is a great age to begin sleep coaching, if you haven't already taught your child to fall asleep independently.  If your child is older, don't worry it's never too late to work on this life long skill. I have many parents tell me ‘we tried that awake thing at a nap once and it didn’t work’ or ‘I tried that in the middle of the night’.  These parents all started at the most difficult time to teach this important skill. Independent sleeping skills are learned in stages: stage 1-  bedtime stage 2 - middle of the night stage 3 - early morning  st...

We are parents, not perfect - I love that saying from a TV network.  I wanted to share with you four common sleep mistakes many parents make that will definitely affect your child's sleep and their ability to sleep through the night.  I see these mistakes over and over when I work with families one on one, so I thought I would share them with you along with tips on how to avoid them so that your child is set up for a better nights sleep. Four common sleep mistakes and how to avoid them: 1. Putting children to bed too late! Set a regular bedtime (and, if appropriate, nap times) that you stick to.  Don't wait until your child is rubbing his eyes, yawning, or whining — that's probably too late. Put him to bed earlier. Even 15 to 20 minutes of extra sleep can make a difference.   NOTE: If you need help with finding appropriate nap times and creating an age appropriate schedule  click here. While every child is different, the National Sleep Fou...

Sleep Myth #6: Every time my baby wakes overnight, s/he must be hungry - FALSE! Babies who wake during the first few months are more likely waking from hunger, but older babies (over 4-6 months) who wake frequently (every 1-2 hours), may not be waking from hunger. Ask yourself whether your baby can be soothed in other ways. Also, ask yourself whether your baby is going to sleep from an awake state at bedtime (without being nursed or rocked).  This is the first step to longer stretches at night.  *Discuss with your baby's doctor how many night feeds they need in that 10-12 hour stretch at night.    Sleep Myth #7:  If your child wakes before 6:00 am, put him/her to bed later - FALSE!   Often, putting your child to bed later makes them rise earlier.   Review my blog on Early Rising , look at the four causes of early rising to see if you can identify why your child is waking so early in the morning. Sleep Myth #8:  If you keep y...

Sleep Myth #1:  Give your baby formula - s/he will sleep better - FALSE!! While formula does take longer to digest than breast milk, they have the same calories per ounce. When we feed our babies by bottle, there is a greater risk of over feeding as well, and sometimes that can make sleep worse for a baby accustomed to breastfeeding. Babies can sleep equally well on both breast milk and formula. Sleep Myth #2:  If your child is having difficulty going to sleep, keep them awake later - FALSE!! Children who have difficulty falling asleep often need to go to bed EARLIER. It seems counter-intuitive ... but when a child is over-tired, they catch a 'second wind' (actually cortisol as we have missed their sleep window) and that burst of energy often makes them seem NOT tired or makes them unable to lay still and fall asleep. Instead, try to get your child to bed earlier - before that 'second wind' takes over.  Sleep Myth #3:  Don't worry if your child ...

The holiday season is fast approaching and I know many of you will be traveling for the holidays.  To help you navigate this busy time of year and hopefully without too much disruption to everyone's sleep I am sharing my best tips for traveling with your lil one. Planning ahead regarding your child's sleep while traveling can go a long way to helping your whole family have a more enjoyable vacation, here are a few tips to consider when planning your vacation. Packing List For your packing check list, here are a few items you should not leave home without: Travel crib, sheets, pillowcases                                         Crib blankie, sleep sack, security object Sound machine and/or white noise app on your phone Bedtime books Night light  with a small 4 watt bulb                           ...