Blog
Children of all ages seek comfort in movement (rocking, car, carrier), sucking (breast, bottle, dummy) and closeness (touch, holding, parental presence) to fall asleep, and back to sleep when they wake from a nap or overnight. Although these actions are helpful when satisfying neonatal reflexes during the fourth trimester, a child’s ability to sleep independently…
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Positive sleep associations – or cues – are key to establishing sustainable sleep patterns. This involves implementing a consistent and predictable nap and bedtime routine which can be replicated by anyone, anywhere, at any time. Positive sleep associations day and night provide children with predictability, security and the necessary wind-down time before bed which can…
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Light, noise, sound, temperature, smells and toxins can impact on a child’s ability to sleep well. The optimal environment may be influenced by the age and sensitivity of your child e.g. babies under 12 months may require additional bedding layers as they are unable to effectively regulate their own body temperature, or a soft light…
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Whether you opt for cry it out, no cry, or no sleep training at all, is a personal decision, and one which should be made for the ‘greater good’ of the whole family in mind. It can be a contentious topic, so let me first start by stating: whilst I don’t endorse cry it out professionally, personally,…
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Catnapping, or consistently short naps in the first six months (usually between 20 to 40 minutes), albeit developmentally normal, can be extremely frustrating for parents – who often recall that they spend their entire day settling and re-settling their babies for sleep – usually unsuccessfully. This is, in fact, a natural daytime sleep pattern from…
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Attachment parenting isn’t just a new age parenting choice. It is no more tree hugging, chai-sipping, or mungbean eating than any other parenting style. It doesn’t have to translate to baby wearing 24/7, tandem feeding, co-sleeping, or breastfeeding to the age of five. Put simply, attachment parenting really refers to the mother’s ability to consciously follow…
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We have traveled long haul international (14 + hrs) with our kids from as young as six weeks old (the youngest recommended age to travel) – and believe it or not, the younger they are, the easier it is! With holidays just around the corner, here are my top 10 tips to ease the stress and make…
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Despite many professionals claiming that teething doesn’t affect sleep patterns or behavior, I couldn’t disagree more. A tooth erupting through the surface of the gums creates a localized inflammatory response, consequently triggering an immune response. Symptoms of illness may present if bacteria enters the inflamed/open gums – extremely common due to the fact that babies…
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The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over, and over.. and expecting a different result. Sound like parenthood much? I hear too often parents telling me that their child (who was once a great sleeper), has–two, three or four months down the track–turned into a nightmare at bedtime. Sometimes there is a definitive…
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Just when many of us finally feel we are getting some predictability with our newborn’s sleeping patterns…. BANG! Along comes the four-month sleep regression! In Wonder Weeks language, this equates to Mental Leap 4, which starts between 14.5-19.5 weeks. If you are experiencing this, you may find some comfort in knowing that this developmental leap is Universal. Frustration, exhaustion, tears,…
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