Newborn
Solutions for a catnapping baby
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…
Read MoreBaby won’t sleep? Here’s 30 reasons why…
Sleep is the among the most talked about, and contentious of topics for mums to be, new parents, and even the most experienced of parents. What most of us have in common, is that we are not getting enough, we worry that our children are not getting enough, and lack of sleep can often lead to an unhappy…
Read MoreWhen can my baby self settle?
Also known as the holy grail of all things children’s sleep; “self soothing” or “self settling” is often confused with sleep training methodologies such as cry it out, controlled crying, responsive settling – or at worst, neglect. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Teaching a child to self settle, in it’s simplest form, translates to teaching…
Read MoreConfessions of a Sleep Consultant: The Jett Diaries; Week Ten
Finally…Spring has sprung! It’s been a loooong, cold Winter, so I am incredibly grateful to have had some sunshine over the past week to make me feel human again. We took Jett on his first beach trip, where he sunned himself in the glorious weather, and felt his tiny feet in the sand for the very first time. After ten…
Read MoreConfessions of a Sleep Consultant: The Jett Diaries; Week Nine
I know it’s only early days, but as we near the three month mark and my newborn slowly transforms to a bigger baby before my eyes, I am left with the unanswered question of; is this the last for our family? Is my family of five now complete? If I am to ask my husband,…
Read MoreConfessions of a Sleep Consultant: The Jett Diaries; Week Eight
Sleeping through the night (STN): is there such thing when you become a parent? Or is it just a fallacy? ..Well, yes, and no. See.. The more kids you have, the lower your probability of STN; and as Muphys Law would have it, the nights all of your kids sleep through without a peep, you’ll be awake, wired and unable…
Read MoreConfessions of a Sleep Consultant: The Jett Diaries; Week Seven
I must say parenthood has challenged me beyond my wildest expectations. I never knew I was capable of experiencing such a spectrum and intensity of emotions; love, anger, happiness, exhaustion, joy, shame, frustration, surprise, insecurity, elation, sadness, pride.. to name a few. A newborn will push you to your physical limits; post-partum recovery, sleep deprivation, and…
Read MoreConfessions of a Sleep Consultant: The Jett Diaries; Week Six
Parenthood is a constant string of first experiences; for our children also. This week, Jett caught his first cold. Poor little guy sounds like a pot bellied pig when he is feeding, and we can now add snoring like a freight train to his night-time repertoire (among the dulcet tones of farting, squirming, and grunting). He refuses…
Read MoreSleep requirements by age
Have you ever wondered how much sleep your baby or child needs in a 24-hour period? Below is a guideline for the average requirements for naps and overnight sleep for 0-5 years: Age Overnight Naps Total Newborn to 2 months 8-9 hrs 7-9 hrs (3-5 Naps) 16-18 hrs 2-4 Months 9-10 hrs 4-5 hrs (3-5 Naps) 14-16…
Read MoreConfessions of a Sleep Consultant: The Jett Diaries; Week Five
We are finally getting back to normality; well, the inconsistent normality in the life of a newborn anyway! This past week we have been focused on healing (on all levels) from the lip and tongue tie ordeal. The most significant shift for us both was an NET (Neuro Emotional Technique) session we had with the lovely Kim from…
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