Routine
What you can REALLY expect: babies and sleep in the first year
Pre-kids, I had no idea of the magnitude that sleep (or the lack thereof) would impact my life. There is a plethora of information at our fingertips, telling us when our baby should be sleeping through the night; and if we don’t meet these expectations, then we somehow feel like a failure of a parent – or something must be wrong…
Read MoreWhat separates the ‘good’ sleepers from the ‘bad’?
In my opinion, there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ sleepers. We don’t have to teach our babies how to sleep any more than we need to teach them how to pee. Sleep is a biological necessity. So whilst all children can sleep, what differs is; how they fall sleep, how long they sleep for,…
Read MoreWhy won’t my toddler sleep?
There can be many reasons why sleep time may be a challenge for you and your toddler. From my experience, here’s the top 10 reasons why: 1) Overtired: Catnaps (or no naps at all), late bed times, early rising, being awake for too long, and overstimulation can all lead to your toddler becoming overtired. When our toddlers become overtired,…
Read MoreWhy won’t my baby sleep?
There are many reasons why sleep time may be a challenge for you and your baby. Here’s the top 10 reasons why your baby won’t sleep: 1) Too cold – Remember that inside your womb it is a nice and balmy 37 degrees celsius, and that our babies can’t regulate their own body temperature until they…
Read MoreTransitioning from two naps to one
The majority of children drop their second nap between 12 and 18 months. My recommendation is to avoid dropping it too soon – ideally somewhere between 14-18 months. There are many factors which can impact day and night sleep: teething, developmental milestones, leaps, daylight savings, separation anxiety, travel, being out of routine and/or the need to…
Read MoreHow to salvage sleep in the clutches of teething, illness and leaps…
Many sleeping difficulties experienced by babies and children stem from teething, illness, or a developmental milestone (aka leap). It is common that when our child is unwell, our routine, consistency (and resolve) tends to go out the window. In the first 12 months (and well into their second year), our babies are developing rapidly – physically,…
Read MoreMoving the clocks forward from PST to PDT- Sunday March 12, 2017
It’ s almost that time of year… the clocks move forward, the days get longer, warmer and lighter…. And our children’s routines seem to go out the window. Well, they don’t have to! Here are a few pointers for preparing for the daylight savings transition: General Tips: Keep your regular day and night routine Ensure…
Read MoreTo dummy, or not to dummy?
To dummy or not to dummy? that is the question I am often asked by sleep deprived parents desperately needing a break from the around the clock feeding and crying in the early weeks. I have no problem with the dummy; in fact it can be a godsend…so long as it is used moderation, and…
Read MoreCombating the early risers
Early rising is common for babies and toddlers. Being out of routine, developmental milestones, leaps, teething, illness, environment, and routine can all contribute to early morning waking and, too often, this may become a long withstanding habit. Whilst 6:00am is considered a reasonable time for a child to wake for the day, early rising specifically…
Read MoreGetting into a routine
Routine provides children with predictability and security – essential to their ability to self-settle, fall asleep with limited resistance, and sleep for longer. Children feel more confident and secure when they know what they can expect – from having structure in their day i.e. meal times, nap times, bed times and play times; to our…
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