Tag Archives: feeding

Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Crying, Sleep Training Methods, Toddler Sleep

Sleep Training Series – The Camp Out Method Explained

July 25, 2016 Janelle Leave a comment

With this series of blog posts, I will be giving a brief background on a specific method of sleep training and share some pros and cons of each. My aim is to educate and inform, not to throw criticism towards any parent who may choose a specific method. I just want to be clear that there are many forms of sleep training methods (many I won’t be touching on) so you need to choose the best strategy for your specific child.

Camp out Method of Sleep Training is gentle and very hands on.

What is the Camp Out Method?

To be honest, I am unsure as to the exact origins of the “Camp Out” Method of sleep training. It certainly similar to The Ferber Method of sleep training but with a difference. It can be another variance of “controlled crying” but has a more hands, gentle approach. This method may also be known as “The Sleep Lady Shuffle” devised from Kim West author of The Sleep Lady’s Good Night Sleep Tight. Another version of this method is “Stay in the Room” devised by Dana Obleman author of The Sleep Sense Program. Another name is the “Gradual Extinction Method.”

The Camp Out Method of sleep training enables you to be in the room with your baby offering lots of support and comfort. Over 10-14days, you gradually move away from your baby’s cot and fade out any verbal and physical reassurance given.

What does the Camp Out Method aim to achieve?

The goal is for your baby to fall asleep independently, with moderate to lots of parent intervention that is faded out over a period of time. It is a gentle approach to change because you are very present through the process. It eliminates any negative sleep associations like rocking, feeding to sleep, dummy/pacifier, cuddling to sleep etc.

So how does the Camp Out Method work?

First of all, preparation is key. Make sure your baby…

Isn’t overtired.
Is well.
Has a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep.
Has a bedtime routine.
Has a sleep phrase introduced.
You have a mattress or chair that can be moved easily.

With this method, you place your baby into the cot, awake as possible, and lie on the mattress or sit in the chair. You may offer physical touch, pick your baby up for a cuddle and offer verbal cues until your baby is asleep. Once your baby is asleep you can leave the room. Every few nights or so you gradually move your mattress or chair away from your baby’s cot. You also fade out any oral and verbal comfort.

The Camp Out Method can take between 2-3weeks for your baby to be able to sleep independently. Progress can be slower compared to The Extinction Method and The Ferber Method.

Cons of The Camp Out Method

Your baby can cry a lot more with this method compared to The Extinction Method and The Ferber Method. Babies often cry more when their parents are present in the room. Cortisol levels (stress hormone) are lower or non-existent but the cry can appear more intense.
Your baby may become more stimulated and/or irritated with you being in the room.
Your baby may not respond well to the verbal and/or physical contact when falling asleep.
It can take longer to see progress compared to the Extinction and Ferber Methods.
You may find it more stressful seeing your baby cry compared to hearing it from afar.
You may need to stay with your baby for a long period of time before your baby falls asleep.
This method is hard to execute if you have other children needing your attention at the same time.

Pros of The Camp Out Method

You can continue to room share.
You can continue to night-feed.
You are able to offer physical and verbal comfort so it’s a very hands-on approach!
It is a gentle approach to change.
As you are present in the room, you are able to see exactly how your baby is responding to the change and you can support them through it.
This is a good method for older children who try to escape from their room or have separation issues.

Final thoughts from me…

This is a really good method as it accommodates babies and children from about 4months of age. I like how hands on and responsive it is.

When choosing a method of sleep training it is important to remember that the approach is only one piece of the puzzle. Finding the cause of the difficult sleep comes first. Next you need to establish positive sleep cues for your baby. Lastly comes the sleep training method. With any sleep training method, it is really important to listen to your baby. When families work with me, quite often the method changes and evolves depending on how the baby is coping and the signs he is giving me.

Other forms of sleep training methods that will be covered in this 4part series are: The Extinction Method, The Ferber Method, The Camp Out Method and the No Cry Method.

Janelle Jeffery Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime — Janelle Jeffery
Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime

Baby Sleep

Can you sleep train a newborn?

July 18, 2016 Janelle Leave a comment

Parents often want to know when they can begin establishing healthy sleep habits. It really does pose the question – can you sleep train a newborn? So, you understand the importance of sleep but there is this “fear” that you will create really bad sleep habits for your baby. What should you do?

Firstly I want to clearly state my position regarding sleep training a newborn… I believe you cannot “sleep train” a newborn baby. After 12weeks, there are different techniques and methods more suited for younger babies you can begin to try if you are finding sleep difficult. Science dictates that the sleep cycle of a newborn differs greatly from the sleep cycle of a baby over 6months of age.

So what does this mean? You cannot do anything until 6months? No, in fact you can do lots of things in the interim to help your baby BEGIN to establish healthy sleep habits. Here are some things you can do from the moment you arrive home from the hospital.

1) Establish a bedtime routine.

Yep, starting a defined bedtime routine gives you and your baby a clear line between nighttime and daytime sleep. Incorporating a bath, a massage, a book or song before bed will become an important ‘sleep cue.’

2) Establish “good feeding.”

Make sure your baby is feeding properly. Is your baby latching correctly? Many babies are born with upper/lower lip-ties that make feeding difficult. A hungry baby will not sleep! If your baby has reflux, you may need to offer smaller feeds more often to prevent over-feeding causing discomfort. See a lactation consultant if you are finding feeding difficult.

3) Positive Sleep Environment.

When at home, try your best to allow your baby to sleep in a quiet room, in a bassinet or cot. This will encourage a better daytime sleep and it will help with nighttime sleeping too. If your baby is always in the sling napping during the day, it will be harder for them to sleep without it at night.

4) Understand your baby’s tired signs.

Newborns can roughly stay awake for about 45mins at a time. This means that by the time your baby has woken; you need to change the nappy, feed, burp and bond all in 45mins. It isn’t long before your baby is ready to sleep again. Really watch the clock AND your baby’s tired signs. An overtired baby will need a lot of ‘help’ to fall asleep or your baby may catnap instead.

5) Helping your baby to fall asleep.

Some babies need a lot of help to fall asleep, some babies need no help at all. Rocking, patting, cuddling to sleep are all great tools for newborns. There are no set rules around newborn sleep but keep in the forefront of your mind that as each week clocks on, you want to help your baby less and less to fall asleep initially and less help to resettle.

Having a newborn baby in the house can be stressful and demanding – but it is also such a special time that goes by far too quickly. This time is about bonding, feeding and sleeping for everyone involved!

To read more about newborn sleep, click here

Sleep Well,

About Janelle, Baby Sleep, Parenting

The time I gave up and accepted sleep help for my baby.

May 18, 2016 Janelle Leave a comment

Accepting or asking for help is hard but so wroth it.

Currently I am a member of a specific Facebook group where mums get to share and ask for each other for parenting help. I often feel saddened when one poor sleep deprived mum asks for sleep help for their baby or child. Nine times out of ten other mums share their ideas (which is great) but many say “suck it up” or “if you wanted sleep you shouldn’t have become a mum in the first place.” It can be a brutal world out there.

Not that long ago I was that sleep deprived mum, yet Facebook wasn’t a big thing. Hard to believe I know. I was curled up in a ball… my husband came home with advice and tips from another dad from his work, to help us with our daughter’s sleep or lack there of. I had been up every hour feeding, pumping and settling her. During the day I was lucky to get 45mins at a time. I didn’t ask Robert for help overnight because he was out working all day and I was a stay at home mum. This was my job right? Obviously I wasn’t very good at “faking it” or pretending to keep my shit together after all. I was an educated woman with over a decade of experience with children, so why was I finding this parenting gig so bloody tough? I WAS SLEEP DEPRIVED AND I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING!! I am still astounded you can just walk out of hospital with your baby, no questions asked. It’s harder to adopt a pet!! Anyway, I digress.

Ok, back to that moment, the old me would have told Robert to shove his so called “sleep knowledge” where the sun don’t shine. Well, I probably did say something like “so you think I’m a crap mother.” But the next day I digested what he said to me; I did some research, and I started to try a few settling techniques…. And guess what???? EUREKA IT WORKED!!

Now it wasn’t a magic solution, but what I got was guidance and knowledge about baby sleep and what to try to do to help her sleep a little longer for naps and at night. It took patience, consistency and teamwork. It worked because I gave up being stubborn and accepted the sleep help, support and advice I was offered.

The reason I want to share this moment with you is because it was a pivotal point in my life where I understood that asking for help, for anything, was far better than struggling through and “getting on with it.” We are not trained to be parents and we are not perfect. Whether you need sleep help, lactation support or even just a time out to shave your legs – ask for it!! By asking for help you are not a failure, you are finally accepting that you live in a loving community, not in isolation. As my mother used to say “a problem shared is a problem halved.”

Do you want some professional advice about your baby or child’s sleep? Are you looking for a holistic approach and not a quick fix? Do you want help from someone who has experienced what it is like to be a sleep deprived parent? Book here

Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Parenting

I can’t be involved because my partner breast-feeds

May 28, 2015 Janelle 1 Comment

Increasing the bond between baby and daddy is so important.

The first few months, when your bundle of joy first arrives home with you, is about establishing the bond between mother and baby. This usually occurs during the breast-feeding process. This can equally happen when your baby is bottle-fed, but again most mothers feed their baby far more than dads do. Often dads feel a little left out and over time don’t really know how to become more involved in the process. Fast forward 12months and still bedtime is about mummy and baby with dad being excluded altogether.

The longer dads are left out of the bedtime and settling process, the harder it can become. First of all, it just becomes habit or the norm for mum to tackle the bedtime routine and night wake ups. Secondly dad just loses confidence and really doesn’t know what to do because he feels he doesn’t have “the right equipment”.

There are lots of ways dads can become highly involved with their baby right from the beginning. Breast-feeding is very important, but other than that, dads are capable of doing everything else from nappies, bath-time, story time and even putting baby to bed.

When I speak with parents, a lot of the discussion is about how to involve dad more. It is not because these dads are against helping, but they feel like they are making things worse because their baby seems to protest more until mum comes in to rescue them. Here is a simple example of how to involve both parents at bedtime:

Bath time and massage (Dad)

Nappy and pyjamas on (Dad)

Breast-feed (Mum) and Story (Dad)

Kisses and cuddles (Mum). Mum leaves.

Kisses and cuddles (Dad)

Into the cot (Dad)

As many dads work, evening is the only time to spend with baby. Quality bonding time is crucial. Being included in the bedtime routine is far more beneficial for baby rather than playing before bed when baby is clearly tired.

When baby wakes in the night, unless it is a “feed time”, dad can help to resettle all other times. As a mum myself, I often took the ‘night-shift’ because my husband worked long hours and I could take a nap during the day to catch up on sleep. I totally understand this way of thinking. What if this is not about who needs sleep more BUT about increasing bond time with your baby? Leaving the settling up to one single person really limits the possibility of your baby bonding equally with both parents.

Just because your baby is breast-fed, this should not determine who does all the settling and who does the bedtime routine. Sleep should not be the sole responsibility of one parent. Share the load and share this amazing bonding experience equally.

Sleep well,

Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Parenting, Toddler Sleep

Is your child a fussy eater?

January 5, 2015 Janelle Leave a comment

It can be exhausting when your child refuses to eat.

This week the hot topic of conversation with my friends and clients has been regarding eating (or lack of) amongst our children. There is always great concern about trying to encourage our children to eat more. I work with parents to help their children learn to love sleep, but time and time again I am seeing a link between fussy eaters and poor sleepers.

Two common causes of children not wanting to eat are; too much milk and lack of sleep.

MILK

Milk is a great food source so I am not here to persuade you to stop giving it to your children, but what I want to highlight is how it can impact on lack of appetite.

Imagine you had two large milkshakes a day. How much solid food would you be able to consume during the day after that? My guess is not much. If your child is drinking copious bottles of milk during the day and night, then chances are they are not that interested in much else. Milk is drunk quickly and easily and it makes you feel full for a long time.

With the many families I have worked with, once we reduce or even eliminate the milk during the night, we observed an almost instant increase in appetite during the day. This all depend on the age of the child of course.

Breast-milk or infant formula should be the main source or nutrition for the first 9months of age. After this time, your child should be eating “three meals a day and the frequency of milk feeds is beginning to decline,” Mererilinga (2011). By 12months of age, many babies substitute breast-milk or infant formula with cow’s milk. Regardless of which form or milk your child is offered, by this time solid food becomes more important.

It is important to note that drinking lots of cow’s milk is not necessarily a good thing. “In fact, milk makes it harder for the body to absorb iron and can contribute to iron-deficiency anaemia”. Kid’s Health.

So how much is enough? Well, it is all about balance. It is recommended that toddlers aged between 2-3 years have 1.5 serves of dairy a day. It should come from a variety of food sources, not just milk. Raising Children Network.

If your child is having multiple milk feeds or bottles during the night past 8 months of age, chances are they are not only full during the day, but they are not getting enough sleep.

LACK OF SLEEP

A tired child will not want to eat. As adults, the more tired we are, the more we tend to eat. In my experience, I find the opposite happens for many children. If a child is tried, they do not want to sit there at the table and eat a full meal. It is too much like hard work.

If your child is tired, offering them an early dinner is far more beneficial than stretching them out to their usual set dinnertime. If you do try and delay dinner, chances are you will have a battle on your hands and your child will refuse to eat. Offer an occasional 4:30pm dinner to ensure they have enough energy to eat.

If your child is up multiple times during the night, and certainly if they are still taking milk during the night, I would bet that they are not interested in eating breakfast. You want your child to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and HUNGRY!!

Case Study

Often too much milk and lack of sleep go hand in hand. Last year I worked with Amelia (15months) who was still taking up to 4 breast-feeds in the night. She never wanted breakfast and she was a picky eater throughout the day. Once we cut out the feeds in the night and she starting sleeping through, Amelia’s appetite increased ten fold. Her parents could not believe in just two nights how hungry Amelia was in the morning and she was eating a huge breakfast.

If your child is a fussy eater, monitor how much milk they are consuming in a 24hour period. Also monitor their sleeping patterns. Below is a guide to the average amount of sleep your child should be having each day.

Age	Hours of Sleep per 24hrs
Newborn – 3 months	16-18 hrs
3 months – 6 months	15-16 hrs
6 months – 12 months	14-15 hrs
12 months – 3 years	13-14 hrs
3 years – 5 years	11-13 hrs

Healthy eating and healthy sleeping are crucial to helping your child develop the best way they can. If you are concerned about your child’s food intake, consult a child nutritional professional or your doctor. If you are concerned about your child’s lack of sleep, visit here.

Janelle Jeffery

Help your child to love sleep