Tag Archives: night wakings

Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Sleep Products, Toddler Sleep

Baby sleep gadgets to avoid!

Leave a comment
Sleep Gadgets to Avoid!
Sleep Gadgets to Avoid!

There is an endless stream of gizmos and gadgets on the market that promise to help your baby sleep. To be honest I have bought a few dud things that seemed like a great idea at the time. Here are a few gadgets to avoid as they can actually prevent your baby from sleeping well.

1 – Hanging mobiles. They look beautiful in a nursery. In fact they can be very useful – but not for sleep. As parents we think, “oh it would be so nice to watch it go around and around then fall asleep”. Well the opposite can happen. Mobiles stimulate your baby’s brain ready for play instead of winding down ready for sleep. Mobiles are wonderful hanging over the change table when you need to distract and entertain your baby whilst you have your hands full.

2) Flashing Lights. Electric aquariums or twinkling star shows, night lights with rotating colours can actually keep your baby awake. You want the room to be ‘’boring” and dark to promote good sleep.

3) Music machines. I am talking about anything that plays a song. Music has rises and falls and this could actually wake your baby when they are trying to drift off to sleep. If your baby has fallen asleep with music playing and the CD has stopped, they may wake wondering where the noise has gone. If you need anything at all, ‘white noise’ is a better choice as it is constant and unchanging.

If you have fallen into the trap of the bedtime circus, it is time to remove everything and get back to basics. The best ways to help your baby sleep are:

1               Routines

2               Sleep Cues

3               The opportunity to sleep independently

Easier said than done right? My philosophy around bedtime and ‘sleep devices’ is – keep it simple! If your baby is having difficulty sleeping, buying a gadget or gizmo will only put a bandaid on the problem and not tackle the root of the issue.

If you want your baby to sleep unassisted but feel confused or worried about where or how to start, I am here to help!!! Contact me here.

If you’re looking at what sleep products I do recommend, read more here.

Janelle Jeffery Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime Child Educator and Behaviour Specialist.
Janelle Jeffery
Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime
Child Educator and Behaviour Specialist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baby Sleep, Child Behaviour, Child Sleep, Sleep Training Methods

When will my baby sleep through the night?

2 Comments

Mother with child 

How many times have you been asked, “So, is he sleeping through the night yet?” It seems that sleeping through the night is some kind of measure of success as a mother. If your baby isn’t sleeping through then what are YOU doing wrong? Cue all feelings of guilt and failure now…

 

What does sleeping through really mean?

Everyone seems to have his or her own interpretation of what sleeping through the night means. Some people say it’s 5 straight hours, others say 12hours. I believe, once a baby enters the cot at night, say around 7-8pm, and self-settles through the night (not needing help from mum or dad to fall back to sleep) and wakes any time after 6-7am, is sleeping through the night. As adults, we will wake up through the night from time to time when we are in the light phase of sleep. Babies need to wake too; it’s just that they are a little noisier about it. If your baby has managed to fall back to sleep independently then they are sleeping through!

 

So, what about feeding through the night? Babies need to be fed through the night. Some babies will drop the night feed as early as 3months old and some babies will still require a feed at 8months old. If your baby is waking through the night for one to two feeds but he can fall back to sleep all on his own after the feed AND he can settle himself other times during the night, then I believe he is sleeping through.

 

When should my baby be sleeping through?

All babies are different. As said earlier, some babies will drop all night feeds as early as 3months old and can resettle themselves without the help of mum or dad and will sleep 12hours straight. This is not the norm. Lots of babies (if everything goes to plan) will start sleeping through and not needing a feed at about 6months old. Some babies will take a little longer.

If your baby is waking frequently during night needing to be fed back to sleep, rocked, cuddled, bounced etc then maybe it is time to seek help. Good quality sleep is vital for healthy development. Asking for help isn’t a sign of failure as a parent.

Every baby is different and sometimes all you need is a little guidance and support from someone in the know. Book here to have a chat together. During this time we can discuss the needs of your child, the support I offer and how you can achieve sleep success in a caring and loving way!   Sleep well!

Janelle Jeffery Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime Child Educator and Behaviour Specialist.
Janelle Jeffery
Child Sleep Consultant for Sleepytime.
About Janelle, Parenting

Child Sleep Apnoea – The day my daughter nearly died.

Leave a comment

apnoeaWell, a while ago, I nearly lost my daughter. It’s funny because most of the time I forget, and that is ok. Life goes on. She is fine now. Just get over it. What people don’t know is that I will never forget that moment when my daughter stopped breathing and I could have lost her forever. It changes a person.

Emily was a reflux baby. Gosh, it was a miracle when she wasn’t throwing up all over the place. By about 7 months, it had resolved itself and thankfully we all moved on. From 8 months old, she developed this constant running nose. She was one of those ‘snotty kids’. By 10 months old, she could wipe her own nose with a tissue it was that bad. We thought about buying shares in Kleenix! This runny nose coincided with her starting daycare.

After months and months of colds and ear infections that simply would never go away, I was adamant that something was not right. Often being fobbed off by doctors that is was ‘environmental’ due to daycare, I was thinking I was becoming just another paranoid, over sensitive mum.

The biggest red flag for me was that she was always tired. Emily was an awesome sleeper. She slept through the night – all night and took very long naps during the day. I just couldn’t understand how on earth she was constantly exhausted.

We finally got a referral to an ENT. During the appointment, he was once again fobbing me off. He told me it would pass and to just accept it. I felt frustrated and deflated. I wanted answers. He suggested if I really wanted to, I could take her for an over-night sleep test. Would I, wouldn’t I? Maybe it was all in my head.

Long story short, I did take her for that test and guess what? She was diagnosed with ‘severe sleep apnoea’ and required surgery immediately as the strain on her heart and body was immense – she could have died. This is not the time I nearly lost her. The story continues.

So at 18months, Emily was booked in to have her tonsils and adenoids removed and grommets inserted into her ears. There are always risks when performing surgery on babies. We were told this but we what choice did we have?

The day Emily went into hospital, we were nervous but relieved this problem was going to be sorted once and for all. Robert my husband kissed her ‘good-bye’ as she went into theatre. We waited patiently for her return.

The minutes were ticking by. No news. More minutes when by. No news. We were starting to get worried. Finally she was out. Phew! I was allowed to go into recovery to see her. There they told me that Emily had stopped breathing in theatre but they got her back. This was not the time I nearly lost her either.

Emily was starting to breath on her own so the nurses were preparing to wheel her onto the ward. Then it happened. Emily stopped breathing right before my eyes. Alarms, sirens, running, shouting – it IS just like the movies. Here I was, watching my daughter die. Silence. Spinning. Was this really happening?

A few minutes later – a lifetime for me, Emily started breathing. This was the moment I nearly lost my daughter, my only daughter, forever.

I don’t ever talk about this with friends and family. I don’t feel I need to anymore. Why am I sharing it with you? I learnt a valuable lesson, and I want to tell every parent.

“You know your child best. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. If you truly believe something is not right – find someone who will listen.”

Today Emily is a happy and healthy three year old. I am a lucky mum to have her in my life. I am thankful for all the staff at Princess Margaret Hospital. I am proud that I listened to my inner voice. I have a wonderful husband who supported me through this. Life is good.

Janelle Jeffery

Child Behaviour, Child Sleep, Sleep Training Methods, Toddler Sleep

Does your child have ‘Jack-in-the-box’ syndrome?

Leave a comment

jackintheboxWhat did you say? I said ‘Jack-in-the-box syndrome! This is a child who just loves getting out of bed to see where you are and what you are up too- all hours of the night!!! You walk them back to their bed, and before you know it they are hot on your heels.

This can be frustrating and exhausting for parents who eventually ‘give in’ and let their child either sleep on the couch or hop into their bed, just so the family can get a little sleep. This problem is very common and it usually starts around 2-3 years of age. I speak with many families whereby the dad has been banished from the bed altogether. This sleeping arrangement is not sustainable, nor is it healthy for your relationship with your partner. Your bed is YOUR bed and that is the way it needs to be so you can all get a good night’s sleep.

So, what can you do to solve this problem?

Wait to Transition into a Bed

I would not transition a toddler into a ‘big bed’ until at least 2.5 years of age. The later, the better! Many parents transition their child far too early, trying to fix an existing bad sleep situation only to find it’s worse now they have the freedom to get out on their own.

Communication

Even if your child is not completely verbal, their understanding is amazing. During the day set the expectations for the night in simple ‘kid-friendly’ language. Tell them they will stay in bed the entire night until it’s morning time (at least 6am). I like using a visual timetable that outlines each step of the bedtime routine with the last picture showing them in their bed. Get creative! Bedtime is non-negotiable from here on in.

Rewards

Children are egocentric. If there is something in if for them, they will want to do it. Get a reward chart ready to go and make a big deal about it. Get a ‘treat bag’ and fill it with little surprises. These do not need to be expensive. Items such as books, hair clips, cars and play-dough work well. Each night they remain in their bed, they will earn a sticker on their chart as well as a treat from the bag. Work towards a surprise at the end, like an outing or a special toy.

Consistency

Children test boundaries. They need to know that the rules are the rules no matter what. Rules enable them feel safe and secure in their environment. Children will try and try again to work around the rules BUT really they want you to say ‘NO’. Once you ‘give in’ you will create a bigger problem. Children quickly learn that you mean what you say only some of the time. You need to be strong and firm and have routines in place. If you are consistent all of the time, then the transition will be a lot easier. Change is hard for everybody and it will be met with some protest from your child. Remember you are doing what is best for them AND for your entire family.

Fun

Make bedtime fun. You don’t want your little one dreading bedtime because it’s when they are banished to their room, alone, missing out on the fun elsewhere. Sing songs, read a book together, talk about the day. Purchase some special pyjamas and let them choose which ones to wear.

All children at some stage will want to get out of bed and hop into yours. Armed with this knowledge, the key to success is to be prepared for it. Each night needs to be predictable and you need to be consistent. I have provided some simple tips that can certainly improve the sleep situation overall. The good news is that it is achievable but toddlers/children can be tricky customers. If you find that it is all too difficult, remember I can help you to solve this once and for all with a tailored plan and support program. Contact me here for more information.

Sleep Well,

Janelle Jeffery