Tag Archives: sleep issues

Child Behaviour, Child Sleep, Sleep Products, Toddler Sleep

The Golden Rule For Sleep Success!

November 22, 2016 Janelle Leave a comment

What is the golden rule that will ensure bedtime is easier for the entire family?

So you had this sleep thing nailed, then your little one hit 2 years plus, and a problem sleeper appears like a bad dream. These sudden sleep issues can start as early as 20months and some don’t kick in until 3years or more. So what happens at this time?

1) A perfect sleeper suddenly starts waking for no reason catching parents unawares and they are unsure of what to do.

2) A child can now verbalise what they want, and don’t want, making sleepytime and pretty much most day-to-day activities a war.

If there was one golden rule that I know solves most sleep issues for children is this – CONSISTENCY. Yep it seems logical enough but being a parent myself, I know that being consistent can be difficult to execute all the time.

Everyday can be an emotional rollercoaster so I look for ways to take the emotion and myself out of the pitcure. Your child will want to argue with you over everything. They are supposed to! This is an important time when children understand they have control over their environment and they want to test it out. It is your role as their parent to guide them but essentially you need to ensure the rules are followed each and every time because YOU KNOW BEST.

I like to incorporate tools that children cannot argue with but are also fun. Here are my 3 best sleep tools I recommend for all parents…

1) A timer on a phone to count down the last 5minutes before bedtime. This signals the end of play and the start of wind down. Once the bell rings, it’s bedtime.

2) A visual bedtime routine to check off. Download one here. This keeps everything moving in the right direction – bed!

3) Use a sleep clock that indicates when it is sleepytime and when it is time to wake up. Children cannot argue with a clock. The best sleep clock I have found so far, and soon to be on the market, is Ooly. Ooly is not only button free, it is activated via mobile phone meaning you can change the time without even entering the bedroom. Check out all the features here.

Only Sleep Training Companion — Ooly Sleep Training Companion

These three sleep tools not only enable bedtime to run smoothly, they ensure that you are on track too. We are all busy and sometimes we need tools to help us too!

Sleep well,

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

Want to find out about the best time to transition from a crib to a bed? Find out here.

Child Behaviour, Child Sleep, Parenting

The worry and the think

November 10, 2016 Janelle 4 Comments

One hour ago I learnt a really huge lesson from my daughter. I learnt how to be a better parent.This is our story.

Miss E (6years) needed to bring a handkerchief to school for a prop for a dance they were doing. She was so excited because she had a special one her Grandma had given her for Christmas last year.

Two days ago Miss E mentioned that she realised that someone might take her handkerchief accidently or it might get lost. I said “Don’t worry, I’ll give you some fabric instead.”

Last night I put her to bed then went to find a piece of fabric. Chore complete, problem solved – tick!

Thirty minutes later Miss E came out of bed to find me. She was crying. She told me that she couldn’t sleep because she was worried about the handkerchief. Normally I would have said “don’t worry, it’s fine, go to sleep,” but I didn’t. I felt she needed more from me. I showed her the piece of fabric in her bag and on the way back to bed I explained we would go into class together to swap the handkerchief. She seemed happier. I tucked Miss E into bed then said, “hand me your worry.” Miss E placed her hand on my forehead and we kissed each other goodnight. I left.

This morning Miss E woke happily, we got ready for the day, then walked to school as normal.

THIS IS WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENED…. Miss E stopped then said,

“Mummy, when you took away my worry, you took away ‘the think’ too.”

“The think?”

“Well, I stopped worrying but sometimes I still think about it. Last night you took the worry and the think. I fell asleep after that.”

This-just-blew-me-away. What I thought was a tiny little thing, really made a huge impact on both of us. This is what I learnt…

Worry and/or over-thinking impacts sleep no matter what age you are.
A worry may be insignificant to you but it can be a mountain to someone else, especially kids.
Words don’t fix things, actions do. Always follow though.
Don’t underestimate kids. They are smarter, wiser and more emotionally grounded than we give them credit for.

Parenting is a journey and today reminded me that Miss E and I are in this together.

Janelle Jeffery is a Sleep Consultant, Child Educator, Writer and a Mummy! — Janelle Jeffery -Sleep Consultant; Child Educator; Writer and most importantly a Mummy!

Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Toddler Sleep

How to Avoid Summer Sleep Trouble

November 16, 2015 Janelle Leave a comment

Summer used to be my favourite time of year. Late nights, barbecues with friends, lazy mornings. Since becoming a mother, my ideal summer has changed somewhat. Now I have the challenge of a child struggling with sleep. Here are my best 3 tips to help you survive the summer months and promote the best opportunity for sleep for your entire family.

Sleeping in the summer months can be tricky for everyone.

1. Darkness

Our bodies need darkness to produce melatonin. Melatonin is what makes us sleepy. During the summer months, it can still be light outside making it more difficult for your child to fall asleep. Try your best to use thick, block-out or blackout curtains in your child’s bedroom. This is also really important in the morning when the level of melatonin in our bodies is at it’s lowest. The smallest amount of sunlight can wake your child ready to start the day!

2. Temperature

If our bodies are too hot, we find it difficult to sleep. If your child has been running around, offer a lukewarm bath or shower to help drop their body temperature a little. Provide quiet, calm activities before bed.

If you live in a hot house like me, dress your little one in very light layers when they first go to bed. Later in the evening, you may want to add another layer over the top, because as the temperature drops in the early hours, you do not want your child to wake feeling cold. It can be really tricky getting the right balance so sometimes it is a bit of trial and error. For safe wrapping, visit here.

3. Avoid Over-Scheduling

This is a busy time for many families. With so many social events filling up our diaries, it can be hard to say ‘no’. I say everything needs to be in balance. If your child has had a late night or a day of missed naps, then the next day, try to stay closer to home and offer the best opportunity to catch up on lost sleep.

Our children’s bodies do need a certain amount of sleep each day. If that is reduced, then they carry a “sleep debt”. If that sleep debt if not addressed quickly, it will impact on your child’s sleep permanently. A child not sleeping is one tired and cranky household!!

The overall message here is be consistent with bedtime as much as possible. If there has been any missed sleep, make sure your child has a chance to catch up. Make sure your child’s environment is perfect to promote the best quality sleep possible.

Book in a time to chat with me here.

Sleep well!

Baby Sleep, Child Sleep, Sleep Products, Toddler Sleep

Baby sleep gadgets to avoid!

October 15, 2015 Janelle Leave a comment

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.

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

5 Top Tips To Reduce Bedtime Battles

March 5, 2015 Janelle Leave a comment

In an ideal world, bedtime would be the best time of the day where you get to share some special time with your child or children as they unwind and get ready for bed. You share stories about the day, read books, give lots of kisses and cuddles then they drift peacefully off to sleep.

Now in the real world, that seldom happens. As you merely mention the word “bath time” or “bedtime” world war three erupts. You throw them over your shoulder as you wrestle each other to the bathroom. As you try to rip their clothes off, they run away from you. You manage to catch their nose on the neckline and suddenly they are in tears and so are you. You give up on the bath, forgo story time, turn on the telly you all fall asleep on the couch through total exhaustion.

I remember a few years ago I would send myself to timeout, as I was afraid of what I would do if I stayed there any longer. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! So, through my own personal experience, here are a few tips to help ease that bedtime battle…

Play before bath

After dinner is the best time to offer your child a time to play. When it is approximately 30-40minutes before lights out, this is the ideal time to start your bedtime routine. The routine starts with a bath or shower, and ends up in the bedroom with lights out. The bedtime routine is isolated in the bedroom and bathroom only as this becomes the cue that it is “sleepytime”.

Give a heads up

Approximately 5 minutes before the bedtime routine begins, give your child a warning that playtime is nearly over and bath time is about to begin. Imagine you are halfway through painting your nails and you are told to down tools and head to bed. I would say you would be pretty annoyed at being yanked away, plus you haven’t finished yet. Now imagine you get your nail varnish out and I say “you have 5minutes until bath time”. Now you have the choice to quickly paint your nails or choose something else less time consuming. You can even set a timer and once it goes off, it is time to stop playing.

Walk and talk

Once playtime is over, walk and talk. Say “I am heading to the bathroom, I will see you there.” This enables you to be out of the room before the negotiating or arguing starts. You can even make it fun. Tonight we are going to stomp like dinosaurs. Tonight we are going to fly like birds. This is making the transition fun and a slight extension of play.

Offer specific praise

Children love to please. They want to be recognised for doing good deeds. Offer praise and lots of it, BUT make sure the praise is specific to what they are doing. If your child stops playing and heads to the bathroom without a fuss, by saying “good boy” or “good girl” has no meaning to them. If you change it by saying “I liked how you came to the bathroom straight away” allows the child to understand exactly what behaviour pleases you. “I noticed you got into the bath quickly tonight.” Being clear is really important.

Be consistent

There will be some nights when your child will be a true angel and bedtime is a magical experience. There will be some nights when your child is over it and just wants to do what they want to do. Regardless, if you are 100% consistent with your evening routine, YOUR BATTLES WILL BE REDUCED immensely. If one night you are strict with the 5minute warning and the next you give in and agree to 5minutes more, you will inevitably create a bigger bedtime battle.

Children love routine and consistency even if at times they seem to want to resist it. After over a decade of working with children I know this is a definite fact. If you chop and change the rules, your child will be confused and you will pull your hair out.

All in all, bedtime should be a lovely part of your day. If you can keep it a positive and loving experience instead of a screaming match, you will begin to see the change pretty quickly. Every family goes through this bedtime battle from time to time so you are not alone.

Sleep well,

Janelle

Help your child to love sleep