Cool beats heat when it comes to sleep.
There are a number of reasons why cooler environments are preferred when it comes to helping your baby sleep. Heck, adults also need cool conditions to get their best sleep.
Case Study: 8 month old Khalil
Lily was a great support for us!
Our goals were to have our son become an independent sleeper for naps and night time sleep as well as sleeping through the night. She was able to help us achieve this. She was very approachable and responsive. Highly recommend her services
Khalil was 8 months old when we started working together. Mom was desperate for help with his sleep. At first, Khalil’s parents hesitated and doubted this would work for their son but they where willing to try because they realized how important a good nights sleep was for the entire family. It paid off.
Khalil was waking 2-3 times at night and needed to be patted or nursed to sleep at every waking.
Mom & Dad needed a plan on how to approach his night wakings. They were also looking for strategies for getting Khalil sleeping longer stretches at night and self-settling independently.
The goal was to improve Khalil’s sleep, so they have more energy during the day and establish healthy sleep habits for the entire family.
We started working on a wholistic plan to set Khalil up for success. We addressed safety, his sleep environment, bedtime routine and nutrition. All of the foundations. Khalil started on solids and we were able to wean him from feedings at night.
Within days he was out of the swaddle and into a sleep sack. His mom & dad did a great job at making his room as conducive to sleep as possible, they bought back out blinds and have a fan running in his room.
Within a week and with the introduction of a settling technique, Khalil was sleeping 12 hours at night. Any night wake ups he could now roll over and put himself back to sleep. He mastered the skill in no time!
Khalil is now not only a great independent sleeper but he’s also a great napper. Mom is now able to have time to herself during naps as they are predictable and help re-energize them to enjoy the day together.
Khalil’s parents are now getting the rest they need and so is little Khalil. He is a well-rested, happy baby and his parents now have the tools and knowledge to approach sleep confidently.
It was such a pleasure working with this family. Although they know that sleep is constantly changing as our children grow, they are now confident and equipped to know what to do to continue great sleep habits in the future.
Sleep Training. What it is and what it's NOT.
Sleep Training. The internet and misguided opinions have taken this term which actually encompasses a number of different techniques that help babies learn to sleep and made it to mean one thing..cry it out.
This automatically makes parents cringe at the thought of leaving their sweet baby in a room, closing the door and letting them cry all night long by themselves. Completely understandable! and yes no parent likes to hear their baby cry. But this is not what sleep training means AT ALL!
Case Study: Reflux baby, from waking every 1-2 hours overnight to sleeping 12 hours at night
The Wind Down: Key Steps that Lead to Great Sleep
Wind down? Bedtime routine? Who has time for that?!
Us mama’s are busy and by the time we get dinner on the table, baby fed and realize it’s suddenly bedtime, there isn’t any time for a bedtime routine!
We rush to get baby down before they hit overtired (my voice in your head reiterating how important an early bedtime is?!).
So why is this bedtime routine and nap wind down routine so important??
What you NEED to know when shopping for the right stroller
How formula saved my baby's life.
I’m a mom of two beautifully healthy babies, and I’m so grateful for that. I count my blessings everyday. I, like many moms however, have carried around many doubts and guilt around my motherhood journey. For me it’s mostly around breastfeeding.
It was my worst nightmare. It still is. My healthy chubby baby has lost over 14% of his birth weight and was admitted for 5 days. They pumped him with fluids and we began to give him formula. The fact that my baby had been starving, made me feel that I had failed as a new mother.
Five easy ways to work on sleep when you're exhausted
t’s a vicious cycle. You’re too exhausted to work on sleep, so you continue to be exhausted. You wish you had the energy to get your sleep situation sorted so you can rest but in the middle of the night all you want to do is SLEEP, so you do anything possible to get your baby back to sleep, so you can get some shut eye yourself. I GET it! I’ve been there!
Here’s the thing, most sleep deprived moms don’t have the energy to brush their teeth let alone be up for hours allowing baby to figure out self soothing, or comforting and providing that support while your baby navigates going from awake, to drowsy, to asleep. We can’t force a baby to sleep, we can’t make them self soothe, we can only provide the ideal conditions and opportunities for them, and be there for them as they figure things out. THAT takes work, lots of patience and most of all consistency.
Sleep associations and why they're not "bad".
Does this sound like your nights?
Baby falls asleep rocking, nursing, singing, bouncing..is then placed ever so gently in their crib and you can finally get some good nights rest. Or not. You go to sleep reluctantly knowing that you will be up in a few hours to rock, nurse, sing, bounce. The seconds on the clock tick away and every second is time you could be sleeping but instead you’re anticipating that wake up. Without fail you’re up at 1, 3, 4:30, 5 and well then up for the day (why not).
You’re exhausted, baby is exhausted and you drag your feet all day in a state of blur.
Let me tell you you’re not alone.
3 ways to fit "self-care" into your busy lives.
7 Simple steps to dropping a nap!
Okay, so if you’ve read my last blog post “Nap Transitions: When it’s time to drop a nap!” and you've evaluated your situation and decided your baby is really ready to drop that nap. Let’s talk about how to do it!
Here are 7 steps to dropping that nap
Nap Transitions: When it's time to drop a nap!
Babies are funny. Just as you think you have their schedules figured out and you begin getting the hang of this nap thing. They go and grow, their sleep requirements change and the nap games begins again! Don’t get too comfortable mama, I’m about to pull a fast one on you!
Three signs your baby is ready to drop their nap.
Ten Sleep Tips for Newborns
Toddler Talk: How to get toddlers to love their bed and stay in it!
When I talk to toddler mom’s I don’t know whether to give them a hug, a Tylenol or a coffee. My impulse is all three.
I AM a toddler mom and WOW toddlers are challenging at times. They can switch so fast between emotional explosion because you broke up their banana for them on a day that they suddenly decided that they wanted to eat it whole AND so darn cute the very next second as they eat said banana, singing their favourite song at the top of their lungs. It’s an emotional, physical and mental rollercoaster. and it’s exhausting. It’s exhausting for both parents AND toddlers and the truth is, BOTH need adequate sleep to rise to these developmental progressions. Plus they’re so peaceful and adorable when sleeping..said EVERY PARENT on the planet..!
Why early bedtimes are "magic"!
Mom Guilt and Sleep
I recently went on a weekend getaway with my husband. We have a 5 month old and a two year old and desperately needed to take a breath and re-connect. Lately we had been so busy that we only spoke to each other like robots coordinating daily plans and logistics, kids pickups, classes, groceries, kids updates (a new tooth, two tantrums etc)...all while having tiny humans hanging off of us. It was needed.
Nap Woes...Understanding Common Nap Challenges By Age
So as parents we’ve all been there…baby won’t nap, has a short nap, skips a nap and you cringe knowing that meltdowns are going to consume your day. Cancel all plans, the entire day is a write off! Just like that!
How do you possibly prepare yourself for an imminent threat to your sanity?!? Coffee. and Information.
Knowing what you should expect from your child at each stage of development, what their sleep needs are and how to avoid nap disasters can help parents navigate naps or lack thereof.
How to tell if your baby is overtired?
It’s surprising how much sleep babies actually need. If you’ve ever missed a sleep window and experienced an overtired baby, I feel you. It’s not fun. A fussy, whiny, grumpy baby is very often an overtired baby. You would think that if baby is extremely tired they would have an easier time going to sleep. nope. as many tired parents can attest Its actually the opposite.
