Sleepy Train Sleep Consulting

Is this just me or does anybody else feel this way? I can't be alone. But this is what I signed up for 😂.



Pick and choose your battles mama! If you want to do any cleaning around the house, we may have to occupy ourselves by making another big mess.



Who has the energy to do more cleaning during nap time 🤷🏻‍♀️

One VERY common theme when moms come to me for sleep advice lately is how they FEEL it is their FAULT for their child's current sleep preferences. THERE IS NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE. You are exactly the mom you were meant to be, and exactly the mom your child needs.

There are a MILLION and ONE opinions on how our child SHOULD sleep, SHOULD feed, SHOULD be. When we are SHOULD-ing someone, we are trying to impose OUR values on someone else. Well...we might just not have the same values and that's perfectly okay! We all have our own reasons to do things the way we NEED to, and CHOOSE to.

There is NOTHING WRONG with holding, nursing, rocking, cuddling, or whatever it may be to get your child to sleep. Some children are naturally better sleepers, and some want a little bit more of you during that sleep time. Our brain and body is wired to respond to our child's cry for help, so we don't need to be sorry for being simply human! If it is working, then why is it a problem?

***IT IS ONLY A PROBLEM IF IT IS A PROBLEM***. If your child's sleep preferences are taking a toll on your well-being, then perhaps it is a time to make some changes. You guessed it, there are also a MILLION and ONE ways to make changes. With that, we can choose a plan that suits you, baby, and family.

YES. There is a best time for screen time! And that is NOT right before bed (or naps) if at all possible. The blue light on our screens can disrupted the body's natural production of melatonin (the hormone necessary to signal the body it's night time and to fall asleep). Avoiding screen time (TVs, phones, tablets) at least an hour before bed would help us all fall asleep better. An extra sleep tip that applies to adults too 😌.

Motherhood is magical. Feeling blessed to have the most demanding, yet rewarding job ever I'll ever get to do. Celebrating with moms of all forms out there! Sending love to all, who may be feeling the full spectrum of feelings that this day brings for your story ♥️.

Anyone else experiencing potential nap transitions during quarantine? I have a 15 month old whom I thought was ready to drop her morning nap. She was fighting it for days ☹️ and she NEVER does that. As reluctant as I was, I thought it was time to try to cut that nap.

NOPE. She didn't like the new change and somewhere along the way, she ended up happily accepting her morning nap back.🤷‍♀️ Not sure what caused that hiccup, but when naps aren't working, you just have to switch things up in order to figure out where they're at. That's the tricky part of nap transitions. Sometimes it's a seamless transition, sometimes it takes some experimentation. They will let you know.

Here is a guide below, but my approach is always to hold onto those naps for as long as they will let you! Who doesn't want a little extra quiet time in the house, am I right? 😁

4-5 months old: 4 to 3 naps
7-8 months old: 3 to 2 naps
14-18 months old: 2 to 1 nap
3-4 years old: 1 to 0 naps

WHY are quality naps important?

For the mother's sanity 😂. Also, their brains and body are developing and it's an exhausting job! Naps allow rest time for their bodies to solidify changes and restore physically. The morning nap is MENTALLY restorative, and the afternoon nap is PHYSICALLY restorative. As for the cat naps, they basically help tide them over until they can make it to bedtime.

Don't underestimate the impact of leading by example. Show our children how we can care for our environment on a daily basis. Habits and values start young!

SLEEP WHEN YOUR BABY SLEEPS they say...which also happens to be the prime time people decide to pursue my doorbell. Story of my sign.

Thank you .

BABY SAFE SLEEP TIP #9

At last, I complete my S-A-F-E S-L-E-E-P posts. Did you catch the words spelled out on my page? It's important information for any new/seasoned parent. It can save lives. I certainly wasn't fully aware myself until...2 children later 😐

Back to my last tip...
Keep it SIMPLE! All you need is a crib, firm mattress, and fitted sheet. Don't worry about them needing to feel cozy, because all they need is to be safe. Add an appropriate sleep sack, and they will be snug as can be!

BABY SAFE SLEEP TIP #8

Allow for room sharing at least for the first 6 months :) I know some parents have a preference for their little ones to be in their own nursery earlier, but room sharing for the first 6 months can decrease the risk of SIDS by as much as 50%. Any parent can relate to how often an infant feeds throughout the night in the first few weeks! Doesn't this make the proximity so much more appealing when you are half awake tending to their needs? We be like 🥱🥰😴.

Let's be clear though...room sharing is not the same as bed sharing 🙃. You will have the baby's crib/bassinet set up in your bedroom, where the baby will be doing their sleeping 🙂. Refer to the string of "S-L-E-E-P" posts earlier for more details on how to have a safe set up.

One more tip left on this topic. Because I planned on spelling something with my series of posts and didn't realize it would take so long 😂

BABY SAFE SLEEP TIP #7

Always use a firm, flat surface for sleep. Waterbeds (do these still exist btw? 🤔), air mattresses, pillows, couches/sofas or soft materials are not safe sleep surfaces for babies. Babies can turn and bury their face in these soft materials, decreasing the amount of air they can breathe.

Be aware! It's also super easy to doze off while cuddling our little ones on the couch or bed, because parenting is hard and demanding. It also makes for a cute Instagram photo....but safety first please :)

How firm is firm? How flat is flat?
No bumps, peeks, valleys, or inclines.
Press into mattress and it should snap back right away with resistance to any indentations. Edges and corners need to be just as firm to prevent gaps being formed between crib and mattress. And that's the end of the technical tip for today! Happy Easter Monday 🐇🐣✝️❤️

BABY SAFE SLEEP TIP #6

The MOST OVERLOOKED tip when it comes to safe sleep:

Make sure your child's other caregivers are educated about safe sleep too! We have learned a lot over the generations about what may put our child at risk during their sleep. Our parents probably have their opinions and practices they hold strong to about how they raised, fed, and napped their babies. And since we turned out fine, they may not realize the need to change anything. Totally understandable!

BUT...we now have information they didn't have back then. Don't assume other caregivers hold the same standard of sleep practices as you, it never hurts to double check to make sure you're all on the same page!

3 more tips to follow to complete this important Safe Sleep series! It's the foundation. All coming this week :)

BABY SAFE SLEEP TIP #5

(Look! I spelled SLEEP using my series of posts on IG 😁) Now...

The best way to protect you and your little one's health is to focus on being smoke-free. This is one of the ways to reduce the risk of sleep related infant deaths.

To create a smoke-free space, we want to be aware that there can be unwanted exposure to baby through second-hand smoke (inhaled indirectly) and third-hand smoke (gas particles that have settled onto surfaces). We want to avoid both of these.

What can we do if smoking is involved?

To minimize baby's exposure to smoke, do not smoke inside the home, and change before handling the baby as particles from smoking may have settled onto clothing. Ultimately, as challenging as it will be, quitting will yield the greatest long term benefits. Check with your primary healthcare provider because there are many options to support one towards being smoke free.