Helen Sleep Nanny

Helen Sleep Nanny Child Sleep Consultancy:
1:1 tailored sleep training using a gentle and family-centered approach.

FRIDAY FACT - studies have shown that people born in winter are less prone to irritable temperaments when they grow up. ...
09/01/2026

FRIDAY FACT - studies have shown that people born in winter are less prone to irritable temperaments when they grow up. 😳😮

🧠 It’s said to be because the seasons can have an effect on certain chemical substances in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin which control mood.

☀️ In these studies, it was suggested babies born in summer are more prone to mood swings when they grow up. 🙊

🌸Whereas those born in spring tend to be positive, upbeat and optimistic. 😇

🍁 Autumn born babies are less likely to be depressive when older. 😁

🙋‍♀️ I have a spring, summer & 2 winter babies. A real mix of all moods lol. 🙈🤣

Share this post with anyone you know expecting a baby this month, or who already has a winter- born baby. If this study is right, these babies will be less likely to have temper tantrums when they’re older!! 😳🤔 🤷‍♀️

SICKNESS SEASON. 😢🫣📚 Christmas holidays are over. Parents are back to work and kids are back to daycare / nursery /schoo...
07/01/2026

SICKNESS SEASON. 😢🫣
📚 Christmas holidays are over. Parents are back to work and kids are back to daycare / nursery /school.

🧐 It’s a fact that there can be a spike in illnesses at this time because our kids are mixing with a large number of their peers again in close proximity…..which is the ideal environment for germs to spread rapidly! 🦠

🤔 Check out some simple steps that we can do at home to help reduce the risks.

📝 Getting into a routine of doing this everyday after getting home, can have an impact over time.

👉 Swipe to the end to see which one I think is most important!! 😉💤

Don’t forget to 👍 if you find this post useful! 💖

24/12/2025

🎅 Happy Christmas to all my lovely clients & followers.
😘 Thank you for trusting me with your family’s sleep this year - from the infant stage to the toddler bedtime battles and the older children finding their rhythm!
🎊 The holidays can bring later nights, big emotions, and maybe even a little routine wobble , but that’s okay. Be kind to yourselves, soak up the memories, and remember that sleep can always be reset.
💖 Wishing you a Christmas filled with love, calm moments and some well-deserved rest 🤍😴

FRIDAY FACT: AGE APPROPRIATE CHORES HELP CHILDREN DEVELOP INTO HAPPIER, MORE SUCCESSFUL ADULTS! 😍🧺 A long term study fro...
19/12/2025

FRIDAY FACT: AGE APPROPRIATE CHORES HELP CHILDREN DEVELOP INTO HAPPIER, MORE SUCCESSFUL ADULTS! 😍

🧺 A long term study from Harvard strongly suggests giving children chores from an early age helps them develop better work ethic, self-esteem, empathy, and life satisfaction. It also teaches life skills and builds their resilience. 🙌

🧹 Suggested chores:

👶 2-3yrs:
* Put away toys
* Wipe up spills
* Water plants
* Put clothes in drawer

👧 4-5yrs:
* Set table
* Bring plate to sink after dinner
* Help make bed (not perfectly)
* Sort laundry (e.g. match socks)
* Sweep small areas

🚶🏾‍♀️6-9yrs
* Make bed
* Vacuum their rooms
* Help with meal prep
* Take out bin bag
* Fold and put away laundry

If you have older kids, there are lots of other jobs they could also be doing.

🎄Christmas time is a busy time of household tasks- we are generally at home more and there’s so much prepping, washing, tidying and so on! No better time than the present (🎁 pardon the pun 😝) to get them involved!!!

👍 if you agree!

🎅TIP 3: PREPARE YOUR LITTLE ONE FOR BEDTIME:📚 Children need and like boundaries. It’s our job as their parents to set th...
16/12/2025

🎅TIP 3: PREPARE YOUR LITTLE ONE FOR BEDTIME:

📚 Children need and like boundaries. It’s our job as their parents to set those boundaries because it gives them a sense of security. 🥰

✅ For that reason, a calming, predictable bedtime routine is so important. Same steps in same order.

⏰ For toddlers and older children, it’s even a good idea to give them notice about bedtime. So literally letting them know it’s for example 30mins….then 10 mins before bedtime and following through with your bedtime routine as part of that. This is particularly important around 🎄 when they are in a constant state of excitement. By giving them notice and not springing it on them, they can start to unwind for bedtime, although it is likely you will have to encourage them with that - turning off screens and instead a more relaxing activity such as reading or a board game.

🤯 Let me know in the comments if you find bedtime more difficult than normal at this time of the year.

FRIDAY FACT- if children receive too many gifts they value them less! 😳🎁 Toddlers with fewer toys play longer with them ...
12/12/2025

FRIDAY FACT- if children receive too many gifts they value them less! 😳

🎁 Toddlers with fewer toys play longer with them (better focus) and with more imagination and creativity.

😫 If children are given too many toys, they can become overwhelmed and lead to negative behaviours. Less gifts can mean a less stressful, more meaningful environment.

😍 Limiting gifts helps children develop gratitude and empathy skills.

⁉️ How many gifts are recommended?

👶 (0-2yrs): 1-2 sensory /developmental gifts
(e.g. texture book, posting toy)

👧 (3-4yrs): 3-4 gifts
(e.g building blocks, dress-up, pretend play-dolls / teaset)

🧍‍♀️ (5-10yrs): 4-6 gifts (? use the 4 gift rule)
* something they want ⚽️
* something they need 🚲
* something to wear 👖
* something to read 📕

💖 In essence, LESS IS MORE!

The joy of Christmas is in spending quality time together, not in the quantity of presents our kids receive! Let’s, as parents take the pressure off ourselves and make sure we don’t indulge our kids with too much. 👏

Don’t forget to hit 👍 if you agree with this post! 🥰

🎅 CHRISTMAS TIP 2: LIMIT SUGARY TREATS:🍭 It’s very easy for children to be tempted by all the sugary treats available ar...
10/12/2025

🎅 CHRISTMAS TIP 2: LIMIT SUGARY TREATS:

🍭 It’s very easy for children to be tempted by all the sugary treats available around Christmas...advent calendars, selection boxes, chocolate Santas, fizzy drinks etc. Often parents allow a bit more than normal…..simply because it’s Christmas.🙈

🛏️ But we still need to monitor and limit these foods, especially close to bedtime because they can cause an adrenaline rush just when you are looking your little one to relax and wind down in preparation for sleep!

💤 Also it’s important to know that eating a high level of sugary foods can mean our children get less deep, restorative sleep. Given that that’s when they go through 75% of their growth and brain development, getting deep sleep is very important! Consequently, too much sugar (and not enough deep sleep) can result in a sluggish child during the day.

🚫 Hope that helps you to feel better when you have to politely decline the generous granny /granda/ auntie/ uncle etc who are always handing out the goodies!! 🫣😳🍬🍭🍩

Do you, (like me) struggle with all the Christmas treats tempting our kids?

🎅 TIP 1: STICK TO YOUR USUAL ROUTINE (as best you can). 🎄 Over the Christmas holiday period, it can be easy to let norma...
08/12/2025

🎅 TIP 1: STICK TO YOUR USUAL ROUTINE (as best you can).

🎄 Over the Christmas holiday period, it can be easy to let normal routine and timings slip. You may be away from home or have family / friends visiting and before you know it, naps are missed or bedtimes have crept later. Some people believe that will make falling asleep easier and yes your child may ‘crash out’ when they get to bed, but sometimes you can see more issues in the long run. Your little one can quickly become overtired, and often this can cause a bedtime battle, frequent night wakings and/or early rising. 🤯

🚗 Plan journeys around naptime. A motion nap is better than no sleep at all! 👌

🧸 If you’re staying away from home, bring some familiar items, sleepsuit, comfort teddy, even possibly the fitted sheet from the cot. Also a portable black-out blind might also be useful in case the room is too bright for naps.

👶 Prioritise your child’s sleep. Family will love spending time with the children, but they will also understand that it’s in the baby’s best interests to get their usual sleep. A tired and cranky little one is hard work, when all they really want is their bed! 😴

😫 A later bedtime for toddlers / children is unlikely to mean they sleep in any later the next morning for you. And then sometimes it’s easy to get frustrated the next day when our children are tired and cranky. We maybe expect too much from them but ultimately if we haven’t facilitated their normal sleep, what do we expect!!!!!??

🧖‍♀️ Personally I’d much rather get my kids to bed as normal and be able to relax a few hours before going to bed myself. 🍷📚

Who agrees? Leave a “me” in the comments if this is you too!

FRIDAY FACT- TV’s in children’s bedrooms are not recommended! ❌😴 They are associated with shorter nighttime sleep durati...
05/12/2025

FRIDAY FACT- TV’s in children’s bedrooms are not recommended! ❌

😴 They are associated with shorter nighttime sleep duration and more frequent sleep problems.

📺 Watching TV too close to bedtime means the blue light emitted from it affects production of melatonin (our ‘sleepy hormone’).

🤯 Falling asleep while watching TV means the child will zonk out to sleep rather than self settling. When they wake up in the night, they won’t know how to get back over.

🛌 As they get older, watching a TV in the bedroom can lead to less active lifestyles, distraction from academic work and time away from family quality time.

😌 Ideally the bedroom should be a calm space for sleep and quiet activities and screens kept in other common rooms in the house - living / play rooms.

💫Bedtime bliss, TV less!💫

WANT TO IMPROVE SLEEP IN YOUR HOUSE BEFORE CHRISTMAS? JUST IMAGINE…… 😴💤🎄🎅Here’s 5 reasons why…….🎄Avoid those Christmas ...
03/12/2025

WANT TO IMPROVE SLEEP IN YOUR HOUSE BEFORE CHRISTMAS? JUST IMAGINE…… 😴💤🎄🎅

Here’s 5 reasons why…….

🎄Avoid those Christmas meltdowns. (And that’s only the parents!!!😜😜) A well-rested child will get much more out of an experience than an overtired and overstimulated little one! 😥

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families can enjoy rather than survive the Christmas season. Imagine no more bedtime battles and overnight wakes. All that energy you would have to make memories, wrap presents and soak up the Christmas atmosphere together. 🥰

🦠 Help strengthen immune systems against Winter bugs. ‘Tis the season and all that. 🙈 Sleep helps build immunity but also means a quicker recovery if they do catch a bug. 💪

🗣️ Reduce parental stress & arguments. December can be a busy and stressful month. If you’re all tired, very quickly small issues can seem like a big deal. Sleep will help! 😍

🎁 It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Do it now, don’t wait until January. There’s a window of opportunity to get things on track before the Christmas holidays! 🎅

Ready to have a restful Christmas? DM me now to grab a consultation slot before they are all gone! 🙋‍♀️

“NIGHT NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT!” origin.❓How many of us say this at night to our children when we tuck them into bed? I alway...
28/11/2025

“NIGHT NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT!” origin.

❓How many of us say this at night to our children when we tuck them into bed? I always assumed it was a reference to tucking their blankets in snugly. 💖

📖 However, it does in fact date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, when beds had frames with a crisscross pattern of ropes to support the mattress. Over time these ropes would stretch and loosen and needed tightened to prevent the mattress sagging.

🪢 Therefore “Sleep tight” refers to the need to tighten the ropes for a good night’s sleep.

🛌 Our modern day bed frames thankfully don’t need this regular adjustment. That doesn’t mean we are guaranteed a good night’s sleep!! Babies and kids make sure of that lol! 🙈
Agree, anyone? 😜😜😴

🧣 WRAP UP WARM OR YOU'LL CATCH YOUR COLD?? Not true!!📚 Put simply, cold weather ALONE does not make us ill. The common...
21/11/2025

🧣 WRAP UP WARM OR YOU'LL CATCH YOUR COLD?? Not true!!

📚 Put simply, cold weather ALONE does not make us ill. The common cold and flu are caused by viruses that we come in contact with.
HOWEVER.......the winter months can increase our chances of catching a virus. 🤷🏻‍♀️How?

🦠 When it's cold, we spend more time indoors together in close contact and therefore viruses spread more easily as the droplets move through the air.

❄️ Some cold / flu viruses survive easier and longer in cold, dry conditions with little sunlight.

🥷🏻In the cold & dry winter conditions, our body's immune system finds it harder to fight off some viruses. So if we come in contact with such a virus, we are more likely to catch it.

⭐ MYTH BUSTED! We can't get sick from just being outside in the cold.......but there are other factors meaning colds / flus are more prevalent in the Winter!

Every day's a school day??? This was learning for me! Don't forget to hit like if you agree! 👍🏻

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Magherafelt

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