hellosweetdreams

There are plenty reasons siblings may share a bedroom. Maybe this is something you experienced, and you want your children to have this experience too. Or maybe there’s limited room in the house. Whatever the reason may be, there are many benefits but also challenges. Bedtime and sleep can be disrupted. 💤
 
Here are some things to consider making it work:
 
1) Observe how both children are sleeping. Can they fall asleep independently? Time it right. If your children are having sleep struggles, sharing a bedroom will not be the right solution.

2) Put cribs/beds on opposite sides of the room. Use a room divider - a very affordable option!

3) Add a sound machine in that middle to help minimize disruptions.

4) Stagger bedtimes – try putting your younger child down about 30-45 minutes before your older one so that he/she has time to settle and fall asleep before the other child goes to bed. It will take some time to get this coordinated.

Give it some time and stay patient!
 
👶🏽 Do your children share a room? 👶🏻

I love slow Sundays! Who else is part of the slow Sunday club? ❤️

💡 Someone asked me the other day about what matters most when it comes to baby sleep.

❤️ When working with families, I never promise their baby will sleep for 12 hours straight. That’s not the goal. There are different factors that matter, but I care that your baby is getting the right amount of sleep they need.

😴 Proper sleep is critical. I recommend that parents know the average total sleep per age and use this as a guideline. In addition, here are some questions that may help you.   
 
〰️ Is your baby happy
〰️ How is their behavior/mood
〰️ Is their development tracking
〰️ Able to adjust
〰️ Sleep total in 24 hours
 
There are many, many benefits of healthy sleep. Just remember that sleep looks different for every baby!
 
If you have any questions – send me a DM and we can chat about SLEEP!  
 
Happy Friday,
Anne Marie 💕

Last week, a Mom told me she was nervous about her baby learning to roll over. It’s an exciting milestone that many parents look forward to but also wonder how it impacts their little one’s sleep! 😴

To be honest, there will be a few nights with less sleep but don’t forget how amazing it is to see this new movement. 🙌🏼

If your baby is showing any signs of trying to roll over - immediately drop the swaddle. For most babies this happens between 3-5 months of age. My recommendation is to transition out of the swaddle into a sleep sack.

To encourage rolling, get on the floor together and practice rolling during the day! ✨

When did your baby start showing signs of rolling?

Some days… this is just how it is. 😃😉

Wake window is a term that gets talked about a lot. So, what exactly is it? It is the time your baby is awake before they are ready for a nap or bedtime. Wake windows are important because if the gap between naps or bedtime is too long it can result in an overtired baby who will struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. 🥱

👏🏼 The goal is to try and find the best balance between tired enough and not overtired. My advice is to watch those sleepy cues + consider the general wake window range for your baby’s age. These two elements can really help you understand when your baby needs to nap or go to bed.  Remember that your baby is growing and developing, so those wake windows will change.  

If you need any further help, reach out and we can work on it together!

Have a good Monday!
Anne Marie xo

Sleep when the baby sleeps. Have you heard this? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Your baby’s naps may be short so there’s no time to sit down and catch up on some snooze. 😴 I still remember that I would try to do as many things as possible when my little one was sleeping. Whether it was prepping dinner, laundry, cleaning up the house or responding to messages – there was always something to do. When I finally would take a minute to sit down and enjoy my hot coffee, she would immediately wake up. 🤦🏽‍♀️ Other noises didn’t seem to wake her but for some reason me sitting down did the trick. 🙃

I wish I would have taken the time to REST and re-charge instead of running around trying to check off everything on my to-do list. I slowly learned to do this but definitely took a while!

Are you able to rest while your baby is sleeping?

The dream feed. What is it?  
A dream feed is a late-night feed that you give your baby before you go to bed. The aim behind a dream feed is to ‘tank up’ your baby to extend their sleep. 

🌙 It is best to try it between 10pm-11pm.

🌙 Don’t forget to stay in the sleep space (dark +quiet).

Gently pick up your baby and give them a milk feed. Place baby back in their sleep space.

Give it a try for a few days to see how your baby responds.

For some babies it really works. We tried the dream feed with our daughter, and it worked wonders. Yay! 🤸🏾‍♀️Longer stretches at night.

However, it doesn’t work well for all babies. If you notice that your baby is struggling to fall asleep after the dream feed or has multiple wakes, then this isn’t the best approach for your baby.

Did you dream feed your baby?

A few of the families I have worked with find naps are easier, but many of the families will find naps are HARD! 😩

This is totally understandable. It can be difficult to predict if the nap will work out, and if so, for how long. 🤦🏻‍♀️

It will vary between children, but this is a general guide as to when to expect to see a change in your child’s sleep pattern. 

4 naps to 3 naps – 4-5 months
3 naps to 2 naps – 6-9 months
2 naps to 1 nap – 15-18 months

Most toddlers dropped the last nap around 2,5-3 years old.

As your little one gets older, you want to wake them up at a certain time! Naps that are too late in the day can decrease sleep drive for bedtime. 

If you have any questions about NAPS, please let me know!

Transitioning your baby from bassinet to crib?

A lot of parents wonder when is the “right” time. When parents ask me this during a consult, I always inform them it is a personal choice. Only you can answer that question. ❤️

If you follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, you may know that the recommendation is for the baby to stay in your room for at least 6 months and ideally for the first 12 months. This may work for some but not for all families.

Below are some guidelines to help you make the transition when the timing is right for you.

〰️ Take your baby to their nursery during the day. This way your baby gets used to their space.

〰️ Creating a positive association is key.

〰️ I recommend to start practicing naps in the nursery before making the switch to overnight. This way it is gradual.

〰️ See how your baby feels and stay responsive and consistent in your approach.

💫 It may take some time. It’s a big adjustment for all. I’d love to hear from you if you have made the transition and what worked well for you!

Sounds familiar?! 🙃