Goodnight Sunshine Sleep Consultant

Sleep associations continued...

So you may have seen these sleep associations before, however grouped into:
✅ Positive
❌ Negative

I personally don't like this as cuddling to sleep isn't a negative thing. It is just parent based. Your little one needs you to be able to go to sleep - and quite possibly to connect those sleep cycles.

This is why it can often get too much for Mum's and perhaps both you, and your little one, aren't getting the sleep you both need. But that doesn't make it a negative thing... It just means it isn't working for you anymore. Perhaps it once was but not anymore.

That's OK 💛

Let's look at shifting your baby to having independent sleep associations. These would include a swaddle or sleeping bag, white noise, a cuddly/lovey, a dark sleep space and a bedtime ritual.

These things your child doesn't need replacing after each sleep cycle... The environment is the same as when they went to sleep = more likely to resettle and link those sleep cycles 🔗

Sleep associations continued... So you may have seen these sleep associations before, however grouped into: ✅ Positive ❌ Negative I personally don't like this as cuddling to sleep isn't a negative thing. It is just parent based. Your little one needs you to be able to go to sleep - and quite possibly to connect those sleep cycles. This is why it can often get too much for Mum's and perhaps both you, and your little one, aren't getting the sleep you both need. But that doesn't make it a negative thing... It just means it isn't working for you anymore. Perhaps it once was but not anymore. That's OK 💛 Let's look at shifting your baby to having independent sleep associations. These would include a swaddle or sleeping bag, white noise, a cuddly/lovey, a dark sleep space and a bedtime ritual. These things your child doesn't need replacing after each sleep cycle... The environment is the same as when they went to sleep = more likely to resettle and link those sleep cycles 🔗 #babysleep #firsttimemum #mumlife #newborn #pregnant #firsttimemum #babysleepconsultant #motherhood #sleep #newmum #babytips #newborntips #mumblogger #mummyblogger #mumsofinstagram #nosleepclub #goodnightsunshine #sweetdreams #gentlesleep #babywhisperer #parentinghacks #honestmotherhood #tiredmum #toddlersleep

So, what is a sleep association? It's everything it says on the tin... Something that your baby associates with going to sleep. Why is it such a hot topic? Because often when babies wake at the end of their sleep cycle they need the same environment and conditions to drift back asleep again. This could be:
☀️ Being rocked
☀️ Hearing white noise playing
☀️ Being fed
☀️ Having their Teddy to cuddle
☀️ Being cuddled
☀️ Being in their cot in a dark room
.. Etc

Now, something we associate with going to sleep may be a pillow. Imagine we get to the end of a sleep cycle and our pillow is gone? What do we do? Wake up fully to replace the pillow and go back to sleep!

Babies are exactly the same. Let's say they associate sleeping with being cuddled and rocked in your arms. It gets to the end of their sleep cycle and they're in their cot. Wait... What? This isn't where I went to sleep - cue the full wake up.

Now have you ever heard of sleep associations being grouped into positive and negative? This isn't true... There are only ever things that work or don't work for you. And even if they don't work?? It doesn't make them negative. They just simply don't work anymore.

So, what is a sleep association? It's everything it says on the tin... Something that your baby associates with going to sleep. Why is it such a hot topic? Because often when babies wake at the end of their sleep cycle they need the same environment and conditions to drift back asleep again. This could be: ☀️ Being rocked ☀️ Hearing white noise playing ☀️ Being fed ☀️ Having their Teddy to cuddle ☀️ Being cuddled ☀️ Being in their cot in a dark room ... Etc Now, something we associate with going to sleep may be a pillow. Imagine we get to the end of a sleep cycle and our pillow is gone? What do we do? Wake up fully to replace the pillow and go back to sleep! Babies are exactly the same. Let's say they associate sleeping with being cuddled and rocked in your arms. It gets to the end of their sleep cycle and they're in their cot. Wait... What? This isn't where I went to sleep - cue the full wake up. Now have you ever heard of sleep associations being grouped into positive and negative? This isn't true... There are only ever things that work or don't work for you. And even if they don't work?? It doesn't make them negative. They just simply don't work anymore. #babysleep #firsttimemum #mumlife #newborn #pregnant #firsttimemum #babysleepconsultant #motherhood #sleep #newmum #babytips #newborntips #mumblogger #mummyblogger #mumsofinstagram #nosleepclub #goodnightsunshine #sweetdreams #babywhisperer #parentinghacks #honestmotherhood #tiredmum #toddlersleep