NightyNight Owl

🌛 Here are my top tips on how to handle your little ones sleep when traveling:

🦉 Stick to a schedule...within reason. Maintaining your little one’s regular nap times & bedtime will help them sleep in an unfamiliar environment, but remember to have fun & make lasting memories while you are away. Your child (& you!) will enjoy your trip more if they are well rested.

✨ If your child is still taking daytime naps, try to get in at least one crib nap (or Pack n’ Play) per day. (Ideally the first nap for babies taking 2 or more per day).

🌛 How much is too much? Aim for most bedtimes to be on time or within a half hour of your little one’s regular bedtime. The occasional late night won’t derail their sleep too much, but try to keep it within 30 minutes of their usual bedtime & avoid more than one late night in a row.

🦉 Know what to expect. Struggling to fall asleep, night wakings, early waking, overtired behavior, are all common situations when traveling. Do your best to be patient & understanding, & keep in mind that it’s frustrating for your child as well.

✨ Routine - Use the same bedtime & nap routines you use at home. It may be tempting to deviate from your routine, but a familiar bedtime routine will help your child feel secure and fall asleep more peacefully.

🌛 Get creative - Plan a drive around nap time, plan activities during your child’s awake time. If you are out past bedtime, & if you’re likely to be out at a friend’s place past bedtime, bring along a Pack n’ Play & try to find a dark, quiet area for your little one to sleep.

🦉 Communicate! Be clear with your friends & family with you that you’ve made sleep a priority for your child. Ask them to work with you & schedule activities around their sleep when possible.

✨ Bedtime - Your child may need some wind down time before starting the bedtime routine. Remove your child from the environment & engage in some quieter, one on one play with less stimulation. This will help them calm down & prepare to sleep.

🌛 Parents rule - If a parent is around, they should be the ones to do the bedtime routine. Keeping it consistent will be very helpful for your toddler or preschooler.

🌛If your little one wakes like clock work shortly after going to bed… keep reading!

🦉Have you ever heard of false starts? It is a very common & often super frustrating sleep pattern.

✨A false start is when your baby wakes shortly after going to bed at night – usually within the first 45-60 minutes.

🌛5 Reasons your little one could be having false starts:

Overtired (this is probably the most common cause): Often due to chronic catnapping or the awake window before bedtime is too long. Try to consolidate at least one nap during the day &/or move up bedtime.

Falling asleep during bedtime feed: is your little one falling asleep at the breast or bottle during their bedtime feed? This can cause them to wake shortly after out of hunger wanting to complete the feed. Work on doing the feed in a bright room & encouraging the full feed at the beginning of the bedtime routine.

Discomfort from dinner: have you introduced a new food during dinner? Or is it too big of a meal or too close to bedtime? Introduce new foods in the beginning of the day for breakfast or lunch so you can keep a close eye on signs of discomfort, intolerances, or allergies. Don’t overdo their dinner hoping for them to “fill up” - feed your little one until they show signs of being full. I usually recommend at least an hour between dinner & bedtime.

Strong sleep association (being put down asleep): are you feeding, rocking, or bouncing your little one to sleep & then transferring them to their sleep space? When they wake up while transitioning through their sleep cycles, they can become acutely aware of any changes in their environment & completely wake up. Putting them down awake & supporting them to settle int their sleep space creates more consistent sleep conditions.

Habit: If your baby is regularly exposed to food, light, or social interaction at a certain time, their body’s start to expect it & that is how habits are formed. Avoid getting your little one up after a false start / treating it like a nap. If they had a good bedtime feed, attempt to resettle without feeding.

Does your little one struggle with this? If you need any help or have questions, please shoot me a message!

🌛 You just had an amazing trip with your family & now you are returning home . . . how do you get back on track with your little one’s sleep?

🦉 Be patient. Give your child a couple days to adjust back to your time zone. With babies, use their awake time as a guide for their sleep until you are back on schedule. If you notice any regression upon your return, address it immediately. The longer you wait to do something, the worse it will become. Follow the steps below based on the level of regression your child is experiencing.

✨ Sleep Regressions on Return - After you return from your trip, it’s always the hope that your baby will bounce back to their established sleeping habits! Unfortunately this isn’t always the case. If you find that your child has regressed, use one of the methods below, depending on the extent of the regression.

🌛 Minimal Regression: When you put your child down for bed, implement a “leave and check”response. Lay them down and leave the room. If they start to protest, wait 10 minutes and then go in and offer some comfort. Leave the room and repeat if necessary until they fall asleep.

🦉 Moderate Regression: Use a more rapid sleep training approach. If you want to be in the room with them as they learn to fall asleep on their own again, stay by their bed 1-2 nights, then ease out of their room. If you want to do regular check ins,jump right into 10 minutes between checks.

✨ Severe Regression: In this case, your child has developed significant attachment to outside support in falling asleep. You will want to start from scratch and re-sleep train. As always, please reach out for support through this process.

🌛 Any questions about traveling and getting back on track? I help parents just like you everyday! Send me a message - I’d love to help! ❤️

🌛 Does your little one struggle with a particular process? Here is how I go through the process!

🦉 Problem Solving Process (verbal 2.5 year old & up – when other options have failed)

✨ Intro: “You’ve been struggling to stay seated at the dinner table during mealtime. What’s up?”

🌛 *Parent Tips: Listen to understand. Do not speak except to paraphrase. Do not judge or lecture. Do not move on until you understand the situation clearly.

🦉 Define the problem in 2 sentences: 1. Problem for them. 2. Problem for you.
For example: “You get really bored at dinner & don’t want to sit any more. I really want you to stay focused so we can finish the meal.”

✨ Brainstorming: “What do you think we can do to solve this problem?”

🌛 Brainstorm solutions by writing every option down.
*Parent Tips: Do not judge. Write everything down (even the goofy answers). Find MANY (at least 10 but keep going if they will!) You can suggest things, but your child should suggest more than ½ of the solutions.

🦉 Picking the best answer: Let THEM pick their answer.

✨ Try it out!

🌛 Keep the list, if the solution doesn’t work you can go back to the drawing board.

🦉 Questions about problem solving with your little one? Shoot me a message! I’d love to help!

🌛 What are my thoughts on vacationing / sleep with your little one?

🦉 Some babies are simply more flexible than others. Some will do fine with a completely interrupted schedule and not miss a beat. Some are more sensitive to overtiredness and change in routine. You will quickly find out where your baby falls on the “adaptability” spectrum.

✨ Remember that this is a short season of life. Soon your child will be old enough to have the stamina to enjoy some long,memory-filled days on vacation. This time of making sleep one of your priorities on vacation will pass in a few years.

🌛 With your toddler, try to provide them with a strong sense of security while traveling. Give them details about your day,what you plan to do and who you will be with. Explain where they will be sleeping and where you will be once they go to bed. Over-communication is the key. Try to find places to give them control. Let them make choices along the way – where to eat, where to set up their bed in the room, who will read their book at night. Involve them in the process.

🦉 Traveling can be hard with children. If you find yourself anxiously concerned about how things will go, sleep schedules, etc,it can impact your level of enjoyment on your trip. Try to relax your
expectations. Things won’t be perfect, they won’t look like home, and that is okay! Once you can
come to terms with that, it will make the trip much more enjoyable! Most importantly, let the little things go and HAVE FUN!!!

✨ Are you concerned about your little one sleeping while you are away - send me a message! I’d love to offer some tips! ❤️

🌛 Are you struggling with sleep & your little one? Years ago, after my experience of getting our son on a schedule, I wanted to help other parents just like me. I wanted to support parents to eliminate any issues caused by sleeplessness, that were keeping them from having the relationship with their children that they dreamed of. The science of sleep intrigued me, and now here I am, a Certified Sleep Consultant ready to help you.

🦉 I know firsthand the importance of establishing healthy sleeping habits from the start, and now I’m dedicated to providing the tools and support to other families in need. Babies do not come with a manual. At the early ages of life to adolescence, sleep should take up about 50% of your child’s daily activities. If that is not happening, then this probably means no one in the house is getting the sleep they need. I want to clear up the common misconceptions surrounding parents, babies, and sleep, just because you have a baby, does not mean that you have to be sleep deprived!

✨ If your baby is waking multiple times a night, naps are never long enough or are inconsistent, and bedtime is the most dreaded part of the night, then I am here to tell you it doesn’t have to be this way! I help parents learn the skills they need to know in order to give their child the best chance at healthy sleep. The parenting journey goes by so quickly. You do not want to be too tired to enjoy it! I customize Step-by-Step plans for YOUR child.

🌛 If this is speaking to you - allow me to take your family from fatigued and tired to refreshed and rested! What is a better gift you can give your children and yourself than the gift of sleep! Send me a message for more information! ❤️

🌛 Have you had to deal with the dreaded four-month sleep regression?! 🙋‍♀️🙋🙋‍♂️ Or have you heard horror stories about it?!

🦉 As a professional sleep consultant, I hear the term “regression” used in regards to just about every imaginable circumstance.

✨ Essentially, if baby doesn’t sleep well for a couple of nights, parents start dropping the ‘R’ word.

🌛 Some people subscribe to the idea that there’s an 8 month regression, a 9 month regression, a 1 year regression, as well as teething regressions, growth spurt regressions, and so on. Others see these as simple hiccups caused by extenuating circumstances.

🦉 But the four-month regression, everybody agrees on, and for good reason. It’s the real deal, and it’s permanent. Your little one is actually going through an actual biological change in the way your little one sleeps.

✨ Basically - at around 4 months of age your baby may wake up more frequently because they are growing & developing. They are going from having 2 stages of deep sleep . . . to now 4! So this “regression” is because they are waking between these sleep cycles and needing help falling back asleep.

🌛 Are you worried about the 4 month sleep regression? Or are you stuck right in it? Do not worry! It will pass! Sometimes it does take a few weeks - but you got this! And as always, if you have any questions or would like support during this time - let me know! I’d love to help! ❤️

🌛 Are you traveling somewhere in a different time zone? Here are my best tips on how to handle that with your little ones sleep! ⬇️

🦉 Traveling for 3+ Days - Get on the new time zone immediately (this should take 1-2 days depending on the time difference). This will mean some extended awake windows, an early or late bedtime,BUT the quicker you get on the new time, the smoother your trip will go.

✨ Traveling for Less than 3 Days - Try splitting the difference between your home time and the new timezone. For example, if there is a two hour difference, go with a 1 hour difference while you are traveling.

🌛 Tips for International Travel (6+ hour time difference) - If you arrive in the morning (local time), spend some time outside right away. The sun will help regulate your child’s circadian rhythm or biological clock that regulates their sleep If you arrive in the evening or at night (local time), move straight to your bedtime routine and into bed. Get plenty of sunlight exposure throughout the day as well as lots of active play. Utilize naps and follow appropriate awake windows in order to make it to an appropriate bedtime. If your child is wide awake in the middle of the night, let them stay up for 1hour. Keep the lights low and do some calm playing or reading (no screens!). After an hour, put them back into bed. This may be necessary for 2-3 nights.

🦉 Some children will handle time changes better than others. Be patient as your children adjust to time changes (it generally takes our bodies 1-2 weeks to fully adjust).

✨ Where are you and your little one traveling to? Comment below! 👇

🌛 Did you know I offer FREE calls? These are 15 minute sleep calls & they are no obligation! I mean it! ❤️

🦉 I would not ask you to decide right now if you want to work together or purchase a package. During these calls, I will simply tell you your options.

✨ I do this because I hate pressure. No one likes when someone rings your door or constantly calls you and never understands “no” for the answer. It is honestly THE WORST!

🌛 These calls are NOT like that! It is a great opportunity for you to share the details about what is going on with your little one & then I’ll offer you my solutions.

🦉 At the end of the call, I will follow up with what we discussed & then you can take that time to make your decision if we are a right fit to work together - no pressure, AT ALL!

✨ These calls are also great if you are on the fence about sleep training or just need some clarity about what it entails.

🌛 Are you ready to book your FREE call today? Send me a message! I would love to chat! 💕

🌛 I am sure you have heard the term “fight or flight” – but have you heard that with your little ones sleep? A four month old baby, of course, lacks critical thinking skills. To a four month old baby who fell asleep at her mother’s breast, the reasoning could go much more to the tune of, “OK, last thing I remember, there was a familiar, beloved face, I was having dinner, and someone was singing me a soothing song about the Teddy Bears’ Picnic. Now I’m alone in this dark room, there’s no food, and there’s probably at least three, possibly four, scary monsters in the immediate vicinity.”

🦉 That’s probably an exaggeration, but who knows what goes on in the mind of a four month-old baby?

✨ Anyways, now that baby’s suddenly realized that their parents are not around, and they’re not entirely sure where they’ve gone, the natural response is to do a little freaking out. That stimulates the fight-or-flight response and, next thing you know, baby’s not going back to sleep without a significant amount of reassurance that everything is OK.

🌛 The other major contributor to this 4 month fiasco (4 months sleep regression), I find, is that up until this point, parents have either been putting their baby to sleep with a pacifier, or by rocking them, or by breastfeeding them, or some similar technique where baby is helped along on the road to falling asleep.

🦉 How are you handling the 4 month sleep regression? Comment below! ⬇️

🌛 Want to know one of my best tips to help break the eat/sleep association? ⬇️

🦉 Move that last feed of the day to the first step of the bedtime routine.

✨ Feeding your little one to sleep (whether breast fed or bottle fed) does work well for those first couple of months and it is definitely a special bonding time between parents and babies.

🌛 However, after about 4 months of age, the feeding your little ont to sleep tends to stop working so well . . . and many times can start to backfire. Basically - if your little one only knows how to go to sleep by eating, they typically expect to have to do this each and every time they wake up throughout the night (and as some of you know - that can be A LOT!)

🦉 The best way to break that feed to sleep association is to simply move that last feed of the day to the BEGINNING of the bedtime routine. This way your little one is fully awake when placed in their sleep space - so they are ultimately able to drift off to sleep on their own & still with a full belly!

✨ Does this sound impossible to you? You are not alone if you feel that way! This is exactly where I come in! ❤️ Many of my clients I work 1:1 with have a major eat/sleep association. But do not worry, it is also very fixable!

🌛 Message me so we can schedule your FREE sleep chat today to see how I can come alongside your family to get EVERYONE sleep better! 🙌

🌛 What does this mean exactly? I give parents the tools they need to help them teach their child to sleep at night, and for naps too. I can start with a pregnant mom to come up with a plan, or with newborns all the way until 12-year old’s! It is never too early to start (or too late) and get your baby into a routine!

🦉 My approach to improving your little one's sleep is pretty simple:

1️⃣ I will give you honest information about WHY sleep is so important for your child's well-being. (This will give you all the motivation you need to make changes to your child's sleep habits.)

2️⃣ I will lay out an easy-to-follow, step-by-step plan that lets you make some choices about what the right approach for your child is. (All children are different, and nobody knows your child better than you do. I encourage you to use your knowledge of your child to customize his or her sleep plan).

3️⃣ I will show you how to measure success. (No, you should not expect your child to sleep 12 uninterrupted hours on the first night -- although it does happen! I will tell you what you should expect along the way ...)

✨ This will all be available to you in a customized program that would include a one to one consultation and support throughout the whole way! Thanks to modern technology - I help families all over the world!

🌛 If you or someone you know is in need of helping their kiddos sleep well or have more questions, please reach out!

🦉 What is a better gift you can give your children and yourself than the gift of sleep!

✨ If you have any questions - please send me a message! ❤️