If you are heading out on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday, your little one's sleep will probably not be perfect. And that's okay! Here's some helpful tips to staying on track or getting back on track with your baby's sleep:
Think Ahead: Can you align your time in the car close to your baby's nap time? If you can manage a nap on-the-go, this will keep your little one rested until bedtime or the next naptime. If a nap is needed at your destination, don't forget to pack whatever you will need: a pack-and-play, sheet, sleep sack, sound machine, room blackout solution, and your routine essentials (like a book).
Early Bedtime: If naps were skipped or short on Thanksgiving, can you get your little one to bed earlier than normal? If not, aim for an early bedtime the next night to help them catch up on much needed sleep.
And most of all - enjoy your time with family and friends! One off day of sleeping won't erase all the progress you have made.
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I've been there before. Your little one's sleep is finally in a good place and then all of a sudden, you look at the calendar, and realize the time change is coming up 😫 Here's some ways to help transition to the new time:
🐢 Take it nice and slow: If your child is more sensitive to their sleep times, you may want to take a more gradual approach. You can do this by adjusting their sleep a little later each day leading up to DST. So, if you choose 20 minutes, you can start 3 days before the change. If you choose 10 minutes, you'll start 6 days before the change.
🐇 Jump right in: For children who are older (or maybe you have a little one who is very flexible with their sleep), you can almost pretend like the end of DST didn't happen. On Sunday, you'll handle the nap and bedtime at the same time you normally would have, even though your little one may be tired.
Even though the schedule may be a little out of whack, you'll still have your foundation of nap/bedtime routines and a good sleep environment (make sure it's super dark to avoid those early morning wake ups). Another secret weapon: do a lot of outdoor activities during the day when the clocks go back. This will help reset that internal clock.
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It’s completely okay to feel like your baby’s sleep may not be the same way at daycare as it is at home. It's a different environment! Here are my tips for setting up your little one for sleep success at daycare:
1️⃣ Talk to your daycare about your ideal nap schedule. Don’t be afraid to ask…they might be able to accommodate you! And if there’s a part of your pre-nap routine that’s easy enough (like singing a song), see if they can do that too.
2️⃣ If naps weren’t great, aim for an early bedtime. This will give your little one some more sleep cycles to make up for what was missed during the day.
3️⃣ Get back into your schedule on the weekends or days your baby isn’t at daycare. This is another way to help prevent sleep debt from building up.
Sleep may not be perfect in a different setting, especially in the beginning. By making sure your little one is catching up on sleep where they can, it can help make a big difference.
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I talk a lot about the importance of a bedtime routine (cuing sleep is SO helpful), but have you heard me talk about the "routine before the routine"?
Moving from the craziness of the day right into your little one's bedtime routine can be abrupt. Take at least 20-30 minutes (or more) before the routine and:
💡 Dim the lights. Bright lights can interfere with melatonin production (that awesome sleep hormone), so keeping it dim is 👍
📺 Turn off all screens. Not just tv's, but also tablets, phones, computers, etc. Light from these electronics also impact melatonin production.
🧩 Play quietly. Take this time to connect with your little one. Work on a small puzzle together, look through a book, etc.
🪷 Keep the environment calm. Play soft music, talk softly, and relax!
Having some quiet downtime beforehand can help make the transition from day to night easier!
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As we head into the cooler months, you might be asking yourself again: Is my baby too hot or too cold while they are sleeping? Here's what I recommend:
🆒 keep your thermostat set at 68-72 degrees F
👶 dress your little one in pajamas and a sleep sack (younger babes may need an extra layer)
✔️ place a finger or two on the back of your baby's neck to feel if it is too hot, too cold, or just right
❌ don't just touch your little one's hands or feet. Because our extremities are exposed, they naturally carry a lower temperature and aren't a great indication of if a baby is too hot or too cold.
Keeping your little one's core temperature just right will help to promote sleep 🙌
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Have you noticed that after a super stimulating day, it’s sometimes harder to get your little one (hello, toddlers!) to bed? Maybe they're a little overtired. Or maybe it seems like they don’t want the fun day to come to an end. Whichever it is, here are 2 simple things you can do to help make bedtime easier:
1️⃣ Extend that bedtime routine. There are many ways you can do this, but the one I think works best is to have a longer bath time. Baths are soothing and calming. Having a longer time to decompress in this environment helps to make a smoother transition to bedtime.
2️⃣ If you can, get your little one to bed earlier than normal. The most restorative sleep happens before midnight…so getting more of these NREM sleep cycles helps to “recharge” your little one's brain after a busy day.
Making these 2 small changes to your bedtime routine can help make all the difference!
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Boundary setting is one of the most impactful things you can do when you are working on independent sleep with your toddler or preschooler.
For example, at bedtime, if you know your child’s stalling tactics – one more kiss, one more hug, one more sip of water, etc. – you can set the boundaries AHEAD of time so your little one knows exactly what to expect. Let them know how many kisses, how many hugs, or how many sips of water they can have at bedtime. Count it out and, once they’ve reached the limit, hold firm!
Keep at it and once they realize you won’t bend the rules, you can say goodbye to those bedtime "curtain calls" 🙌
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Another sleep success 👏 I love helping families get more sleep!
If you are finding it challenging to navigate your little one's sleep, I am here to help. I'll listen to your goals, learn about your parenting style, and understand your child's temperament to customize a sleep plan that is right for your family. I'll also support you every step of the way.
Reach out to learn more about how I can help!
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If you’re about to head on a sleep training journey with your toddler who is also of potty-training age, you probably have asked yourself “Should I focus on sleep or potty training first?” In my experience, it is best to establish your child’s sleep first. Here’s why:
Kids are smart! A potty-training child quickly learns that a parent will jump across the room to get to them at the first call of “I need to go potty!” If you are working on teaching your toddler how to sleep independently after potty training, your clever little one will probably use the potty card to get out of bed multiple times. But if sleep is in a good place first, you’ll be able to tell if your little one is waking up for a real need for the potty. 🙌
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Thinking about moving your little one from a crib to a bed? I just made this change with my daughter earlier this year. Happy to say it was a smooth process and she immediately LOVED her big girl bed. The key to a successful transition? A lot of communication about the new expectations and "rules."
Here's my top 3 tips for transitioning from the crib to a bed:
1️⃣ Wait until your little one is at least 3 years old. A child younger than 3 may not understand the expectation to stay in bed.
2️⃣ Explain the rules that come along with this new level of freedom. You can do this a lot! Even weeks and days before the big change is made. In addition, since your child will have access to their entire bedroom, double check the room is child-proofed.
3️⃣ Use an OK to Wake clock - "If it's red, you stay in bed" and "Green means go." This is one of the best tools since it is an easy visual reminder of when they can and can't get out of bed.
If you're making the change soon, good luck!🤞
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Not sure if helping your little one learn independent sleep with a sleeping toddler in the next room is the right move? I completely get it! You have one sleeping child...you might feel like you don't want to roll the dice and end up with two children awake in the middle of the night.
There are ways you can prepare your older one for this sleep journey and end up with two SLEEPING children. Here are my top 3 tips for this:
1️⃣ Explain to your older sibling ahead of time what's happening. Let them know you are teaching their little sibling to sleep and that they may even hear some cries overnight while the little one is learning. This is okay!
2️⃣ Assure them that if they hear their younger sibling overnight, you can hear the baby, too. Tell your toddler that it's their job to stay in bed and your job to check on the baby.
3️⃣ Add extra white noise along the shared wall or even in the hallway. Just a little extra to help muffle sounds during the process can be extra helpful.
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Getting to your vacation spot by car? You've probably already thought about some of the challenges: you can’t recreate your little one’s sleep environment and the stop and go of traffic could cause wake ups or short naps.
While there are a lot of things out of your control, there are some ways to make car trips smoother:
✔️ If you can, plan to leave around naptime or shortly before. Pushing your little one’s nap might make it harder for them to fall asleep and you may end up with an overtired child who won’t settle very easily once in the car. Leaving right before a time they are naturally tired will help a lot!
✔️ Change them into pajamas and do your routine right before leaving. This will help to signal that they will be sleeping soon.
✔️ Play white noise in your car’s speakers. Not only will this also help signal sleep if you also use white noise at home (which I definitely encourage!), but it will also drown out the sounds of loud trucks or horns that could wake them.
I also recommend, if you feel more comfortable, to have a parent sit in the back seat to keep an eye on your little one while sleeping.
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Vacation should be for enjoying family time and relaxing. Not revolving all of your activities and plans around your child’s naps. The advice I give to families is this: When traveling, aim for the 80/20 rule. This means, try to have your little one sleeping at their normal times 80% of the time. For that other 20%, go for that 1 o’clock tour, later dinner, etc!
And if sleep gets a little off track? That’s okay! When you get home, settle back into your groove with your normal schedules, routines, and sleeping environment and things should fall back into place. 🙌
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When traveling to a different time zone, you typically have two options. 1️⃣ If you are only staying for a few days, it might be easiest to keep your baby on the same schedule as home if that works for you. 2️⃣ If you are staying awhile, or just want to adjust to the new time zone, here’s a few tips:
🕐 Adjusting to the new time zone is a matter of readjusting your circadian rhythm.
🍽 One way to re-regulate your circadian rhythm is to align feeding times/meals with the new time zone.
☀️ Another way to realign your circadian rhythm is to get outside and use the natural sunlight to your advantage. This will work wonders!
✈️ When it comes to adjusting to a new time zone, they say “east is a beast and west is best.” No matter which direction you travel, be prepared for some bumps in the road as your child adjusts to the new time.
👍 An added bonus: these tips work for adults too!
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So...you’re heading on vacation and the time you are spending traveling from Point A to Point B doesn’t line up with your little one’s nap time. While it may seem like it’s a great idea to skip their nap beforehand so they sleep while you are on the plane or in the car, you may find yourself in the overtired/cranky zone instead of one where your little one is happily snoozing.
Making sure your little one is well rested leading into your travels will actually end up making for a smoother travel process in the car or on the plane! Plus, while on vacation, sleep might get a little off track (and this is okay!). Starting your vacation with a little one who is well rested is 👍
Do you have any upcoming travel plans? Let me know what questions you have about your little one’s sleep and your vacation 👇
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Do you have upcoming travel plans where you are staying in a hotel? Rental home? With your parents or in-laws? One of the best ways to help your little one sleep in a new place is to keep the same bedtime routine as you do at home.
Following your normal routine step-by-step will help signal to your baby that it will soon be time to sleep. In addition, bring along the books you normally read and sing the songs you normally sing. If a bath is part of your routine, use the same soap you do at home. The familiar sights, sounds, and smells will help cue bedtime and ease your little one into their new sleep space.
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If you have an upcoming vacation, save this post 📌 One of the best ways to help your little one sleep while on vacation is to pay close attention to the sleep environment. 💤
✔️ Consider the sleeping arrangements ahead of time. If your little one is used to sleeping in their own room, if you can, try to book accommodations with a separate living space (even a large closet that fits a crib or pack 'n play could work!)
✔️ Don’t forget to bring your sound machine, crib/pack 'n play sheet that smells like home, and your little one’s favorite lovey and pacifiers. All of these will feel familiar to your baby and help transition them into the new temporary sleep environment.
✔️ Cool, dark, and quiet are the three keys of any good sleep environment. If you can control the temperature, 68-72 degrees F is the most optimal temperature for sleeping. Additionally, if you don’t think you’ll be able to darken the room well enough with the curtains that will be there, you can bring a portable blackout solution like the @slumberpod. As for quietness, using your sound machine will help drown out unfamiliar sounds from outside the room that may disturb your little one’s sleep.
✔️ Mirror the at-home environment in the new place as best as possible. Following all of the above tips as best you can will likely make your new sleep space very similar to the one at home. 👍
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Okay, hear me out. Early bedtimes don’t = early wake ups. Especially when we are working on helping your little one sleep independently. Here’s why:
Have you ever heard the saying “An hour of sleep before midnight is worth two after”? This is because the deepest, most restorative sleep happens before midnight…and we want to protect this precious sleep as much as we can with an early bedtime.
Also, sometimes, when heading into the independent sleep journey, overtiredness and sleep debt come along for the beginning of the ride. An early bedtime helps to erase sleep debt and prevent the overtiredness that makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
I know it’s hard to imagine a bedtime as early as 5:00 or 5:30pm, but remember this: it won’t be forever. It’s one of the best short-term tools we can use to help your little one get the best sleep possible.
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You may have heard the 'advice' “If you keep your baby awake more during the day, she’ll sleep better at night.” In reality, keeping a baby awake will only make a cranky, sleep deprived baby. And frustrated parents!
Remember: sleep begets sleep. Avoiding overtiredness is key. When your baby is better rested during the day, night sleep becomes easier, better, and longer! 💤
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Rolling. It’s one of the first major milestones your baby will do. When you see your baby is on the brink of rolling, there’s a few things you can do:
👉 Transition to the sleep sack. This will keep your baby's arms and legs free to move if they roll over during sleep.
👉 Lots of tummy time during the day. Practice will help your little one master this skill.
👉 Still place your baby down on their back for naps and nighttime. In line with AAP guidelines, continue your ABC's (placing your baby down Alone on their Back in a Crib).
Whether you take it slow or go cold turkey, remember this is a big adjustment for your baby! Give them time to adjust and get back into their sleeping groove.
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