Tis’ the season of family gatherings, parties, fun traditions, and more. It really is my favorite time of year. For some parents, it’s an extremely stressful time especially if you’re balancing all of the holiday fun while running on empty. Let’s talk about the holidays and your child’s sleep. If your kiddo is not a great sleeper, I can help. If you’ve got the sleep thing down, I’ll share tips on keeping it intact while during this season of joy.
If you’re a parent, you’ve most likely struggled with multiple night wakings at some point. That ultimately leads to parents googling how to find a “fix” and help their baby sleep longer stretches at night. One popular “solution” is the dream feed. I’m not a fan. Let me explain more about it and why.
How to weed out the good advice from the bad can feel near impossible when you become a new mom? New parents are bombarded with old wives' tales and the heavy suggestions that are loaded with judgment. Try rice cereal in the bottle, it will make him sleep longer. Or, waking 5 times in the night is normal, and not sleeping for 2 years is part of being a mom. Both are 100% untrue and the latter really gets me riled up.
One of the most frustrating sleep myths out there is parents hearing they should sacrifice sleep for several years once their baby is born. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem and not a badge of honor. How is sacrificing your health and mood something that should be done for several years? And, if you’re exhausted from a broken night’s sleep, your child must be feeling it too.
Teething gets blamed for it all. Fussy baby? It’s probably teething. Your baby is drooling a lot, his hands are always in his mouth and his cheeks are red. Yup, teething. He wakes up multiple times a night. Could be teething. Let’s debunk a few myths about teething and learn how and why you can have a baby that sleeps well and has teeth.
The four-month sleep regression is, by far, the most well know regression of them all. As a certified sleep consultant, it is the number one reason parents of babies reach to me. Their baby, who once fell asleep relatively easily now take over an hour to go to sleep at bedtime. Or, baby is awake every 1-2 hours all night long and take short 30 minute naps. Learn why the regression is actually a progression along with tips to get through it.
