The concept of Sleep Specialists can be involved. Let us try to simplify it.

The phrase ‘sleep like a baby’ must have been coined by someone who didn’t have kids because, as any parent knows, having a baby means disturbed nights. While you expect this at first, what happens when it’s been going on for months or even years? It can seem challenging to follow safer sleep advice when you are very tired and it may be tempting to do something different. Following safer sleep advice for every sleep; day and night, is key to reducing the chance of SIDS. Unfortunately, for some babies, doing something different such as sleeping a baby on their tummy on one occasion can put them at risk. You could try rocking your baby or walking around with them. If this doesn’t work you may want to try taking them out in the pram or out in the car to help her get to sleep. The motion will usually help your baby drift off and can be a great technique especially to help your baby nap during the daytime. To help little ones develop healthy sleep habits, put babies down for the night when they’re drowsy. Although a personal choice, you may want to try to avoid rocking the baby to sleep in your arms before bedtime because this can become a habit. Babies eventually need to learn how to fall asleep in their bed on their own. Don't put any pressure on yourself to do things a particular way. People around you may have lots of theories about what you should be doing - but the main thing to do is get as much rest as you can, give your baby lots of cuddles, and do whatever your baby needs for now. If your baby has been awake for too long before going to sleep, a build up of cortisol, the stress hormone, can make them hard to settle or cause them to wake sooner.

Your baby’s sleep schedule changes over time, but sticking to a routine can make bedtime easier for the both of you. Start setting a bedtime routine when your baby’s around 4 to 6 months old. Sometimes it's hard to fall asleep in strange places — especially when home was a warm, dark and very cozy womb. When it comes to adjusting to life on the outside, your infant might appreciate sleep-enhancers that remind him of "home." Fighting sleep at nap time can also be your baby or toddler’s way of telling you they simply don’t need to nap anymore. They’re able to cope with the day without needing to stop for a nap. Keeping your baby awake during the day will not help them sleep better at night. If your baby is overtired it is much harder for them to get to sleep. A sleep consultant will take a holistic approach to create a sleeping system that you can manage and one which takes into account gentle sleep training as well as the needs of the baby and considerations of each family member.

Learn Your Baby’s Sleep Cues

We recommend a hands-on settling technique for an upset child. Never leave a crying child. Stay with them so they know that they are safe and help support them to sleep. Capitalize on a principle of early infant development: patterns of association. Baby’s developing brain is like a computer, storing thousands of sequences that become patterns. When baby clicks into the early part of the bedtime ritual, he is programmed for the whole pattern that results in drifting off to sleep. In the early months of life, swaddling may help baby sleep more soundly and for longer stretches. It works for some babies in the first several months, but sometimes not for others. A study found that while many families loved bed-sharing, 30 to 40 percent felt it was a problem for their child and family. They got into the habit only because they didn’t know how else to settle their infant. And the same study found that parents who bed-shared were three times more likely to say they had significant stress in their marriage. The likelihood is that your newborn’s sleep will be erratic, unpredictable and leave you feeling utterly exhausted. But there are strategies that can help you cope, including easing into a routine from around two months. There are multiple approaches to sleep training and a sleep expert will help you choose one that is right for you and your family.

If you’re nursing, it may seem like you’re awake nearly all night long, but one recent study showed that nursing moms sleep just as long as formula feeders during the first few months. Another showed that nursing moms actually got forty-five minutes more sleep per night. As any new parent knows, frequent feedings, diaper changes and walking the halls with a fussy baby can make sleeping soundly at night nearly impossible. While taking care of yourself can be a challenge when you have a newborn, making sure you get enough shuteye needs to be a priority. Does everyone ask how your baby sleeps? Does everyone else's baby seem to sleep more than yours? Has someone told you your baby 'should' be sleeping differently to how they are? If so, you are not alone. Newborn babies sleep 16 or more hours a day, but often in stretches of just a few hours at a time. Although the pattern might be erratic at first, a more consistent sleep schedule will emerge as your baby matures and can go longer between feedings. In the womb, at 28 weeks, your baby probably spent almost all her time in fussy REM sleep, which explains all that dancing around! Until your baby is 6 months old, she’ll also spend about half her time in non-REM sleep, a deeper, quiet sleep that doesn’t include as much twitching and movement. In comparison, adults spend only about a quarter of their snoozing time in REM sleep and about three-quarters in non-REM sleep. If you're looking for a compassionate, effective and evidence-based approach to sleep or just advice on one thing like ferber method then a baby sleep specialist will be able to help you.

Adjusting Your Schedule

Younger infants up to 6 months tend to sleep on and off around the clock, waking every 1–3 hours to eat. As they near 4 months of age, sleep rhythms become more set. Most babies sleep 9–12 hours at night, usually with an interruption for feeding, and have 2–3 daytime naps lasting about 30 minutes to 2 hours each. Where your baby sleeps is a matter of personal choice, and some parents prefer their baby to go into their own room from the start. There are many advantages to keeping the baby closer, though. It makes night feeds easier; babies cry less if they know you are close by; and the combined benefits of peace of mind and proximity can help you to get more sleep too. Every baby or child needs to wind down before bed, so that they don’t go to bed excitable or upset. Toddlers and older children will still need about 20 minutes before bed where you move to quieter, more relaxing activities. Turn off TVs and other screens and have a cuddle, a chat or a read. For smaller babies, a cuddle, a feed in a quiet, and a gently sung lullaby in darkened room is a perfect wind down. Around six months, there is an introduction to solid food, and you may find that your baby reduces their night-time feeding. At this age they start to become more socially aware so may get separation anxiety, teeth may start to come impacting on sleep and you may find they are more mobile in the cot. Don’t use sleep positioners, like nests or anti-roll pillows. They can cause your baby to stop breathing. Sleep consultants support hundreds of families every year, assisting with things such as 4 month sleep regression using gentle, tailored methods.

Babies should always be in the same room as you for the first six months for sleep, day and night. This doesn’t mean you can’t leave the room to make a cup of tea or go to the toilet, but for most of the time when they are sleeping they are safest if you are close by Parenting is a really personal thing, and what works for one family might not suit another. There’s lots of advice out there, and sleep is perhaps one of the most debated areas in all of childcare – perhaps because sleep (or lack of it) becomes so central to your life once you have little ones. You won't be able to put your baby on a regular sleep schedule until he's between 3 and 6 months old. In fact, trying to start a sleep schedule too soon might interfere with baby's growth, not to mention your milk supply if you’re breastfeeding. In the early months of life, swaddling may help baby sleep more soundly and for longer stretches. It works for some babies in the first several months, but sometimes not for others. If your baby responds to it, great. If not, no big deal. If your baby is not sleeping and is also crying or seems distressed, despite your usual care and nurturing, then you might ask a doctor's opinion since there are some medical conditions that can disturb a baby's sleep and cause distress. The gentle approach and caring manner of a baby sleep expert allows them to assist you in the most preferable way to deal with sleep regression and to assist you and your family in any way possible.

A Truly Holistic Approach

You may find that different sleeping arrangements work at different times. Being inventive and focusing on how you and your family can get the most sleep tonight can help. Some of these ideas may work for you, but because only you know your own circumstances, always keep safety in mind. With babies of all ages, feeding your baby to sleep can be lovely. Baby is snuggled in your arms, having a delicious cuddle. It's great for bonding and lovely for both mum and baby. When it’s time to go to sleep at night, you probably don’t just hop into bed in the clothes you wore all day and turn out the light. Whether you realize it or not, you follow a routine — brush your teeth, wash your face, change into pajamas and maybe read for a little while before lights out. Like you, your baby can benefit from a consistent and predictable bedtime routine. Find extra intel appertaining to Sleep Specialists at this NHS web page.

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