The 6 Concerns You Should Ravel Out Regarding Sleep Consultancies

No one is going to be fortunate in making the right decision every time. That’s not how life happens. But with the use of this blog you ought to be better informed when deciding to invest in Sleep Consultancies.

Pillow use alone for babies has been shown to increase the chance of SIDS occurring by up to 2.5 times. If you were thinking of using a pillow with your baby due to concerns for plagiocephaly (or ‘flat head syndrome’). There are techniques you can use that could help plagiocephaly which will not increase the risk of SIDS. Your baby may well be hungry but at this age it’s more likely he’s learned to be hungry during the night because you feed him. You need to try and re-adjust the balance, so he gets more food during the day and less at night, eventually cutting out night feeds altogether. Gradually give him less milk when he wakes at night and more milk and solids during the day. Our beliefs and decisions about children’s sleep are more a reflection of the culture we live in than the scientific evidence for what’s best for children. 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. Choose heavy curtains for your baby’s room that not only block out the light but can also muffle sounds coming from outside so your baby won’t necessarily be aware it is light and the birds are singing at 5am. Settle your baby to sleep in a dark room with white noise. White noise mimics the noises babies would have heard in the womb so it is very comforting and can also help your baby to fall asleep by drowning out background noise.



Do remember to check your baby's skin regularly to see if he or she is too hot, even if the temperature in the room is where it should be. Feel your baby's tummy or the back of their neck (your baby's hands and feet will usually be cooler, which is normal). If your baby's skin is hot or sweaty, remove one or more layers of bedclothes. It’s normal for everyone to rouse slightly in between different types of sleep. That means that a baby could potentially wake up every hour or so, as they complete a sleep cycle. For those times when you can get a quick snatch of sleep but aren’t quite feeling the urge, you may reach for medications to help you conk out faster. But be wary of reaching for meds flippantly, especially without the green light from your doctor. A baby sleep consultant will look at baby as a whole and try to figure out why they aren’t sleeping and how to get them more sleep. Having a baby is a steep learning curve and aspects such as How To Become A Sleep Consultant come along and shake things up just when you're not expecting them.

It All Starts With Sleep Cues

Inevitably trips to the supermarket, the school run and the in-laws have to be taken and the soothing lull of the car engine is often enough to send even the most alert baby into dreamland. Many new parents worry about their little one nodding off. Once your baby can move themselves from their back to their front and back again by themselves, they will be able to find their own sleeping position. Calming activities that your baby will start to associate with bedtime can help create the right atmosphere at bedtime. Why not try a bath and nappy change, before putting on PJs and finishing with a little song or a story? You may even want to include a little baby massage. Whatever you do, finish in your baby's cosy bedroom and make sure it's fairly short and sweet – 45 minutes max. Your baby will be less hungry at night (and better able to sleep) if his tummy gets filled enough during the day. Breastfed babies should eat every two to three hours or so, for a total of eight to 12 feedings over 24 hours, until they start solids around 6 months. It then drops to five to six feedings a day and gradually tapers off as they get older. It is never too early to introduce bedtime rituals. This involves doing the same things in the same order every night, for example washing your baby, dressing them, a song or story and a cuddle. Sleep consultants support hundreds of families every year, assisting with things such as Sleep Training using gentle, tailored methods.

Your baby may have wind, be suffering reflux or even have a dirty diaper. It might be that your baby just can’t get comfortable enough to sleep. It’s okay to stop swaddling when a baby that previously liked it no longer responds to it. Infant sleep, like childhood, is a moving target. Let’s remember, newborns are busy learning how to keep their bodies at the right temperature and how to breathe. So give them, and yourself, a little break when it comes to expectations. Consider any strong smells, the temperature of the room and what your baby is wearing. If your baby is too hot or too cold, she could be uncomfortable which may be affecting her sleep. If your baby has sensitive skin, her pj’s could be irritating her, which again, could be affecting her sleep. Be sure to have a room thermometer so you can check the temperature of the room your baby sleeps in. It should be somewhere between 16-20°C Before your little one was born, he lived in total darkness and became accustomed to snoozing the day away (since that’s when you were most active, lulling him to sleep with your movements) and kicking his heels up at night. Happily, his nocturnal ways are only temporary. If you're looking for a compassionate, effective and evidence-based approach to sleep or just advice on one thing like 4 Month Sleep Regression then a baby sleep specialist will be able to help you.

The Golden Moment

Many parents find the idea of co-sleeping (keeping your baby in bed with you while you both sleep) appealing, and feel that it provides comfort to the baby and helps both mum and baby get more rest. It is, however, associated with a higher risk of SIDS (although the risk is very low). The safest sleep practice is putting a baby down on her back on a flat, babyproofed surface. According to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, that surface should also be firm (such as a crib or bassinet with a tight-fitting sheet), and it shouldn't have soft toys or bedding including crib bumpers, blankets, or pillows. Sleep training involves helping your baby learn to fall asleep on their own. Once you have cued your baby that it is time for bed through the bedtime routine, the next step is to put him in his bed while awake. A consistent bedtime routine can work wonders. The order is up to you, but it usually involves a soothing bath, a story, and one last feeding. I also like to add a quick massage with lotion, gently squeezing and releasing the baby's knees, wrist, elbows, and shoulders, wherever there's a joint. Then you might do a final 'closing up' of the nursery. You can start getting your baby used to going to sleep without you comforting them by putting them down before they fall asleep or when they've just finished a feed. It may be easier to do this once your baby starts to stay alert more frequently or for longer. There are multiple approaches to Sleep Regression and a sleep expert will help you choose one that is right for you and your family.

Sleep is made up of cycles of rapid eye movement sleep, or REM (the time of dreams and memory storage), and non-REM, restful sleep, which alternate over and over through the night. Your heart may swell with love when you watch your baby sleeping. They look so sweet and innocent. Your heart may race, though, when you can’t get them to stay asleep all night or at times when you really want them to nap or sleep. You can ease your stress and better prepare to set your baby's sleep schedule by understanding which parts of their sleep routine are in your hands -- and which aren’t. It’s a good idea to try to break the habit of baby falling asleep with a bottle. You don’t want your infant to become dependent on having a bottle in order to fall asleep. Plus, when a baby falls asleep with a bottle in his mouth, milk can pool in his mouth and lead to tooth decay. Designate the nursery as a room for sleep, not play. Keep the area around the crib free of toys and other fun knick knacks Some babies, especially older ones, can have a hard time breaking sleep habits they’ve come to like and expect, like being rocked or fed to sleep at bedtime or when they wake up in the middle of the night. Whether its something specific like Ferber Method or really anything baby sleep related, a baby sleep consultant can guide you to find a sleep solution as individual as your baby is.

Put Your Baby To Sleep Before She’s Exhausted

Missing sleep can soon turn you into a drooling, dribbling mess, so try and share the burden with your partner. When your baby is old enough to sleep right through without a feed, your partner can really make up for lost time! You might even find your baby stops waking when they realise it doesn’t actually get them anything to drink. During the deep states of sleep, blood supply to your child’s muscles is increased, energy is restored, tissue growth and repair occur, and important hormones are released for growth. Good sleep helps to improve attention, behaviour, learning and memory. If your baby isn’t rolling then consider swaddling them to help recreate the feeling of snugness from the womb. Swaddling also helps inhibit the startle reflex meaning they are less likely to startle awake. Agree with your partner about what you’ll do when baby wakes in the middle of the night and who will do it. The number one way to fail is not to have plan. It’s possible to sleep train an infant who’s sleeping in the same room as you, but it’s definitely tough. When your infant can see you, she’ll naturally keep trying and trying to get you to pick her up. That’s why—if at all possible—I recommend that you and your partner sleep in the living room and keep your infant in the bedroom while you’re doing the training. Or consider using the pick up/put down method instead of longer-and-longer. A sleep expert will be with you every step of the way, guiding you on how best to find a solution to your sleep concerns, whether its Gentle Sleep Training or one of an untold number of other things.

Many babies will fall asleep in a car seat; however travel systems and car seats should not be used as a routine sleep environment or for long periods of time. Once the parent/carer has arrived at their destination, the baby should be removed from the car seat and placed in their cot/Moses basket/travel cot. Determine what your baby’s nighttime temperament is. Is your baby a born self-soother who awakens, whimpers, squirms, and then resettles by herself? Or is your baby, if not promptly attended to, one whose cries escalate and becomes angry and difficult to resettle? If you can get to your baby quickly before she completely awakens, you may be able to resettle her back to sleep with a firm laying on of hands. It is important to make sure that your baby’s room is a comfortable temperature – not too hot or too cold. The chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot, so try to keep the room temperature between 16 -20°C You can find extra details about Sleep Consultancies on this NHS link.

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