Sleep_speak, Armstrong Creek (2025)

21/02/2024

✨Client Testimonial✨
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I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful baby boy, Louie, and his mum, Sinead, in their home last month for an in-home consultation. Sinead reached out to me when Louie was 5 months old as he was having short naps during the day and needed a lot of hands on assistance to go off to sleep. He also had a dummy, which previously had worked well, but it kept waking Louie up every time it would fall out, and he would need it replaced for him. Louie was also waking up every 1.5-2 hours overnight needing a feed to go back to sleep.
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Sinead’s goals for Louie were for him to settle himself to sleep without the dummy or hands on assistance, transition to his own room and to reduce the overnight feeds. Sinead also wanted Louie’s dad, Justin, to be able to settle Louie to sleep sometimes so that it wasn’t such a burden on her for every sleep.
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By the end of the 2 weeks of implementing a custom plan and daily support, Louie was able to self-settle with minimal crying, and sleep for a solid 6+ hours before waking for a feed. He also mastered re-settling in the second half of the night without much fuss. Louie consolidated his morning nap and was working on consolidating his lunch sleep. By the end of the 2 weeks he showed us he could do around 1.5 hours on his own without needing to be re-settled, which was a big jump from the 40 minutes he was previously doing.
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Louie was also feeding better in the day as he was no longer having as many overnight feeds. Such a great result for this family! 🙌 🥳
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If you are struggling with your little one’s sleep and you’re in need of some guidance, reach out for a free call to see if I’m the right fit for you! DM me or fill in the contact form on my website. Click the link in my bio!
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18/02/2024

✨Client Testimonial ✨
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Last month I had the pleasure of working with mum, Jessie, to get little 7 month old Hugh’s sleep back on track. Hugh was waking every 1-2 hours overnight and needing to be fed back to sleep. He also needed a lot of hands on support to fall asleep at bedtime. Jessie’s goal for Hugh was for him to resettle himself more overnight, rather than relying on being fed back to sleep, and to reduce his feeds to 1 overnight feed.
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By the end of the 2 weeks Hugh was sleeping like a star. He was settling himself at bedtime and only waking 1-2 times overnight and he had consolidated his day nap to the point where Jessie often had to wake him up from it! 🫣😴
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Here’s what Jessie had to say about her experience working with me “Melissa was lovely to deal, with very caring. Communication was there for the 2 weeks, checking in daily. So appreciative and thankful for Melissa’s guidance and support to get our little man’s sleep back on track. We are now a lot less tired in this household 🥰”
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It was such a pleasure supporting this beautiful family and seeing such tremendous results in such a short time.
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If you are wanting some support with your little one’s sleep, send me a DM to book a free call to chat about how I can help you reach your family’s sleep goals. 📱
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24/12/2023

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄 🥂

I have had the privilege of working with many wonderful families this year. Thank you so much for allowing me into your lives and choosing me to support you on your journey to better sleep. 😴

I look forward to serving many more families next year!

13/12/2023

✨Client Testimonial✨
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Last month I had the pleasure of working with 2 year old Ivy, and mum Hannah. Ivy was protesting a lot at bedtime and taking ages to fall asleep. Mum had to lay with her until she’d fall asleep and she’d be up several times during the night making various requests. As a result, the two of them would end up sleeping in the spare bed so that everyone got a bit more sleep, but this was wearing mum down.
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Hannah wanted to establish a better bedtime routine that Ivy looked forward to and that framed bedtime in a positive way rather than it being a battle every night. She wanted Ivy to have the confidence to be able to put herself to sleep rather than relying on Hannah laying with her, and she wanted to cut out snacks and drinks overnight once and for all.
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I developed an individualized plan based off the sleep assessment Hannah completed for Ivy, and went over this in detail with Hannah over the phone. I then supported Hannah for 2 weeks via daily check ins and sleep logs, as she made the changes, to ensure this family got the results they were so desperate for. Here’s what Hannah had to say about working with me:
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“My experience working with Melissa was easy. She was the right fit for my family. Melissa’s approach was gentle, supportive, kind and informative.”
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If you would like results like these but you’re not sure where to even begin, reach out for a free call to chat about how I can help you get sleep back on track for your family. 📞 😴

19/11/2023

✨TESTIMONIAL✨
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I just finished working with this gorgeous little man, Harry, and his mum, Maya. When Maya reached out to me, Harry was waking on average 6-8 times a night, sometimes up to 15 times! Poor mum was exhausted! His naps were also only 30 minutes long.

After 2 weeks of support, Harry was self-settling at bedtime and only waking 1-2 times for a feed overnight then settling straight back to sleep. We got him into a good day routine and he is now having close to 2 hour day sleeps consistently! Way to go Harry!
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Here's what his mum, Maya, had to say about her experience working with Sleep Speak: "Melissa was so understanding, supportive and easy to talk to. Her daily check-ins made it easy to troubleshoot any issues we’d had the previous day and when Harry fell ill during our 2 week sleep training program we were able to postpone the check-ins until he was feeling better. Our family is so appreciative for her guidance, knowledge and support. We wouldn’t have been able to get these results without her assistance. The extra information provided about changes to his routine as he gets older have also been incredibly helpful."
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If you're thinking about reaching out for support but you're not sure if it's worth the money, here's what Maya had to say about the value she received: "Well worth the money. We were looking at sleep schools which are incredibly expensive compared to this program and I believe it was just as effective as the results seen after talking to my friends that have attended sleep schools."
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If you'd like to see whether I can help you with your little one's sleep, feel free to book a complimentary call. Fill in the contact page on my website (link in bio) or DM me!

19/11/2023

✨Client Feedback!✨
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It's always my goal to instill confidence in the clients I work with, and empower them to be able to support their little one's through any bumps in the road when it comes to sleep. I absolutely love the journey I go on with my clients and their families, and seeing the positive impact a good night's sleep has on the whole family. It's wonderful to receive such beautiful feedback from my clients and to know that I've been able to give them the best possible experience.
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If you'd like help with your little one's sleep but you're not sure if I'm the best fit for you, DM me for a free 15 minute discovery call and let's chat about how I can support you and your family on the road to better sleep! 😴

06/11/2023

✨Client testimonial✨
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Last week I finished up working with a gorgeous 9 month old boy, Victor and his mum, Emma. Emma reached out to me for help as Victor was waking so frequently overnight and needed a lot of support to get back to sleep.
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"Our 9 month old boy need a lot of help with sleep. We were rocking and feeding to sleep. Multiple wakes each night (like every 2-3 hours!!) and early waking. Also would have false starts - could be 40-50 mins after going to bed. Naps were hard and inconsistent times too."
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After conducting a comprehensive sleep assessment, I was able to write up a sleep plan that was tailored to Victor and his family's needs, which I then discussed in detail with Emma over the phone. Emma was able to implement the changes right away and saw some great results within a matter of days. Here's what Emma had to say about the impact sleep training has had and the changes she has seen:
"Oh my gosh life changing! Our son now settles himself to sleep so no more rocking or feeding to sleep. Only wakes once in the night for a feed! Still wakes early but we will take that as everything else is amazing! Naps are good too. No more battles and he sleeps for the set time now. Also no false starts anymore!!"
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Emma was a bit apprehensive about sleep training in the beginning as she had previously had a bad experience. This is what Emma had to say about her experience working with me:
"Melissa is a dream! Honestly. So supportive. I was very scared to sleep train as I didn’t want to break our little guy’s spirit. But Melissa put us at ease and was happy to be guided by us and our goals. She provided so much support via WhatsApp each day. Couldn’t have done it without her."
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So if you, like Emma, are struggling with sleep but you're reluctant to seek help, please reach out for a complementary call and we can chat about how I can support you.

25/07/2023

Do you desire for your baby to have that beautiful 2 hour nap in the middle of the day but they're having none of it?
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This can be so frustrating but can also be really normal!
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It's very normal for young babies up until around 5 months of age, to go through a catnapping stage as their sleep cycles begin to develop and mature and they're becoming a lot more aware of their environment around them.
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If your baby is older and they're still only taking short naps and clearly still tired when they wake, then these tips might be helpful:
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✅Make sure the environment is conducive to sleep. It's not essential that the room is pitch black, but make sure it's dark enough that it's not going to be too stimulating and prevent your baby from falling asleep or staying asleep.
✅Watch awake times and ensure you're following an age appropriate schedule. If your baby is still on a younger schedule then they may be going down too early when they're not quite tired enough to sleep well. Conversely, they may be overtired and therefore struggle to settle to sleep and maintain sleep due to stimulating hormones.
✅If you're assisting your baby to sleep by rocking or feeding etc, they may wake after a sleep cycle needing that same assistance to go back to sleep. Try encouraging them to fall asleep in their cot as this will put them in a better position to re-settle when they come out of a sleep cycle.
✅Layer in sleep associations such as white noise, sleeping bag, comforter etc so your baby has more to draw from to support them to settle and re-settle.
✅Offer a top up feed before their lunch nap so that they don’t wake early out of hunger.
✅Most importantly, be patient! They will get there!
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If you're struggling with short naps, DM 'sleep' to book a free call to chat about how I can support you!

23/07/2023

✨TESTIMONIAL✨
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I recently worked with a beautiful client and her 7 month old daughter, Sienna, who was taking short naps and waking more frequently in the night than she had been, needing to be fed or rocked back to sleep.
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Here's what Sienna's mum, Gemma, had to say about working with Sleep Speak to get Sienna's sleep back on track:
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"I contacted Melissa when my girl was waking only a few hours after going to bed needing either rocking or feeding back to sleep. Also not doing long lunch time naps. Only took a few days/nights of Melissa's recommendations to have our girl back to only waking once for a feed and doing a 2 hour lunch time nap!
She was so professional and very thorough in getting all the information she required to make a plan that suited us. Melissa really has such a caring nature with always having your best interest at heart. It was also so valuable having the support and someone on your side guiding you along the way to make the changes.
Would 100% recommend Melissa and in future if we have challenges I will not hesitate getting her help again."
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It's not worth the struggle, agonising over how to improve your little one's sleep on your own! Reach out for support!
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Following a thorough questionnaire I will write you up a personalised plan which we will discuss in detail over the phone. I will then support you every step of the way as you implement the changes via direct messaging/voice memos and analysis of sleep logs. You'll never be left floundering! I've got you!
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If you'd like to chat more about how I can help or what level of support you might need, DM me for a FREE 15 minute chat!
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20/07/2023

Are you expecting or do you have a newborn baby? If so, my Newborn Sleep Guide may be just what you need to help you feel prepared!
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Here is what a recent customer who purchased my Newborn Sleep Guide had to say:
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"Melissa's Newborn Sleep Guide was incredibly helpful! Especially the bedtime routine. It was good to know if my 9 week old baby was on track. Highly recommend!"
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My Newborn Sleep Guide covers:
- sleep environment
- settling
- tired signs
- awake windows
- routines
- assisted naps
- sleep and temperament
- colic
- maternal mental health
- reflux and more
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This eBook is available for instant download and is only $15 for over 30 pages of info!
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Grab your copy via the link in my bio.

19/07/2023

Do you find yourself becoming really overwhelmed when you're settling your baby for sleep? Is the crying really triggering for you?
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No-one wants to hear their baby crying! It can be extremely upsetting and unnerving for many parents.
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But it's important to remember that crying is communication! It's our baby's ONLY way of being able to communicate with us. Whether that be that they're hungry, tired, bored, uncomfortable, or they're protesting when something is different/unfamiliar.
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We can't always STOP our babies from crying, but we CAN be responsive and support them through their big emotions. Once we can be sure that their basic needs have been met (not hungry, dry nappy, warm enough etc) then we can meet them where they're at and support them through their emotions through co-regulation.
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But what I find a lot of the time when I'm working with clients, is that they find it really tricky to calm their baby because they're feeling really dysregulated themselves.
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So here are a few tips that can help you so that you can be the CALM for your baby:
- Take deep breaths
- Sing or hum
- Take a sensory break
- Check in on yourself and your internal state. Are you running on empty?
- Have compassion for yourself. Parenting is really hard and it can be overwhelming at times. You're doing the best you can.
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Is it triggering for you hearing your baby cry? What helps you to find your calm?
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18/07/2023

Is your baby going through some pretty intense separation anxiety right now? 😭
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I distinctly remember when Emmerson started experiencing separation anxiety at bedtime. It was when she was around 8 months of age and had worked out that I was still there even though she could no longer see me (known as object permanence) and this caused her to be pretty unsettled.
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Separation anxiety is a very normal part of a child's development however it varies greatly between children. Some children will experience it intensely for a short time while others may seem to demonstrate ongoing anxiety throughout the infant, toddler and preschool years.
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Separation anxiety is always worse around times of change and sickness, however there may be other times in your child's development where you might need to lean in a little more to provide support. Here are some tips to help you navigate this time:
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✅ If you haven't already introduced one, a comforter can provide your little one with some reassurance when you're not there. Try popping it down your top so it takes on your smell before placing it in the cot.
✅ Ensuring you have a predictable bedtime routine can help your baby feel safe and secure. Connecting with them in a really intentional way before bed can also fill up their cup before the inevitable separation.
✅ Confidence is key! If you're stressed, your baby will pick up on this. Ensure your goodbyes are quick and don't try to sneak away as it'll only make it worse.
✅ Practice separating during the day for brief periods and slowly work up to longer periods of separation.
✅ If your baby is more upset at bedtime, lean in and provide extra support if needed and then wind back from it as the separation anxiety settles down.
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If this was helpful, share it with a friend! X

17/07/2023

Recently I just finished up working with 3 year old Henry. Henry was waking for the day between 4 and 5am in addition to 1-2 night wakings. As a result of his fragmented night sleep, Henry was having a long nap in the day to make up for it! His mum, Tash, was feeling exhausted with all the night wakings and frustrated that it kept happening night after night.
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After taking an in depth look at what was happening, creating an individualised plan and supporting Tash with the implementation over a 2 week period, Henry now sleeps from 7pm-7am without any wake ups and he’s also given up his dummy! If he does wake, he will re-settle himself back to sleep without calling out or getting out of bed.
Here’s what Henry’s mum, Tash, had to say about her experience working with me:
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“This is my second time working with Melissa and again she was absolutely fantastic! The understanding and empathy she showed to our situation made me feel so comfortable and safe with her, we got results so fast (literally after 1 night) we will continue to recommend her services!”
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If you, like Tash, are struggling to get to the bottom of your child’s sleep issues and you don’t know where to start, reach out for support! Just having someone to listen, understand your situation, provide a solution tailored to your needs and support your while you make the changes, can be an absolute game changer!
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DM ‘sleep’ if you’d like more information and we can chat! I’d love to help!

12/07/2023

What is co-regulation and how can that help my baby with their sleep?
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You've probably heard about co-regulation right? Simply put, it's the process by which an adult (aka us) uses their calm, regulated state to support their child when they are dysregulated (cue toddler tantrums) to help them through their big emotions and get them back to a place of control.
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Being able to regulate emotions effectively and efficiently is not something we are born with. A child's capacity to manage their big emotions depends on the development of their brain and the experiences they've had.
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Thankfully there are many opportunities (often many in one day!) to practice managing emotions, just like learning any new skill. Co-regulation can help children to do this.
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Importantly, we have to be able to keep ourselves regulated in order to support our children, because if we are dysregulated, they will certainly pick up on this energy and it will be much harder for them to return to a calm state.
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To do this, we need to check in on ourselves and notice the body sensations we may have such as clenched jaw, heavy breathing, tight muscles etc. Remind yourself that you are safe, and trial different strategies until you find something that works for you.
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So how does co-regulation look when your baby is crying at bedtime?
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It really varies but ultimately it requires you to lean in and do what is needed to support your baby to calm. It's not about swooping in and 'saving' them, but rather it's about meeting them where they are at. This might look like back rubs, cuddles, shhhing or singing to your little one.
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If you are struggling to find your calm then taking a break to collect yourself can be a good thing.
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Do you use co-regulation strategies to support your little one with their sleep?

10/07/2023

I get asked this question a lot! As there is so much sickness going around right now, I thought it was a good time to chat about this topic!
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Whether you are about to embark on sleep training or whether you've already started making some changes, if your little one has fallen ill, it's going to make things really hard!
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When your baby or toddler is sick, they are highly likely to be feeling miserable and just want comfort from the safe adults in their lives.
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When Emmerson recently had hand foot and mouth and Covid, she would wake 1-2, sometimes 3 times a night, needing a drink of water, a cuddle or just to let me know she was having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep.
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Sometimes I could give her a sip of water, wipe her nose or give her a quick pat or back rub and that was enough, but other times she needed some pain relief and a long cuddle before she'd be calm enough to fall back to sleep.
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The best thing you can do for your little one during times of sickness, is just to lean in to what they need from you. Whether this means staying in the room until they fall back to sleep, feeding or rocking to sleep or lots of cuddles! Do what works for you and your little one!
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Most importantly, take the pressure off yourself! It's hard when you know they need sleep to help them recover but if you're stressed about their sleep, they will sense this and it will only make things worse! Take some deep breaths, find a way to calm, and your baby or toddler will feel more relaxed too.
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Once your little one is on the mend and you are confident that you can rule out pain and discomfort as a factor in their disrupted sleep, then you can pick up where you left off! If in any doubt, check in with your doctor.
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Did you have to put sleep training on hold due to sickness?

10/07/2023

Does your baby or toddler have periods of wakefulness overnight where they're not necessarily crying or upset?
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These are known as 'split nights' and can be due to a few different reasons:
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1️⃣Too much day sleep. You baby may still be on a younger schedule and having too much day sleep which is inevitably 'robbing' the night of sleep as there is only so much sleep needed in a 24 hour period. This may be a sign your baby is ready for a nap transition, or maybe you need to cap their nap/s so that you're protecting their night sleep.
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2️⃣Bedtime is too early. Similar to having too much day sleep, your baby or toddler may not be getting enough awake time before bed to build up enough sleep pressure to maintain sleep throughout the night. Try adding on 15 minutes of awake time at the end of the day and see what happens over a week before making a further change.
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3️⃣Sleeping in too long in the morning. If your baby is 'sleeping in' in the morning to make up for lost sleep overnight, this is going to reinforce a split night and will become a vicious cycle. It's best to wake your baby at the same time each morning (around 7am) which will support their circadian rhythm, and allow that sleep pressure to build across the day so that they're ready for bedtime with enough of a drive to sleep and stay asleep overnight.

4️⃣Practising new skills. Another reason your little one may be partying in their cot in the small hours may be because they're learning some new skills such as rolling, sitting, pulling to stand or crawling.
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Are you struggling with split nights? Grab my FREE age appropriate routine guide so you can ensure your baby's day routine is optimal for supporting their night sleep. Click the link in my bio.

05/07/2023

Are you confused by awake windows and whether you are following the 'right' ones for your baby?
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Awake windows are basically the time your baby spends awake, from the moment they open their eyes to when they fall asleep at their next nap or bedtime.
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There is no real research behind them but they're based on the recommended sleep totals in 24 hours by age and they increase quite significantly in your baby's first year.
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A newborn baby is only awake for a very short amount of time between naps and this INCLUDES the time it takes to feed and change them, so there's very little time for much else!
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By the time your baby is 3 months old, they're able to stay awake for about an hour and half between naps.
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It's important to keep adding on awake time as your baby grows, otherwise they may end up having too much day sleep (yep, there's such a thing!) which can rob the night of sleep, causing wakefulness at night or early morning rising.
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By the time your baby has dropped their third nap, they're almost able to stay awake for 4 hours before going to bed. This longer awake window builds up sleep pressure making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
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Once your toddler has dropped to one nap, they will be awake for 5-6 hours either side of the nap.
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Most toddlers drop their nap between 2.5-3 years of age.
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Do you have a question about awake times? Drop them below 👇🏻 If this post was helpful, share it with your mum friends!

05/07/2023

Have you been wondering when is the right time to introduce a comforter to your little one and if so, how to go about it? 🤷🏻‍♀️
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Read on! 👀
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✋ First things first, it's important to note that Red Nose don't recommend introducing a comforter to babies under the age of 7 months as these may pose a suffocation risk. From 7 months it is safe to introduce a small soft toy, however larger soft toys that could cover a baby's face should be kept out of the cot.
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If your baby is over 7 months of age and you're wanting to introduce them to a comfort item, then here are some suggestions:
✨Familiarise your baby with the comforter by playing with it during the day in games such as peekaboo. Let your baby touch and hold the comforter so they get used to the feel of it.
✨Start to include the comforter in the bedtime routine. You might place it between you and your baby while you're feeding so they can get used to how it feels, but it also allows the transfer of smell.
✨To facilitate the transfer of your smell to the comforter, you can put it down your top during the day or even put some breastmilk on the comforter (if breastfeeding or expressing).
✨Place the comforter with your baby when you put them down into the cot and let them snuggle into it!
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✅Tip: It's a good idea to purchase an identical comforter so you can alternate them when one needs a wash, and you've always got a spare! 🙌 That way, they both get worn at the same rate so likely to both be accepted.
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Does your baby have a comforter? Drop any questions you have about comforters below 👇🏻

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