Good Night Sleep Site Kayla

01/22/2023

Text exchanges like this one with happy, well-rested parents of happy, well-rested babies are so gratifying! My clients can always text me with questions and for support, and I love when they message to celebrate wins and share about their baby's amazing progress. After months of sleepless nights it's fantastic to see that your baby is capable of getting great sleep! All it takes is the right schedule, the right method, consistency and the right sleep consultant in your corner :)

12/14/2022

The rules and boundaries you have around your baby or child's sleep belong to you and nobody else. It can often be hard for relatives to understand why you choose not to keep your little one up late or skip a nap for a holiday event, because they aren't intimately involved with your day-to-day routines and the needs of your child.
If you choose to flex your child's sleep schedule over the holidays to make room for visits and events that is entirely your call and yours alone. If you choose to stick close to schedule and preserve your nap and bedtimes that is also your choice. Only you know what's best for your child and your family.
So how can you talk to family members who are annoyed by this? Here are a couple of examples:
"We like to have X in bed at X time, because we know a later bedtime will cause overtiredness and tantrums. This makes it difficult for all of us and is not fair to him."
"It's important to us that X has her nap at X time so that she is able to enjoy the rest of the day without being overtired. I know you're disappointed that you can't see her for longer, and I appreciate you respecting our choice."
Have you run into issues with relatives struggling to understand your boundaries around sleep?

11/19/2022

If you're wondering how to fit in visits with family, holiday parties and outings while still maintaining good sleep for your little one, you're not alone. At this time of year it's all about balance. My best recommendation is to keep your baby or toddler on schedule for naps and bedtime 80% of the time, and if 20% of the time things are a bit off track it's ok. If you're at a relative's house and your baby can nap in a pack n play in a dark room, fantastic! If you can time driving around naps, go for it. If you find that you're shifting the schedule a lot and your child is getting overtired consider pulling things back for a bit so you can maintain an ideal schedule and always, always prioritize an early bedtime to work down sleep debt. Give yourself permission to leave the house and live your lives and remember sleep is never broken, you can always get back on track!

11/01/2022

Are you baffled by the advice to put your newborn down 'drowsy but awake'? Not to worry, you're not alone! Drowsy but awake is a great way to put your baby down in theory, but is very difficult in ex*****on! It's a bit of a unicorn. If you have to rock/walk/dance/feed/swing/wear your baby to sleep in the newborn stage you're not doing anything wrong, it's completely normal!

10/27/2022

Short naps are a VERY common issue for babies! When infants don't know how to link their sleep cycles during a nap they will often nap for 35-45 minutes and then wake up, leading parents to wonder if maybe that's all the sleep they need.

Psst: it's not! Read on ...

Babies actually need a lot more sleep at naptime in order to get a nice restorative sleep that does the job a nap needs to do. A LOT more!

So how much does your baby need? Once your little one hits 4 months they should be taking 3 naps / day (2 naps plus a short cat nap) and those first 2 naps should be 90 minutes to 2 hours long. Once they drop the cat nap around 8 months those naps should still be 90 minutes to 2 hours. Sound impossible? It's not! Once a baby learns how to consolidate naps they will benefit from the restorative power of the nap and will be so much better rested.

Ready to make some changes? Send me a DM to chat!

10/20/2022

The end of Daylight Savings Time is coming!! The clocks turn back on November 6 and will inevitably throw many parents for a loop when early risers are up even earlier (5:30am becomes 4:30am, yikes!!) Although we ‘fall back’ our schedules are shifted 1 hour later as we gain an extra hour on the Sunday.
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So how do you handle the time change? You can do it gradually, shifting your child’s schedule 15 minutes later (move their wake time, naps and bedtime all at once). Do this starting the Thursday before the time change and by Sunday you’ll be right in schedule! OR you can jump right in and go cold turkey, shifting everything by an hour on Sunday. Both methods work and it’s just about keeping expectations in check and knowing there will be an adjustment period. Be consistent and patient and in a week or so everyone will be adjusted to the new time.

In my family we go cold turkey, as truthfully I can’t be bothered to shift in 15 minute increments (or to do the math). We jump right in to the new time, maybe suffer a bit for a couple of days, and then we adjust and life continues as normal. It’s not as scary as it sounds, I promise!

Hot tip: plan something fun to do the morning of the time change when you have an extra hour to entertain your children!!

10/19/2022

Hey mama - I get it. I know how defeated you feel when you've been bouncing and rocking and feeding your baby and they still aren't sleeping. I know how tired you are from waking up every 2 hours in the night to start the cycle again. I know how chaotic this all feels, how much you yearn for some semblance of predictability in your day, how much you crave a bit of down time, re-grouping time, 'me time'. If the way sleep looks in your family feels unsustainable it may be time to look at how we can make changes together so that everyone can benefit from feeling rested, refreshed and restored.

10/09/2022

Happy Thanksgiving to the wonderful families that I have worked with this year! Today and every day I am thankful for you. Thank you for entrusting me with your family's sleep, for walking with me through the process and for the vulnerability that you share with me.

10/05/2022

here are so many sick babies and toddlers out there right now! Daycare colds and viruses galore. This has a lot of parents asking, "How do I handle my baby's sleep when they are sick?"

When you have a sick baby or child you can absolutely help them, comfort them, and tend to them through the night as needed. Disregard your usual sleep schedule and let them nap as needed throughout the day. If your little one needs more cuddles or support at night, give it to them. I recommend offering the support your child needs but not more than necessary for the given situation. You want to prioritize sleep and not add stimulation from a parent's presence if it is not needed or helpful.

If your child becomes accustomed to extra support in the night during their illness you may need to take a few days to get their independent sleep back on track when they're better. That's ok! Stay consistent, re-implement your boundaries around sleep and you'll all be back on track in no time.

08/26/2022

It may still be August, but back-to-school is just around the corner! The end of summer and the start of school is a huge transition for children (and parents!) and there are bound to be a lot of emotions tied up with this time of year. When children experience stress and anxiety related to big changes they often also experience disrupted sleep. So how can you help your child cope?
- No matter your child's age, some mindfulness before bedtime can do wonders. There are many apps and age-appropriate guided meditations online that you can access for free, and there are great books for young children as well! Practice deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to help them unwind.
- Early bedtime is key! Children will be worn out from the newness of school, so an early bedtime will be very important to prevent them from getting overtired. A better rested child will accept the changes more easily and adapt more seamlessly to the new school year.
- Offer plenty of 1:1 time. When your child feels they have had lots of undivided time with mom or dad (phones away, free from distractions) they will be less likely to stall at bedtime. This 1:1 time could be a great opportunity for them to naturally discuss their worries or feelings about the start of school and will help them feel connected to you since they're used to a lot of parent time in the past 5 months!
- Early bedtime (just for good measure I had to put it again!). It's so important!

07/05/2022

"He's so energetic at night so we don't let him nap anymore."
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If this sounds like you, read on! Many parents find that their toddler or preschooler is full of energy and bouncing off the walls in the evening. The answer, they assume, is to cut back or remove the nap entirely. Surely this daytime sleep must be causing them to be so wired! What is actually happening most of the time is that your child's bedtime is too late. They've caught a mighty second wind after briefly getting tired and then they are energized from adrenaline and cortisol (stress hormones the body produces when it is tired).
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The solution? Offer an earlier bedtime! It may sound crazy but an early bedtime can really help with that evening energy. If you put your child to bed before they become overtired they will get that amazing, good quality sleep that their growing body needs.

06/22/2022

Co-sleeping, inclined sleepers and heart rate monitors are big no-nos in the 2022 update of the American Academy of Pediatrics's safe sleep recommendations for infants.

06/13/2022

Change is uncomfortable. It shifts us out of what we have been doing, away from patterns we are used to and behaviours that are familiar. Change makes us dig deep, hold fast and look inward at what we value, hope for and desire. Change doesn't happen without work, and sometimes the work can be challenging. Making changes to the way your baby or child sleeps can be incredibly daunting, even if their current behaviours and patterns are no longer working. Making these changes means shifting the status quo and entering unchartered territories. But the benefits you can see - the rewards for your child and for yourself - can be so worth the effort! When the way your baby or child sleeps is no longer serving them or you then it may be time to think about making a change. It can be scary to think about but once you're past the hump you'll be so glad you did! Tag a friend who needs this encouragement!

06/07/2022

Yep, both are definitely bad for your sleep! 😬🥱😵

A cartoon by Avi Steinberg.

06/06/2022

06/04/2022

Does your baby or toddler wake up crying from their naps? This is a very common problem! Crying upon waking can be a very clear sign that your baby is still tired and did not wake feeling well rested. They likely need more sleep and just aren't ready to be awake! Your baby can also be crying because they don't have the skills to put themselves back to sleep after a short nap and are frustrated (and tired!). Don't assume the nap is over; provide some time for your baby to fall back asleep if they can! It is, of course, always possible that your child just wakes up grumpy (some babies will!) but we always want to make sure that you are completely confident they are well rested before assuming your baby just naturally wakes up grumpy.

05/30/2022

This time of year gives me a lot of feelings. Eight years ago I had a brand new baby and I was starting my journey into motherhood for the very first time. Those first few weeks and months were profoundly difficult in ways that I could never have anticipated. Nothing can prepare you for the sleep deprivation that new parents experience and I found night nursing very lonely and difficult. Although my son took amazing stroller naps the rest of his sleep was extremely hard to come by. Those first days, weeks and months were really, really hard and I relied heavily on the support of others to help me get my footing as a new mom. If you're there right now mama, I get it. The struggle won't last forever, but if you find you need guidance or support navigating your little one's sleep I'm always here to help.

05/27/2022

Teens are struggling for a host of reasons. One simple way to help? Fix their sleep.