https://goldenstarsleepconsulting.com/

Golden Star Sleep Consulting, Windsor, NS (2025)

12/23/2023

Golden Star Sleep Consulting will be closed starting today, December 23rd, 2023 and will be back open on January 2nd, 2024.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas filled with all your favorites things, lots of family time, and equally as much rest.

I look forward to helping you with all your sleep needs in 2024!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from my family to yours !

12/22/2023

Check out this month’s blog post on a more in-depth look at How to Deal With Fear.

Check it out here www.goldenstarsleepconsulting.com/blog or the link in my BIO.

12/22/2023

One last little tip, turning down the lights gradually as your little one’s bedtime approaches is a good way to ease them into a dark setting, and helps to stimulate melatonin production, which will help them get to sleep easier.

12/21/2023

The way to ease some of that apprehension is to spend time together in the dark. Reading books under the blankets with a dim flashlight. Some hide and seek with the lights out is fun as well. Shadow puppets are a great time. A quick google search will load you up with dozens of ideas, so pick 2 or 3 that you think your little one will like, then let them choose one.

This is not an overnight fix, but stay respectful, stay calm and stay consistent. After your little one’s fears have been addressed and they have learned that the darkness is more fun than frightening, you will start to see more consolidated sleep and less visits in the middle of the night.

12/20/2023

Dismissing your little one’s fears as irrational or unfounded is not all that helpful. Ask them some questions when they express a fear of the dark. Digging into their concerns is helpful in a couple ways. It lets them know that you are taking them seriously, which is reassuring. It also helps you to assess what it is about the darkness that frightens them and helps you address it.

As you are likely aware, getting a clear concise answer from a toddler about anything is tricky. You are likely going to have to work with slightly more obscure information, but you are showing concern, and that goes a long way here.

12/19/2023

My first, and most important tip when it comes to addressing your little one’s fear of the dark is don’t slough it off.

This can be a little tricky to navigate. On one hand, we want to show empathy and understanding when something frightens our little one. On the other, we don’t want to add fuel to the fire.

When we tell out little one “Nope! No monsters here! You’re all good.” It’s not a soothing as you might think. It’s easy to see how they could interpret that as “Yeah, there’s such a thing as monsters, they are scary, and they do tend to live in kid’s closets, but I don’t see one in there at the moment, so Sleep Tight.”

That covers what I consider to be the wrong way to handle the situation, tomorrow I will cover some advice on the right way.

12/18/2023

Fear of the dark can start to show up around the 2-year mark. As toddler’s minds mature, their memory gets longer, and their imagination develops. They’ve likely had some kind of traumatic incident, like a spill on the playground, so they are aware that there are things out there that can hurt them or maybe they have seen a movie or been read a book that touch on a couple of spooky or eerie elements, even if they are geared towards children.

As adults, we have experienced enough to recognize that the dark is not inherently dangerous, but for a toddler, there’s no history to draw on to assure them that they are safe and secure after the lights go out.

This week I am going to cover some tips with dealing with fear of the dark.

12/15/2023

- Different schedules at home and daycare are OK. In the same vein as the last point, its not the end of the world if their nap schedule at daycare doesn’t sync up with the one, they have at home. It’s a definite bonus if you can make it work, but it’s not essential.
- If baby starts falling asleep on the ride home. Try to keep them awake. Its better to put them to bed early than offer a catnap after 4:00PM. It baby does fall asleep, wake them up when you get home and let them get some more awake time before bed.

There is no reason why daycare and sleep training can’t work together. Maintain open lines of communication, be respectful and patient and accept that they can’t always tailor things to each individual child as much as they would like to. Keep up your bedtime routine, stick to your schedule as closely as possible, keep baby away from those sleep props and things will fall into place.

12/14/2023

- Don’t “ease baby in” to their new situation. Once you’re ready to start sending baby to daycare, start off with the same schedule you want to end up at. If they’ll be going every weekday, send them every weekday right off the jump. Don’t send them for a day the first week, two days the next week, and so on. They’ll adjust quicker and easier this way.
- Babies are usually capable of distinguishing between different environments. Habits they learn at daycare won’t necessarily transfer over to sleep in the home, so if your daycare provider allows them a pacifier or rocks to sleep, don’t worry too much about it. Baby should still be able to understand that it’s not the same when they’re home.

12/13/2023

Regardless of the particulars of your little one’s situation with their sleep in their home away from home, here are a few tips that are likely to come in handy.

- If you haven’t started sleep training yet, start on a Friday night, or whatever day is the farthest away from their next day at daycare. The first couple of nights are usually a bit of a roller coaster and baby’s likely to be a little out of sorts for the first 48 hours.
- Its best to get at least three or four nights in before going to daycare. If there’s a care provider who can help you out for a day or two, consider asking them to sit in for the Monday and Tuesday so your little one has had a good amount of time to get accustomed to their new sleeping arrangements.

12/12/2023

Once you’ve decided on a daycare provider, or if you already have your little one in a place, you’re happy with, what can we do to ensure everyone’s pulling in the same direction on this sleep issue?

- Let them know how long you’re comfortable with baby fussing. Most care providers will default to a no-crying approach unless instructed otherwise.
- Ask them to avoid sleep props. Be specific about what you consider a sleep prop. Ask that they refrain from using pacifiers, rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep or whatever you’ve established as methods to get baby sleeping that you think they might become dependent on.
- Be respectful of their limitations. Daycare providers are looking after a lot of kids at once and are often required to follow some overarching safety rules, so don’t be surprised if they can’t accommodate every request you throw their way. Keeping an eye on several little ones at the same time usually means no white noise machines and no dark rooms.
- Above all, maintain open communication. Let your daycare providers know that you’ve been working on your baby’s sleep issues and where you’re at with the process. Remember that they want your little one sleeping well almost as much as you do. A well-rested baby who goes down for naps without a lot of fuss is a daycare provider’s dream come true.

12/11/2023

Combining sleep training and daycare can be tough. You’ve powered through some hard nights, refused to give in when your baby tested your willpower, and now that everything’s running smoothly, you need to put your trust in someone else to keep things in order.

When you’re deciding on a daycare provider, here are a couple of sleep-centered things to keep in mind. None of these are deal-breakers, they’re just a few things to consider.
- Ask them what their approach is to naps. Do they put kids down at a specific time? Do they allow kids to individual nap or is it all kids together for a specified duration?
- Ask to see where they’ll be sleeping. Is it a fully lit room with several other kids or a semi-private space where they can keep things dark?
- Can you bring your own white noise machine? It can be super helpful to provide the same white noise machine that baby’s accustomed to at home.
- Are they capable of accommodating specific requests? Regarding baby’s nap? (i.e., will they allow your baby to cry for a few minutes, will they hold odd on offering sleep props if you ask them to?)

12/08/2023

What does secure attachment look like?

9 months – 3 years:
- The child shows a clear emotional bond with a primary person.
- The child stays near that person but forms close relationships with other people, too.

12/07/2023

What does secure attachment look like?

9 months:
- The baby shows a clear preference for a primary caregiver and some wariness toward strangers.
- The baby is easily upset when separated from their primary caregiver.
- The baby is easily soothed after a separation and can resume exploration or play.

12/06/2023

What does secure attachment look like?

0-3 months:
- In their quiet, alert state, the baby is interested in the faces and voices around them.

4-8 months:
- Attempts to soothe the baby usually work (an inability to soothe might indicate either insecurity or any of a host of other possible issues.)
- The baby and primary caregiver have pleasant back-and-forth interactions.
- The baby has calm periods of curiosity and explores and experiments as they are physically able.
- The baby begins to discriminate among people and show preferences.

12/05/2023

Children with insecure attachments avoid their caregiver when distressed and minimize displays of negative emotion in their presence, presumably because the caregiver has responded to previous displays of distress and negative emotion in negative ways, such as ignoring, ridiculing, or becoming annoyed with the child. The infant learns quickly that displays of distress provoke negative emotions from the caregiver and therefore avoid exhibiting them.

12/04/2023

Children with a secure attachment to their primary caregiver feel safe expressing distress or discomfort and will explore unfamiliar areas around them confidently so long as the caregiver is nearby. They tend to become distressed when their caregiver leaves the vicinity but respond positively when they return.

12/01/2023

However, you choose to ensure your little one gets enough physical activity is up to you. A commitment to an active lifestyle is something they’ll learn from their parents, and the benefits it will have to their sleep, mood and overall well-being are learned behaviors that will last a lifetime.

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