Nine Essential Questions To Ask When Researching Baby Sleep Specialists

I’m fairly certain you have consumed plenty of features about Baby Sleep Specialists. They are certainly popular with writers and readers alike.

Certain sleep spots pose real risks. These include sleeping on living room furniture, sleeping sitting upright (for instance, in a car seat or infant carrier), and sleeping in poorly designed slings. Don’t use any type of equipment or rolled up blankets to wedge your baby in one position. That is, unless a health professional has advised you to do so. For more information, see our page on cot safety. Since most babies can block out disturbing noise, you don’t have to create a noiseless sleeping environment, yet some babies startle and awaken easily with sudden noises. For these babies, oil the joints and springs of a squeaky crib, put out the dog before he barks and turn the ringer off on the phone. How much sleep does your baby need? Always remember to remove head coverings for sleep and ensure baby is positioned with their feet at the bottom of the cot – and if you’re using sheets or blankets, make sure they are firmly tucked in to prevent baby from wriggling down and overheating. Newborn babies generally have a very late bedtime frustratingly staying awake far past the time where you are actually enjoying their company. It’s not uncommon for newborn babies to have a long period where they are awake and fussy (by which I mean they are all but inconsolable but will not 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. From birth to around 3 months, infants sleep about 14 to 17 hours a day, including naps. If you can recognize a pattern over time, you’ll be able to anticipate her sleep needs and when she’s ready to go down. Pay special attention to your baby's "wake windows" (the amount of time baby can be awake based on age and stage). Babies shouldn't be awake for more than 45 to 120 minutes between naps at this stage, depending on exactly how old they are. There are many reasons that can impact on a baby’s sleep such as reflux, so if you do have concerns around your baby’ sleep make sure you broach them with your Health Visitor or GP. A regular bedtime ritual creates a sense of comfort that can be especially helpful during trying sleep periods for you and your baby, such as when you're sleep training (which you can try between 4 and 6 months old) or when your baby is going through a sleep regression. There are multiple approaches to Sleep Training and a sleep expert will help you choose one that is right for you and your family.

Helping Your Baby Fall Asleep

Children can vary widely in their habits and tendencies, so if your child naturally wakes after 7:00, feel free to honor their later sleep patterns. But just remember you’re not likely to get a later wake up time just by putting them to bed later the night before. One of the biggest concerns of many parents is that by getting help with a baby’s sleep, it means closing the door on them until the morning and leaving them to cry. 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 To help your baby establish a healthy circadian rhythm, start by making sure your baby gets plenty of daylight and stimulation during the day. While young infants need several naps during the daytime, you can experiment to find a napping schedule that makes your baby tired enough to get to sleep at night without being overtired. During the period from 6 months onwards, your little one tends to become more active. For example, the excitement of learning to crawl could make your baby more interested in exploring the world on all fours rather than settling down to sleep. If you're looking for a compassionate, effective and evidence-based approach to sleep or just advice on one thing like Sleep Consultant Training Course then a baby sleep specialist will be able to help you.

You have to do what’s right for you. In the first month you need to follow the baby’s cues for when they want to feed and sleep. The time is called the fourth trimester and your baby will want to be close to you all of the time and you will still be establishing your milk supply if breastfeeding. The simple act of giving your baby a massage can add to the bonding you have with your baby which helps reassure your little one you are always close - and can ease the stress of separation anxiety which can be another contributing factor to baby sleep problems. Upon baby’s first night waking, attempt a full feeding, otherwise some babies, especially breastfed infants, get in the habit of nibbling all night. If your child is just an early bird who doesn’t need much sleep, you better start going to bed earlier so you can adapt to her schedule! However, if you think she may be waking early because her bedtime is too early or too late, follow the advice for shifting an infant’s bedtime. Children have natural circadian rhythms—an internal clock of sorts that tells bodies when to wake and when to sleep. What babies’ bodies tell them is that they want to go to sleep early and wake early. As a result, later bedtimes usually end up in a loss of sleep as children will just get up at the same time anyway—leaving you with a cranky baby (and likely a cranky parent, too). A sleep consultant will take a holistic approach to create a sleeping system that you can manage and one which takes into account 4 Month Sleep Regression as well as the needs of the baby and considerations of each family member.

Decide Where Baby Sleeps Best

Babies may not be able to create their own sleeping and waking patterns. Surprisingly, not all babies know how to put themselves to sleep. And not all babies can go back to sleep if they are awakened in the night. If your child is still nursing or bottle-feeding, their final feeding should occur thirty minutes before bedtime (unless feeding your baby usually takes longer than ten to fifteen minutes, in which case start about forty minutes before bedtime). When people hear a baby cry, they say, “Oh my god, something must be wrong. This small and helpless baby is in distress and I need to fix it.” But sometimes the baby is just trying to talk to you. While there are some things you can fix, such as a pooey nappy or giving him a warm blanket to sleep with, there are other things you cannot or, more accurately, should not fix. Give your baby a dummy. Dummies may help protect against SIDS. If you’re breastfeeding, wait until your baby is 3 to 4 weeks old or until she’s used to breastfeeding before giving her a dummy. If your baby won’t take a dummy, don’t force it. If family and friends can offer help make the most of it. Loved ones like to feel useful. If you have help don’t struggle on your own – this is good for you and for your baby. Whether its something specific like How To Become A Sleep Consultant or really anything baby sleep related, a baby sleep consultant can guide you to find a sleep solution as individual as your baby is.

It is true that having a new baby will be a bit of a shock to the system. But every baby is different - some babies are very sleepy when they are born whereas others are not. Babies who are born a bit early may sleep a bit more than full-term babies. Keep baby's head and face uncovered and make sure they don't get too hot. The room they sleep in should be between 16-20 degrees celsius. Although some change is necessary on the part of the family, a new baby should not dictate the when, where, and how of normal family life. As simple and important as this concept is, it can be a difficult concept for first-time parents to accept. Yet babies are adaptable, and they should be exposed to all facets of family life. If your baby is cranky at night, chances are something's bothering her. Try a quick comfort check before putting her down: Is her belly full, is her diaper changed and is she wearing a super-soft, tag-free sleeper? Review her sleep environment as well. Make sure the TV is off, limit interactions and be as quiet as you can around the crib. If you do need to feed or change her, keep it low-key. Speak in a quiet, calming voice and avoid doing anything that might stimulate her. Make sure that your child’s bedroom is warm, comfortable and soothing. A room temperature of 16-20°C is recommended, which often feels cooler than most people would expect. During the summer months, if your baby’s room gets too hot, close the curtains and open a window to allow a breeze to flow through the room and ensure that the cot is not in direct sunlight. 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 Sleep Regression or one of an untold number of other things.

Keep Baby Close

Sleeping through the night is usually defined as sleeping six to eight straight hours overnight. But remember, that’s only a fraction of the total 10 to 12 hours (or more) of sleep babies generally need at night, depending on age and stage, in addition to daytime naps. Make sure you use harsh, rumbling white noise, as loud as a shower, for all naps and nights. And if your infant is still waking, cover bright lights (put a towel over VCRs and clock radios, put dark shades on windows, and dim the hall light outside her door). Make sure the room isn’t too hot or cold, and use a humidifier if the room is very dry or her nose is stuffy. You should use a firm and flat mattress for baby that is protected by a waterproof cover. This will help keep the mattress clean and dry, as the cover can be wiped down. Make sure your baby’s mattress is in good condition and that it fits the Moses basket or cot properly. Reading about Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) can be scary. But try to remember that SIDS is rare and the risk to your baby is low. There are also lots of things you can do that will significantly reduce this risk. If you’ve tried all these tricks and your drooly little friend is still waking at 3 A.M., consider the possibility that you have a bedtime scheduling problem. Three types of timing issues can lead to night waking: Having a very irregular schedule; Going to bed too early; and Going to bed too late. Sleep consultants support hundreds of families every year, assisting with things such as Ferber Method using gentle, tailored methods.

If your baby falls asleep in a car seat, stroller, swing, infant carrier, or sling, you should move him or her to a firm sleep surface on his or her back as soon as possible. Around week six is typically when babies become much more alert, and reflux issues often emerge. Your formerly peaceful and calm baby may now become fussy, even inconsolable, especially around dinnertime—the newborn witching hour. 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. Get more details regarding Baby Sleep Specialists at this NHS web page.

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