infant sleep consultant Archives - Sleepy Angels Consultancy

Safer Sleep For Babies, Advice And Guidance.

by Baby Sleep Coach | Apr 1, 2022 | Baby sleep Safety

Safer Sleep For 0 To 6 Months Olds

It’s important to spend some time considering how to implement safer sleeping strategies for your new-born. The decisions we make about where and how we place our babies to sleep can impact their health and safety. Some common practices of the past are no longer considered to be the safest way to support your baby to sleep. The advice listed here is from the evidence-informed information provided by the Lullaby Trust: a leading UK Charity who aim to reduce the number of SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome) deaths by providing safer sleep advice.

Temperature

It is important to make sure that your baby is at a comfortable temperature – not too hot or too cold. The chance of SIDS is higher in babies who get too hot.
A room temperature of 16-20°C – with light bedding or a lightweight, well-fitting baby sleep bag– is comfortable and safe for sleeping babies.
It can be difficult to judge the temperature in the room, so use a room thermometer in the rooms where your baby sleeps.
Regularly feel your baby’s chest 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 or bedding.
Babies who are unwell need fewer, not more bedclothes.
Babies do not need to wear hats indoors, nor sleep under a duvet or quilt.
We recommend using sleeping bags once baby is over 9lbs but please ensure you check the tog rating for the temperature of the room.
Swaddling is a great comfort for baby’s, especially newborns, but please bear in mind the swaddling dos and don’ts.

Sleep Location For 0 – 6 Month-Old Babies

The safest place for your baby to sleep is in the same room with you for the first six months.
Place your baby to sleep in a separate cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first 6 months, even during the day.
Some parents choose to co-sleep with their baby. See the advice listed below specifically for safer co-sleeping.
Never sleep on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby. Sleeping on a sofa or in an armchair with your baby is one of the most high-risk situations for them.
The chance of SIDS is lower when babies sleep in a separate cot in the same room as their parents

Sleep Position for babies

You should always place your baby on their back to sleep and not on their front or side.
Sleeping your baby on their back (known as the supine position) every night is one of the most protective actions you can take to ensure your baby is sleeping as safely as possible.
There is substantial evidence from around the world to show that sleeping your baby on their back at the beginning of every sleep or nap (day and night) significantly reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
You should always place your baby on their back to sleep and not on their front or side (unless your doctor has advised you of a medical reason to do so)
Sleeping a baby on their front or side greatly increases the chance of SIDS
It is important that you always put your baby on their back as part of their regular sleep routine – the chance of SIDS is particularly high for babies who are sometimes placed on their front or side
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.
The first few times they roll onto their tummy, you might like to gently turn them back, but do not feel you have to get up all night to check. Give them some time to play on their tummy while they are awake to help their development, but make sure you supervise them while they are on their front.

How to Set Up Baby Cot safely / Moses Basket Contents

Remove soft toys from your baby’s sleep area before each sleep period. Babies should be slept in a clear sleep space, which is easy to create in a cot or Moses basket.

Sleep Pods Or Sleep Nests Are NOT Safe For Baby to Sleep In

There are some items that I would not recommend

• pods or nests
• pillows, duvets or thick heavy bedding
• cot bumpers
• hammocks
• sleep positioners

Parent And Baby Co-Sleeping

Sharing your bed with your baby is called co-sleeping.

For safer co-sleeping:

Keep pillows, sheets, blankets away from your baby or any other items that could obstruct your baby’s breathing or cause them to overheat. A high proportion of infants who die as a result of SIDS are found with their head covered by loose bedding.
Follow the other safer sleep advice to reduce the risk of SIDS such as sleeping baby on their back.
Avoid letting pets or other children in the bed.
Make sure baby won’t fall out of bed or get trapped between the mattress and the wall.

It is important for you to know that there are some circumstances in which co-sleeping with your baby can be very dangerous:

Either you or your partner smokes (even if you do not smoke in the bedroom).
Either you or your partner has drunk alcohol or taken drugs (including medications that may make you drowsy).
You are extremely tired.
Your baby was born premature (37 weeks or less).
Your baby was born at a low weight (2.5kg or 5½ lbs or less).
Never sleep on a sofa or armchair with your baby, this can increase the risk of SIDS by 50 times.

You should never sleep together with your baby if any of the above points apply to you or your partner.

How Can I Make Sure My Child-Care Provider Follows My Safe Sleep Guidelines?

All Child-care providers whether they are independent child-minders, a nursery setting or a relative should be following safer sleep guidelines. It is definitely a conversation you should have with them when considering your child’s placement with them. Look for pro-active nurseries such as Highbury Community Nursery, who are actively engaging conversations around best sleep practices with their parents by seeking out professional advice to follow and dispense. If you are a child-care provider and would like to discuss getting an informational newsletter to send out to your parents from a professional Baby Sleep Coach, then please get in touch as I’d be happy to help!

References:

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

Tailored Sleep Plans with 1:1 support

Gentle Sleep Solution Guides for Instant Download

Frequently Asked Questions On How Can I Make My Child Sleep Better:

Can vitamin D help my baby sleep better?

What foods will help baby sleep better?

How to make kids room sleep friendly?

How does blue light affect your child’s sleep?

How to make going back to work after maternity leave easier?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go back?

Advice and guidance of safer sleep for babies.

How to get babies and children to sleep when traveling?

Top 10 tips for traveling with a baby, toddler or a child.

How to help baby sleep in the heat?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go forward?

Is it a good idea to give baby a dummy?

Breast pumping and sleep, when is best to breast pump.

Will my baby sleep better if I give them a bottle?

Will my baby sleep better if I feed them every 4 hours?

Will my nursery/ childcare provider support my child’s sleep?

How can I enjoy the first Christmas with my baby?

Halloween sleepy food recipes and ideas to get your children sleeping well.

How To Get Baby To Sleep When Travelling?

by Baby Sleep Coach | Apr 1, 2022 | Traveling with a baby and sleep

As travel begins to slowly reappear you might suddenly be faced with stress around how to travel with your baby, how to help your baby sleep on vacation and of course where your baby can sleep when travelling.
Fear not, combining years of baby and child experience your Baby Sleep Coach has come up with the answers to new parents five most asked questions about baby sleep whilst on holiday:

Will Travel Ruin Baby’s Sleep Routine?

This is likely the most asked question relating to travel and holidays that I get asked. The answer is no, a week or two of a slightly altered routine won’t put your efforts to waste and, if they do throw your baby off their usual sleep schedule, it shouldn’t be too hard to get them back on track. When you return from your holiday ensure you begin your ‘pre-holiday’ sleep routine the first night back, this helps to show that when you are at home it’s business as usual. The best way to help baby sleep when travelling is to create a ‘home from home’ environment wherever you are staying.

Here Are A Few Top Tips:

Use your own travel cot where possible and practise beforehand – if you can’t take your own travel cot (such as if you’re taking your baby on a plane) then check with the hotel the size of the travel cot they will be providing and take your own sheets. If you can use sheets that have already been in the baby’s cot then they will smell of home and be more comforting. If their cot mattress is a different size to yours it’s definitely worth purchasing new sheets that will fit to be able to provide your baby with this home comfort.

Don’t forget the favourite features of their bedtime routine! Whether your baby has a favourite soft toy, baby comforter, bedtime story, their top baby bath toy, a white noise machine or even a favourite pair of pyjama’s make sure to pack it! If you wear their pyjama under your top for few days, your baby will find your scent very calming, relaxing and soothing.

Travel black-out blinds – these can be a lifesaver when staying somewhere other than home. If your baby is accustomed to a dark room then you will want to purchase one of these before staying away.

An Air BnB is a great way to create that ‘home from home’ environment as they tend to have more home comforts and features than a hotel room.

Where Does Baby Nap When On Holiday?

Every baby is different, especially when it comes to their sleeping habits. By now you will know if your baby is likely to sleep on the move or whether they absolutely need their beds. If you want to be out and about during your travels then practise with on-the-move naps prior to your trip.

Our Suggestions For On The Move Napping For Active Parents Include:

Pram or Buggy – if you’re going somewhere warm ensure you have a form of shade available either from a parasol or an extended pram hood. Avoid hanging a muslin or blanket over the front of the pram in order to create shade, it can get very hot very quickly under there.

A baby carrier – There are baby carriers available for a wider range of baby sizes on the current market. If you’re going to try a baby carrier for the first time, ensure you do a trial run to check the settings are comfortable – you definitely don’t want to injure your back halfway through a hike and still have a baby to carry around!

In a car seat whilst travelling – the gentle vibrations of a moving car are often ideal sleep promoters for babies and if you are transporting yourselves by car it might be a good idea to do so at nap time so they don’t get restless. Please remember to never leave your baby in a hot car as the temperature can rise very quickly once the air conditioning is turned off. Make sure to take frequent breaks and get your baby out of the car seat, if you doing long journeys

In the hotel/room – don’t be afraid to sacrifice some of your usual exploration time for a nap in the hotel room. Some babies will only sleep in a cot but if you are travelling in a warm environment the break from the heat might do you both good.

How Can I Help Baby Sleep in Travel Cot?

Travel cots aren’t the most luxurious of items, you can buy additional mattresses for most but if you are travelling abroad taking a mattress, even a fold-up one, is likely not an option. In the absence of an extra mattress – and don’t be afraid to ask the hotel for one – we recommended padding the bottom of the cot with a couple of flat bath towels and putting the sheet over the top. This should help baby to sleep better, don’t be tempted to use soft duvets or thick blankets as baby’s sleep surface should be flat and firm – but the towel should just ensure the base of the bottom of the cot isn’t poking into babies back.

If your little one is a toddler then consider whether a mattress on the floor would be more comfortable for them as the travel cots can be quite flimsy and a determined toddler could knock one over. If your toddler isn’t used to sleeping without the sides of a cot then ensure you line the floor next to them with a duvet or towels as hotel floors tend to be much firmer than bedroom carpets!

Do You Keep To Baby’s Bed-Time Routine When Away From Home?

Where possible, try to keep the night-time routine similar such as bath, book and bed. If you do need to adjust bedtimes to make the most of your time away then don’t panic too much – it shouldn’t harm your usual routine when you return! Just make sure that on your return home you go straight back to the usual bedtime or baby sleep schedule. This will help differentiate between ‘holiday bedtime’ and ‘home bedtime’. I have fond memories of the excitement of staying up past bedtime when on holiday as a child.

It is also common to find that holiday excitement, activities and sunshine tire your children out quicker. After all, Vitamin D can help your baby sleep so as you’re more likely to be outside, they are more likely to tire out – we’ll let you decide whether that is a help or hindrance to your time away!

You know your child and how they will cope best however, we would recommend if you are staying up later to try and be near to your hotel. That way should the signs of over-tiredness begin to creep up you can quickly get them to bed, don’t forget that they can start the night sleeping in the pram whilst you’re out and when you get them back to your room you can just transfer them in their bed. There’s nothing wrong with letting baby snooze in the buggy whilst the adults enjoy a nice meal on their holiday.

What Should My Baby Wear To Bed On Holiday?

What to dress your baby in for bed can be a minefield of questions for any new parent as the weather changes, so what to dress baby in for bed when travelling can be a really stressful packing question!

To practise baby safe sleeping guidelines, I always recommend that once they are big enough (check your sleeping bag manufacturer but most are from 8lbs) they sleep in a baby sleeping bag or baby gro bag. You can get lower tog sleeping bags up to even 0.5 tog, which is very thin. Alternatively, you can let baby just sleep in a vest or nappy if they will, my baby would never go to sleep without some covering so we would get the lowest tog possible and keep baby in nappy underneath if it was still warm.

If you’re worried about it being warm, taking a room thermometer is a good idea. You can take small ones that are just a piece of card that will give you a good enough estimate to make a decision. You can use a fan in the baby’s room but make sure it’s not pointed at them and, as usual, keep them away from heat sources and direct sunlight. The Lullaby Trust has a some great advice on keeping baby safe during the summer.

Let us know if this has helped you or if you have any further questions about getting your baby to sleep when travelling, in the comments section below.

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

Tailored Sleep Plans with 1:1 support

Gentle Sleep Solution Guides for Instant Download

Frequently Asked Questions On How Can I Make My Child Sleep Better:

Can vitamin D help my baby sleep better?

What foods will help baby sleep better?

How to make kids room sleep friendly?

How does blue light affect your child’s sleep?

How to make going back to work after maternity leave easier?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go back?

Advice and guidance of safer sleep for babies.

How to get babies and children to sleep when traveling?

Top 10 tips for traveling with a baby, toddler or a child.

How to help baby sleep in the heat?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go forward?

Is it a good idea to give baby a dummy?

Breast pumping and sleep, when is best to breast pump.

Will my baby sleep better if I give them a bottle?

Will my baby sleep better if I feed them every 4 hours?

Will my nursery/ childcare provider support my child’s sleep?

How can I enjoy the first Christmas with my baby?

Halloween sleepy food recipes and ideas to get your children sleeping well.

How To Help Baby Sleep In The Heat?

by Baby Sleep Coach | Mar 29, 2022 | Traveling with a baby and sleep

As summer arrives, your baby may have trouble sleeping in the heat – which is perfectly normal! Many parents worry about the temperature of their baby or toddler on a hot day and, whilst it is definitely something to pay attention to, it doesn’t mean all past baby sleep solutions need to be disregarded.

To help parents help their baby sleep when it’s hot, our baby sleep coach has gathered some of our best summer sleep solutions for your baby or toddler!

toddler sleeping in the nappy in the heat

How To Dress Baby For Sleep In The Heat?

Dressing your Baby for bed when it’s hot is not as complicated as it may feel. We have a simple Pinterest pin you can save to reference in the future or you can check out our breakdown below:

Under 16 Degrees Celcius – Vest (long sleeve if possible), Sleepsuit, 2.5 tog or higher sleeping bag and socks

17 – 19 Degrees Celcius – Vest (short), sleepsuit, 2.5 tog sleeping bag.

20 – 22 Degrees Celcius – Vest (short or long) and 1 or 1.5 tog sleeping bag

23 – 25 Degrees Celcius – Nappy and a 1 tog sleeping bag

25 Degrees Celcius or higher – Just a Nappy if your baby will or the lightest sleeping bag you can find. Tommee Tippee do 0.2 tog sleeping bags or 0.5 togs are widely available online.

fan keeping childrens room cool at in the heat

How To Keep Baby’s Room Cool In Hot Weather?

It can be a real struggle for parents to keep their baby’s room at the ideal temperature during the summer months. There are many factors at play – how can you keep your baby cool at night in summer without having them wake up cold if the temperature drops?

Luckily we have gathered top tips to help you out:

Buy a Room Thermometer – if there is one essential item for a baby’s nursery after a cot, let it be your room thermometer. Being able to monitor your baby or toddler’s room temperature will enable you to make informed decisions about how to dress the baby for sleep in all weathers. Bonus Tip: A lot of modern baby monitors have thermometers included, ensure you check this with an alternative thermometer before relying on it as these tend to be at a higher temperature. Remember, heat rises so you want the thermometer as close to level with where baby is sleeping as possible.

Keep the blinds and curtains closed and the door open for the babies room during the day. Whilst you may feel like to help baby sleep better in the heat you should have the curtains wide open to let in as much air as possible, sunlight coming into the room will make it warmer. Keep the windows open but the curtains closed to avoid this sunny side-effect, as recommended by the lullaby trust site.

Use a fan to circulate air around the room but ensure it is not pointing at the baby. A lot of babies actually enjoy the white noise that a fan emits so you may find that it helps soothe the baby to sleep. Great tip – use a bowl of ice or freeze a large bottle of water and place it in front of the fan, this will make the air circulating cold.

Use air conditioning if available, there are many portable air conditioning units you can buy. If using an air conditioning unit, cool the room before you put your baby to sleep. Use it for the duration of their sleep, set the temperature for 16 – 18 degrees and make sure the unit is in a suitable position so it’s not blowing cold air directly at the baby. If the room is cooled to lower temperatures, remember to dress your baby accordingly.

Some babies won’t settle in the cot with distractions going on, so if you need to close the door of the baby’s room to get to sleep, wait 5 or 10 minutes after they have dropped off and open it up to let air from the rest of the house flow through.

If you are having doors and windows open whilst your baby is asleep, don’t forget to use a doorstop or heavy item so that a wind-induced door slam doesn’t wake up your baby!

You can also hang a wet towel over the chair, the evaporating water will cool the air

Fill a hot water bottle with ice and place it in their cot if they are over 1 year old.

How To Check If A Baby Is Too Hot Whilst Sleeping?

The best way to check your baby isn’t overheating when it’s hot at night is to go in and gently place a hand on their chest and their back. A lot of babies’ backs of their heads will get warm – this is completely normal and common in both children and adults alike! So if you focus on the chest you should get an idea of how hot they are.

What To Do If Baby Is Hot Whilst Sleeping?

If you do find that your child is too hot at night, whilst you will want to avoid waking them up if you have finally settled baby to sleep, it’s worth working to make the room cooler. If you want to introduce a fan that is particularly noisy, we would recommend starting the fan off in a different room a bit further away but pointing in the direction of the baby’s room and then after 5 minutes bringing it closer whilst ensuring it isn’t pointing at the baby. This will gradually introduce the fan-noise to them without starting them. If you place a frozen water bottle or bowl of ice in front of the fan it will keep the circulating air cooler.

Try to keep them on their back, whilst this is a normal safety issue a lot of parents find that when older their baby likes to sleep on their stomach. This is still okay to do but ensure that their cot sheet is tight-fitting and will not go over their face. Similarly, try to avoid using blankets that may end up covering their face. If your child requires a blanket and won’t use a gro bag or sleep without covering, then ensure it is a cellular blanket as these have breathable holes in them.

Whilst you will be keeping your baby’s blinds closed (but window open in the heat) you may feel this doesn’t allow for much of a draft. Try propping open the doors in multiple rooms with the windows open in order to create a cooler house overall and a gentle draft of fresh air.

How To Settle Baby To Sleep In Heat?

You will likely find that the heat will either wipe your baby out so they sleep easier, or make them hot and bothered so they take longer to fall asleep. Check out these 3 tips:

Return to baby every 20 minutes if they are struggling to sleep in order to offer them a drink of cold water if they are weaned. Try not to engage in conversation during this time for the risk of waking them. If your baby isn’t weaned then try to have a bottle (or breast) handy to top them up with fluid every half an hour.

Give baby a cooler bath close to bedtime, this will help to lower their body temperature before bed.

Try not to have a baby in an overly cold room for their bedtime routine. If they have been downstairs in a room with a cooling fan, in just a nappy then when they go to bed they are going to feel warmer instantly!

Whilst it may feel uncomfortable and warm for you, try not to be sleeveless if holding them for a feed before bed. Having the skin on skin on the back of the neck when it is hot outside is just going to contribute to them feeling sweaty and clammy.

Try to be patient! It can be frustrating when your baby won’t go to sleep, but it is natural for it to be a more difficult sleep process when the weather is warmer.

child wearing a sunhat in the hot summer day

What Else Can I Do To Help My Baby In The Summer?

Aside from sleep, the day to day challenges of having a baby or toddler in the summer months can be quite daunting. If you want to read about the best ways to help baby when travelling check out our blog for helping baby to sleep whilst travelling here.

Otherwise, remember these important tips:

Don’t leave your little one anywhere it can get hot fast. This includes; the car, covered in a pram, or just sat out in the sun. Covering prams with a muslin will heat them up like a greenhouse. Cover them with safety checked cooling pram covers made for purpose if you have to. Use pram parasols.

Sunhats are your baby’s best friend! What can you do if your baby or toddler won’t wear a hat? Keep them in the shade! It’s an unfortunate consequence when we want to enjoy the sun ourselves, but keeping their heads out of the sun is very important. There are several reasonably priced parasols available on the market if your toddler refuses to wear a sunhat.

Keep them hydrated! If you are breastfeeding, your milk will naturally adjust to the hot temperature and provide more hydrating milk for your little one, so there is no need to top them up with water if they are under 6 months. Just make sure to offer breast more often. If your baby is on formula, you can offer them sips of cooled boiled water (under 6 months). If your little one is older and isn’t drinking enough water, whilst you may be resistant to offering them a flavoured substitute, very lightly diluted cordial or fresh juice watered down a lot may be necessary if they aren’t drinking. Alternatively, you can make a smoothie using fresh or frozen fruit and even turn that smoothie into ice lollies by freezing it in a suitable container.

Paddling pools (in the shade or with hats) are a great way to have fun whilst maintaining a good temperature.

Let us know if this has helped you or if you have any further questions about getting your baby to sleep when in the heat, in the comments section below.

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

Tailored Sleep Plans with 1:1 support

Gentle Sleep Solution Guides for Instant Download

Frequently Asked Questions On How Can I Make My Child Sleep Better:

Can vitamin D help my baby sleep better?

What foods will help baby sleep better?

How to make kids room sleep friendly?

How does blue light affect your child’s sleep?

How to make going back to work after maternity leave easier?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go back?

Advice and guidance of safer sleep for babies.

How to get babies and children to sleep when traveling?

Top 10 tips for traveling with a baby, toddler or a child.

How to help baby sleep in the heat?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go forward?

Is it a good idea to give baby a dummy?

Breast pumping and sleep, when is best to breast pump.

Will my baby sleep better if I give them a bottle?

Will my baby sleep better if I feed them every 4 hours?

Will my nursery/ childcare provider support my child’s sleep?

How can I enjoy the first Christmas with my baby?

Halloween sleepy food recipes and ideas to get your children sleeping well.

Will My Nursery / Child-Care Provider Support My Little Ones Sleep?

by Baby Sleep Coach | Mar 3, 2022 | Working parents

When you have worked hard to improve your child’s sleep routine, especially if your child has had difficulty sleeping in the past, the idea of sending them to a Nursery or a Child-minder where their sleep routine may not be supported can be daunting to parents.

When selecting a child-care facility, I always recommend looking around at least twice and at different times of the day if you’re able to as this will give you more of an idea of their routine. However, you should always speak to your child-care provider about your child’s sleep routines and your concerns. Maybe you have a special phrase that means it’s sleep-time, or perhaps a comforter that needs to be removed once they fall asleep? All these little things can affect your child’s sleep and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask them about it!

Recently, I was asked by Purple Jay Nurseries to go to their Lambeth, London site (they also have lovely facilities in both Peckham Rye and East Dulwich) and do a presentation and question and answer style interview for the parents there all about Supporting Sleep and talking them through my gentle, holistic methods. I was so pleased not only to be asked and able to help this group of parents in person (which thanks to Covid were a novelty) but to be able to answer individual questions.

It was also refreshing to have a nursery wanting to support their parents and little ones through what can be one of the biggest challenges of parenting. Having passed on my methods to both staff and parents, I’m confident it will help everyone get some improved sleep and more communication regarding sleep behaviours between the nursery and parents. They were so accommodating and I hope to return at some stage as I felt it not only really benefitted everyone but also built the parents confidence that the Nursery is looking after their little one’s best interests. Something every parent wants in their child-care provider!

How Can I Communicate Our Sleep Routine To Nursery / Child-Care?

Absolutely make sure you communicate your sleep routine! Child-care providers will be actively looking for all the methods to help support your little one to sleep. Remember they also WANT them to sleep and be in their best mood possible for the day.

If, like myself, you’re against the cry-it-out method, or have other ‘no no’s’ when it comes to naptime then make sure you make that clear within your handover instructions. If you’re new to your child attending child-care because of going back to work then I’d recommend looking at my Back To Work Guide, shorter than my sleep guide. This guide focuses on returning to work and how to ease this transition. Even if you aren’t returning to work there is a lot of useful information on how to start your child with a child-care provider and a handy handover template/guide.

The best way to communicate your wishes around your child’s care is to write it down (maybe even laminate it!) and put it within your child’s belongings so that whenever the nursery are changing a nappy or in your child’s bag they will be reminded of your care instructions.

Can You Speak To My Child’s Child-Care Provider?

Similarly to the presentation, I did at Purple Jay Nurseries, I’m available to speak to parents and/or staff regarding sleep methods that follow my gentle, holistic and family centred ethos. If your nursery would like me to do a presentation then they can contact me directly here where I can happily talk through the options with them directly.
My sleep presentations build the confidence of parents not only with their home sleep-time routines but also with the ability of their nursery to accommodate their gentle sleep preferences to the highest standard. Discussing these strategies together can bring a new clarification on what may or may not work for a child – and also where the discrepancies might be!

Have you downloaded your freebie yet? Top 10 Baby Sleep Coach Tips To Help Your Baby Sleep Better Guide! If not, then make sure to click here.

For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

Tailored Sleep Plans with 1:1 support

Gentle Sleep Solution Guides for Instant Download

Frequently Asked Questions On How Can I Make My Child Sleep Better:

Can vitamin D help my baby sleep better?

What foods will help baby sleep better?

How to make kids room sleep friendly?

How does blue light affect your child’s sleep?

How to make going back to work after maternity leave easier?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go back?

Advice and guidance of safer sleep for babies.

How to get babies and children to sleep when traveling?

Top 10 tips for traveling with a baby, toddler or a child.

How to help baby sleep in the heat?

How to adjust child’s routine when the clocks go forward?

Is it a good idea to give baby a dummy?

Breast pumping and sleep, when is best to breast pump.

Will my baby sleep better if I give them a bottle?

Will my baby sleep better if I feed them every 4 hours?

Will my nursery/ childcare provider support my child’s sleep?

How can I enjoy the first Christmas with my baby?

Halloween sleepy food recipes and ideas to get your children sleeping well.

Enjoying Your First Christmas With Baby

by Baby Sleep Coach | Dec 3, 2021 | Christmas with a baby

In the run-up to Christmas, a lot of parents can put pressure on themselves to make everything perfect and enjoy these key milestone moments. Whilst Christmas can be enjoyable with a baby, the hustle and bustle of lots of visiting, different locations and baby-friendly Christmas socialising can be difficult to balance for parents. With this in mind, I have written some of my best advice for helping your little one to sleep during the Holidays.

Whilst we are very much a fan of following your baby’s lead when it comes to their nap times, amidst the festive season it’s best to have a plan and a contingency plan in place for naps. If your little one isn’t used to a lot of company and you bring them into a busy home at Christmas it can be overwhelming for babies and lead to them feeling tired earlier than usual or being overtired and cranky.

Here’s Some Of Our Advice To Allow That Much-Needed Rest To Go As Smoothly As Possible:

Bring Your Own Travel Cot

Use your own travel cot where possible and practise beforehand. These days travel cots are a lot easier to transport around and it’s a good idea to have one thrown into the boot of the car even if you aren’t planning on staying long enough for a nap. Bring their cot bed sheets and pyjamas that they have already slept in. A familiar smell will be soothing for your child. Read more travel tips here

Try To Avoid Cat Napping

Try not to let baby cat-nap in the car for multiple short periods if you’re going between numerous houses in one day. This can disrupt their sleep pattern and leave them in a worse mood than if they’d not napped at all. When you have a baby you have every right to text and say ‘sorry, going to be an hour late as baby has fallen to sleep at Granny’s. Read more here on how to get baby sleep while travelling.

Make Sure To Bring The Bedtime Favourites With You.

Don’t forget the favourite features of their bedtime routine! If your baby is stopping overnight (either with or without you) in a different place, don’t forget what makes the bedtime routine special to them. Whether your baby has a favourite soft toy, baby comforter, bedtime story, their top baby bath toy, a white noise machine or even a favourite pair of pyjama’s make sure to pack it! If you wear their pyjama under your top for a few days, your baby will find your scent very calming, relaxing and soothing.

newborn baby sleeping in a christmas outfit

Don’t Forget To Bring Travel Blackout Blinds And A White Noise Machine

Travel black-out blinds & White Noise machines – these can be a lifesaver when staying somewhere other than home. If your baby is accustomed to a dark room then you will want to purchase a travel blind before staying away, the white noise will help drown out any adult merriment going on past bedtime but remember to test it beforehand if they don’t usually have white noise as it could have the opposite effect.

Put Them To Bed Yourself Before Heading Out

Put them to bed yourself, unless they are very used to another person doing it regularly. This will make them feel more settled into the new environment because they know the comfort of their parents is there.

Remember vitamin D can help your baby sleep better so go out whenever you can. More on that here.

Choose The Right Foods For You And Your Baby To Support Better Sleep.

If you are breastfeeding, avoid caffeine and artificial additives.
Avoid giving babies that are weaning caffeine and artificial additives. This includes chocolate.
Sleep supporting foods for babies that are weaning include foods rich in tryptophan, B-vitamins and complex carbohydrates. Full list of sleep supporting foods here.
Allow time for your baby to digest their evening meal before bed.
A warm milk drink or breastfeed immediately before bed can help your baby to sleep well.

baby wearing a Santas hat sitting in a basket

Relax!!!

Relax! If the sleep routine is disrupted for a couple of days it won’t set back all your hard work. Just make sure it’s clear that once you are back home, so are the bedtime rules

We hope these tips help, let us know in the comments! Remember, whilst everyone will be excited to spend a few moments with your little one just be reassured that you can say no to visits, holding your baby, looking after your baby etc if you would prefer they didn’t!

Parents, often mothers, feel guilty at Christmas wanting to please everyone – you only have to please your little one!
I hope you have a wonderful and restful holiday period, however, or whatever you choose to celebrate.

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mum relaxing at christmas wearing santa socks

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For more advice on how to help your baby sleep and find a baby sleep solution that works for you and your family, you can check out our 1 : 1 consultation services or our new baby sleep guides which come with free access to my Sleepy Village Facebook community for easy access to get your questions answered.

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