baby sleep difficulties

July 22, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

Vacation Sleep Solutions for Children

August is a busy month for family summer vacations, and vacations are a wonderful time for families to experience new adventures and build precious memories. Whether you are visiting family from out of state, or touring a foreign country, taking your child out of their natural surroundings can create sleep difficulties.

Ease into the time change
Switching over to a new time zone can be very difficult for both child and family. I always suggest to my parents to start changing the time gradually, while they are still at home. Progressively pushing sleep time slightly ahead or behind, will make the transition much less abrupt once you arrive.

If you are only away for two or three days, I recommend sticking with your home time zone. Otherwise, by the time your child adjusts to the new time, you will be working to correct them back. Do your best to keep nap times on schedule so your child is not overtired, or too alert for bed. Use blinds to create a dark room at your child’s bedtime to help induce relaxation, and promote the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Don’t skip nap time
Do your best to stick to your nap time schedule when you are on vacation. If you are able, I suggest to my parents to try and fit travel in when it suits the child’s nap schedule. This will prevent the child from missing a nap and becoming overtired, making time changes even more difficult. Once at your destination, do your best to make your daily itinerary nap friendly. It can be tempting to try and get as much touring as possible in during the day, but an overtired child will not be much fun in a museum or restaurant.

Some kids may have a difficult time settling down if they are not in their own bed. Give yourself and your child extra time for a bedtime soothing routine. This will help them relax and fall asleep much easier.

Your little one doesn’t want to fall asleep for fear of missing out on the fun
Once your child reaches toddler age they may become aware that their bedtime does not mean everyone else is going to sleep. If you are vacationing with family who have older children, your child may resist bedtime for fear of missing out on fun to be had with their cousins. Help your child ease into sleep by taking your time with your bedtime routine. Read them a story and let them know that everyone else will be going to bed soon. And don’t be shy about asking people to keep the noise down, so as not to wake your child. This is also a perfect time to have your white noise machine or fan. This will help buffer the noise in and outside of the house.

Scent is important to relaxation
According to the National Sleep Foundation, https://sleep.org/articles/scents-for-relaxation/ “there is some evidence that certain smells may have an effect on your sleep. For example, lavender has been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, potentially putting you in a more relaxed state. Another study of infants found that they cried less and slept more deeply after a bath with lavender scented oils.”

Your child’s sense of smell can also be a very important factor in their ability to feel comfortable at bedtime. If your child’s room or bed does not smell like home it could potentially create anxiety, causing it difficult to settle into sleep. Bring along a well-worn pair of pajamas, a stuffed animal, or even their bedding- anything that smells like home. This may help soothe feelings of home sickness that could create issues at bedtime.

Bring a night light
Sometimes a night light can help a child feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar room. Even if your child is no longer afraid of the dark, a dark, unknown room can be scary to most. Think about bringing a night light along with you to help navigate a strange room.

I tell my parents not to be too concerned if their child experiences some change to their sleep routine during a vacation. It can sometimes be unavoidable to get the same quality of sleep that you get at home, on days you are traveling. However, try not to let your little one get too far off track. An overtired child can be cranky, and have more difficulty falling asleep at night.

Was this information helpful? Contact me and let me know what issues your child is experiencing with their sleep this summer.

Angela Walsh is a Family Sleep Institute, Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the founder of Babes in Sleepland. She helps sleep deprived babies, children and families, get back on track and get the sleep they need and desire. To learn more about Angela and how she can help you, visit her website: babesinsleepland.com. Also get sleep tips, the latest research on baby and child products, and be part of her weekly Q and A at her Facebook page: Babes in Sleepland.

July 6, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

The Importance of Hydration for Healthy Sleep

As you likely know, there are many health risks associated with dehydration. Symptoms of mild dehydration include headache and constipation; while severe dehydration can cause dangerous health effects such as rapid heartbeat, fever, delirium or unconsciousness. According to the Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/basics/risk-factors/con-20030056” infants and children are especially vulnerable, because of their relatively small body weight and high turnover of water and electrolytes.”

How does hydration affect healthy sleep?

In addition to the dangerous health risks listed above, dehydration can also have a negative effect on sleep. Dehydration can cause painful nocturnal leg cramps in the calf muscles, feet or thighs, that can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. Dehydration can also cause melatonin deficiency, which can lead to insomnia.

Another important note to remember, is that if your child is getting an average of ten to twelve hours of sleep each night, (and isn’t bottle or breast-fed in the night,) they are also going that length of time without hydration. Children should begin each morning with a glass of water, to help off-set the dehydration that occurred during their sleep.

Warnings signs
Thirst is not always a reliable sign of the onset of dehydration, especially in young children. A good indicator is the color of urine. Keep a look out for dark yellow or amber colored urine. If your child’s urine is clear, or lightly colored, it means they are well hydrated. Other warning signs are dry skin, dry or itchy mouth, and decreased urine output.

Ways to help keep your little ones hydrated this summer

Luckily there are many fun and creative ways to help keep your little ones hydrated this summer…

Get creative with homemade popsicles
Make your child homemade popsicles made out of water or diluted fruit juices and mixed fruits. There are many options for popsicle molds such as these options from Tovolo that help make hydration a fun treat for your kids.

Eat your water
Nature provides delicious, and kid pleasing fruits and vegetables, that not only provide the healthy benefits of vitamins and minerals, but will also keep your child hydrated.

Some foods to include in your child’s diet are watermelon, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, oranges, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, colorful bell peppers and spinach ….did someone say PB and J, with a side of watermelon?

Make your own Smoothie Bar
Kids love to make smoothies. Who wouldn’t, when you can take handfuls of different colourful foods and blend them all together? Set out some fruits and vegetables from the list above, and let your little ones create their own smoothie flavours. (Parents should always control the blender.)

Tip: Yogurt or coconut water is great to add to your smoothies. When you become dehydrated, your body loses electrolytes in addition to water. Yogurt is a great source of potassium and sodium, and can help replace lost electrolytes and re-energize your body. In addition to its natural sweet flavour, coconut water is full of vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, and amino acids, and is one of nature’s most refreshing beverages.

Package water for on the go
There are many options for reusable water bottles on the market these days. (Make sure to look for bottles that are BPA-free.) If you are having difficulty getting your child to drink water, look for a water bottle with a built in fruit infuser. Adding some of your child’s favourite fruit to their water can help make it more enticing.

Summer can be a challenging time for healthy sleep. In addition to outdoor stimulation your child is experiencing, your child may be going through a growth spurt. Both of these factors can make settling down at night difficult. If your child is having trouble sleeping this summer, or is having a difficult time transitioning to a new bedtime routine, check out my sleep success plans. As a Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and Sleep Expert, I have worked with many families to help them find a plan that works for their individual needs.

Please let me know if you found this article helpful.

April 4, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

How Can I Get My Baby to Nap?

Before I answer that, let me ask, how important is napping for your baby? We all know that babies sleep a lot. What we may not know, is that not all sleep is created equal. Some parents may feel they would rather have most of their baby’s sleep take place at night, but depending on the age, this can be very detrimental for the baby. Babies grow and develop when they nap. Their morning nap is mentally restorative and their afternoon nap is physically restorative. Babies and children who nap, are found to have greater attention spans.

Some parents may also think that if they limit the amount of time their baby sleeps during the day, their baby will then sleep longer and better at night. In most cases this will backfire. We know that “sleep begets sleep,” therefore we also know that the opposite is true-the less your baby sleeps, the less your baby will be able to sleep. Your baby:

Will become overtired
May experience trouble falling asleep at night
May experience several night wakings
Wake early in the morning

Based on all this information, it’s clear naps are very important for babies. So back to the original question, How Can I Get My Baby to Nap? All of us have circadian rhythms, which is basically our internal clock, that determines when we sleep and we are awake. It is best to sleep when this clock dictates. If we don’t, we end up being overtired, cranky, unfocused, and often unable to fall asleep.

Little babies do not develop these rhythms until they are about 16 weeks old. So up until that time, it’s best to put your baby down for a nap when she is showing sleepy signs, but within 45 minutes to 2 hours of wake time, depending on your baby’s age.

Once your baby is about 16 weeks, you now want to put him on a sleep schedule of a morning, afternoon and late afternoon nap. This is where many nap problems occur, because the timing of these naps is crucial to your baby getting restorative and consolidated sleep.

Morning nap should begin between 8:15 and 9am and last at least one hour.
Afternoon nap should begin between 11:30am and 1pm and last at least one hour.
Late afternoon nap may take place anywhere between 3 and 4pm and last 30 minutes or more, but should not go later than 4:30pm

Additionally babies should have their first two naps of the day in their cribs, making sure their room is cavelike-dark and cool(68-70 degrees.)

It is very important to follow these guidelines to make sure your baby is getting the sleep she needs during the day. Unfortunately, some babies have trouble settling into a good nap schedule, so it’s up to you to be persistent and consistent to see results.

Allowing your baby to get the rest he needs throughout the day, will ensure he sleeps well at night, is happy, healthy and able to learn and grow properly. And as a bonus, you’ll get to sleep too!!

March 13, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

How Did You Survive the Time Change?

I was just reading an article entitled Changing the Clocks Wasn’t Good for Your Relationships. Well speaking personally I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say I found it very difficult. Each morning it was a struggle getting out of bed and I never seemed tired at night when the clock said 10PM (my usual bedtime!) All I can say is, I sympathize with those young families whose children weren’t tired at bedtime, and could not get up in the morning for school. As well as those babies and toddlers who really had trouble with their morning and afternoon nap schedules. I’m hoping many of you read my article offering sleep tips for the time change. http://www.myprgenie.com/view-publication/daylight-saving-time-to-spring-ahead-sleep-tips-by-babes-in-sleepland,

Well to get to the main point of this, the article I referred to at the beginning discusses how a lack of sleep and sleep deprivation has negative consequences to relationships, (and I would add to families and the work place.) In particular, we act more selfishly, we become more volatile and impulsive, and we have less control over our emotions. At home, we are more likely to argue with our loved ones!

In research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, participants were shown more likely to have selfish tendencies and unable to see their partner’s perspective, when they slept poorly. Serena Chen, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-researcher, claimed that “if you sleep poorly you are prone to be self-centered;” your focus is “me,me,me.”

A variety of studies that are mentioned in this article show many negative side effects to the time change, As already mentioned:

impulsivity
volatility
less-control (also called ego-depletion)
selfish tendencies

And in addition:

less moral awareness
more time spent aimlessly surfing the internet
increase in workplace injuries
increase in heart attacks

So what is the take away? We all need sleep and as a Pediatric Sleep Consultant, I know we all need consolidated and restorative sleep. If a one- hour time change can wreak so much havoc, just imagine how much more many sleepless nights, can wreak.

This is what I see in my practice:

Overtired and overstressed parents, and the main cause of this is that their children are not sleeping; not because they’re changing their clocks twice a year.

If you feel you are one of those parents, and you know it’s because your children are not sleeping, let me help you. I can get your kids sleeping again and allowing all of you to get the sleep you desire and more importantly, need!

Let me know what you think. Was this article helpful?

Angela Walsh is a Family Sleep Institute, Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant and the founder of Babes in Sleepland. She helps sleep deprived babies, children and families, get back on track and get the sleep they need and desire. To learn more about Angela and how she can help you, visit her website: babesinsleepland.com Also get sleep tips, the latest research on baby and child products, and be part of her weekly Q and A at her Facebook page: Babes in Sleepland.

February 25, 2015 by Angela Walsh Leave a Comment

Do you Have Sleep Questions You Would Love to Have Answered?

If you would like a sleep expert to answer your baby or child sleep questions, visit https://www.facebook.com/BabesInSleepland on Thursdays at 1pm EDT.

Vacation Sleep Solutions for Children

The Importance of Hydration for Healthy Sleep

How Can I Get My Baby to Nap?

How Did You Survive the Time Change?

Do you Have Sleep Questions You Would Love to Have Answered?

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