Night-time waking and unwell children

With winter upon us- a little cough here and a runny nose there can put fear into the hearts of many parents, especially when our children WERE sleeping through the night and now they aren't.

When I feel sick - I still want a hug from my mum and I'm a grown up! When our little ones are ill, they want that too.

We all need as much rest as we can so our body can fight that cold or flu. Even though we do try and sleep as much as we can, it is often disjointed and all over the place. It often takes a few days to get back on track.

So what do we do when our little one wakes in the night?

1. Go to them- they need you. Give them a kiss and a cuddle and tell them that you are there for them.
2. Offer a sip of water. Keeping fluids up and remaining hydrated is key. It's important to note that giving milk feeds should only be given if recommended by a physician. Feeding your child back to sleep may makes things harder once their health has returned.
3. Avoid rocking and patting to sleep. If they are not used to this or it was a previous prop that you have finally broken, it may make them feel irritated rather than comforted.
4. Don't bring them into bed with you. If you really feel like you need to be with them, then make a 'make-shift' bed in their room. They need their space and comforts to feel better - not yours. If you start bringing them into bed, removing them later can prove difficult.
5. Come to terms that the next few nights are not going to be great for all of you. You need to allow your child to continue to self-settle but you can be there to comfort them whenever they need you.

What to do if all your good intensions go out the window?

Ok, you have had a rough couple of nights and you have been in survival mode. You have done all that you can so you and your family got some resemblance of sleep. Your little one is on the mend BUT they are no longer sleeping through the night.

The bad news is that it's going to take some 'tough love' from you to reintroduce all those self-settling techniques. The good news is that if they have done it once before - they can do it again.

Phew!

Stay well and sleep tight!

Janelle

http://www.sleepsense.net/blog/sleep-tips-for-sick-children/

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=304&id=1717

Child Sleep Consultants - the other choice!

Child Sleep Consultants- the other choice!

When I became a mum, I quickly discovered that I knew very little about babies and parenting. A huge issue I was having was the lack of sleep for all. Once I had used everything in my ‘bag of tricks’ I was stuck – Miss E just wouldn’t sleep. I was exhausted. What was I doing wrong?

There only seemed to be two main points of reference when it came to children and sleep; "Ferber" ‘cry it out’ method or "Pantely" the ‘co-sleeping’ method. Both had merits but they just weren’t for me.

I found “The Sleep Sense Program” written by "Dana Obleman". Within a week Miss E was sleeping through the night - she was only 3 months old!

This profound transformation had such an impact on my life that I decided to dedicate myself to helping other parents to solve their sleep problems too. I trained with Dana in the U.S and became the first certified sleep sense consultant here in Perth, Western Australia.

So – what is a sleep consultant? A sleep consultant works with individual families to understand what the sleep problems are and how to fix them. They are not a ‘sleep school’ with hard and fast rules. They give parents the tools to help their children to self settle in a gentle, safe and nurturing environment – their own home.

Why would you hire one? They can objectively pin point the sleep issues and give practical strategies to solve them. They listen to parents and write a plan that suits their family and their child – not all families are the same! The BEST part is that they are there to hold parents' hands every step of the way. A book can’t do that.

There are many misconceptions about child sleep consultants or specialists. They are too expensive, they prey on the vulnerable, and they are unnatural. These comments come from misunderstanding and ignorance.

Yes, there is a cost involved but it’s money well spent when you are giving your child the best possible gift ever – the gift of sleep.

They prey on the vulnerable. Parents who come to me have tried lots of different ways to solve their child's sleep problems. It’s important to understand that they come to me – I don’t go to them. It’s about empowering parents to make changes for the better and on their terms.

It is unnatural. Not sleeping is unnatural. Techniques used by certified child sleep consultants are gentle and effective. Each part of the program is in consultation with the parents. A sleep consultant will never demand parents do something that is harmful to their child – in fact they require parents to be ‘in-tune’ with their child and listen to them every step of the way.

Parents today are bombarded with information everywhere. It is up to them to filter through and choose the best fit for them and their family situation. I did and I couldn't be happier!

Janelle Jeffery

Certified Sleep Sense Consultant

www.sleepytime.net.au