Update on Me

While I will continue to blog here once and awhile... I am blogging at Whole Diligence.wordpress.com a lot right now- check it out! Thank you for your loyalty as readers- and I hope you have better sleepers!

Have a wonderful December!

Courtney

Ahhh Sounds of Silence

Sounds of Silence is a baby settling and health guide in addition to soundtracks by Dr. Harry Zehnwirth, a pediatrician. This comes as a set and includes a condensed and informative book on baby sleep. I agree with the advice Dr. Zehnwirth shares, along with his advocating of white noise. He has a very realistic way of communicating through his book- he even challenges us to rely more on a very under utilized skill- intuition. The book covers sleep and health issues. Where it discusses sleep I am almost in complete agreement. The only two things that I differ slightly on are: total amount of sleep needed each day- it seems slightly low but just slightly, and the age a child can be sleeping through the night. He suggests 6-7 months, I have experienced it happening earlier on a pretty regular basis. BUT I highly recommend this book- it really covers many great areas and provides you with great information as you sleepily wade through the first months of being a new parent.

Not only can you use the soundtrack for home- you can put it on your computer, iphone, or some sort of traveling music player- then, whenever you have to put down your baby out you have their chosen white noise with you. I don't know how many times I have put a radio alarm clock on static or dealt with the interference in some alarm clock sound makers, or pulled a white noise track off the internet to play in the room with my child. This is a way that you can keep your white noise with you as you put your child down out.

*Make sure you read the HOW TO USE section. You need to play Sounds of Silence loudly!

They have generously given a set for a GIVE-A-WAY. Comment on this post to enter. The winner will be selected the last week of November.

A Great Swaddle for the sweet little newborns...

A swaddled newborn has to be one of the sweetest things... usually asleep, with all their amusing and adorable faces, tightly wrapped back to the coziness of the womb. Again, Merino Kids has done an excellent job creating a great product the Coocoi. This is a tight, easy to use swaddling blanket that is simple and made out of 100% Merino Wool- an amazing material. "Medical studies have found that babies and infants sleeping in or on merino settle more quickly, sleep longer, feed better, cry less and gain weight faster." I have used a number of good swaddling blankets. But I have had some issues with the baby getting too hot. Merino is great for that reason alone. "The main benefit of merino is its incomparable ability to maintain a comfortable micro-climate between body and bedding. Unlike synthetics, Merino breathes and controls moisture meaning that it has the natural ability to respond to changes in temperature. This unique garment property helps keep young ones cool when it is hot and warm when it is cold. "

If you have a new little baby I highly recommend checking out this swaddling blanket. If you have an older child check out their Go-Go bag for continued comfort and temperature control as your child ages. I have even had my three year old use one. It definitely makes a difference.

Check out this video for a video on use.

Teenage Sleep Dilemma

Teenagers need about 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep a night. For many teens it is difficult to fall asleep as early as they need to in order to get this needed sleep and making it to morning classes or just to school. As a parent you do need to advocate and set boundaries that encourage and promote your child getting this needed sleep.

Turning off tv/video games/computers an hour or two before bedtime, stopping exercise a few hours before, not eating or consuming caffeine a few hours before are all ways to help promote an easier trip to dreamland. Also, providing your child with an understanding of the importance of sleep can help (wait until they are in a receptive mood!). You may even encourage them to come up with a bedtime routine of sorts- shower or bath, brush teeth, read for a little bit before bed (not in bed) and then turn in for the night at a time that allows for their needed 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep.

Two Fun Products

iTurtle is a cute, fun speaker to plug an ipod, iphone, or the like into. It sways, bobs its head, and changes colors. Kids will get a kick out of it and have a way to blast their favorite tunes.


My Little Pony So Soft Newborn Sweetie Belle doll is a sweet little bedtime companion for your toddler who has suddenly become obsessed with babies, purses, and copying everything mommy does. As you put your sweetie to bed, she can put the Sweetie Belle doll to bed as well. Give Sweetie Belle her paci and off she goes to sleep.

Congrats to Merino Kids and Their New Safety Certification!!

I reviewed and raved about the Merino Go Go Bag earlier this year... here is some news on these great bags: "The Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag is the first to be certified to the new sleep sack safety standard published by the British Standards Institute, which is the national standards body of the UK. In April it published a new standard specification for baby sleep sacks that gives minimum safety requirements relating to: chemical hazards, thermal hazards (overheating), entrapment, entanglement, choking, ingestion and suffocation hazards, structural integrity and flammability.

Question for You?

What are your school-age or teens biggest sleep struggles?