Saturday Sleep Tip

Gradeschoolers can be reasoned with (to some degree), use this when dealing with sleep issues. Explain to them there body needs sleep to be the best.... to be the best at school, sports, whatever else they use their energy for.

Courtney's Sleep Tips on Momtrends

Friends,
Check out Nicole Feliciano's blog, momtrends.blogspot.com. The August 24th entry features some back-to-school sleep tips from me and other back-to-school tips. Enjoy.

I will be out of town for a week and will resume blogging on my return.

Happy Sleeping!!

Sleep Product Review: The Ultimate Out and About Sleep Set-up

The best place for a baby to take a nap is in their bedroom, but let's face it there are times when we can't or don't want to stay at home so our sweet little babies can take all their naps in their peaceful bedrooms. Sometimes we want to go to breakfast or take our other children to the park. Or sometimes we just have to take the other kids to ballet or gymnastics or wherever. There are solutions to allowing your precious little baby get their nap and still be out. Here is one option a friend of mine came up with:

Description:
Inside of a stroller that has a bassinet type option or possibly inside of their carseat create a sleep environment as close to their one at home as possible:

The Stroller
She uses the Easy DuoWalker (http://www.easywalker.nl/usa/duowalker.html) with the CarryCot (GREAT set-up). I have used my Graco stroller- fully reclined with the feet part up so it turns into a bassinet (http://www.gracobaby.com/catalog/product.aspx?modelNumber=7B11CAD3&CategoryID=12).

Noise Machine: Put some batteries in yours and take it along- put it right inside the bassinet. She uses the same wave sounds that she uses in her sons bedroom.

Sleep Positioner: Grab the sleep positioner from their crib (If they are out of this now- skip it).

Swaddle: Swaddle your baby just like you would at home (If they have outgrown the swaddle skip it too).

Darkness: Lay a breathable blanket to create the same dark environment at home over the top- block out that sun.

Binkie/Paci: She gives her little guy his favorite, loves the sucking and sleeps longer with it (just like she does at home).

The Goal: to create the same sleep environment you have created at home- to maximize the nap on-the-go.

Thank you DeNai for sharing. And good luck creating your sleep environment on-the-go. Please share any other sleep set-ups you have created for sleeping on-the-go.

Sleep Dilemma

Q: How do I keep my independent three- year old in his big boy bed?

A: There are a number of options for attacking this problem... all of which you may have to try in an attempt to rectify the situation... and you will have to figure out what works for your child.

• Set an appropriate bedtime based on your child's age-appropriate sleep needs.
  
• Make sure that you have a calming, consistent, and concise bedtime routine- possibly a bath, a story (not a library but a couple and not TV in place of a story), and to bed- avoid long drawn out routines, lists of excuses, and whatever else your creative child may conjure up.
• Have children get a drink and go potty before you put them in bed- take care of those inevitable excuses before they use them.
  
• Take the sleep environment into consideration. Turn off the lights- a dark room triggers sleep. Other sleep environment pluses: cool temperature, quiet, white noise.
• Maybe your child needs something comforting to sleep with: stuffed animal, blanket.
• Development of nighttime fears is normal and common at this age- leave their door open a crack if that helps them feel better, but I would avoid leaving bedroom lights on or forming any other habits that you don't want to continue. Also, think about the things that they watch- we don't want to give them something for their fears to feed on.

So, that covers everything to do to help prepare your child to stay in bed and fall asleep easily.

BUT, what if they don't stay in bed?

• Create a list of sleep rules along these lines: stay in bed, lay still, stay quiet, go to sleep (suggested from Healthy Sleep Habits). Go over these with your child before they go to sleep. Maybe demonstrate what this looks like or coach them through each of these actions, "Show me how you close your eyes sweetie." etc.
• If they get out of bed, silently walk them back to their room/bed. Don't give them any positive or negative attention- anything to converse about or add to staying up later. Do this again and again if it happens.
• Create an award system. Possibly give them a sticker on a card each night that they stay in their bed and when they get five stickers they get ___. Whatever is motivating to them.
• Call me or another sleep consultant to help you and your child get the sleep you need.
  

Saturday Sleep Tip

Set an early and appropriate bedtime and STICK TO IT. Preschoolers need between 10.5 and 13 hours of sleep a night. Toddlers need between 12 and 14 hours of sleep per night. Figure out what time they wake up or what time they have to be up for preschool or whatever your morning needs are and decide on a bedtime accordingly. Fight against falling into their persuasions of staying up later. Good luck.

Ponderings from Me: Transition to NO Nap

The dreadful transition from that oh so precious afternoon nap to no nap occurs sometime between age 3 and age 6. Marc Weisbluth, author of Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child states that at age 3- 91% still nap daily, at age 4- 50% still nap about 5 days a week, at age 5- 25% still nap about 4 days a week, and at age 6 the nap is pretty much gone.
My daughter transitioned out of her afternoon nap at around 3 1/2. She had been a good sleeper and good napper since she was 5 months old. Always had an early bedtime and no problem going to sleep at night. Then, around 3 1/2 my great napper started staying awake for hours when I put her to bed at night... just talking in her bed or whatever until 10 o'clock or so. This went on for a week or two. (I was not ready for her to not have a nap.) Finally, one day we skipped her nap and did a quiet time instead. That night she went right to sleep at 7 o'clock. From then on, she has been fine without a nap and goes to sleep immediately at 7 o'clock and wakes up at about 7 o'clock every morning. A nice, solid 12 hours of sleep.
And then, then follow-up question: what do they do during their past naptime? How can I continue to get stuff done?
I have a bunch of quiet activities that my 4-year old pulls out during her "quiet time". She knows that I have stuff to do during naptime and has become quite good about finding quiet activities to occupy herself. You may also try having them play in their room, spending sometime with them alone, having them watch a short show, giving them a stack of books to "read" on your bed, or?? Readers please share any of your ideas. And good luck finding solace in no naptime.

Question for You

How much sleep does your preschooler get a day?