Over the weekend I had a friend that I had helped with sleep introduce me to her friend and said that we needed to talk. Lol. They had been talking about sleep at their mom’s group outings (of course) and it came out that this mom’s 2.5 year old was still not sleeping through the night and both mom and toddler were very sleep deprived. As a sleep deprived mom, you want to be sure you are getting at least 5.5 hours of total sleep in a 24 hour period. Otherwise you start showing signs of crazy… like backing out of the garage without opening the garage door…your perceptions are skewed and it’s dangerous. I was able to give her some quick tips and major schedule adjustments to try and I gave her some options to go forward with making changes on her own or if she wanted to take advantage of my services. It’s so great when mom’s can offer advice and support to each other. The best kind of advice is non-judgmental and telling about your own experiences and what you did without expecting it to be the same for everyone. Every child is different. One friend in the group did graduated extinction and it worked fast for her. That doesn’t work for everyone. There are a lot of factors that go into improving sleep and it’s not just about the method. One of my favorite parts about these casual sleep conversations is that I get to hold someone’s baby!
Month: February 2014
Another Success Story 6 months old
Kelly Palomo Says…
“If you are considering using a sleep consultant, look no further than Tracy Spackman!
I started sleep coaching with Tracy after I was at my wits end with my 6 month old, Austin. Austin had never been a good sleeper and was still waking up every 2-3 hours. Getting him to fall asleep in the first place was a FIGHT that lasted a couple hours every night and before every nap. Getting him to fall asleep often took longer than the actual time he SPENT asleep. Both of us were EXHAUSTED. I didn’t know where to turn. Then I found Tracy Spackman.
Tracy has only been working with us for 5 DAYS and Austin is already sleeping 11+ hours through the night and is falling asleep on his own at bed time AND at nap time! It is truly amazing!! Tracy has saved my sanity. I have a much happier and healthier baby and Austin has a MUCH happier and healthier mom! Thank you, Tracy!!”
Kelly found me on an internet mom’s group after she asked for referrals for sleep consultants. One of my STTN (sleeping through the night) club members told her about me. I love seeing the supportive community between moms of babies. Women need women. Some parenting is easy and some brutal. It’s great that we can be there for each other in so many mediums.
Tracy is a Gentle Sleep Coach 602-524-7610 www.GetQuietNights.com
Bedtime Snack QUESTION: Do you think the food children eat before they go to bed affects their sleep!?
Bedtime Snack QUESTION:
Monica Asked…
What are good examples of snacks before bed?
ANSWER: Hi Monica, Absolutely! Milk right before bed increases the need to pee at night. Truly! Choose water instead.
Some children react strongly with gas to dark green veggies like broccoli but they are so good for you (highest protein per calorie than any other food) that it just takes time to adjust to that type of food. But good to know the cause of the discomfort.
The more obvious things to avoid are; caffeine (6-7 hours before bedtime), so no coke or coffee (isn’t that a no-bainer?) and chocolate and sugar, large meals or large fluid intake before bed, foods containing MSG, Foods containing large amounts of the amino acid tyrosine (foods with yeast, aged cheese, fermented products, cold milk).
If needing a light snack before bed that will aid sleep, choose things like; cashews, eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, warm milk, cereal, pasta, crackers, grains, pancakes waffles, bananas and starchy vegetables.
Carbohydrates help to boost serotonin production
and the absorption of tryptophan, so they’re great
for nighttime snacks as well. Calcium and magnesium also helps to calm and
relax your toddler.
Tryptophan-rich foods – milk, nuts, bananas,
beans, cheese
High-carb foods – oatmeal with milk, plain
yogurt, grain crackers and cheese
Foods high in calcium and magnesium – seeds,
nuts, warm milk, green veggies
Avoid sugary snacks and eating too close to bedtime.
I wish I could say I came up with this all on my own but I got it partly from Andrea Strang from Kindersleep.com who I do sleep coaching for and she credited Health Solutions for Sleep, Dr. James Rouse & Sleep Naturally, Stephen Holt, M.D.