Sleep regressions, What are they?

Sleep regressions. I see questions about them all the time. 
What are they?
A sleep regression is usually when there is a developmental milestone.
When do they happen?
The 4 month sleep regression can be a big one. It happens first and can come in hard. The brain changes and sleep is becoming a learned skill. 7 months can be Crawling, 11-13 months can be walking. Those are big ones. 2 years old is increased awareness and co-ordination frustration.
How long do they last?
They can last a few days, a couple weeks or up to 8 weeks if you get one regression on top of another.
What do you do?
Offer more support when your baby is having a developmentally related sleep regression. The brain is trying to process new information, muscles may be being used in new and taxing ways and it’s very exciting for the baby who wakes between sleep cycles and wants to practice the developing skill. Practice the emerging skill during the day and offer more support at night. More holding, pick ups and attention. The sooner the skill gets mastered, the sooner the sleep can come back.
I will be available for full consultation after January 4th. I’m still available for quick free initial evaluations and to book consultations and to answer questions. I love calls like that. www.GetQuietNights.com

I made the cut! I'm in the Top Sleep Consultants in the US.

Tuck (www.tuck.com) recently published a list of the top sleep consultants in the United States and told me made the cut! They looked at certifications held, overall customer sentiment and more.  At first when I ready their email, I thought another company wanted to sell me SEO services. (I get that a lot but don’t need it.) But I checked them out and I love all the free info they have on their site. It’s a great resource.
Here is the list of Top Sleep Consultants in the US. You can find me in the Arizona group. https://www.tuck.com/sleep-consultants/
So what makes me extra special?  I work with parents of alert kids. Children who are curious, observant, know what they want and hold out until they get it.  Some of these kids are spirited and challenging to parent while others are quiet and happy but so intense.  I teach the parents how to apply their parenting style to best help these alert children learn sleep skills in gentle, responsive and hands on ways.  Cry it out is never a sleep coaching method for children like this.  It can actually cause an anxiety disorder.  I help the parents read the behavioral cues and best meet the sleep needs to help the child adapt to learning situations to develope healthy sleep skills.
Thanks for noticing me Tuck!
 
Tracy Spackman- Certified Gentle Sleep Coach
www.GetQuietNights.com
 

Nominate a Sleep Deprived Crazy Momma of Arizona 2017


1. Click the above link to Nominate a Sleep Deprived Crazy Momma of Arizona who is sleep deprived but can’t afford to get personalize help. Tell us a little about what is going on to make her so sleep deprived (must be baby related). And tell me why she is a great mom! I don’t need to hear about her financial details but keep in mind that this is for a mom in need. Post your nomination in the comments.
2.The nominated mom should be a member of my local sleep group https://www.facebook.com/groups/Sleepdeprivedcrazymommasofphoenix/ so please join the group.

3. I will be counting likes for each nomination. Feel free to comment on the nomination with your support. Likes and Comments will help sway the decision to pick the winner.
4. Please include a cute photo of the sleep challenged baby that you don’t mind being used for future posts and tips on my sites. All photos will be saved and some will be used for tips and blog posts.
5. The winner will receive the premium package sleep consultation that was donated by a local mom.
Includes: Sleep history to fill out, videos to watch, an hour phone consultation, up to 6 follow up calls and 2 weeks of unlimited texting for quick questions. https://getquietnights.com/schedule-a-consultation/
6. The nominator of the winner will get a free pass to a future sleep class. No expiry date.
7. I plan to choose the winner by Thanksgiving so we can get her sleeping by Christmas.
Update: THE WINNER IS… Brittany Marie With 48 likes/loves and lots of comments of support! Brittany Marie wins a premium Consultation. It was so close that I would also like to offer Michelle Letterly a basic Consultation and Maranda Shaw gets a mini consultation to help support her. I hope all these amazing Mommas can get sleep by Christmas. Thanks for all your support. Karen Hazelton Gable was the nominator of the winner so she wins a free pass to the next sleep class if she needs it. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Will extra attention when my baby is teething, set us back?

I often get asked about how to help soothe the baby during times of teething or illness.  It’s important to note that the world is full of various levels of stimulus and a baby’s ability to cope and regulate depends on their level of maturity and readiness to self-soothe.  This ability is “compromised” in times of added stress from sickness, teething or developmental milestones.  Extra assistance calming the baby is needed to help regulate their feelings of wellbeing. As babies grow, they will get better managing every-changing levels of stress.  The more you help then when they are young, the more likely they will get to more independent levels sooner.

How do you know who to ask for help?

Do you get advice from everyone?  A common question is, “How is your baby sleeping?” but that is the WRONG question.  The right question is, “How are YOU sleeping?”
Babies don’t have to sleep well to be healthy and normal.  But a mom who isn’t sleeping enough isn’t healthy or feels normal.
Many mom’s can cope just fine with a baby who wakes to feed frequently throughout the night and recognizes that it’s temporary and normal.  If you don’t have a problem with how often your baby is waking, than it is NOT a problem.  Don’t compare your baby to other babies.  The range of normal for babies under 6 months old is so broad that there is no normal.
If you are not coping well with a baby who wakes frequently, then maybe there is something you can do about it.  Maybe changing your expectations is all you can do temporarily or maybe there are some coping strategies you can incorporate.  The baby brain is quickly developing and under 4 months is not the time to sleep train.  But finding better ways to read their body language may help.  Or changing your room environment may help.  Or trying for more naps more frequently during the day may help.  Or feeding your baby more frequently during the day may help.  Or trying motion sleep, or co-sleeping. All great coping strategies.
There are many books to help with sleep.  There are many sleep trainers and sleep coaches to help with sleep including me.  There are many Facebook groups to help with sleep including my own Sleep Sisters Get Quiet Nights.  If working with a sleep trainer or sleep coach, ask about their method.  If they won’t tell you, don’t hire them.  The general idea of the methods they use shouldn’t be a secret. You don’t want to get stuck with a cry it out or a modified cry it out if you wanted a gentle method.  Gentle methods are responsive and feel good and safe when you get all the details.  A sleep plan should also cover your daytime needs so you have a calm (not overtired) baby at bedtime.
I feel sad when a mom comes to me after having a bad experience with another sleep trainer.  The method should feel good with your parental intuition.  You have that intuition for a reason.  Please follow it.
Let me know if you need my help.
Tracy Spackman  Gentle Sleep Coach  GetQuietNights.com

Shannon Scoggin feeling thankful.-10 month son in Phoenix, Arizona -August 2016

As I watch Kyler sleep on the monitor I reflect on what we have gone through. A year ago we decided we needed help with Kyler and his sleep. Sleep deprivation is SO a real thing! Kyler was almost 10 months old and not once in those 10 months was I able to get more then 3hrs of sleep at a time. And for that matter neither had he. My husband would try to let me sleep, but you nursing moms know, missing a regular nursing session was a difficult thing to manage lol!
I was a mess, there are things I don’t even recall during that time of my life We were on a habit of nursing back to sleep, holding to sleep anything we could do to get him to sleep, we did… We are so thankful for Tracy Spackman and her sleep training guidelines. I cried the day I met her in the middle of a Babies R Us event, I was so overwhelmed with the idea that something might help us…
It was work! It was hard work! But it paid off, and was worth every penny! He was sleeping through the night with in 4 weeks and we now have a happy little boy who goes to sleep on his own, sleeps for 11-12hrs through the night and a 2-3 hour nap during the day.
Naps didn’t come as easy as sleeping through the night. We struggled some there, but eventually got him through it.
There were times we wanted to give up and I didn’t feel like I had anymore “comfort shushes” in me. But we stuck it out and are beyond thrilled.
If you are struggling with a youngster not sleeping give her a call. You are not alone, there can be light at the end of the tunnel. Not all babies are “good” at sleeping, some need to be taught how to put themselves to sleep, and the sooner you start the easier it is! (After 4 months old)
Thank you Tracy for your help!

5 Things That Keep Babies from Sleeping Article

I was googling myself today in an “incognito” browser so I could see where I was ranking IMG_0768for the common keep words.  I used “Sleep Coach Mesa” (since that’s what my current sleepless family used) to see where I ranked and what they saw.  I was happy to see I was in the top TWO spots and then near the bottlom of that first page was a post from North Phoenix Family Magazine titled Five Things Keeping Babies from Sleeping which made me stop since that is the title of the talk I give to mom’s groups at hospitals and community events.  So I clicked on it and sure enough, it WAS me.  It was an article I had written for them a long time ago.  Usually I can spend 60-90 minutes on this topic and I remember that I was given a word limit so this is breif and to the point.  Check it out Here. http://northphoenixfamily.com/five-things-keeping-babies-from-sleeping/

I'm needing to prove to my husband that Tracy Spackman is worth every penny!!!

IMG_0611January 10, 2016 at 3:19pm Taken from the Facebook Group Sleep Sisters Get Quiet Nights
Nancy: Ladies, I need you! I’m needing to prove to my husband that Tracy Spackman is worth every penny!!! If you have used her sleep coaching methods will you, please tell me your thoughts! He’s like at the price and I’m like every two hours, every night!! I need this! I don’t mind sacrificing somethings else in order to pay for this but he needs some convincing! Thank you!!
Ashley: There is no price for the gift of sleep!! I haven’t used her but anything to help is worth it…I mean they use sleep deprivation as a war tactic because it is hell! I hired a night nanny for my twins and I am now sleep training using the book “healthy sleep habits, happy twins” there is a single version too called “healthy sleep habits, happy child” I am in day 3 of training and wow, it is totally working!!!
Lindsey:  Have your husband wake up with your baby every couple hours for a week, maybe he’ll change his mind!! Btw went with Tracy with my 18-month old last month. My son was waking 5 times a night easy and requiring a feeding while sleeping with me and my husband. My son now is on his on crib and sleeping through the night. One wake up here or there but drastically different. No feedings either. Everyone including you and your baby needs better sleep. You’ll literally feel like a different person. It’s amazing and life changing. I didn’t believe it until my sister and with her and I saw the results and decided to make a change myself. It’s expensive but truly is worth it. There’s different packages. Maybe try to swing the middle package seemed to work just fine for us.
Amy: Tracy changed our lives! We were exhausted and within 2 weeks were getting so much more sleep! Do it! It’s the best money you will spend!
Sarah:  I agree, it’s the best thing you’ll ever spend your money on. Because you get your sanity back!!!
Sarah:  Saved my life. Didn’t sleep train with my first until 21 months. Felt like I was dying at that point. After a few nights, the whole family was sleeping soundly. Couldn’t have done it without Tracy Spackman!
Loren: My hubby was skeptical but now tells everyone it was the best money we’ve ever spent. Baby sleeps 730-730 most nights Still naps 2 x a day and even maintains schedule majority of the time through transitions including teething. (He woke a few nights but back to normal within a week)
Liana:  My husband felt the same way, so I equated to a few nights in a hotel …. Vs. Permanent sleep solution! If I would have known then what I know now, 1. I would have done it sooner and 2. I would have paid double!!!
Flora:  I agree completely with Liana. Tracy helped our daughter whose little guy had multiple health issues coupled with severe sleeping problems. I was hesitant to think that Tracy could even help. To say the results were miraculous is almost an understatement. She is definitely worth the money! I almost cry when I think about how much she has helped our family. I, too, wish we had used Tracy much, much earlier.
Jennifer: Is there somewhere I can find out how much the packages cost?
Nancy: There is a website. Google her. I will try to find it
Nancy: http://www.getquitenights.com/
Jennifer: Awesome! Thank you!
Tracy Spackman:  Jennifer, we can start with a free 15-minute call. I’m available in the evenings or message me or text me your number and I will call you when I have a break during the day tomorrow. 602-524-7610
Jennifer: That would be great!
Nancy: I’m crying guys. Maybe over emotional, maybe extreme sleep deprivation, but I’m so inspired.
Inzer:  She also offers group classes for $75.
Nancy: I’m not Local.
Kristi:  Best money spent ever! It’s such a gentle way of getting them to sleep and tell him it will give you guys more alone time.
Rosalind: My son was like yours – up every 1.5-2 hours then nurse back to sleep every time. Night 1 he fell asleep in 20 minutes and by night 3 he slept for 10 hours straight. Worth every penny.
Tracy Spackman: I love everyone’s comments. Thank you. There are many pages of success stories on my website. Look for the ones about the family with 6 kids not sleeping. Those are amazing. I just cut and paste comments like this that families send me.  (The link to take you to the next page of success stories on the site is a tiny “>>” in blue. I don’t know how to make it say “next page”.) https://getquietnights.com/testimonials/
Nancy: I’m just waiting on my husband to check into his hotel so we can get the ball rolling! He read the testimonials on his plane ride! Now waiting to hear his response!!
Kelly: I have not used her. She sounds great! But there is no price to put on your sanity and your relationships including your husbands!!!!! Sleep training was the best thing we’ve ever done
Niki: Her method works and it’s life changing. The best money we’ve spent on our baby/family. We spend so much money on baby stuff that you don’t really need when sleep effects your (and baby’s) health, mood and relationship. I would rather save the money for sleep training then a baby swing.
Alexia:  We did it when my son was 10 months old!!! It was great, amazing actually…life changing!!! My little one was never a good sleeper, we ended up bed sharing for months, he would not sleep in his crib for more than 2 hrs a night and he had to be in a sleep coma…He was always waking up a couple of times a night but after our trip to Greece it was 6 times a night. So I didn’t have any other option, I was the one waking up at night and I had to sleep in his room. It took me a week after I talked to Tracy to start it because I was scared of the whole process as I am against CIO. From the first night of the training, he slept the whole night in the crib and from then on, it got better and better. We had ups and downs, early wakings etc and he was waking up once a night until he was 18 months old but I would put him in the crib awake and he would fall asleep on his own and sleep well…So once a night was amazing…!!! Since he turned 18 months he has started to sleep without wake ups…!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat…Good Luck.
Ashley: You can’t pour from an empty cup. My cup was empty ( sleep deprived) then I meet Tracy and my son started sleeping12 hrs a night. Worth it
Lindsey: I was in your same place with my 5-month old who was waking every two hours. My husband knows I’m a pretty strong person and can handle a lot, but the sleep thing wasn’t working for me at all. The morning of my birthday I melted down, I was sobbing because of how exhausted I was and told him to take back anything he got me and all I wanted was to work with Tracy. So I guess in a way I let him see a side of me that he NEVER sees so that he knew how much it was impacting me.
You could also really play to what your husband values. I talked to him about how Tracy’s information is founded in research and understanding the biology of sleep and that it’s not as natural of a process as we sometimes think it to be. This helped him see the science behind it instead of seeing it as counseling or something along those lines.
Of course now, he says it’s the best money we ever spent.
Lori: I used a different person but similar method and my boyfriend thought it was nuts but I was at the end of my rope! Sleep deprivation was killing me and us and I wanted my baby to get good sleep. At 4 1/2 months, her waking up 10-12 times a night was looney! It was hands down THE BEST money I ever spent. Our baby now sleeps 11-13 hours a night and life became bearable. When we have sleep blips, I have a clear plan to refer to and feel much more confident and not so hopeless. DO it!!
Melissa: Life changing! For us (the parents) the key to success was setting ourselves up for success. We took a lot of time to study the techniques, have our plan, go over our plan, and to get 100% on the same page (mom+dad). Then we made sure to clear our schedule for like 7-10 days so we knew we could focus exclusively on sleep coaching when it was needed. Then we started and within 1-2 days we saw BIG results and within 4-5 days we were sleeping through the night. Insane!! My husband is not one to spend on “luxuries” but he is Tracy’s biggest advocate. When I say we would have paid 10x what she asks if we had known how awesome the results would be – I would not be exaggerating!!! Good luck!
Sedona: I also used a sleep coach with both my kids. Expensive, but worth every penny. Only caveat I would make is to make sure your baby doesn’t have any medical conditions that could get in the way. My second had very bad reflux so wasn’t able to sleep as long as quickly as my first. Feeding her smaller amounts more often actually helped her reflux which meant keeping our night feeds much longer than usual.
Meghna: Happy wife = Happy life. If you’re sleep-deprived, your immune system takes a beating and you get sick more often. If you get sick, your husband will have to take time off work to take care of the baby: $$. If you get sick, your milk supply will suffer. More $$. And you’ve heard of the stories of sleep-deprived parents so tired that they miss their footing and fall down the stairs, breaking various bones? My husband actually almost brushed his teeth with his razor one morning, even putting toothpaste on it! Besides, isn’t HE getting up with the baby as well? If not, why not? He won’t understand unless he takes an equal share of the parenting chores. My husband was—and is—constantly traveling, so for us it was a no-brainer. I started with the lowest tier, but within a day I was so utterly grateful for how much Tracy Spackman was helping us that neither my husband nor I batted an eyelash while we upgraded. I have friends whose babies slept much better than mine, or who took to other sleep-training methods, but mine needed Tracy Spackman’s help, and we’ve never regretted it. When my second son came along, it wasn’t even a discussion: my husband turned to me at the 2-month mark and asked, “So when are we calling Tracy?” LOL.
Nancy:  How many days did it take for you? I have a very attached 9-month old.
Meghna: Nancy, Well, I sleep-trained at 5 months. My older son took 10 days, and my younger took 2 – 2.5 weeks.
Carolyn: My husband and daughter were both like your husband and baby. We did a group session which cost significantly less and was very helpful. Our daughter wouldn’t sleep in her crib and was waking us every 45 minutes. I literally went crazy. Tracy helped us coach her and now she likes her crib and wakes 1-2 times per night. So much better!
Update: (January 11 at 12:58pm)
Nancy:  Well here we go! I spoke with Tracy Spackman and we came up with the perfect plan for my sweet baby boy. She taught me so much that my mind could explode. Tonight will be our first night of sleep coaching. My husband is out of town. I’m excited and very nervous. I need this to work!