Does teaching babies to sleep in the dark spoil their chances of being able to fall/stay asleep in dim or lit environments later in life?

No. That is a common misconception.

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If your baby is able to sleep in loud, bright places- fantastic, you have an easier baby than some others. It’s fine. If you struggle to get your baby to sleep, that is a different story. A baby sleeps easier in a completely dark room. Just like adults. Especially after the vision changes and they can see farther across the room. The lights from a night light, window, baby monitor are all distracting and stimulating…”What’s that bright thing?” Moms who notice the baby is staring at them through the monitor, that baby is captivated by the little 

light on the camera. Once your baby is a good sleeper, then you can introduce more challenging sleep situations. They are likely going to be much more flexible. Nights and Naps are different and one can never get it as dark for a nap as you can for the night but any darker that you can get it, is likely going to help. Your body has a circadian rhythm, (a clock) which drives the need for sleep.  It is reset each day by light exposure starting around 4 months old. It’s essential that we experience a regular light dark cycle in order to maintain appropriate sleep at night.  That’s not saying we need to nap in the light.  During daytime waking hours, be in the light starting with light exposure first thing.  During naps and night time, stay in the dark. This means that if your baby wakes up at night, try to keep him in the dark or very low light.

Erin Flynn-Evans (PhD in sleep and circadian physiology) says “the bright daytime sun is quite able to invade a napping child’s room during the day. There isn’t a circadian need to have a dark room during the day, however, in order to avoid an inappropriately short nap it is absolutely key that a napping child’s room is cool, dark and quiet. A dark room can mean the difference between a 30 minute nap and a two hour nap. If your child only gets a 30 minute nap, but really needs a two hour nap, everyone will pay the price. An un-rested child will have more difficulty going to sleep at night, will wake up more frequently during the night, and will exhibit negative behaviors such as crankiness and inappropriate reactions to situations while awake.”
A dark room helps your baby sleep longer.  Once your baby has good sleep skills, they are likely going to be more flexible to unusual situations like hotel rooms, air planes, and restaurants.  I have seen this happen over and over again.  A mom tells me her child won’t sleep longer than 30 minutes.  The first thing I want to know is where the baby is napping?  Often the answer is in a playpen or a swing in the living room.  TV on, toddler playing nearby.  I suggest she try putting the play pen or the swing in the baby’s room where it is dark and quiet and see if that helps.  It usually does.  That may not be all she needs to do but it’s a good start.
You nap and sleep better in a dark, quiet room.  It’s the same for your baby.
I believe in using evidenced based methods that are gentle and backed by science.  If you need sleep help, sleep consultations offered in person and over the phone.  Contact me for a free 15 min sleep assessment.
Tracy Spackman

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Certified Gentle Sleep Coach
602-524-7610
www.GetQuietNights.com

 

What's with the 4 month sleep disaster?

Great Question:  Tracy Spackman, my DD was a decent sleeper up until about the 4 ish month stage. Now at 5 months, she has a harder time falling asleep now, and only naps for very short periods during the day, why?
 

Yes, around the 4 the month, there is tons of brain development. Like the vision changes. Your baby can now see farther away and with all the added detail to her world,  she is more perceptive and therefore more distractible.  Sleep falls apart and naps are hard to get and often feeding is harder as she is more easily distracted.  This is when the baby is ready to lean sleep skills. Previous to this, sleep is innate. Either she can do it or she can’t. Sleep self soothing is a learned skill. This skill enables her to relax and organize  her body to sleep when she is tired and it also helps her to better manage her emotions when in stressful situations. Many parents tell me their child’s temper tantrums stop and their child is more even tempered once they are able to sleep without a sleep crutch. So, your child is reaching this time. It’s very exciting and frustrating at the same time. If you want to do sleep training, it’s still a good idea to wait until 6 months if you are going to follow a book. If you need better sleep now, that’s where I can help. To do something gentle like I do, your baby still needs to be at least 18 weeks old and at least 2 weeks into the more distracted phase of the 4 month sleep regression and you would want to have appropriate night feedings as part of your plan. Until you have a plan in place that you feel confident in and can be consistent about, keep doing what ever crutch gets you both as much sleep as possible. Swings, nursing, co-sleeping, rocking etc. these are blessings until you are ready for change. You may want to check out my website www.GetQuietNights.com and read the success stories of parents going through what you are going through.  I have recomended books and a blog on there too. Thanks for asking. I wish someone has explained it to me when my babies were that age.

 

For sleep consultations, visit www.GetQuietNights.com
Tracy Spackman is a certified gentle sleep coach. That means she will teach you how to help your child sleep through the night without doing Cry It Out.
Free 15 min sleep assessments. Call 602-524-7610

What is a sleep coach?

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A sleep coach is a parenting counselor who specializes in sleep. Like Kim West. I trained with Kim West. Or rather, I am trained by Kim West. Now, I teach parents gentle methods to help with their baby sleep goals. It’s different than a sleep trainer who goes into homes and does cry it out to try to get a baby sleeping 12 hours by 12 weeks. I don’t do that. I show parents gentle, kinder options to work on sleep skills who don’t want to do CIO (Cry It Out). And I work with families with babies over 4 months old. I really love it. I feel needed. And I’m good at it. I have 5 kids myself and can relate to a lot. LoL. I teach the parents and then the parents help the child. I can work with the family as they are working through their plan to ensure success. I have a 97% success rate.
My husband has chronic insomnia and I don’t want anyone else to end up like that. Teaching children sleep skills can make a huge difference when they grow up. Self soothing is a learned skill. My husband never got this skill as a child and that issue has been far reaching. He’s one of the reasons I do sleep coaching and I give out free advice all the time. It’s a little late for my husband. But it’s not too late for your child.
Call me for a free 15 minute sleep assessment.
Tracy Spackman 602-524-7610
Check out my website www.GetQuietNights.com

I love getting emails like this! Another success story-17 months old

I love getting emails like this!
Hi Tracy!
How are you? Long time, no talk which in your line of business isn’t a bad thing 😉 I never began my 2 weeks of follow up calls with you because Hailey responded very well to some of the changes we made during the day. Per your advice, I began giving her a morning nap again (no more than 45 mins), changed the night light situation, I bathe her with lilac Epsom salts every night, and I have waged a war against any form of light entering her room. I think one of the biggest changes is that she now goes to sleep no later than 7 pm (whereas previously it was 8 pm) and I’ve been diligently paying abiding by the sleep windows. As such, she’s been sleeping through the night and the world is a much brighter happier place for our family 🙂 In fact, we’ve fallen in love all over again with her! She is a TOTALLY different kid and has such an unbelievable little personality. She’s more coordinated, there’s no more banchy screaming crying, she’s nowhere as intense, she’s active, and best of all she’s HAPPY! Some of the things that desperately concerned me are no longer concerns as it seems that the sleep has fixed so many of my worries. The more sleep she started getting during the day and the earlier bedtime allowed for her to start sleeping through the night. I didn’t have to do any of the shushing. There was one week where she woke up often but she was getting 3 molars so I gave her an excuse. Aside from teething she sleeps through the night and it has been glorious.
Thanks,
Heather
This mom’s baby was 17 months old, we did some gentle things to adjust her schedule and she had food sensitivities and would wake screaming bloody murder. The mom had serious health issues with her thyroid and what looked like PPD but guess what, getting back to sleeping all night fixed all the mom’s health issues. A good sleep makes a world of difference. Sleep deprivation was wreaking havoc with her family and now it’s wonderful again.
If you are sleep deprived, I can help.
Free 15 minute sleep assessment. Just contact me.
Tracy Spackman
602-524-7610

Blanket Races Help Children Sleep Through The Night

I get great Questions on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/QuietNights and here is the last one.
Great Question:  Tracy, when can babies sleep without the sleep sack? When is it safe to switch to a blanket? It’s starting to resemble spring here and hopefully allow for open windows soon.

My Answer:  Usually around the time they switch to a toddler bed after 2.5 years old or when they can pull the blanket up over themselves on their own after 2. Sleep sacks come in all weights and sizes and prevent babies from getting a leg up to climb out of their cribs as they get more adventurous.
A fun way to teach a child to pull up their blankets is to do “Blanket Races” It’s a game I made up. You and your child lay on the floor covered in a blanket. (Each your own blanket) On Your Mark, get set, GO! Kick off the blankets. Mark, get set, GO! Pull them back on. On Your Mark, get set, GO! Kick off the blankets. Mark, get set, GO! Pull them back on.   Repeat.  The Mom or Dad races the child to get the blankets back on the fastest and usually ends in a lot of giggles. This game can help your child develop the muscle memory to pull up their blankets in the night in their sleepy state when they wake up between sleep cycles if they have kicked them off.  Don’t do it right before bed at night as it will get you both all riled up.  It’s better as an afternoon or morning game.

 
I need to get someone to make me a video of this blanket race game.  Any takers?  Send your video to me at Tracy@TracySpackman.com
www.GetQuietNights.com  602-524-7610

A consistent gentle plan usually works but what if it doesn't…

382491_516682955052791_106023441_nMost people who attempt to improve sleep through sleep coaching just need a solid method and a lot of consistency.  If sleep coaching has been a real challenge and you just can’t get there 100%, there may be an underlying problem to investigate. Sometimes as a sleep coach I feel like a detective. Some medical issues that mess up sleep are;

  • Low Milk Production-breast milk should be thick and yellowish.  If it’s white and thin, there may be a problem if your child always seem to want to nurse and can’t sleep long stretches.
  • Tongue Tie-This often gets overlooked when it’s a simple fix.
  • Sensory Processing Issues-An OT (Ocupational Therapy) Assessment can be good for all kids.  Maybe your child perceives the world differently than we do.
  • Circadian Rhythm Abnormality-Your body’s natural body clock is off  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23385698
  • Melatonin regulation issues-Without the body’s natural rising levels of Melatonin in the evening, it is difficult to fall asleep
  • GERD/Reflux-Talk to your Doctor about this and all these issues.
  • Allergies-from environment allergies to food sensitivities, when sleeping things tend to feel worse.
  • Asthma-a chronic (long-term) lung disease that inflames and narrows the airways
  • Anemia-your blood does not carry enough oxygen to the rest of your body. The most common cause of anemia is not having enough iron.
  • ADHD-sometimes is misdiagnosed and is actually a sleep issue but most ADHD also have sleep issues.
  • Restless legs-also can be the result of low iron and Apnea.
  • Night Terrors-There may not be anything you can do about this other than keep your child safe and calm.
  • Seizures-There are tons of types of Seizures.
  • Apnea-narrow or blocking of the airways that will wake you up if you can breathe-a startling way to wake.
  • Anxiety-With this, Cry it out is not the way to go.
  • Medications that are stimulants-of course this will make a difference, talk about the timing of dosage with your doctor.

I usually find that a consistent and gentle behavioral modification method works for most families and there is no underlying condition but if things still seem not right, this is where you start looking. Sometimes I see red flags in your sleep history and we can address it sooner rather than later but it helps to book a consultation with your Medical Doctor or Natrualpathic Dr just to discuss sleep. There often isn’t enough time to add sleep to the list of things to discuss at a normal well child visit.
50% of pediatricians do not ask about and/or screen for sleep issues. A gentle method is the best place to start and then we go from there… Call me if you need help. 602-524-7610 www.GetQuietNights.com

Sleep deprivation or crazy?

photo lierleyOver 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!

Another Success Story 6 months old

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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…627_526836590704094_925237647_nWhat 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.