Tick Tock.....Keep your little ones sleep on track when the clocks go back

Don't be scared....It will all be fine....Daylight savings won't win!

Daylight savings ends in the Fall season each year.  It will be time to “fall back” the clocks.   It can be a dreaded time for parents of young children because with this, comes an adjustment that does not happen immediately.  This is because children tend to be more structured in their bedtime and wake up around the same time each morning and that is why people usually can see a greater effect on children when the time changes. 

However there are some things you can do to help make the transition to the new time go a little smoother.  My recommendation is to leave your clocks alone Saturday night.  Wake up Sunday morning, have breakfast, then go around your house and change your clocks.  Psychologically, it will feel much better for everyone if you wait until Sunday morning to change the time. 

My best advice for children to help them with the change is to split the difference with the old time and the new time.  How does that work? 

School Age Children- If you have a child that does not nap and normally goes to bed at 7:00 p.m., you would put him to bed at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night, the first night of the time change.  Do this for 3 nights, putting him to bed 30 minutes earlier than normal, then on the 4^th night put him to bed at the normal time, 7:00 p.m. or whatever is normal bedtime for your child.

Toddlers- If you have a toddler ages one and older, on Sunday the first day of the time change, you would put him down for his first nap 30 minutes earlier than normal.   So if he naps usually at 9:30 a.m. put him down at 9:00 a.m.  You would do the same with the afternoon nap if he takes an afternoon nap.  For bedtime, if his normal bedtime is 7:00 p.m., you would put him down at 6:30 p.m.   Do this for 3 nights after the time change and then on the 4^th night, put him to bed at 7:00 p.m. and on 5^th day move naptimes back to normal time.   So if your child naps at 9:30 a.m. put him down at 9:30 a.m. and so on with the rest of the day. 

Infants- If you have a baby and his bedtime and naps have become predictable (usually over 6 months old) meaning he is always going to bed around the same time each day.  For example if bedtime is normally 7:00 p.m. move bedtime 15 minutes later each night until you reach the normal time again.  So the first night you would put him down at 6:15 p.m., the second night 6:30 p.m., and so on.  On the fourth night you should be back to 7:00 p.m.  Do the same thing for naps.  Start 45 minutes earlier than normal and move them 15 minutes later each day.  So if morning nap is at 9:00 a.m. normally, start with 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, 8:30 a.m. on Monday, 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday and then 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday.  Do the same for the afternoon nap.  If their bedtime and naptimes are not predictable (0-6 months old) simply jump to the new time Sunday night as if you were traveling to a new time zone and use their wake time window (awake time between sleep periods) as your guide. 

A great thing about this time change is that there are more hours of darkness which helps make this transition a little easier.  If your child wakes up too early, walk them back to their room and tell them it’s not time to get up yet.   If your child wakes up too early and is in a crib, be sure to help his body understand it isn’t morning time by keeping him in his crib in the dark room until normal wake time.  

Note for Toddlers/School-aged children: If you have a toddler or an older child who relies on a clock to know when their “morning time” has arrived, set the clock one half hour ahead of the new time so that it reads 7:00 a.m. at the new time of 6:30 a.m.  Allow your child to wake a bit earlier than normal (they will think it is 7:00 according to the clock but it will be 6:30 a.m., new time). This will only be temporary as your child adjusts to wake at their usual 7:00 a.m. time after about one or two weeks.

It may take children and babies a bit more time to fall asleep, this is normal, since the time is different initially they might seem tired earlier.   It usually takes about a week for children and babies to completely adjust to the new time, some children it can take up to a month.  Be patient and stay very consistent, it will happen.

Happy sleeping from me to you!

Carly

778 877 6380
www.timetosleepconsulting.com

Should I move my baby to a bed?

Should I move my baby to a bed yet?

I get these calls often.

I hear - "My baby won't sleep in his crib, he just cries and cries. He will only sleep with us. I think he hates his crib. Whenever I put him in his crib he will not lie down"

Let me assure you - 9.9 times out of 10 it is NOTHING to do with his or her crib. It is the habits he is used to.

I never recommend taking a child out of a cot/crib until at least the age of 2 UNLESS it is a safety issue. If they can partially climb out and keep hitting the deck then we need to look into this. Start by making sure the crib is at the lowest setting. Also, is it a positioning issue?

As in if you moved it could it stop your little ninja escaping?

I look at every last possible way to keep your little one in a crib. I even say don't worry about making the change unless they do start climbing out and it is a safety issue- If they are 3 and happily sleeping away then don't worry.

My reasoning - before this age it is hard because developmentally they want to explore, physically they may be only partially able and really mentally are they ready for the consequences.

The key here in this scenario no matter what age is to build and instil good sleeping habits - sleeping through the night unaided. Then it will not matter where they sleep because they know how to. A bed, a crib, a tent.........it won't matter. They will not be climbing, crawling or running out of anywhere. They will know what bedtime means and how it goes.

I have even moved kids back into cribs successfully. If you are not sure what to do or how to do it, get in touch and I can help you - Trust me, I can!


Happy Sleeping from me to you...

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380
http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

How to tell the difference between nightmares and night terrors

How to Tell the Difference Between Nightmares and Night Terrors

Nightmares and night terrors are confusing in both cause and treatment. Knowing the difference between the two is the key to determine the best way to handle them.

Nightmares
Nightmares occur during REM sleep, which happens near the end of our sleep period. When children have a nightmare, they will seek comfort from their disturbing dream and recognize you upon seeing you. They are able to recall the nightmare, but it may take awhile to fall back asleep and get the scary thoughts out of their minds. Nightmares are very common and are part of normal development. Their occurrence often peaks at two or three years of age when children have rich imaginations and trouble distinguishing between reality and fantasy. Nightmares are, of course, common after difficult events or when children are re-living a trauma.

Here's how to cut down on nightmares:

• Avoid scary videos, books, etc. prior to bed.
• Don't play scary games.
• Respond quickly when your kid has a nightmare and assure him that he's safe.
• Help your child get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can increase nightmares.
• Avoid high-dose vitamins at bedtime.
• Check with your pediatrician to make sure your child is not on any medications that might be interfering with his night sleep.

Night Terrors
Night terrors are different from nightmares in both the symptoms and the experience. When a child is experiencing a night terror she may scream and appear anxious and may not recognize you when you approach her. There may also be sweating and/or a racing heartbeat. The child is often inconsolable. The terror usually lasts between five and fifteen minutes and then subsides. These incidents are often more upsetting for the parent than they are for the child, as children do not usually remember them. Night terrors occur during NON-REM sleep and usually occur within two hours of going to sleep. Night terrors are not bad dreams. They do NOT occur during dream sleep. They are not a sign of a psychological problem.

Night terrors seem to be more common in boys, and occur in 5% of all children. Sometimes they occur when your child is working on a developmental milestone. Your child is more likely to have night terrors if either parent had them as a child, or if either parent had a partial arousal sleep disorder such as sleepwalking. The most common cause of night terrors is sleep deprivation or a disturbance in a child's sleep patterns—like traveling to different time zones, a new home or a later bedtime. Other reasons for night terrors can include sleep apnea and fevers.

Here are some tips on how to handle night terrors:

• If your child is having a night terror, monitor the child but avoid interfering, as this can worsen the episode.
• Make sure your child is physically safe during the night terror.
• Put your child to bed earlier.
• Keep a regular sleep schedule for him.
• Don't talk about the terror with your child in the morning.

If your child is having night terrors two to three times a week at set times during the night (i.e. 2 hours after going to sleep) try the following:

• Keep a sleep log to chart your kid's sleep patterns.
• Wake your child 15 minutes prior to the time he usually has an episode.
• Do this every night for 7-10 nights in a row and you will most likely see the episodes start to diminish.

As these two phenomena differ so greatly in treatment, it's important to clearly understand the difference between nightmares and night terrors. Once you know what you're dealing with, you'll be able to help your child through them!

Happy Sleeping!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380
http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Break the bottle to sleep habit now

Tired of getting up in the night to take a bottle in - Start with bedtime!

“My 11-month-old goes to bed with a bottle and wakes for a bottle in the night. How do I break him of this habit?”

Good question! When you put your baby in bed at night, it is perfectly fine to include the bottle in his routine.  You could start with a bath, and then pajamas and then his bottle and a story or two. Or if you don't bath every night, perhaps some quiet play and then the pj's and his bottle and a story or two.

What you really want to avoid is giving him the bottle until he falls asleep or putting him in his crib with the bottle. This creates a bad habit that only gets harder to break the longer it goes on. To be clear - I have worked with families in this situation more than I can count and no matter how long it has been going on we resolve it, it can just take some time and as they get older the habit has been around longer and their willpower has increased!

You want to avoid the association of bottle and sleep going hand in hand. You do not want your baby to fall asleep with a bottle in her mouth because if she wakes up in the middle of the night she thinks she needs that bottle again to sleep. If you then come to her with a bottle and either feed her to sleep or put it into the crib, she sucks herself back to sleep with the bottle. This becomes a repetitive behaviour that is no good for anyone involved. Her sleep is being disrupted and so is yours. It is very damaging to her teeth coming in, not to mention if she is on 3 meals a day it can have an affect on the solid food intake.

 So, maybe start the bottle a little earlier in your routine. You can have a bath, then her bottle, then brush her teeth and then back for some stories, but you should be putting her into the crib awake and without a bottle.

You don’t have to leave the room; you can stay with her if you like, but she really does need to start connecting the steps that are involved in putting herself to sleep independently so that she is not relying on that bottle! Otherwise, she will most likely keep waking for that bottle. It could go on well into the second year so you really want to make sure you break this habit now.

If you are worried about how to make this happen without too much stress and worry - I will take the guess work out for you. Call me and we can discuss a few strategies.

Happy Sleeping!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380
http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Could your childs development be being affected by lack of sleep?

Make sure lack of sleep doesn't affect how exciting it is to watch your toddler’s development.

 Here’s roughly what developments to expect and when.

At a glance

·         Walking
·         Talking

·         Social skills

Walking

The average age for first steps is around 12-13 months, but plenty of toddlers don’t walk until nearer 18 months – and occasionally nearer two years old. As soon as they’re steady on their feet they may start running, though will probably have difficulty changing direction at the same time. Many adore climbing from 14-15 months and will turn every piece of furniture into their version of Mount Everest. By 18-20 months most can usually kick a ball but may struggle with jumping so hold off on Olympian Gymnast expectations!

Talking

Their first words can come any time between nine and 18 month, some earlier. The average is 11-12 months. At 18 months they should have around 10-20 words, rising to around 50 by their second birthday, when they will also begin to put two words together  (‘bye bye mummy’). If you’re worried your toddler is falling behind, it’s worth talking to your doctor who will have advice for encouraging your toddler’s language.

Social skills

A 12-month-old may not really interact much with other babies, but by 18 months will have probably progressed to playing alongside them maybe not yet ‘with’ them. It’s too early to expect them to share toys but using the words share and helping them gain an understanding of what share means and the behaviour behind can definitely be implemented daily.  They will imitate others’ behaviour from around 20 months and can also follow two-step instructions (‘bring me your hat and put it on’). They’re getting more dextrous too: by 18-20 months they may be able to take off some clothes, with help. By aged two they understand if they are a girl or boy. Between 18 months and two years most will begin to show a couple of the signs of readiness for potty training, such as hiding themselves away to do a poo. Most start potty training at two to two and a half years.

Play

At 12 months toddlers have usually perfected the pincer grip so they love practising it by fiddling with details, levers and moving parts of toys. By 16 months they may be able to stack a few bricks; taller towers come nearer 20-22 months. By 17 months most are enjoying pretend games like tea-parties.

Teeth

Almost all toddlers have their first tooth by their first birthday (though a few will still be waiting). By now many will have the front four teeth on bottom and top, with the canines (pointy teeth) and molars emerging at around 16-20 months. The second set of molars usually appears around two years old.  They will have all 20 baby teeth at two and a half to three. I always say they teeth for what feels like a lifetime so don't let that be the excuse for poor sleep habits.

Feeding

By 12 months most toddlers are pretty adept at finger feeding, and may be able to use a chunky spoon and fork by 15 months, with sometimes spectacular effects. Food should get gradually lumpier until they’re eating normal family food by 17-18 months. They should be happy drinking from a cup, not a bottle, from 12 months. All toddlers are unique and develop at different paces – don’t forget, they haven’t read the books! But if you’ve got concerns, do talk to your doctor to put your mind at rest.

In terms of sleep THEY NEED IT for development and I have actually had numerous cases where we fixed the sleep and the development flowed thick and fast after. Don't underestimate what sleep is doing for your child. You cannot run a car with out fuel and oil changes - not long term any way. Sleep is crucial for your little ones development. Give it the value it deserves.

Happy parenting and sleeping of course!








Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Falling asleep during the bedtime routine?

I am following a good bedtime routine but I can't keep my little one awake?

Sound familiar.......


"I've been working on the Sleep Sense Program for about a week now, but I'm having a really hard time keeping my baby awake through her bottle at the bedtime routine. What can I do?"


It is true that when you're working on the Sleep Sense Program, the number one rule is to make sure that you keep your baby wide awake through any feeds. That's the breast or the bottle.

Nine times out of 10, the problem is all around the sleep prop of getting to sleep on a bottle or a breast. You're right, you don't break the connection she has between the bottle and sleep, it'll make the whole process harder.

It will cause night wake ups because when she wakes up in the night, she'll still have this idea that she needs a bottle in order to get back to sleep at night.

Try this......

Move the bottle up in the bedtime routine. Most people have the feed as the last step. That can be really tricky. Especially, if she's not napping great yet, then she could be really, really fatigued by bedtime. By the time, she's had a bath, and you've got jammies on, and you've read some stories, and then you're going into a feed, she might be way too fatigued to even attempt to stay awake at the bottle. Then you're really fighting an uphill battle where you're tickling and talking to her and trying to keep her awake, and she's so tired she really can't even help you out any. I would suggest you can even move it up to before the bath. Go to the feed, then the bath and the jammies and the stories, and then bed. That will really help break any connection that she has that the bottle has anything to do with sleep.

If that seems like a bit too far up in the routine, then move it to right after bath. That can really help, too, because children tend to be a little stimulated from the bath. Most children really like their bath, so she'll be a little more awake when you get to the feed.

Then you can move into the next steps. The good news is the better naps start going, the less fatigued she'll be by bedtime, so that's something to look forward to.

The more the separation between the bottle and sleep develops, the less likely she will be to even try to fall asleep at the bottle. You'll find in a month or so, even if she is really tired, she won't use the bottle.  There won't be a connection there anymore. She'll happily have her feed, and then put herself to sleep just fine when she gets to the crib.

Good luck.....and happy sleeping!







Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

To toy in the crib or not to toy in the crib.......Question of the day!

Ask yourself - do you sleep with toys?

If you’re like most parents, you probably can’t take more than a couple of steps in your house without tripping over a doll, a stuffed animal or a fisher price truck. You are most likely more than familiar with the sensation of getting those hard, tiny Lego pieces embedded in the bottom of your bare foot, or having to spend ten minutes scooping your child’s dripping army of rubber duckies and plastic fish out of the bathtub after she’s had her bath every night.
I often think toy companies must sit around brainstorming all the different places they should convince parents they need to stockpile toys in order to entertain their kids: the car, the living room, the bathtub and the crib, just to name a few.

Of course, toys are a fun and necessary part of any child’s life, but personally I don’t think there should be any toys in the crib at all. The crib is for sleeping. If it’s filled with brightly coloured plush toys or gadgets that strap on to the rails and make sounds or play songs when your child pushes buttons it is all far too distracting and stimulating for bedtime.

Even a mobile is off-limits if you want your child to learn to sleep properly. While the child may seem to be staring calmly and intently at the pretty floating butterflies above her head, the colours and movement are actually firing up her mind and keeping her awake.

If you put your child to bed in a crib-full of toys to amuse himself, he is far less likely to just close his eyes and go to sleep. Bedtime is obviously a time when you want to be helping your babies and toddlers wind down, but instead you may just be winding them up!

Any sleep specialist will tell an adult struggling with insomnia to limit all activities in the bed so that you send a clear message to your body and brain that when you are in this specific location you are meant to sleep. That means putting away phones, iPods, iPads and laptops and turning off the 10:00 news on your TV. The very same holds true for children. While the toys might not seem as stimulating as electronics, your child will play with them when she should be going to sleep, even if she’s tired. Kind of like you staying up later than you should just to check Facebook one more time…

Despite my general no-toys-in-the-bed philosophy, I do make an exception when it comes to that one special “security” toy, like your child’s favourite stuffed animal or plastic Spiderman or frog puppet… whatever it may be. I’m referring only to that one toy that they cart around all day, or stuff in their pocket, or can’t leave the house without. These beloved toys offer soothing comfort and help your child feel relaxed and safe.

Anything you can do to minimize distractions when it’s time for bed will really help as you are establishing good sleep habits and routines. The more simple and plain your child’s surroundings are, the easier it will be for him to drift into dreamland.









Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

My child does not sleep well in Daycare!

The Real Challenges of daytime sleep not at home

"My 10 month old does not take good naps at the babysitter's three times a week and is super crabby by the time six o'clock rolls around. Should I just put him down early or should I wait for his normal bedtime?"

I've got three tips around this very common issue:

Tip number one would be to first find out why he's not sleeping well at daycare. I find that a lot of people just bury their head in the sand around daycare and hope for the best. What I tell everyone to do when you're interviewing is find out what do they do around naptime.

Are things scheduled? Do they have a quiet place to sleep? Or is it just, "Oh, if they fall asleep in the stroller, fine," and just going like that? You really need to investigate a little bit and find out if the situation is conducive to what you've created at home.

The second tip would be to find out how they actually get your baby to fall asleep. Some daycares are great and they'll do whatever you tell them to do which, in my opinion, should be the way it is. You're the boss here. You are the parent. You are paying the bill. They should be able to do what you want them to do.

If you come in really clear and say, "Listen, I put this baby down, awake, and he falls asleep on his own. All he needs is a quiet environment and a crib of his own and he'll do great," why wouldn't they want that? That makes their job that much easier.

But some daycares, for whatever reason, have certain policies in place where they don't do that. They wrap the babies or they stroller ride them until they fall asleep and then transfer them.
You need to find out what's going on to getting your baby to sleep in the first place. If it's the total opposite of what you've worked really hard to create, you need to keep looking. Absolutely.


Tip number three around this is, for some babies, they just don't sleep as well when they're out or at daycare or whatever the situation is. None of us do, really. We all sleep better in our own beds, so that makes sense to me.

If you find that they do what you ask and they try really hard and he doesn't quite sleep as well, if he's grumpy by six o'clock, then absolutely put him down early. I always say there is no reason why you need to live with a grumpy, tired child to hang on to some magical bedtime that you've created in your mind. Six o'clock, you can have him, do the routine. Get him down through 6:30, and that would be fine.

Because he's not going to daycare every day, then on the days he's home with you and sleeping great, it's no problem to hang on to your normal bedtime. We do want the body clock to get in line with a consistent bedtime; but there is wiggle room around that. It's not set in stone.

On a side note, if your little one is not sleeping great at day care or anywhere for that matter and struggles to sleep through the night then it may be time to read a few of my other blogs or get in touch so we can fix this and sleep becomes one less thing to worry about!


Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Please let the EARLY wake ups STOP!

I don't want to be awake before 6am!

HELP!!!!

Does this sound familiar....are you living this dream right now?

“My one-year-old is waking up at 4:00 AM, and won’t go back to sleep even after I nurse him. He then, struggles to make it to his first nap of the day. He goes to bed at 7:30, and has two solid naps during: the day. How can I fix this?”

First of all, you are not alone in this. This is the number one question that I get from parents every day, their baby’s waking up too early. I have three tips around that for you.

The first would be to have a look at darkness. That’s always the first place I look, especially, as the summer months are upon us, we really need to keep light out. People often think that they’ve got it dark enough, but it can always be darker, because even the slightest change in light variation can stimulate a wake up in anybody. As an adult, you can look at the clock and notice that it’s not time to get up, yet. A baby can’t do that. I want it dark in there. I want it to be as dark as it would be if you walked in, in the very middle of the night. That’s tip number one.

Tip number two, actually, it’s a concern number two,  is the fact that you’re nursing him at 4:00 AM. Given his age, there should be absolutely no reason why your child would need a night feed.
My worry with this is that, that 4:00 AM might actually get earlier and earlier and earlier, instead of buying you more time, because to the baby, there’s no difference between a 2:00 feed and a 4:00 feed. I want you to consider pulling that. There’s absolutely no reason why he would need it unless a it's doctors orders in which case please share with me why! You might actually be stimulating him and waking him up. After his nurse, he goes back to the crib and thinks, “What are we doing here? I feel ready to go. Let’s start the day.” That’s why you’re having the struggles that you are.

Tip number three is the morning nap. You’ve mentioned in your question that he’s having a really hard time making it till his first nap of the day. I find that what can happen is, if a baby wakes up too early in the morning, gets up, starts his day, he’s going to be fatigued fairly quickly. It’s tempting to start putting him down earlier and earlier and earlier for that morning nap. You don’t want to do that. If you do that, you will get stuck in this viscous cycle of him waking up too early, going down for a nap at 7:00 AM, and throwing off your whole day. That will just absolutely mess up with his body clock. You’ll have to have a third nap, which will be completely foreign to him, and it’ll just cause a whole bunch of problems. Even though it’s really tough, and I totally understand that, you’ve got to hang on to his normal nap time. If it’s 09:30 AM, even if he’s been up since 04:30, you’ve got to hang in there until 09:30 as best as you possibly can. My advice would be to give him a bit of fresh air around eight o’clock, make sure that you give him enough snacks and food to keep his energy levels up, to really encourage him to hang in there. It’s similar to if you got up at 04:00 AM, wandered around, maybe had a snack, and then eventually went back to bed and finished your night. That’s what’s happening here, most likely. Hang in there until the first nap of the day. I always suggest that people do not change bedtime. That is super tempting when you’ve got an early riser. You think, “Oh, if we just keep him up late, he’ll sleep later in the morning.” That hardly ever works.
In fact, all you end up doing, then, is creating a huge amount of over-tiredness in your child, which leads to more fragmented sleep and even earlier morning wake ups. Whatever you do, don’t do that.

Easier said than done right? But if you do do it.....the results will follow.

Happy Sleeping beautiful people.


Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Melatonin - Do you use it in your family?

MELATONIN - IS IT REQUIRED TO GET A FULL NIGHTS SLEEP?

A magic pill that means sleep.........could it be true? And when it feels like you haven't slept in days, months...or in my case 4 years, let's be honest a pill that could fix this seems like being given a life jacket on the Titanic.

For overtired parents who can't seem to get their kids on a healthy sleep schedule, the promise of a magic pill can be pretty enticing.
.
Sadly it seems to me that more and more doctors and parents are turning to melatonin as a Band-Aid for sleep issues with their children. I get emails regularly from people telling me they are giving their babies and children melatonin to help them fall asleep at night, and I have serious concerns about this.

Here is an idea and I know I'm not a doctor but - put the ipad down, turn the tv off, take them out of the jumparoo and give their bodies chance for their OWN  internal melatonin to be produced and kick in before sleep happens.

Here’s the deal:

Melatonin is NOT a long-term solution to poor sleep habits. Healthy sleep habits need to be learned at a young age in order to set kids up for a lifetime of healthy sleep habits. While some studies have shown that melatonin can be helpful with autistic children and children with ADHD, most babies and children do not need melatonin; they need to be taught good, independent sleep skills.

Here’s why:

Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by your brain and is present in every person’s body. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “no other hormone is available in the United States without a prescription. Because melatonin is contained naturally in some foods, the U.S. Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 allows it to be sold as a dietary supplement. These do not need to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or controlled in the same way as drugs.”

Dr. Johnson-Arbor, a Hartford Hospital toxicologist, says, “It’s (melatonin) possibly thought to affect growth, and to affect sexual development and puberty.” Other side-effects can include headaches, drowsiness and stomach ache.

According to the National Institutes of Health, “Melatonin should not be used in most children. It is possibly unsafe. Because of its effects on other hormones, melatonin might interfere with development.”

You're the parent, the decision is yours. I just want to share that the best long term fix for sleep issues is to deal with the root cause. Teach your baby or child the skills they need to sleep properly - just how we as parents teach them manners, to use a knife and fork, to ride a bike and to brush their teeth. Sleep is no different and great sleep associations and habits need to be taught. There’s no need to put your kids at risk just to get them down for the night.

As always, get in touch if you want to have a chat about your little one's sleep issues. I am always happy to have a conversation and share tips if you want them.

Happy Sleeping People

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/

Thumb suckers - Giving up the thumb!

Giving up the Thumb

 

Solving thumb sucking in a few easy steps

It’s happened.  Your child has discovered that sucking his thumb is even better than his favourite stuffed cat and Winnie the Pooh blanket when it comes to comfort. He sucks his thumb while falling asleep, while watching TV, when she’s scared, when he’s upset.  And maybe up until now it hasn't been an issue, as he was only using it for a few minutes at a time to soothe himself, but now you’re thinking it's time to try to cut this habit out.

While it’s perfectly reasonable to want your child to stop, it might be good to know that some of the perceived dangers of thumb sucking might not be based on fact. Here are some common misconceptions:

The myths

1.  My kid will still be sucking his thumb when he’s 12!

Not likely. Statistics show that less than 9% of children who suck their thumbs still continue over the age of 5, with the vast majority breaking the habit between the ages of 2 and 4. And of those kids still sucking their thumbs at 5, most will stop as they start to identify with their peer groups and don’t want to be the only one in kindergarten with their thumb in their mouth at story time.

2. It will ruin her teeth

This can be true, but only after the kids get their permanent teeth, which will start to happen between 6 and 8. In older kids, chronic thumb sucking can start to change the shape of the oral cavity. But luckily, the vast majority of kids will have stopped on their own by then anyway.

3.He’s using it as a crutch

While it’s true that young children who discover their thumbs do use it for comfort, this doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be able to learn coping mechanisms for dealing with stress or self-soothing later in life.

4.  A pacifier is better

Lots of parents tell me they would rather their child use a soother, because at least they can take the soother away. But in my experience lots of parents say this and then don't actually take it away! If the soother is their child's sleep prop, and they use it for comfort, then it becomes just as difficult to take away from the child. Lots of parents let soother-use linger on way longer than they planned to. I had one client who confessed that she still let her 6-year-old sleep with his soother because of this very reason.

So with these common fears out of the way, there really is no right or wrong, only a personal preference of the parent’s. Just like some mothers use bottles and others breastfeed, or some parents use time-outs and others don’t, there are many different ways of doing things. If you’ve decided that thumb sucking needs to go, here are some ways to help your child give it up for good. These tips are designed for kids 3 years and up.

The key to solving thumb sucking is getting to the heart of why your child sucks her thumb. Every child is different, and some might only use their thumb when they’re trying to sleep, others only when they’re upset, and others at every opportunity! In each case it has become a habit and as we all know, habits are hard to break.  One really effective tool is the reward system. Offering a benefit to NOT sucking their thumbs is sometimes all the encouragement kids need.

But first it's important to find out why and when your child turns to her thumb.

Step 1. For the first week, keep a pen and paper handy, and write down every single time you see your child's thumb in her mouth. At the end of the week, go through your list, and see if there are any consistencies. Does she always suck her thumb around 4 p.m. while watching her favourite show? Does he suck his thumb around the other toddlers at the playgroup because he’s nervous or shy?

Step 2.  Identify what the payoff is for your child. For example, if you notice that every time she hurts herself she sticks her thumb in, then a conclusion would be that her thumb helps her deal with pain. If you notice that the thumb goes in whenever she’s watching TV, then the thumb is being used when she’s idle.

Step 3. Remind and distract: Now that you know what she’s using it for, you can offer her something in exchange for the thumb. For example, if she’s about to watch her favourite show, offer her a bowl of grapes to eat while the show is on. If he sucks his thumb when he gets hurt and he just tripped on the stairs, you can rush over and offer him a long hug followed by a quick distraction like a game or favourite toy.

Step 4. A reward chart for a day completed with no sucking can be helpful. You can offer your child a treat or small toy at the end of the day if she’s successful. I also find that the more immediate the reward, the better the outcome. If your child is old enough, suggest that she come tell you whenever she feels like sucking her thumb and doesn’t, so you can offer up a reward. It doesn’t have to be a big treat, just one M&M or gummy bear for each time she resists the urge.

Nighttime thumb suckers: Bedtime tends to be a very popular time for thumb sucking, so you will need to find some other alternative that can be just as comforting. Tying a ribbon around the thumb, or a light pair of gloves can work as a reminder so when your child brings his thumb to his mouth he gets an instant reminder about what the goals are. You can also buy your child a new sleep toy that has texture that he can rub his thumb against instead of sucking it.

Remember that bad habits are hard to break and it takes time and encouragement. I don't find that punishment or nagging work well when trying to discourage a habit. Children are notorious for power struggles, and you don't want to turn it into a battle of wills.

 If the child is old enough, you can sit him down and tell him about a habit you tried hard to break (drinking coffee or nail biting, for instance) and make it clear why you'd like him to stop this behavior. If you can think of a way to make it about him rather than you, you'll have better success. So for example, if you’re worried about his teeth, you could say how great it would be if he had the best smile at soccer pictures next week. This will help internalize the process.

Once your child sees that there are other things he can do to self-soothe, and has been reminded enough times to take her thumb out of his mouth, he’ll stop sucking his thumb before you know it!

Time To Sleep Consulting

Carly Wintle

778-877-6380

http://www.timetosleepconsulting.com/