Three things that are vital to help an overstimulated, overtired baby or toddler

Your baby will at times become cranky and overtired.  This may be especially so during the ‘silly season’ when life is hot, hectic and exciting and  there are lots of festivities to attend. Even if your little one is a good sleeper, sleep can go a little pear shaped when life gets busy and there are so many things to think about and fit in.

 

Three vital steps to helping an overtired, overstimulated baby or toddler.

 

1. The first thing is to really look for early tired signs.

 

Yes I know we bang on about it but it really is one of the foundations for good sleep for all of us. I am a seasoned sleep pro and a self-aware adult - and even I feel it! When I am overtired, if I go to bed even half an hour later it takes me longer to go to sleep than when I feel like I am just tired. If I push myself past the point of being comfortably tired  too much I lay awake  waiting and praying for sleep.

 

I also notice this when I have had a few late nights in a row.  I wake up earlier and earlier in the morning feeling tired and wishing for sleep but my body just has a little trouble with it. It is easily fixed by going to bed earlier when I can. This is why your baby is inexplicably waking at 3am - he or she is just too tired to sleep well. Help them catch up on sleep and then watch carefully for early tired signs to prevent them getting overtired again.

 

2. Give your little one more opportunities for sleep in the day.

 

Even little bits of sleep are good- it all adds up. Often parents will debate whether it is worth putting a baby or toddler to bed when they will need to be woken to go out or go home. The answer is yes! Some sleep is better than no sleep!

 

Remember that overtired babies have a lot to work through before they can wind down and go to sleep.You may have to help your little one with sleep or your efforts at helping may make it worse.  Just work out which one works for your baby

 

3. Get into bed on time in the evening

 

Making sure you get your little one into bed on time in the evening is a big winner when things are out of whack.   This just allows  him or her to build the good restorative sleep that we get before midnight. It usually helps chunk on a big lot of catchup sleep relatively easily.

All our teaching with sleep has the aim that your baby will be portable with sleep  - able to go to sleep in different environment. There are individual differences and preferences and there certainly are some little ones who really like their own bed for sleep.

 

As your little one gets older and more inquisitive going to sleep when there is a lot of activity may be harder to get them to sleep. However please don’t just abandon efforts to give your little one a sleep when you are out and you see he or she is tired. Sometimes, with a bit of practice, sleep can happen when you are out and about for even the most inquisitive baby.

 

And a bonus tip, because it is Christmas after all!

 

4. Sometimes it pays to retreat for a day or two

 

Sometimes when all your efforts are not seeming to gain traction, you may need to spend a day or two at home and really catch up on sleep for both of you. It may mean that you  choose which events you attend or attend for a shorter time than you would usually. Or it may mean that you offer to host the event so that your baby can sleep in their bed and ask everyone to bring food so that the workload doesn’t fall on you.

 

Festive times do not mean that everyone has to suffer  when little ones find it hard to sleep. With a few of these tweaks it can be enjoyable for everyone. Keep in mind that if you’re feeling overwhelmed or tired your little one certainly will be. Give them all the help you can, follow these three simple steps and have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Find out more about  how to help your little one when he or she is over tired or cranky at http://insyncwithinfants.com/baby-sleep/

Are your mornings starting earlier and earlier? Here’s why and what to do about it

Almost every baby  I know wakes earlier in the mornings as summer arrives and it gets lighter in the morning. The reason is partly earlier light- the sun is up earlier- hence biorhythms kick in earlier.

 

It’s our Natural body clock and biorhythms.

 

Remember we were once cavemen with no lights and no alarm clocks, so in those seasons when the sun was up earlier so were we. And the seasons it was dark earlier we also went to bed earlier. It’s those seasonal changes that we can adapt to and it is healthy to have differences in our day with the seasonal changes. Remember work long hours in harvest and rest more when it’s done. The birds know this - that’s why we hear them earlier in the lighter months too.

 

To get back on track we just need to set up habits and routines that say to your baby- It’s not time to get up out of bed yet. Your little one can be awake happily in their cot until it is time to start the day with a little practice.

 

If you want to start your day that early- that is fine. Do what works for your family.

 

Keep an eye on your little ones’ tired cues throughout the day. He or she may need  an extra nap if the day is really long due to an extra-early start.  Keep sleep a sacred part of your and his or her day. Staying on top of overall sleep will help combat this earlier waking too.

 

Get your insights into baby sleeping here at http://insyncwithinfants.com/baby-sleep/

The festive season, alcohol and breastfeeding

Christmas, New Years, Summer - December can be a hot, hectic time for everyone, especially babies and toddlers. It can be tricky when you are breastfeeding (especially breastfeeding newborns) and still wanting to join in festivities around this time of year.

 

Here are our top tips to breastfeed safely while indulging in a little Christmas cheer.

 

The recommendation is for no alcohol while you are breastfeeding. This is because
whatever is in your bloodstream also goes across to the breast milk. Think of your bloodstream and milk as being separated by a sort of mesh barrier. Some things get across the mesh easily some do not.

 

If you have a newborn or if you are feeding round the clock it is harder to fit in alcohol unless you “pump and dump” and give your baby a bottle of either expressed milk or formula. Once your baby is feeding through the day and having a long break through the night, a standard drink of alcohol can be accommodated more easily.

 

Generally we would allow 2 hours per standard drink to get out of your system (and out of your milk). So if your baby feeds at 6pm and then not again till 2 am, a drink with dinner now and then can be accommodated. You can plan ahead. If you know you are going to have a few drinks, say at a party, then you can express beforehand, maybe over a week or so, so that there is breastmilk available for your baby while you are out and possibly for after you get home, depending on the amount of alcohol you have consumed.

 

ALWAYS EAT GOOD FOOD

WHEN HAVING A DRINK.

 

Remember you may not have had a drink for quite sometime. Most mothers really feel the effects of alcohol when they haven’t had it for a while. Cautious drinking isn’t just good for your baby, it will help you to have an enjoyable time and avoid feeling unwell the next day.

 

There is more in depth information about this topic on the Australian breastfeeding association website www.breastfeeding.asn.au

 

Our breastfeeding ebook covers this and more get it here http://insyncwithinfants.com/breastfeeding/

Three hot tips to beat the heat at baby’s bedtime

Summer has arrived! I love the heat, long days, fresh foods and outdoor living that summer brings.There are downsides though, especially for little ones. Lots of parents come to Insync with Infants for help in summer with babies who won’t nap, who struggle to sleep through the night and wake up much too early. You don’t need to worry. Heat, humidity and longer days don’t have to spell disaster for your baby’s sleep! Follow these three hot tips to beat the heat at baby’s bedtime:

1 - Set up a cool sleep environment

By cool I don’t mean setting up a lava lamp and disco ball in the Nursery (they’re still cool, aren’t they?)! There are a number of simple things you can do to help your baby settle and sleep comfortably in the heat.

Bed clothes may not be needed at all- just a bottom sheet is probably all you need.

 

If your baby’s room is hot  for a lot of the day, consider moving your baby’s sleep place to a cooler room in the house.  Consider opening windows for air flow.  Perhaps an awning on the outside to shade a bedroom window

2 -  Air conditioning and fans

Fans and air conditioning can be a godsend on those really hot, still days when your energy feels zapped and you just don’t know what to do with yourself.   Be aware though that just because you enjoy the feeling of a fan blowing on your skin doesn’t mean your baby will.  And just because you enjoy sitting in 20 degree coolness doesn’t mean your baby will.

 

Sometimes your baby may react differently to what you like. I have known  babies to not enjoy a fan on or not enjoy air conditioning as much as their parents.  Less clothing may be all your baby needs to feel comfortable.

 

3 - Watch for early tired signs

Early tired signs seem to be the answer to everything… Because they are! In summer, especially in the ‘silly season’ there is so much going on that it can be easy to miss those crucial early tired signs. If your baby has been a pretty good or even an amazing sleeper and then is not  all of a sudden, it may be that in the excitement of the season your baby has become overtired again and getting to sleep is hard.  Catching early tired signs means that everyone can enjoy good times and that everyone can get good sleep again.

 

Get your insights into baby sleeping here at http://insyncwithinfants.com/baby-sleep/

The Golden rule of good grandparenting

The Golden Rule for being a fantastic grandparent is to listen!

 

This is my number one tip for a grandparent who wants to be a fantastic granparent. Listen to your children and grandchildren. The best way to be an important part of their lives is to be a good friend. And being a good friend means that you listen. Don’t make judgements. Just listen. They will cherish you more for just being there and hearing them more than anything else.  If they know that you will listen and not judge, you will be amazed at how much you will get to know about them. The more they trust the more they will open up to you.

 

Once a trusting relationship is there between you and your grandchilren, and your children in their new role you will find many opportunities to give tips, ideas, opinions and advice that is invited and valued.That sharing of wisdom that you are itching to give will be shared. If you can remember that this is their life and that they will make mistakes, and that it is not for you to stop them making mistakes necessarily, you will be a long way towards  building a strong relationship that lasts a lifetime.

 

We all want to be loved and accepted unconditionally. One of the ways of feeling that we are is that we have someone we trust to be on our side no matter what.  As a grandparent you can foster this privilege. Let them know that mistakes are ok. That they are loved despite mistakes. That mistakes help us learn. Just follow the golden rule of good granparenting: LISTEN!

The birth of new grandparents

New grandparents are just as excited as new parents when a baby is born. Especially the first one! Not to take it away from any of the other grandchildren that follow, but there is something special about the “firsts” of anything.

 

There are many things that are great about being a new grandparent. I have heard many parents who have become grandparents say "If I knew being a grandparent was this much fun, I would have done it first".

 

Grandparents get to do it all again. You get to have fun of children all over again, without all of the hard work. All of that parental responsibility rests with your children, it is not yours now. Grandparents can play and be silly and be ok with it because grandchildren are the perfect excuse.

 

All parents reflect on their experiences and would like to change a thing or two. Anything that you would have liked to do differently you may be able to get that chance with your grandkids. For some it’s not being so strict with food or enjoying messy play. For others it’s playing more and worrying about housework less. And for others it’s about having the expensive icecream and not the budget one. Grandparents get to enjoy all the fun and wonder of grandkids and hand them back at the end of the day and get a good night’s sleep.  This is perhaps the biggest bonus for most grandparents that I hear most often. A good night’s sleep is bliss.

 

New grandparents get to remember and relive life through the eyes of little ones when the world is wondrous, new and so exciting. Grandparents are often at a stage when they have the time to also appreciate the wonder of a caterpillar having so many legs. Of taking time to spend looking at one spider web because they don’t have to rush to work.  Even if you are a grandparent who does have to rush to work, prioritising ‘slow time’ with your grandchildren will be priceless. Taking time for those little things helps to be mindful, be present, and also to appreciate all the big  things in our lives.

 

One of the greatest gifts of being a grandparent is that there is a little person who loves you just as you are. A little person has complete acceptance of you as the person you are when they know that you are accepting of him or her just as they are. Being a friend gives great rewards.  The trust that comes is priceless and builds a strong relationship that lasts. When you are a true friend, you will be given opportunities to share all that wisdom you have inside of you.

 

New grandparents have all this in front of them to enjoy.

 

The awesome importance of being a grandparent

The importance of being a grandparent can never be underestimated. It is an awesome role that can prove an incredible blessing in the lives of generations. Grandparents are important.

 

Why are grandparents so important? Because grandparents have knowledge, experience and wisdom.  They have lived life and seen and done many things.  They have come full circle and usually realise that life is meant to be fun. Grandparents (be they younger or older) want to have fun.

 

Most importantly grand parents usually love grandchildren unconditionally and usually don’t have the responsibility of doing the hard parenting stuff.  They love us as we are and can feel like a friend rather than a boring adult.

 

Grandparents get to do all this fun stuff with grandkids but not have the  responsibility that parenting brings. This can help grandparents develop loving, trusting relationships with grandchildren that can allow the sharing of wisdom and guidance through example and explicit teaching across a grandchild’s life. Grandparents can be the subtle mediator when parent and child lock horns, knowing and loving both parties. Grandparents can be the difference between resolving a family conflict and conflict getting out of hand.

 

Have you ever hear the expression, ‘can’t see the wood for the trees’? Sometimes parenting is a bit like that. Grandparents have the advantage of seeing their child and grandchild from a slight distance and this can allow for objective, loving help.

 

Most of us have had the privilege of meeting our grand parents, however sadly for some this was not possible or didn’t happen. Preserving memories or traditions can be a great way to keep passed grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren. Tell their stories, use their sayings, bake their recipes, little things that add up to another loving presence in the life of a child.

 

Grandparents have an awesome role to play in families. The influence of a loving grandparent can bless the lives of their children and grandchildren, bringing love, fun, help and harmony to the family.