Sleepdreams Inc.

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North Vancouver, BC
Sleepdreams Inc.

Sleepdreams Inc. provides research based community sleep consultation services and in-services for infants and children to promote health and wellbeing.

Sleepdreams consultations are often covered by extended medical plans. Sleepdreams occupational therapists work with you and your family to come up with a sleep plan that works for you, so that everyone in your family can get better sleep. Did you know that your Sleepdreams consultation with a registered occupational therapist is covered under many extended health plans? Email us info@sleepdreams.ca for more info. At Sleepdreams Inc, we are Registered Health Care Professionals who understand how to help your child eat, sleep, and play better!

10/26/2021

More on the dreaded sleep regression! This month….

Walking (approx 12 months) 🚶‍♀️

The link between sleep and learning to walk can be a frustrating one for parents as little ones tend to have more difficulty getting themselves back to sleep because they are pulling to stand in their cribs, cruising around, and are not able to lower themselves back down to go to sleep.

Practising the skill of pulling to stand and lowering themselves back down can help infants speed through this “sleep regression.”

Once your little one can get themselves out of the standing position, they are more able to get themselves back to sleep.

Additionally, separation anxiety peaks at about 12 months of age, and this is often when the primary caregiver is returning to work, further exacerbating the problem. Ensuring that there is a gradual transition to a daycare/childcare setting as well as some child-led play will help to smooth out your little one’s feelings of separation anxiety.

10/13/2021

Every considered using a White Noise Machine?

Infants, children and adults that have sensory processing differences, particularly those that are hyper sensitive to stimuli, can have difficulty filtering out extraneous noises at any time of the day, and specifically while in light sleep or REM sleep phases. An infant or child that is sensory sensitive will respond to noises more frequently and with greater intensity to their peers making sound masking more critical as when roused, they may have a difficult time resettling.

If you have a baby that has difficulty settling to sleep and is sensitive to sounds, the noise dampening effects of white noise may assist your baby to get the sleep that they need to maintain good health and promote optimal development.
Because there are no definitive studies available at present that document long term outcomes of white noise and development in infants and children (particularly auditory), the most conservative approach that is presented in robust literature is what we can form our parenting practices around. This is the research that is being applied in the hospital NICUs to aim for a noise level no higher than 50 decibels.
There are decibel readers available to parents, easily accessed by downloading an app on a smart phone. This meter can be used to calibrate the level of noise.
Based on the recommendations from this study, you should also place the white noise machine 2 metres away from your baby and then use your app to calibrate the noise level.
If you want to further decrease exposure, you can use the white noise machine in the later part of the night when your baby has a greater amount of REM sleep and is more vulnerable to environmental stimulus and to waking.

10/08/2021

🥳October is Occupational Therapy Month!

When Occupational Therapists work with people, we focus on what is important to them and then draw on our backgrounds in both biology and psychology to assess a client’s needs and design a treatment plan that allows our clients to reach goals that are important to them.

Helping babies to sleep better helps families to function better as a whole.
Sleep is a cornerstone in health for everyone, babies and parents included. For children, lack of sleep can affect their ability to participate in their lives during their awake times. Lack of sleep can affect both cognitive and physical development. Babies can also be more irritable and able to cope with less. Often sensory processing issues are magnified. For their parents, lack of sleep can affect the same domains of cognition, motor control, and emotions. We all know that our skin is just a little thinner when we don’t have any quality sleep under our belts.

Occupational therapists work on the issues that are most important to a family and help families to identify their goals and give them the tools and support to move toward those goals.

As occupational therapists, we are often involved in families’ lives when they don’t feel at their best. Families reach out for help and may feel frustrated or defeated and usually feel downright exhausted. To be able to connect with families, help them to identify what their specific goals are, and to support them to reach their goals is what makes us thankful each and every day that we chose Occupational Therapy.

Occupational Therapists work with people across the lifespan, from tiny premature infants to seniors. The common thread in all our work is the concept of engagement in daily occupations and helping clients to successfully engage in daily activities that when woven together make their life safer, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.
To each and every family that we’ve worked with, thank you for trusting us with your care. We feel privileged to walk your journey with you and witness the changes that are so important to you and that you work so hard to achieve.

09/30/2021

If there is to be reconciliation, first there must be truth.

Timothy B Tyson

09/24/2021

😪Are you struggling with Infant Day / Night Reversal?? 😴

It is common for our littlest clients to have day/night reversals. When babies are born, they have not yet developed an internal clock, known as their circadian rhythm. Waking is driven by hunger and, because their stomachs are so tiny, they need to eat often. Think about how much growth a newborn goes through in those first few months, both physically and cognitively. A newborn infant looks vastly different than their four month old counterpart, both in size and cognitive function. There is an amazing amount of development that happens in those short months.

Around three to four months we see the development of a circadian rhythm, mediated by secretion of hormones from the pineal gland in their brain.

Before this, the sleep-wake cycle is a constant repetition of a short awake time (45 minutes for newborns) that will include all caregiving, feeding, and socializing, and then back to sleep again. Parents often find themselves with a baby that is more alert at night as opposed to daytime and this can be difficult as our circadian rhythms are telling us that it is time for some shut-eye at midnight, not party time! 🎉🥳🎈

For tips on how to switch back to a day/night rhythm that works for everyone stay tuned.....

09/17/2021

Don’t forget that you can use your 2021 health benefits for our sleep assessment packages!

Book now to use your 2021 benefits before they expire.

Our experienced OT’s are booking up fast so be sure to grab your spot this fall.

If your family is looking for professional sleep solutions follow the link in our bio to connect.

09/10/2021

🤩More on separation anxiety.... 7-10 months and into toddlerhood, we know this is a big one. 💫

One of the typical developmental stages that we see with the families we work with is separation anxiety. It's common and a completely normal phase of development that can have a negative effect on sleep. To deal with normal age-appropriate separation anxiety, you need to make your baby feel secure with separations. Consistency is key to making sure your baby becomes secure that you are still there and that you will return!

When you separate from your child, always let them know you are going (to another room, out, etc.) in a matter-of-fact manner and, when you reunite, come back with a big cheerful greeting. Here are some playful games that can help achieve this.

1.Peek-a-Boo
2.Find-the-Toy
3.Hide-and-seek

These games will teach them that separation is okay, that you are still there when they can't see you, and that happy reunions always happen after separations. Separation anxiety can be a tough stage for your child and for you but working toward building the skill of object permanence and practicing with short separations will go a long way in helping you and your child sail through this stage.

09/02/2021

Bedtime anxiety for school Age kids

As with any changes to routines, children can experience anxiety around sleeping alone. Itis important to add attachment-based daytime activities to fill up their attachment needs. Though they are sleeping away from you at night they still need the sense of attachment. It will be important to tell your child that you always go in to check on them. Make comments during the day like, “You are so quiet while sleeping, "or“ You smiled at me while you were sleeping in your room when I went in to check on you. ”

Comments such as these will help your child understand that their attachment base (you) is always nearby. This will increase your child's sense of security and help with night time separation.

Listen and understand. Try to understand your child’s fears. Make sure not to dismiss them as they are very real to your child. Reassure your child when they are fearful. If they are clinging to you or callout in fear, go back to their room and find out what is wrong. You can try saying, “You are safe; we are all here to make sure you stay safe.” Be sure to communicate that your child is safe over and over again. Teach coping skills. Discuss alternative ways to respond to night time fears such as by being brave and thinking positive thoughts. You can also try to tell your child how you deal with something that frightens you and read stories to help them understand how other children overcome their fears related to bedtime and night time.

Develop a step-wise approach for exposing your child to their specific fears. For example, if your child is afraid of the dark, spend increasing amounts of time in dark places or gradually diminish night time lighting.(Installing a dimmer switch may help.) Use imagination and be creative, bedside fish tank, security blanket or toy, a bed tent, night light etc.

08/26/2021

How Sleepdreams began…….💤

In 2008 North Shore Occupational Therapy Inc. (NSOT) realized a need for research based paediatric health care professionals in sleep. A need for every day families and parents like you. NSOT Founder Jennifer Garden became part of the Children’s SunnyHill / UBC sleep research team, conducted her own clinical research, and we became Sleepdreams®.

So rest assured at Sleepdreams, you are in safe, qualified, experienced hands.

If you and your family are searching for help to get a better nights sleep, follow the link in our bio for more information.

08/19/2021

Sleepwise Baby Massage tips!!

Child can be sitting or lying on back wearing pyjamas. Use smooth strokes with gentle pressure

Face
🔸Long strokes on both sides of the face
🔸Flats of fingers across the forehead from the midline out
🔸Circular strokes over the temples and the hinge of the jaw
🔸Flat finger strokes over the nose, cheeks, jaws and chin.

Legs
🔸 Strokes from hip to feet
🔸 Gently squeeze and twist in a wringing motion from knees to feet;
🔸massage feet and toes;
🔸 massage Achilles tendons; and
and stroke the legs toward the heart.

Arms:
🔸 Stroked from the shoulders to the hands and then same procedure as for the legs,Neck, shoulder

back:
🔸 With child lying on stomach
🔸 Downward strokes along the back
🔸 Continuous hand-over-hand movements from the upper back to the lower back
🔸 Hands from side to side across the back, including the sides;
🔸Circular motion from head to lower back along, but not touching,

the spine:
🔸 Simultaneous strokes over the sides of the back from the middle to the sides
🔸 Rub and knead shoulder muscles
🔸 Rub the neck
🔸 Stroke along the length of the back.

08/09/2021

Juggling naptimes with two or more kids???

Busy boxes to the rescue!

Naptime and bedtime can be a challenging time for parents with more than one child. Once you have two or more children, getting through the pre-sleep routine can feel like a marathon. And then when one partner is not able to be there, you can find yourself struggling to figure out what to do with your older child while you are settling your little one.

One strategy that can make managing naptime and bedtime alone run more smoothly is a ‘busy box’. The ‘busy box’ is a box that contains novel quiet activities that only come out before naps and bedtime. This is helpful to occupy an older child when a parent is settling a younger child or infant to sleep. The key is that these activities are special for use only during pre-sleep times/quiet times. They can be much loved activities or new ones.

Busy Box Ideas:

⭐️ Puzzles (ensuring that they are the just-right challenge and will not cause frustration)
✨ A basket of play silks/scarves
Lacing games/beads
⭐️ Open ended activities such as: Duplo, bristle blocks, magna tiles
✨ Stickers
⭐️ Magnet letters, shapes, pictures
Pom pom activities: sorting colours with tongs and placing into a container
✨ Special selection of books: lift-the-flap books, simple look and find books, sticker books, Melissa and Doug’s On-The-Go Water Wow books
⭐️ Listening to special music or an audio book: the library often has a good selection of loved children’s books with the accompanying audio recording

If you and your family need help from our professional Occupational Therapists follow the link in the bio.

07/22/2021

Is your family looking for help to get a better nights sleep?

Our occupational therapists work with you and your family to come up with a sleep plan that works for you, so that everyone in your family can get better sleep. It is not a cry it out approach, but rather a method of decreasing parental support as your little one learns to fall asleep, and resettle to sleep, on their own.

Taking your child's sensory profile into account (how they react to their surroundings), your occupational therapist will create a sleep plan that includes a consistent bedtime and nap time routine, and also discuss day time activities to help build your little one's sleep drive.
 
We are currently offering consultations (approx 1 - 1.5 hours) by video. Your occupational therapist will prepare a report and sleep plan for you, and then provide up to an hour of phone or email support while you implement your plan.
 
And the bonus is that the fees are often covered under extended medical plans for occupational therapy!!

Address

North Vancouver, BC

Telephone

+16049852991

Website

http://www.sleepdreams.ca/

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