SnuggleBaby Sleep Consultancy

01/08/2023

Older children need great sleep too 😴.
We spend the first few years of our littles lives so focused in on their naps, bedtimes, and night sleep. We do our best to get them the quality and quantity of sleep that they need to grow and thrive, because, well they’re little and need a lot of sleep.
As children become older, are no longer napping, start partaking in before & after school activities, have sleep overs, etc. It’s easy to forget that they too have high sleep needs.
They still need a regular bedtime and a solid 9-13 hours of sleep.
Here are some ways to help improve your child’s sleep:
💤 Help support them in learning how to fall asleep on their own.
💡 Start dimming the lights low in the early evening, 1-2 hours before sleep onset.
🛏 Have a regular bedtime between 7-8 pm.
😴 Have a predictable bedtime ritual/routine.
☕️ Avoid any caffeinated beverages.
📱 NO screen time 1-2 hours before bed.
Children who regularly get an adequate amount of good quality sleep have improved focus, attention, behaviour, learning, memory, and overall physical and mental health.
DM me and tell me how your older kiddos sleeping?
😃 Great
🙂 Okay
🥴 Help me

19/07/2023

I dare you..... to dream 💭
There is much to be said about dreaming.
❇️ It helps us solve problems.
❇️ Increases learning abilities.
❇️ Aids memory function.
What always amazes me is that there is the absence of muscle tone (except for the diaphragm, middle ear and erectile muscles) when we are in REM sleep.
What!?!
All voluntary muscles are paralyzed so that the dreamer is unable to act out their dream. I mean, the human body is truly fascinating 🙌🏼.
In young infants, REM sleep is more commonly known as “active sleep.” This is where you might see your new baby twitch or grimace, sometimes even cry out with their eyes still very much closed.⠀
Up until around the 3 month mark infants enter sleep through REM. This changes of course when kiddos go through the biological rearranging of their sleep cycle, also known as “the 4 month sleep regression.”
As your little one grows the proportion of time spent in REM and Non-REM sleep changes from 50/50 at birth, to closer to 30/70 by the time your child starts school. The decrease of REM sleep in proportion to Non-REM sleep will continue further until finally stabilizing at a 20/80 REM/Non-REM sleep split in late teen years. It will remain this way throughout early and mid-adulthood.
I once read in a moms group that if your baby wakes for their day around 3-4 am it’s totally fine because the first hours of nights sleep are more important and enough......WRONG.
Every piece, part, and stage of sleep plays a roll on our over health and well-being. We need them all. Young children especially need good quality, regulated, sleep in order to translate and process all the amazing things they’re learning each and every day and thrive.

17/07/2023

"Back to school"

Here is one thing you can start NOW, to help get sleep back on track and ready for the new school term:

➡️Set a bedtime and stick to it ⬅️⠀

So first things first. What time should your kids be going to bed? Well, a lot of parents I work with are surprised to hear that I recommend somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 at night.

There are two reasons why I think kids should be in bed, sleeping, by 8:00 at night.
First, kids need at least 10 hours of sleep a night. If your kiddos need to be up by 7:00 A.M. in order to get ready for school, they should be asleep by 8:00 PM at the latest.
Second, you, as a parent, and your partner, need to exist child-free for a few hours a day. It’s vital to your relationship with your partner and with your kids.
➡️Don’t leave it to the last minute ⬅️
There’s still some time before school starts and the easiest way to get back on track is little by little.

Lets say bedtime has shifted closer to 9:00 pm for the better part of the holiday. Try moving bedtime up by about 15 minutes every 4 days until you’re back to their normal bedtime.
I hope you had a safe and wonderful winter “vacation” and that your little’s are looking forward to starting school again if sending them is your family’s choice. I promise you that, no matter how old they are, nothing will help them go into the new school term with a better attitude and positive outlook than getting plenty of sleep. They’ll be happier, more socially outgoing , and ready to learn.

20/06/2023

Saying good-bye to your child’s nap can be bittersweet. It means your little one is growing up, but that also means saying good-bye to that hour or two to yourself every afternoon.

When is the right time….
Typically children stop napping around 3 or 4 years of age. Here are some signs to look for if you are unsure if your child is ready or not;
~ Nap time becomes a struggle
~ Your child plays or is upset the whole nap and doesn’t sleep.
~ Bedtime becomes full of stalling and game playing.
~ It takes your little one a very long time to fall asleep at night ( 1-2 hours )

If your child is showing signs they’re ready to drop their nap you have two options:
1) Keep the nap and adjust bedtime accordingly.
2) Drop the nap and keep bedtime the same or even earlier as you transitioning. If you deside that dropping the nap is the best option then I would strongly suggest replacing the nap time with quiet time. A half hour or more of quiet time in their room or crib will help to carry your child through the rest of the day.

NOTE - This can be one of the hardest transitions for both the child and the parent. It can take a good 4-6 weeks for your child’s body to get used to the change.

20/06/2023

I’m back and ready to help little boys and girls sleeping
T H R O U G H T H E N I G H T ! ! ! 💫

After giving birth to my son , moving back to South Africa, building our dream home and figuring out life with 2 babies under 2, I’m ready and excited to start sleep training again.

If sleepless nights and short day time naps are a struggle for you. Send me a DM!

I do free 15 min consultations🤩💤

21/07/2022

I am currently on maternity leave and will be available from September onwards🤰🏻

Limited slots available for when I’m back.

If you want to book a consultation in advance you can DM or whatsapp me at +971 56 119 6363 .

Sleep well
💤

20/07/2022

Babies and children thrive on routine.

Little ones are exposed to so many new things and experiences throughout the day. It is reassuring for children to know they can depend on certain events throughout the day to be predictable and structured.

Setting up a bedtime routine allows your baby to know what to expect when bedtime arrives.

A good bedtime routine should be 20-30 minutes in length and have a set of predictable steps that happen in the same way every night.

Your bedtime routine could look something like this:

🍼 Feeding
🛁 Bath
😴 Diaper/Pajamas
💤 Sleep sack
📖 Story
😘 Goodnights

Remember whatever you choose to incorporate into your kids bedtime routine, should be fun and enjoyable for both of you!

20/07/2022

21/06/2022

TONIGHT is a great night to start something BIG

The sooner you take the first step to address your little one’s sleep issues, the sooner your entire family could be getting the sleep you need. Why wait? Tonight is a great night to get started 🌟

15/06/2022

Sometimes it is essential to take a step back, look at the big picture and give ourselves more credit for coming this far.

Well done to all the moms and dads who are currently busy sleep training their little ones.
Your discipline and consistency towards the plan will give you great results that will set up your child for great success in the future 🤎

Contact me if you are tired of being a tired mom everyday, all day🥱🧟‍♀️

03/06/2022

Supporting and helping your baby, toddler or young child, in learning how to fall asleep on their own is a JOURNEY! a journey with many highs and lows, hard times and surprisingly wonderful days.

Thank you for allowing me to join you on this journey towards good sleep 💤 🤍