My Secret Weapon Against Sleep Struggles

 

My secret weapon against sleep struggle is JOURNALING!!! actually it's not its awareness but that's bloody hard to keep up with when your tired so journaling is the next best thing. 

All little ones want to sleep. ( I know, hard to believe at 3am when they just won'tt go back to sleep)

We all need to!

It's a biological necessity. 

It's just that at times,  even for us adults; getting to sleep and even staying asleep can be tricky and the key to figuring out how to get past the struggle of it is to identify why it's happening in the first place. 

Being aware of what's happening and when, can help you find patterns in your Little ones behaviour and habits that can give us clues about why sleep resistance is happening. 

If your little one isn't sleeping there is always a cause or a reason. 

Babies and toddlers can't tell us what's up and half the time I suspect they're not even sure themselves even if they were able to tell us. Keeping track of behaviour feeds, sleep durations and can help you pin point which sleep thief is robbing your baby of sleep. 

What's a sleep thief? A sleep thief is a cause of sleep resistance. There are so many reasons why a baby can struggle with sleep but I find categorising the possible reason helps with problem solving and I'll be sharing with you more on sleep thievery this week.

 So why keep a log? Keeping a log or journal of whats your little one is doingover a period of days makes create awareness and makes it far easier to investigate & identity patterns in your little ones behaviour that can give you clues about the reason or reasons why your little one is struggling with sleep, there is always a cause for sleep struggles.

When i was studying child development years ago we were taught the best way to help a child develop is to observe, record,  analyse and plan.

Look at what they can do and what they struggle with and then plan a way of building on what they can do to get them to the point where they can conquer their struggle.

 

The record element of this process is extremely important esp when your sleep deprived. It's so hard to remember what happened and when. So many times I've “remembered” nights with a charge one way only to refer to my notes taken in the moment as being very different to what I actually recalled. Keeping a journal or record of

 

1. What is happening

2. And when it's happening

 

is really helpful. It's gives you an exact picture of what is actually happening.

 

So I have a little homework for you. (It's not compulsory but it will really help you if your little ones sleep is a little unpredictable)

 

Get a piece of paper and divide it into 2 columns

One for the time and one for notes.

 

For the next few days make notes on your little ones behaviour over a 24 hour day.

 

I.E.

7am woke up fed on left breast for 20 mins

Changed nappy seems grouchy after feeding. 7.40am Couldn't figure out why she was so whinny but then she burped and calmed down

8.15 rubbing eyes and getting miserable again

8.30 I cuddled her in my arms and she falls asleep

8.45 I put her down in her cot but she wakes up after 10 mins

It's seems tedious at first but after a few days you can look back over your notes and analyses your records to help you name the sleep thief stealing yours and your babies sleep

 

If you're a smart phone addict like me you could always keep notes on your phone or use an app to. Record feeds (really useful for breastfeeding mums as it can time feeds for you and log them in charts etc)

 

I prefer old-fashioned pen to paper as even when tired you tend to have better recall when you write and reread the words however I'm all for making life as easy as possible so by all means use an app if it's easier.

 

The apps I have used and found useful are:

Baby Feed Timer - it's ok but not my favourite

Baby Connect -  This is my favourite go to app for keeping record of activities, a lot of my night nanny & maternity nurse colleagues recommend this app. ( all mentioned apps canbe download on IOS or Android)

Download it from IOS here or on Android here

If you're using pen and paper  ( which i advise at first) keep it simple.  The main points is to note of

1. What you see in that moment

2. And when you see it

 

I went live on Facebook to elaborate a little on why keeping an accurate record of behaviour, feeds and sleep. You can watch the replay below

If you are reading this because you have a baby or toddler who your struggling to get to sleep here are a few ways i can help you get more sleep, whenever you're ready.

1. You can join my community over on Facebook for sleep deprived mums wanting more gentle and respectful soultions to their babies sleep problems. Connect with me there and other mums who share your mission for more sleep using more gentle and child focussed methods. I created it to be space for commeraderies, support, inspiration or even just a safe space to come and have a good old whinge when sleep deprivation is kicking your butt! To join us over on FB Click Here!

2. If your thinking about maybe sleep training your baby i have a free baby sleep class that can help you decide on how to sleep train your baby or toddler and 7 Key points to think about before you sleep train so that when you do start you see success quickly and with as little stress as possible. To access that free training Click Here....but hurry as i will be taking that free training down very soon

3. You can work with me privately to help get you and your baby or toddler sleeping through the night. We can work together and plan a sleep solution speciifically for you and your family and have me hold your hand, offerif emotional support and accountability to help you confidently shape ho your baby  or toddler sleeps To book a session with me click here to select a package that suits you and book our sessions together or email me for a free discovery call where we can chat and see if working together is a good fit for both of us!!