Category: Uncategorized

Help your child sleep better before school starts!

I cannot WAIT for my kids to go back to school. BUT, I need to undo some bad summer habits before they start. Anyone else?! 😬 Ok, let’s do it together: As we start to think about the upcoming school year, I wanted to share some tips on helping your child get a good night’s sleep. We all know how important it is for our kids to be well-rested and ready to tackle each school day!

Here are a few simple ideas to help establish a healthy sleep routine before school starts:

Set a Consistent Bedtime: Anyone else been letting their kids stay up WAY too late this summer? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Start moving bedtime earlier by 15 minutes every few days leading up to the first day of school. This way it feels like less of a shock when they have to go to bed so much earlier than they have been this summer! Consistency is key to helping your child’s body adjust. Need help figuring out your child’s ideal bedtime? Email me, and I’d be happy to assist!
Get Back to That Bedtime Routine: Whatever your normal routine was before summer, let’s get back to it! At our house it’s dinner, bath/shower, play time (yes, play here is a link to my post about the benefits), brush teeth, books, then bed! Get back to your routine now so you aren’t fighting them the night before school starts!
Start to Limit Screen Time: I’m just as guilty of using the TV as a babysitter this summer! If you have trouble winding your kids down before bed, try to turn off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime. (Swap out your bedtime routine with play time instead!) The blue light from screens can interfere with the natural production of melatonin, the hormone that makes us feel sleepy.
Ensure a Comfortable Sleep Environment: Make sure the bedroom is cool, quiet, and dark. A cozy bed and a favorite stuffed animal can also help your child feel secure and ready to sleep.
Be a Role Model: Children will mimic their parents’ habits. Show them the importance of sleep by prioritizing it yourself. The physical and mental health benefits of a good nights sleep are innumerable!

Establishing a good sleep routine now can make a big difference when school starts. A well-rested child is more likely to be attentive, perform better academically, and be in a better mood overall.

Wishing you and your family a smooth transition back to school! As always, reach out if you need any more help.

You got this!

-Elizabeth

My Favorite Toddler Sleep Item

You finally have a baby that sleeps great… and then BOOM they are a toddler and all hell breaks loose! They suddenly protest bedtime, become masters at stalling, and have very big opinions! Don’t worry, we can fix this! I am starting a new “my favorite things” series! After polling y’all on instagram last week, we will be starting with my favorite toddler sleep item!

Drum roll….

It’s a colored night light system! These are A MUST for training your toddler to stop fighting bed time, stay in their bed all night long AND wait until a reasonable hour to get up in the morning! These issues are SO common with toddlers. But, the problem is, they are too young to understand the concept of time! Enter…. a colored light system. Telling a toddler it’s 7:30 and time for bed means nothing to them. Tell them “the clock is red , it’s time for bed!?” They get that instantly! Let’s talk about some of the options, and then I’ll tell you how to use them!

My top picks:

The Hatch rest+ ($89) and the Momcozy ($39) are both very user-friendly and work through an app. I love this set up for times when they are sleeping in, and you need to *last minute* switch the clock to turn green at 7:30/8:00 instead of 7:00. Never had a kid sleep in before? Stick with me, my friends 🙂

These two are super low-tech and easy to use. They are both so simple, you just set the time right on the clock- old school. With both the Stoplight ($39) and the Dog ($34), you don’t have to worry about any app glitches or high tech set up.

How to use it:

Now that you have chosen your clock, let’s learn how to use them!

Introduce the clock to your child and explain how it works. “When the clock turns red, it’s time for bed. We stay in our bed allllll night until the clock turns green!” Practice with their stuffed animals/baby dolls/favorite super hero, etc. Put them in their bed when the light turns red, then 1 minute later turn the light green and act excited for the stuffed animal to get out of bed!
Establish a rewards system as they learn to use this. I like to use a sticker chart. They get a sticker every night they stay in their bed all night long until the light is green! I created a bedtime sticker chart you can use for this here!
HOLD THE BOUNDARY. If you are committing to this red light system, do it! If you waiver and let them delay bed time/get out of bed/come into your bed this will not work! Stay calm and consistent and hold firm! “The light is red it’s time for bed”

If you need any additional assistance with this, or anything toddler sleep related, reach out and let’s do a $99 Quick Fix call and I can walk you through any additional questions you may have.

As always, I’ve got your back and you’ve got this!!

xoxo,

Elizabeth

My Best Travel Tips!

Travel can be stressful, but add a baby/kid into the mix… yikes! Having a child in-tow (especially a baby) makes for even more variables we have to plan for! But, I never want you to miss out on any experience just because you are afraid to mess with your child’s schedule or routine. They CAN be flexible! Here are my best tips for traveling:

Leave early: Whether you are flying or driving, if the trip will take more than a few hours… leave EARLY. Book that early morning flight or plan to hit the road in your car first thing in the morning! This will give you more time to get your child adjusted to your new location and (if needed) get them to bed early after a long travel day!
Let go of the schedule: If you try to keep baby on their nap schedule on a travel day, you will fail… So, let them nap whenever and however they want to. And, if they don’t nap at all?? That’s ok too! Again, use that trick card of an early bedtime when you arrive at your destination so they can start fresh the next day!
Pack all the snacks and screens: Buy those special snacks you don’t ever keep in the house and download a million things on their tablets/your phone to keep them entertained! One day of breaking the rules will not hurt them, and I promise you it will make your travel day easier! Go to the Dollar Tree or the dollar section of Target and get little activities and toys that are brand new and pull one out at a time while you travel. I’ve linked some of our favorite travel toys below!

4. Set up their sleep space first: The first thing you do when you get there? Establish where they will be sleeping and set up the travel crib with the Slumberpod on top. (if you don’t already own a Slumberpod, I linked it here and use my code EZSLEEP for a discount!) Next, plug in the sound machine and set up the monitor (a cheap audio monitor is all you need!) Get the space all ready so that when bed time comes, there will be less stress for everyone! Bring as many familiar things from home to cue their brain for sleep. If they have a favorite blanket, stuffed animal etc, bring it along! Let them play around in their new sleep space/room and get accustomed to it. Read a book in there or play a game of peek-a-boo, and then leave the room and start your vacation!

5. Use my packing list: You know that feeling of “I know if forgot something” at 3 am the night before a trip? Well, you can sleep easy my friends, because I created the ultimate packing list for traveling with a baby or toddler! Click here to get it!

Above all, if you do not already have a good independent sleeper, let’s fix that TODAY so that your trip will be a restful one! Reach out and let’s get started!

Happy travels!! You got this!

xoxo,

Elizabeth

Saving you from the stress of Daylight Savings

Whether it is springing forward or falling back, daylight savings can be a time of stress for parents. There are A LOT of tips and opinions out there…. all of which seem to be nothing more than a lot of extra work and math for parents! A common one is “starting a week before the change, start moving bedtime up/back 15 minutes each day.” Yadda Yadda. You certainly CAN do this. But, my solution on all things sleep is no B.S./make it as simple as possible/direct to the point answers. That’s what you are here for right?!

My take on Daylight Savings? Just dive into it. Keep everything the same. You may have one or two early mornings or rough bedtimes, but as long as you continue to set your expectations and hold your sleep boundaries, most kids adjust as quickly as adults do. Some kids don’t even notice the change!

This is why it’s so important to have a good independent sleeper. They can take these changes in stride because they have all the skills needed to go with the flow when it comes to schedule changes. Sleep training actually improves sleep flexibility and builds life long skills of healthy sleep habits! So, the only reason to stress going into Daylight Savings, would be if you were starting out with a crappy sleeper anyway! But, we can fix that, don’t worry! 😉

In summary, no need to pre-plan if you don’t want to. (I don’t) Handle any sleep disruption that may come like you would any other regression. As always, reach out if you need any extra support by emailing me here or messaging me on instagram @e.z.sleep

You got this!

Elizabeth

Hayes says don’t stress about Daylight Savings!

Daylight Savings Tips

To swaddle or not to swaddle… apparently, it’s a question?

Ok, let’s talk about swaddling. I had NO idea it was so controversial until I posted a reel on instagram demonstrating Dr. Harvey Karps’s “5 S’s of Soothing a Baby”. You can see it here. In the comment section I was berated, in multiple languages mind you, about how horrible I was for swaddling my baby. HUH!?

So, while I fully believe in swaddling a newborn for soothing and sleep- I’m here to say, if its not for you, that’s fine! I’m a huge supporter of “if it works for you, keep doing it”. There is no right way to raise a baby or child. I’m here to support you and meet you where you are. With all that being said, my job is to give you the facts- and the fact is, swaddling has been proven to soothe a newborn baby. It mimics the tight hug sensation of the womb, and calms their nervous system.

Now, obviously we aren’t keeping the baby swaddled all day every day. This tool is used for sleep and when baby may be over stimulated (aka the witching hour). During the other hours of the day when baby is awake we offer things like tummy time to develop their motor skills. I recently posted a vide o of how to properly swaddle a baby on my instagram page, but here are the non negotiables in safely swaddling a baby:

Swaddle safety:

Tightness– we want it tight, but not too tight. Make sure you can fit two fingers under the material wrapped across their chest. We also want their legs and hips to be loose to prevent hip dysplasia, so focus mainly on wrapping their arms down.
Breathability– make sure they aren’t getting over heated. I only use cotton swaddles for this reason. Also, make sure there is good airflow in the room they are sleeping in by using a ceiling or box fan.
Age– swaddling is for newborns only. If the baby is 3 months, or starting to roll, it’s time to stop swaddling.

Have any questions about swaddling? Send me a message! I teach all this and more in my Newborn Sleep Foundations package.

You’ve got this!

Elizabeth

happy as a clam in the famous double swaddle!