Babies need emotional and physical contact to form secure attachments. It's crucial for their development.

Lovely feedback from mum I worked with last month. When we had our second baby we through we’d sail through getting him to sleep. Our first was “issue” free, had good sleep habits, could self sooth from a young age and we had made sure we didn’t give him any bad sleep associations. We knew all the things not to do. But, as with all babies, no two are the same. Our second had colic, reflux and tongue tie, ensuring that every bad sleeping habit was there. He needed to be rocked to sleep and once he was asleep he would only remain so in mine or my husband’s arms. He never had more than maybe an hour of sleep unbroken and we were taking it in shifts at night to be with him. On top of this I was struggling with postnatal depression so had zero confidence in my ability to get us all the much needed sleep and rest we were craving. So, I got on to Sinead and we’ve not looked back. Our little man now sleeps through the night and self sooths when he wakes, he has become a happy and relaxed baby who now loves being in his own bed. Even his first trip away was a complete success despite him being in unfamiliar surroundings he settled and slept through the night. He settles so well as long as we follow the routine that Sinead created for us. The initial consultation/meeting was very thorough and made us feel very comfortable with the approach and why we were doing each step. The level of support afterwards was astounding and most appreciated! Sinead’s patience and support throughout the process was invaluable and was crucial in me having the confidence in myself that I could get our little man to sleep. I don’t know where we would be without Sinead’s help, it has honestly made our family so much happier and very well rested! If you are experiencing sleep issues with your child- you can call me to book an appointment on 0861000549. You can find out more information or make a booking through my website www.betterbabysleep.ie

Lovely feedback from a mum of a 10 month old who i worked with this month. If you are struggling to get your little one to sleep, I can help. Call me to book an appointment or find out more information on 0861000549. You can also find out more information on my website www.betterbabysleep.ie Sinead helped me to teach my son to sleep in his own cot all night and he is a much better sleeper than when Sinead started advising me. He is sleeping through the night in his own bed and while he still cries out a few times, he settles back very easily, sometimes on his own. While he sometimes wakes at night, he settles back very quickly, without expecting to be fed, and stays in his own cot. Knowing that I would talk to Sinead the following morning certainly helped me persevere in the early days. Getting the same advice from a book wouldn’t work as well. I have already recommended Sinead to a few friends.

Sound familiar?!!

How often to you hug your boys? Is if less as they get older?

Who can relate to this?? I am taking bookings for June, call 0861000549 to book an appointment or you can book through my website www.betterbabysleep.ie to get help to make the changes you need to make to get your child and yourself sleeping again.

I love this simple & clever animation about how we are all different and unique. Brilliantly done.

Some really simple changes in this blog that we can all make in the way we parent our kids that make a big difference. I love the idea of playing 1 board game a day as a family, something my boys really love to do. We have all heard the recommendations of limiting screen time, 1 hour of outdoor activity daily, providing healthy food, limiting sugary snacks & ensuring adequate sleep. They seem obvious but are so important to stick to consistency. (The biggest challenge for me is putting away my own phone when around my kids.)

New research shows how teaching your child to sleep at a young age can prevent obesity in children.

Early Morning Wake Ups There are a few reoccurring topics that I get asked about every day; frequent night wakings, baby not going into their cot, 4- month sleep regression, non existent naps, long night wakings and early morning wakings. Here are a few of the things I would be looking at in relation to early morning wake ups- 1. Is your bedtime too late? A bedtime that is too late for baby is a recipe for an early wake-up. The majority of babies do best with a bedtime of between 6:00-8:00pm. 2. Is your bedtime too early? While you all know I love me an early bedtime, we never want to get stuck in a perpetual 5:00pm bedtime cycle, as this, over time, will lead to baby waking up early. A super early bedtime is great on crappy nap days or when we are trying to chip away at some sleep debt that may have accumulated from weeks/months of poor sleep, but it's not meant to be used consistently over the span of several days/weeks. 3. Are you keeping baby awake too long in between last nap and bedtime? That stretch between the last nap of the day and bedtime is the most sensitive of the day, and if we are stretching it too far will lead to nightwakings, sleep-cries, and a potential early wake-up the next day. 4. Is your baby hungry? Depending on their age, if that 5:00am wake-up is 3.5-4 hours from your last nightfeeding, then baby may be truly hungry at that time and it's a good idea to feed him and put him back down to allow him time to fall back asleep and continue his nightsleep. Many babies will keep one last early nightfeeding into their 9th month. 5. Are you always leaving baby until 6:00am? Getting baby up before this time lets him know that this is indeed an appropriate wake-up time. We always want to ensure we leave baby until 6:00am to discourage any wakings prior to this and to send a consistent message, 24 hours/day. 6. Is baby falling asleep independently with zero props? Sleep is the lightest between 4-6am and if baby relies on any props to go to sleep for the night initially (including a soother) then when they wake up in these early morning hours, they will need you to re-create these same conditions but since sleep is so light at this time, it is harder for them to fall asleep even with your assistance. 7. Is baby's bedroom dark enough? Especially in the summer the sun is up early. If baby's bedroom is too bright at this time (and with sleep being very light at this time as well) it may be difficult for the child to return to sleep. Turn that bedroom into a baby cave! 8. Is your baby teething? The most common 'sleep symptom' of teething is a temporary early wake-up. Again, we know that sleep is light in the early morning hours and if baby is uncomfortable/in pain/discomfort then it will be difficult for them to return to sleep at this time. The effects are at their worst one week before the tooth pops through, with the worst offenders being the top front teeth and the molars. 9. Is baby overtired? An inappropriate daytime schedule (not enough naps/daysleep, baby being kept awake too long in between naps, etc.) is a major cause of an early wake-up. The best solution for an overtired baby is an early bedtime to help them catch up on sleep (as well as a round of sleep training if the cycle of overtiredness is caused by negative sleep associations!) 10. Is baby going through a nap transition? Early wake-ups are inevitable as baby transitions to a new nap schedule, even with well-rested children who consistently sleep through the night. 11. Is baby reaching a new milestone? At the peak of mastering a new skill (crawling, standing up, walking, talking, terrible 2's, etc) baby may temporarily wake early for 2-3 weeks. If your baby is waking at the crack of dawn, try these tips. If you require a sleep plan and ongoing support while implementing it, call me on 086 1000549 to book a consultation or find out more info on how I work. www.betterbabysleep.ie sinead@betterbabysleep.ie

This is mad!! https://www.facebook.com/viralthread/videos/778868892285796/