If you follow me over on Instagram Stories then you know that we have been having some sleep struggles with our 5 year old daughter. It all started back in December when she decided that she was scared of the dark. She wanted so many lights on including two night lights, the closet light, and her bathroom light on. She would wake up multiple times a night and always try to make her way into our bed. It was a total disaster, we were all extremely exhausted and we needed some help!

SLEEP SOUNDLY CONSULTING

We turned to Johanna at Sleep Soundly Consulting after being referred to her by a friend. This was a life changing move and I am SO HAPPY we found her. Johanna works with children ages 0-10 and has 3 sleep solution plan options. You can sign up for a 1 week, 2 week, or a 3 week plan.

OUR PLAN

We felt like we needed a lot of support and chose her 2 WEEK PLAN. This included the following:

In-person, phone, Zoom or Facetime consultation (1-2 hours) to review intake form, discuss sleep goals, current sleep schedule, and bedtime or nap time struggles. She will also determine the sleep plan that meets your family’s goals and needs.
Overview of safe sleep guidelines and assessment of current sleep environment.
A customized written sleep plan that includes everything you will need to do in order to reach your sleep goals. The plan will include best sleep practices and safe sleep environments.
2 weeks of unlimited phone/email follow-up support and coaching while you implement the plan and achieve your goal.

You can get more details of all the different plan options here.

THE OUTCOME

I am so happy with the outcome. I would say that I could see sudden changes immediately after implementing the strategies suggested by Sleep Soundly Consulting. By the first night she was back to sleeping in her own bed and by the end of the first week we were successful in having her sleep through the night with no wake ups.

It has been about a month since starting with Johanna and I don’t want to jinx it, but we have had success EVERY SINGLE NIGHT with Elle sleeping through the night in her own bed with the door closed.

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I am so thankful for Sleep Soundly Consulting for helping us get through this exhausting challenge and below Johanna is sharing some important sleeping tips to help anyone struggling with similar sleep issues:

5 TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

1. CONDUCTIVE SLEEP ENVIRONMENT

Safety is always the top priority. Make sure your child is sleeping in their own space, whether it is a crib or bed. Follow all safety guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics for Safe Sleep. If they have transitioned to a bed, make sure the room is safe, as they are now free to move about! Keep bedroom doors closed for the utmost safe sleep space.

In order to set your child up for sleep success, you want to make sure the environment is conducive to sleep. Keep the room super dark (think: cave-like!). Darkness tells our brain it is time to be asleep. Any light, whether it is nightlights, an overhead light, sunlight, or light from a screen, tricks our brain into thinking it is time to be awake.

White noise is also a great way to help our brain get into a resting space. Keep it at a low volume and make sure it is a constant “ssshhh’ing” sound.

*We love using this Sound Machine and this Hatch Night Light.

2. CALM & CONSISTENT BEDTIME ROUTINE

Consistency is the key to any type of positive sleep experience especially when you are sleep training. This is because children feel safest when they know what to expect. When they feel safe, they are more likely to feel calm.

Keep your pre-nap and bedtime routines the same each day and night, so your child knows the order of the routines and so that there are no surprises. Neither routine needs to be super long, but make sure to include quiet tasks such as taking a bath, massages, reading books, or singing songs. Also, do not forget to turn off all screens at least one hour before bedtime!

* Here are some of our favorite bedtime books:

3. APPROPRIATE BEDTIME

An overtired child is usually cranky, fussy, melting down or having a tantrum. But sometimes it is hard to tell when your child is overtired because they seem to have a burst of energy (running around, bouncing on the bed, etc.) That burst of energy is really just their body’s way of keeping them awake.

Having an early bedtime is a fantastic way to prevent your child from being overtired, but also allows them to get the most restorative sleep. Early bedtimes can also help to prevent bedtime battles!

4. CLEAR BOUNDARIES WITH BEDTIME ROUTINE, RULES & CHARTS

It is very important that toddlers and older children know the rules around bedtime. Often times these children are in a bed and have the ability to get up and roam around their room or your home. Set some boundaries and stick to them. One example is to make sure your child knows that once they are in bed, they are supposed to stay in bed until you come to get them or until their toddler clock changes color.

You can create some sleep rules to hang near their bed. They should be simple and straightforward, and you should go over them a few times a day. A toddler clock is a great tool to help enforce the rules.

5. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR CHILD AND YOURSELF

This might be the most important part of helping your child with sleep. As parents, we cannot force our child to sleep (even if we want to!), but what we can do is set them up for success. Following all of the above suggestions gets you well on your way but allowing your child the space to learn to self-soothe is a crucial piece.

If you have confidence in your child and believe that they can fall asleep independently, your child will start to develop confidence in themselves. Think about how proud they will feel when they fall asleep on their own and sleep through the night without your support! Give you child the time and space to practice.

Also have confidence in yourself. You can help your child to sleep better so that your whole family gets the sleep you need and deserve!

FAVORITE PRODUCTS & BOOKS

HAVING SLEEP ISSUES AT HOME WITH YOUR KIDS? MAKE SURE TO REACH OUT TO SLEEP SOUNDLY CONSULTING AND MENTION GOLD COAST GIRL FOR 15% OFF!

*In collaboration with Sleep Soundly Consulting