Traveling with kids can often be a stressful event for parents but, here are ten tips to make the whole trip fun for the family. 

 
1)  Plan, plan, plan.  If you didn't plan trips before having kids, it's time for that to change.  Having a plan reduces the headache of trying to figure out things on the go.  Know where to eat or what to bring for snacks, plan nap times or down time, and bring things for entertainment.

 
2) Have a plan for when things don't go as planned!  Stock snacks, games, books, or a mobile device so there are activities if your well thought out plan becomes derailed.

 
3)  Don't over-schedule your family.  Kids (and parents!) need down time.  That's the whole point of a vacation, right??  Make sure there is a slower rest day among activity filled days.  A half day of board games or baking makes for great rest-day activities that include an afternoon nap too.  Having a rest day will reduce crankiness for everyone!

 
4)  If you are traveling abroad, pack your known brand of child medications to reduce the stress of finding a suitable medication in a different country.  

 
5)  Limit sweets.  Along with different schedules and places to sleep, eating too many sweets will make kids cranky and hyper.  It's vacation time but be sure to set limits too! If there has been a day with a lot of sugar, make the next day a sugar-free day.

 
6)  Have family quiet time before heading out for the day.  If the day starts out hectic, then it will probably continue to be hectic!  Or at least schedule some downtime during the day.


7)  Bring along a familiar stuffed animal for your kiddo to sleep with or their own sheets and blanket, if possible.  Having familiar smells and feelings help calm their brains for sleeping.
 

8) Keep your child’s bedtime routine the same as it is at home.  A consistent pattern will help them know when it’s time to sleep and provide a feeling of security.
 

9)  If your child is sensitive to lights and sounds while sleeping, be sure to make a space for them that's dark.  Setting up a blanket tent can help block out lights and other stimulating sights.  Use a fan to block out noise so that unfamiliar sounds don't keep them up!
 

10) If you’re traveling across different time zones, adjust to that time zone right away with nap and bedtimes.  Don’t be surprised if it takes about seven days to adjust, that’s normal.  Be sure to get sunlight in the morning to help wake up the body and adjust your body clock.
 

Having a successful vacation includes coming home feeling rested!  Make sleep a priority when traveling to help reduce crankiness and hyper-activity for your kids.  Safe travels!


Along with being a sleep coach, Courtney Landin is a Family Health Coach who focuses on exercise, nutrition, and sleep to help families create balance in busy lives.  You can also find her at www.LivingHealthyHappy.com for mama and family training, and nutrition ideas and consultations. 
 
If you need more information about helping your baby sleep, use the Happy Sleeping Baby book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

You can also the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep! Or Contact Us here for more personalized support.  We're here to help!
 

Watch the latest tips to see if you're baby is ready to drop a nap time!

There comes a time in most parent’s lives when they begin to question: when is the best time to ditch the crib and transition my toddler into a big-kid bed? The answer is both simple and not so simple, and here is the short answer: wait as long as possible …and preferably not before age 3!
 
Are you shocked by that answer? Most people are! Curious to what I mean? Keep reading.
 
If your child is anything like my daughter (soon to be 3 years old) our crib has been pretty well-used and slept-in. My daughter can rely on her crib. She knows it’s there. She knows it means “sleepy time,” but most importantly, she feels secure and cozy inside. The crib is her domain and its physical boundaries (the rails) provide her security both physically and emotionally.
 
Security is a big one and I wanted to dive a little bit deeper into its root meaning. Babies, but especially toddlers, secretly crave and thrive off of boundaries to make them feel safe. We like to call these "loving boundaries" here at Happy Sleeping Baby.  When you set a loving boundary with your child, you reduce their anxiety, in a big, grown-up world filled with so many options. Secure boundaries create predictability. Predictably reduces uncertainty. And uncertainly reduces anxiety. So, in effect, lessened anxiety, makes your child feel more secure.
 
The rails on a crib set a loving boundary. Sure, my daughter can move how she pleases inside of her crib, but it certainly does not provide her with many options of where to go in the middle of the night. No wandering around the house, no coming into our room to poke our faces, or no playing unsupervised. That firm boundary is there to keep her both physically AND emotionally secure. (We will talk about when it becomes unsafe further in the blog).
 
That is why I advise parents to wait as long as possible before moving them to a big-kid bed. Before children are 30 months of age, their brains are not mature enough to understand that they need to stay in their bed until the morning. Have you tried reasoning with a 3-year-old lately? Now try reasoning with that same 3-year-old, at 2am, explaining to them that they need to get back into their bed! My point exactly.
 
Furthermore, if your child is sleeping fine in their crib, and not trying to climb out yet, why take away their ‘safe space’? Please don’t feel rushed into the transition. I have seen too many families making the switch too early, then all of a sudden, their once perfect sleeper is waking up multiple times a night. As the old saying goes: don’t fix something that isn’t broken!
 
 
Here are some Q&A (Questions and Answers) for frequently asked questions on the topic.
**All answers are based off of the experience of a sleep consultant. Always consult with your doctor**

What if my child is getting physically “too long” for it the crib?

This is a great question! Did you know, in Sweden, standard crib sizes are actually much smaller than in the United States? Therefore, your child will likely “out-grow” the crib more quickly than a baby in the US. I would recommend buying a junior bed that has rails (similar to a crib) but it can be converted into a big-kid bed when they are ready. The mattress size is 140cm.  Here's a great option or idea that we recommend for parents: Crib to bed option

 
We are getting ready to welcome a new baby into our family. The new baby will need to use the crib. Therefore, it makes sense to transition my toddler to a big-kid bed, now, right?

Congratulations! This is another great question! And the answer is “not necessarily”. Adding a new sibling to your family is a lot of change for everyone, especially your current child(ren). Now would not be an ideal time to introduce something new and unfamiliar. Your current child will crave the security in their old patterns and routines. This includes their sleep environment. Consider buying another crib, used or second-hand, or upgrading your older child to a junior bed with rails (link above).
 
What if my child is starting to climb out of the crib? That is a huge safety issue and that does not sound secure.

This is a tricky question and the most common question we get! Obviously, safety is the #1 priority. You, as parent, must always decide what is best for child. If you have already lowered your crib to the lowest setting, there is still hope. Some cribs can be converted to a floor crib (meaning, you put the mattress on the floor). Other cribs will need some augmenting to be safe and functional. Be aware of the gap between the top of the mattress and the bottom of the crib railing. Again, this may require some creativity and/or crib re-assembly/re-configuration. I have seen families get really creative and bring out their tool boxes! It may look funny, but it works. It is a really good solution if you are determined to keep your child’s ‘sleep progress’ intact.
 
 
If big-kid sleeping is absolutely necessary, here are some tips:

• Make sure the bed is low to the ground as possible
• Baby proof their room as much as possible: bolt furniture to the wall, remove items they might get into, like lotion or diaper creme, and be sure to cover all electrical outlets.
• Install a gate at your child’s door to prevent them from wandering around the house

We hope this helps you understand when to move your child to a big kid bed!  If you want more information about helping your baby sleep, use the Happy Sleeping Baby book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

You can also the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep! Or Contact Us here for more personalized support.  We're here to help!
 ​

​I will never forget the reaction of my husband’s parents when they heard our white noise machine for the first time. They looked concerned, yet were respectful, as they asked why we had “jet plane noise” playing while our daughter slept. I still laugh when I think about this moment. They probably thought my parenting techniques were a little strange and maybe a little too American (my husband and his parents are Swedish).

To their defense, I understand why they were skeptical. Most people believe that you must produce a quiet environment for good sleep. Therefore adding-in noise can feel counterintuitive and might go against everything you were once taught. 

So, before you form your own opinion, let’s dive into what noise really is. White noise is essentially an ambient sound, such as a whirring fan or air conditioner. Noises can be described in different colors depending on their frequency. White noise is mainly known for camouflaging other sounds that might occur naturally in an environment.

Now speaking of jet plane noise, have you ever been on an airplane and before taking off you started to feel really sleepy? Have you ever caught yourself nodding-off? This happens to me all the time. This is a perfect example of the effect of white noise on our brains. The humming sound calms the mind, which in effect, induces sleep. Studies have shown that white noise can help both babies and adults fall asleep faster. Now I can see why.

What about the other benefits of white noise? Does your baby have a loud, older sibling? Do you live in the city where you hear sirens? Do you unload the dishwasher during baby’s naptime and cringe at the clinking of the plates against each other? Maybe you forgot to turn your phone on silent and the ringer is super loud. Or, what if you like to entertain past your baby’s bedtime? Now, let’s say your baby is sleeping in the next room over. White noise is great for blocking-out these sounds so your little one can sleep longer and better.

So how do I get white noise, you ask? There are many Spotify playlists out there and here's one created by a former client that we recommend for parents. Also, there are a wide variety of white noise machines you can purchase, particularly online. Also, some parents say using an ordinary fan works well too. As for our family, we chose to go “all in” and purchase a white noise machine. We didn't want to rely on turning on Spotify every time. However, this is truly up to personal preference.

As I always say, consistency truly is the secret ingredient here. White noise is a big part of our bedtime routine.  (Learn more about a great bedtime routine here!) Every time I turn the white noise machine on, my daughter says “Mama night night” because she knows that the sound means it is time for bed! 

This consistency becomes especially handy during the toddler years. Now that our daughter is 2, I have never had to fight her to go to sleep– not once! If you stay consistent with using white noise, your baby will start associating the noise with sleep, too.  

There are many white noise options out there to choose from and it really comes down to your family’s choice in regards to budget, size, and what your options are due to where you live.  Here are two white noise machines that are easy to find for parents either in Europe or North America. Both are portable and provide good sound:

Yogasleep Hushh portable white noise

MyBaby SoundSpa

(if the links don't work, just search for the names of the devices)

I hope you test out using white noise as a help for your baby's sleep!  
~Devon

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Want more information about helping your baby sleep?  Use the Happy Sleeping Baby book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!

In the age of the internet, there is a massive amount of information about baby safety. It can feel quite overwhelming, especially as a first-time parent. It’s hard to know what to relax about…and what to actually take seriously.
 
Safe sleep, I would argue, is one topic to take  seriously. Culturally speaking, many people have differing opinions on what sleep should look like. Yet the data still suggests that about 1 in 1,000 babies die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) every year. And for me, that’s enough to want to know how to prevent it.
 
So what is the safest position for your baby to sleep? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): the safest way is on their back! Since the AAP made the “back to sleep” recommendation in 1992, the SIDS rate has decreased more than 50%.

While it may be difficult to keep your baby on their back, a breathable crib mattress cover can help ease some worry.  Once your baby can roll over, they are generally okay to sleep on their stomach.  But still keep in mind safe sleep recommendations at all times.
 
What also causes SIDS? Soft surfaces, loose bedding, overhearing with too many blankets, stomach sleeping on soft bedding…and of course smoking by the mother, and poor prenatal care/prematurity.
 
Some of these factors are obvious to many, but some may not be so obvious. Especially the risk associated with loose bedding. For example, here in Sweden, many still use blankets with their babies and don’t know about “Sleep Sacks”.
 
Sleep Sacks are widely used in the United States. A sleep sack is essentially a wearable blanket. It replaces loose blankets in the crib that can cover your baby's face and interfere with breathing. In addition to helping your baby sleep safer, it helps them sleep better, too. It's a warm blanket they cannot kick off. This ensures the baby sleeps soundly throughout the night.
 
I am not sure why Sleep Sacks aren’t as popular in Europe. For our family, we used Sleep Sacks and didn’t allow a blanket or pillow in our daughter’s crib until she was 2 years old. Although slim, the risk of SIDS or suffocation was not worth it, in our eyes.
 
Here are some other precautions we took:

• We made sure our daughter had a firm, updated mattress in her crib
• We removed  ALL pillows, comforters, stuffed toys and all soft products from her crib.
• We removed her pillow-like “bumper” - we bought a “Breathable Bumper” instead - linked here.
• We used a Sleep Sack with zero other bedding or blankets. Our absolute favorite “all-season” Sleep Sack linked here.
• We never placed our daughter on a waterbed, sofa, soft mattress, pillow or other soft surface to sleep.

 
Everything I mentioned above are all recommendations per the American Academy of Pediatrics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development plus a task force of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety commission.
 
Furthermore, the AAP and the US Department of Health and Human services recommend that parents room-share, but not bed share. Here is what the report advises:

• Parents should consider a crib or bassinet near their bed for more convenient breastfeeding for the first 6 months to one year
• Infants can be brought into the parents bed for feedings, but should be returned to their own crib for sleep
• Infants should not bed-share with others. Twins and multiples should sleep separately.
• Smoking and other substances, like drugs or alcohol may impair the parents ability to awaken, which greatly increases the risk of SIDS and suffocation, especially with bed sharing.

 
While the true cause for SIDS is unknown, these recommendations can reduce your baby’s risk, prevent suffocation and give them the safest sleeping environment possible. Happy and safe sleeping!

Learn more about helping your baby sleep their best with the Happy Sleeping Baby book!  Learn more here.  Or read more about setting up your baby's room for sleep here:  Room Environment
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Need sleep guidance to help you figure out sleepless nights?  Contact us for a free 15-minute call here.

When the leaves start falling off of the trees, you know it's soon time to also fall back an hour with the clocks for daylight savings time.

Our body’s circadian rhythm has a strong influence on our sleep and wake times.  As adults we most likely are trying to pay off some sort of sleep debt so, when the clock falls back, we are happy to gain more time in bed (as long as we actually go to sleep at our normal time the night before)!  But if you have young kids this change can take time for their bodies to adjust to the new times. 


To help minimize chaos that the time change can cause in a house with young kids, you can to start adjusting their internal clocks a couple of days before the actual time change.  To do this, start splitting the difference in time for naps and nights by 15 - 30 minutes for two days before the change.  Start nap and bedtime 15 - 30 minutes earlier until the time change and for two days afterwards.  There will be some adjustment time for up to a week but by splitting the time makes the change easier by avoiding too much overtiredness with a full hour change. 

*For younger babies, 6 to 12 months, adjust the time by 15 minutes every two days until the schedule is back to normal. Older babies can handle the 30 minute change.*

If you don't make any changes before the time change, no worries!  Just follow the advice below!


Naps

Before the time change, nap time is normally at 9:00 am
After the time change, you’ll fall back 30 minutes and nap will be at 8:30 am (since it is actually 9:30 am in the body)
 
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Bedtime

Before the time change, bedtime is normally at 7:00 pm.
After the time change, you’ll fall back 30 minutes and bedtime will be at 6:30 (since it is actually 7:30 pm in the body)
 
Stick to these times for three days and then go back to your normal times according to what the clock says.



Need more guidance about helping your baby sleep?  Use the Happy Sleeping Baby book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Or visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!

 
Before I became a mother, routines were foreign to me. Inf act, if you asked anyone who knew me before having my daughter, they would laugh if you asked if I was a routine-oriented person. After having a child, however, I found myself (even more so) living moment-to-moment just to get by. I just didn’t understand how routines could make life so much easier rather than overcomplicate what already felt so exhausting.
 
Soon, it became my mission to ensure our family got proper rest. I was willing to try anything -- even if that meant changing the way I was wired. So, I hit the books and tuned-in to what the experts were saying. One big theme I noticed was establishing good routines for both day and night.
 
Simple, yet consistent routines are a good idea to start early on because it helps your baby’s body develop natural sleep/awake rhythms so the right hormones are released at the right times. It also puts less stress on our brains because your child will know what to expect and what happens next. Routines also allow our bodies to better digest food because we are used to eating at certain times of the day. All of this helps your child become naturally ready for sleep. How wonderful!
 
Establishing day time routines was game-changing for our family, but bedtime routines became equally as important. Think of a bedtime routine as laying down the foundation of a house. If you don’t have a solid foundation, the home will not be steady. The same goes for sleep. If you don’t have a proper routine and the right room environment [read more here about The Best Room Environment For Sleep] sleep may not be steady as well. 
 
Bedtime routines don’t need to take long. Actually, they shouldn’t last more than 30-40 minutes; keep them short and sweet. If any longer, your child may not see the pattern of what the routine means. Patterns help your child’s brain transition into nighttime, but mostly, they help your child make the connection that it’s time to sleep soon. 
 
Here’s a sample routine:

• Bath
• Pajamas
• Bottle or feeding
• Book
• Song
• Bed

 
Once your little one starts to grow teeth, you can add-in teeth brushing too. For our family, even if our daughter was clean, we still gave her a warm bath every night. We used soap every other day, or even every few days, so her skin wouldn’t dry out. The consistency of the nightly bath helped wind her down, and soon, she began associating bath time with bedtime. 
 
When I finally did lay her down, in her crib, she eventually became a superstar at falling asleep independently. I owe that a lot to our nightly routine. The trick here is true consistency. Try out a night time routine and give it time, like two weeks. It takes time to learn something new and put together that the bedtime process means sleep.  Stay consistent and your baby will soon know what their bedtime means!

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Want more information about helping your baby sleep?  Use the Happy Sleeping Baby book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!

Your baby's room plays an important role in sleep. Now, I don't actually think the picture is a good representation of a good sleeping environment, but it looks nicer than a completely black picture!
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Your child's room environment for sleep is a positive sleep prop to help promote sleep.  When your baby wakes up at night, these factors help calm the mind and body to help go back to sleep. These tips not only help babies sleep, but also us as adults too!  To encourage the best sleep for any age, an ideal room should:

• Be dark  - so dark, in fact, that you can barely see your own hand in front of your face!  Use blackout curtains or double up your curtains to block out any light from outside.  If you need to use a light at night, it's best to use a red or yellow tinted light.

• Be cool - 16 to 20 degrees Celsius / 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the season.  Our body temperature drops naturally at night, which helps set the stage for our bodies.

• Have white noise - a dull sound that helps drown out any other noises.  Use a sound machine or a fan. Fans can serve two purposes: they produce a dull sound and also keep the room cool.  I really like Relaxing White Noise Sounds for Baby Sleep (click to be taken to the album).

• Have a sleeping buddy - once your baby can hold an object, give them a blanket or stuffed animal (I love the combo blanket with a stuffed animal head).  Make sure to put this next to your baby every time s/he sleeps (naps and nights), but don't use this as a toy.  At first, the sleeping buddy should only be associated with sleep!  Once your child associates this with sleep, then they can use it during the day as well.

If some of this sounds strange, remember that your baby came from inside the womb where it was dark, the perfect temperature, and had a constant whooshing sound.  Re-make your baby's room to be as womb-like as possible and you'll have more success with sleep. This theory even applies to adults! If you have trouble sleeping, try out this room environment too.

​Visit the Parent Resources page for more tips to help your kiddo sleep!  Or get in touch if you have more questions.

This post is taken from my book, Happy Sleeping Baby ~ Your Guide for Sleep Success, !  Want to order the book?  Use the form below:

​Photo by Bastien Jaillot on Unsplash

 

This post was written by a former client who reached out about creating this white noise album.  I use the playlist often when I'm trying to work or relax! Give it a try via the link below in the post.  ~Courtney


​ Guest post written by: Kaveh Akaber
 
I’m a filmmaker and composer and have professionally experimented with sound all my adult life and nighttime has always been a creative playground for me. But after our first child, I was struggling to fix my random sleep, take care of my child and try to be creative all at the same time. After years of insomnia, I collapsed. My body said stop. Not even music could calm my senses and make me go to sleep. Doctors advised me to take heavy sleeping pills, but after several weeks I stopped. Before I went to bed, I had a feeling of panic and couldn’t calm myself. This reminded me also of my newborn baby that didn’t have the right tools to calm down before sleep. 

I have tried various methods to deal with this issue for many years.  At one point I was reading an article about different sound therapies. How sound and music could redeem Alzheimer’s patients to start remember again and other sounds that can make you sleep easier. It was during this time I started to look for different methods of white noise sound therapy to deal with my burnt-out state of mind. 
 
Sounds are actually ancient life hacks to make you go to sleep. People have used their vacuum cleaner to make noise and get their babies to go to sleep, driving cars for hours, or listening to static on old radios through the whole night. In all of these sounds, you have white noise. Actually, everywhere you go there is noise. Different noise can also be described in various colors depending on which frequency they have. Light waterfalls can be described as pink noise, and heavy waves on sea can be described as brown noise and so on. In my opinion the problem is our surrounding is based on artificial environments with too many sounds that interfere with our senses. We start looking for total silence instead of relaxing or going into deep meditation. But if you think about it, total silence is an even more unnatural state of mind. In our evolution, our minds have developed in light sounds in surroundings. For example, sleeping under the stars, listening to the wind, or sleeping near the sea. White noise can be discovered in all of these natural environments. 

According to professor Göran Söderlund at Lund´s University, if your body is too tired before sleep you can have a sense of panic stress instead and to fall asleep can take a longer time. Especially babies who don’t have the tool to deal with this issue. White Noise can instead increase the state of alertness and make you more awake and then make you tired quicker and put you to sleep.

So, what noise works for you? There are loads of poor recordings and sounds out there, so therefore I started to make my own noises. I created this Relaxing White Noise Sounds for Baby Sleep album inspired by these events and my friend encouraged me to produce one album especially for his baby. I calibrated the white noise with sound recording pulses from other space, the seaside from south Sweden, winds from the mountains in north Scandinavia, and a hairdryer at home. In my studio I almost fell asleep during experimenting with these sounds! So, I thought this might work! This will definitely not solve all your issues with sleeping and a troubled mind, but maybe a good way to make it easier. A strange mind is a strange mind. The only thing you can do is deal with it.
 
 
/Kaveh Akaber
 

Link to the album Relaxing White Noise Sounds for Baby Sleep: 
https://open.spotify.com/album/4zdA0jutWM8NmHmOhLFcSE?si=7m3tRtUlT5GSVzNcGIZOvg

White noise can be a great part to a perfect bedroom environment.  Read more about a great room environment for sleep here.

Starting preschool or daycare (if you are in Sweden it’s förskola) is a big leap for both you and your child. It will come with big emotions for both of you, but helping them to prepare for the transition with ease the changes ahead. It’s never too early to help your child make an adjustment! Providing them with an easier transition helps strengthen the bond and trust between you both.

When working with clients I will often relate starting preschool with making changes with sleep because the concept is the same – make changes according to your child by giving them guidance and support through the difficult period. Change can be hard no matter what age and giving guidance and support helps build trust and reduce their stress. But keep in mind that even when making changes built around trust and guidance there will still be an adaption period that may come out as crankiness, sleeping worse, or sadness. Change can be challenging, but we never want it to be overwhelming for a child. Using the following tips and help ease the transition of starting preschool.

​
Make the transition easier

Three to four weeks before:

1) Talk, talk, talk to you child about the change coming up and what they will be doing at pre-school. Make it exciting and fun to hear about!

2) Visit the location. I would suggest walking by several times and talking to your child about them going there soon. Try and visit while the kids are outside playing to get them used to what they will do there. If you feel comfortable, stop in and say hi or ask if you can stop by with your child to say hi for a few minutes.

3) Visit other play places to get your child to being around other children. If possible, let your child explore on their own while you are sitting a little further away and encourage them to explore. This is also great to start at home as well as this builds their skill in a comfortable environment.

4) Choose a comfort item (blanket or stuffed animal) for them to have with them at preschool and keep at preschool.

5) Be confident, happy, and excited when talking about preschool. Your child will mirror your emotions about the changes.

One to two weeks before:

1) Begin on the same schedule as your child will have at preschool in regards to eating and sleeping times.

2) Develop a goodbye routine. Wave from the same location to give them consistency. Provide your child with ideas on what they can do if they are sad when you are leaving. For example, let them know they can ask for a hug from a teacher or have a comfort item with them to hold on to.

3) Continue talking, making a stop or two by the preschool, continue giving your child space to play either on their own or with other children, and continue talking about pre-school in a positive way, even if you are feeling unsure or nervous yourself!

Our preschool sent a photo of the class and welcomed Taylor with a note. We put the picture up on our fridge and started talking about going to preschool often. It really helped the transition for her to begin on the first day.

Starting daycare is a gradual process and I often explain to parents that it’s similar to sleep changes using a Happy Sleep Plan or sleep support. Both are parent assisted processes that allow your child to adapt to the changes. You can’t make the change for them but you are there to help when needed, give guidance, and offer support.

To continuing helping your child adapt and develop a positive attitude after they have begun preschool, ask them about their favorite part of their day when you pick them up.

Click to read Part 2, where I’ll talk more about what to expect as your child adapts.

Find more sleep and development tips at at Happy Sleeping Baby on Instagram or Facebook

If you start seeing that your baby is struggling to take a nap, here are a few things to keep in mind.
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First, make sure that you have worked on your baby’s awake window, have set up their room for sleep, and have a good nap time routine in place. If your baby still isn’t sleeping well for their nap, next think if they are going through a developmental stage or regression time. When babies are learning a new skill, it can often interfere with sleep. Also, make sure your baby doesn’t have any sleep props to help fall asleep as these will often result in short naps. If the above aren’t causing short or no naps, here are a few cues that it might be time to drop a nap.

• Your baby doesn’t seem tired at nap time and begins to have trouble falling asleep or it takes a very long time to fall asleep
• Your baby begins to consistently have short naps (if longer naps were the norm before)
• The last nap is too close to bedtime and there isn’t enough awake time
• Your baby starts to wake earlier (especially if this wasn’t an issue before)
• Your baby starts to wake more during the night
• Your baby skips a nap here and there

Generally, your baby will drop a nap around these ages:
4 to 5 months – 4 naps to 3 naps
6 to 7 months – 3 naps to 2 naps
13 to 17 months – 2 naps to 1 nap
24 to 36 months – 1 nap to 0 naps
If your baby starts showing some of these signs and they are within the age range of dropping a nap, then it’s probably time to adjust nap times!
You can find example age schedules at the bottom of this page!

Here’s how to drop a nap
There are three options that I find work best when dropping a nap time. The first is to let it happen naturally. On some days your baby may take a nap and on other days they may not. This works well for easy-going babies and also easy-going parents. You can read more about temperament here. This option can take a month to adjust to the new nap times.

Option two is to keep your baby awake by 15 to 30 minutes longer to help adjust to the change. You will keep them awake with extra play, daylight, or a snack. Limit anything that can trigger sleepiness, such as breast or bottle feeding, car or stroller rides. This option helps your child to adjust to the new nap times, but remember that your baby may be a little cranky when stretching their awake time and this will take anywhere from a week to a month to get on to the new nap times. Crankiness will be normal! Bedtime may be a little earlier to help adjust to the change.

Option three is to make the change to the new nap times. Similar to option two, you will keep them awake with extra play, daylight, or a snack. Limit anything that can trigger sleepiness, such as breast or bottle feeding, car or stroller rides. Your child will adjust fairly quickly (quickly can mean anywhere between three days to two weeks to make the change) but may be crankier while making this change. Bedtime may be a little earlier to help adjust to the change.

Remember, any change is like a mini jet lag and your baby’s body needs time to adjust, which can take about two weeks. Stay consistent and your baby will adjust before you know!

Want more information about helping your baby sleep?  Use my sleep book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!  Or get in touch if you have more questions.
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Just like adults, babies have different temperaments. Some are laid back and happy most of the time; others can be prone to frequent tantrums. Some babies enjoy a peaceful environment; others feel more comfortable when there is noise around. You may not realize, but the type of temperament that your little one has can affect their sleep, as well as having an effect on any sleep training that you provide.

When you are making changes to your child’s sleep, they may respond easily and go with the flow or they may protest for a while about it. This is where knowing your child’s temperament will help you when making changes and what to expect.

Do you have a dandelion baby or an orchid baby?

Dandelion baby

Now first off, if you have a dandelion baby I’m not calling your child a weed!    All I mean is that some babies are able to thrive no matter where they are and others need very specific conditions.  Just like a dandelion they can adapt and thrive no matter what kind of environment they are in, like this dandelion, for example.  It’s not in an ideal place for water, probably gets extremely hot in the bricks and the conditions are not ideal, but it’s growing and thriving without any problem.  Before becoming a parent I thought this is how all babies were.  Oh, how wrong I was!

Orchid Baby

Now take and orchid.  An orchid needs conditions that are just right.  Not too much water, not too much sun light, not too hot, not too cold, juuuuuuust right.  If the conditions aren’t good then the orchid doesn’t thrive.  I know because I had orchids living in Colorado and never had success with growing them but in Sweden they are like the easiest plant!     If you have a child that needs very specific conditions, you know what I’m talking about.  You’ll need to be very aware of their awake windows, naps times, routines, and room environment for sleeping.

If your baby is an easy going dandelion

If you have an easy going baby, the task of getting them to sleep through the night should be fairly simple. In fact, you may find that they do all of the work themselves. This type of baby is often a self-soother. This means that If they do wake up in the night they will usually fall asleep again in a few minutes.

If this sounds like your baby, you should simply stick to a regular routine each night, so that they get to know that it’s time to sleep. If you do hear any crying during the night, you should use a technique that is a gradual way to help guide them to sleep but they will be able to start doing it more on their own fairly soon.  Your little one may have been startled by waking up and just need a few minutes to settle, so leave them for about ten minutes before you investigate. However, self-soothers and easy going babies do not usually carry on crying. If the upset continues, it’s a good idea to check if there is a problem.

If your baby is an orchid

Every parent thinks their own child is special; even if their little one is difficult. However, some babies can be hard work; even if their parents will not admit it in public. If this sounds like your baby, the good news is that temperaments can change. Just because your baby is tantrum prone and attention seeking does not mean they will be a difficult toddler or teen.

However, babies that are difficult still present a problem in the here and now. They are easily disturbed and upset and they want you to be there when they are. This results in frequent loud crying during the night. One thing you should never do if you have a child with this type of temperament is adopt the ‘cry it out’ technique. Some babies will just keep crying for hours, until they get attention. This is not good for the baby, or anyone else in the household. This does not mean you should let your baby rule your nights either. Here are some tips that you may find useful.

• Stick to the same routine before bedtime.
• Stick to the same sleep time.
• Do not over stimulate your child with lots of new activities, especially in the couple of hours before the night time sleep starts.
• Make sure the sleep environment is suited to your child. If they like a little sound while they sleep, provide it or use white noise.
• Adopt a technique that is not completely ‘no cry’. Let the crying continue for a few minutes. Try not to pick your baby up but stay close to the crib and speak soothingly.
• As your baby gets older, try to distance yourself more; stay by the bedroom door instead of going up to the crib.

Orchid babies will let you know if they are not happy and they are usually a bit loud about it.  Be ready for this when making changes to sleep, or well, anything!

The fact is that many babies veer from being easy going to demanding, at a moment’s notice. There can be many reasons for this such as:

• Changes to the home environment
• Changes to routine
• Eating different foods
• Upset in the home

Some children have a temperament which means that they do not handle change or unrest very well. Others just love mischief and enjoy being playful in the middle of the night. These babies are often signalers at night. They wake up and they want you to know about it.
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The best way to deal with this may be to use a gradual approach to not answering their signals at night.  You can start by popping your head into your baby’s room to check on them, and then get them gradually used to you not coming straight away when they cry. If they wake up at night, you first wait only a minute or two.  Then the next night you start increasing the time by another one to two minutes until you are up to ten minutes. If they just want to grab your attention, and you do not provide it, they will often get bored and go back to sleep. However, all babies are different, so be prepared to be flexible. Some will be more persistent than others when it comes to this!

By the time you are ready to make changes to your baby’s to sleep, you should have a good idea of their personality. Use this knowledge to help you find a sleep training technique that works best for you and your child.

​Want more information about helping your baby sleep?  Use my sleep book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!  Or get in touch if you have more questions.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could understand your baby before they know how to speak?  Babies are amazing, teachable beings who absorb more information than we give them credit for. There is a way to understand basic needs that your baby has by teaching them some baby sign language.  It sounds more daunting than it is!  Here are some benefits to baby sign language that will help shed some light on why this is a worthwhile task for you and your baby.
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Teaching baby signs:

• Builds language skills
• Increases IQ
• Increases literacy in later years
• Lessens crying and whining from frustration about not being able to communicate
• Enhances interactions with your baby and for your baby
• Cuts down on aggressive behavior associated with frustration
• Empowers baby to communicate early in life
• Increases self-esteem
• Provides you with a window into your child’s mind
• Allows you to see how cleaver your baby really is

In the book, baby sign language basics by Monta Briant, the author describes how her daughter was able to communicate her fear about a sound she was hearing.  If Briant hadn’t taught her daughter signs, she would have never known that the sounds coming from the window sounded like scary elephants to her daughter!  To tell you the truth, when I read about this in the book I was a little skeptical.  But I had seen simple baby signs work with other kids and knew that it was possible and wanted to teach my daughter this skill.  It took a few weeks but, after her first sign I was blown away!  She absorbed so many aspects of the day that pass me by as common occurrences!  I once thought she was randomly waving while we were talking a walk but, I soon heard that she heard a siren and she was signing ‘siren!’  Silly me!

There’s never a ‘right time’ or a ‘teaching’ time with signing.  Start with common words and it will become easy and effortless for you.  Your baby is in a constant state of learning therefore, adding signs won’t be any added stress for them!  It does take time so, keep with it!  Don’t get discouraged if after a couple of weeks your baby isn’t signing yet.  Start with a few simple signs, take for example dog, drink, food, and ‘more’ to begin.  You don’t need to sign every word in your sentences but, pick a few key words to help communicate.  It will be a huge pay off when you see your child make their first sign!  I can guarantee that you will want to learn and teach them more!
The long-term benefits for your child are encouraging but if anything, it will amaze you on a daily basis as to how much your baby can tell you with a few simple signs!  Happy signing!

Enjoy the links below and start signing with your baby today!
Click here for 30 sign videos (5 signs per video) to get you started!

Want more information about helping your baby sleep?  Use my sleep book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!  Or get in touch if you have more questions.

Every year around Taylor’s birthday I always think back to her birth day. She is nearing five years old and her birth still feels like yesterday. Even though it’s still fresh in my mind, I thought I’d share our story before it becomes lost in the memory bank since every year is filled with new experiences and memories.

Finding out I was pregnant right before my 33rd birthday came as a surprise. I just moved to Stockholm, Sweden six months prior and having a baby was, just barely, on my radar. I did have this funny thing about having a baby born in 2013 though. You see, 13 is my lucky number from competing at the Olympics and it’s sort of stuck with me since. I know, the weird things we hold on to, right!? Anyway, although the year 2013 was approaching, the timing of having a baby just wasn’t right. I was starting to learn Swedish (and still am….), I was trying to find a job after uprooting my life, adjusting to life in a new country, and oh, so much more that I could tell you about. Moving to a new country comes with many challenges you just can’t prepare for. Learning that I was pregnant was exciting, shocking, scary, and serendipitous all at the same time and I’m sure many of you can relate. I wanted to have a calm pregnancy, timed just right, but the cards were not lined up for that; when are they ever?

Overall, my pregnancy was great. I did have many days of feeling nauseous, wondering if I was going to make it into work, then getting to work and feeling like I needed a nap already, and there was one incident of throwing up in a trash can on a side street in Stockholm. But I also had some great days too. I was able to exercise throughout most of the pregnancy, bike to work on most days, and overall felt ok.

My pregnancy progressed normally and by the final month I began having more regular checks as my doctor thought I was too small. I did not feel small, that’s for sure! Luckily, I didn’t feel too stressed about these extra checks, in fact they brought me calm since most women don’t get as many check-ups during their pregnancy. The check-ups were all fine, I felt fine, and having exercised through my pregnancy I may not have gained extra weight that is considered normal.

My birth prep was probably considered abnormal. Since I was new in Sweden, figuring out where to find birth info was a bit tricky but, luckily, for the Internet and a few English library books, my own version of birth prep had to do. I read a hypnobirthing book, which was a really great guide on how to listen to your body. I found it interesting and after many years as a high-level athlete, I knew how much mental preparation was important and envisioning the birth was just as good as going through it. Your body can prepare without actually going through the actual event.

My due day came and went, by ten days. I carried on as normal as I could and the day before Taylor was born I was working from home. I had taken a walk at lunch time and I remember feeling so tired afterwards. Like a tired that you can’t fight. I ended up lying down for a little bit because I couldn’t keep myself awake. In hind sight, my body knew. I went to bed that night and around 4 am I got out of bed needing to go to the bathroom. My body didn’t feel right and I had some pains. Nothing crazy but I didn’t feel right. About an hour later I got out of bed and went to the couch because I was starting to have pain and I didn’t want to wake Daniel up. He did wake up though and came out to find me sitting on the couch, as I started to have pains that were not possible to stay quiet about any longer. Obviously, it was finally time!

Daniel called the hospital and they told us to wait a little longer. My labor had just started they said, so deal with the pain at home for a while and call back in a couple of hours. Around 6 am I started throwing up and needing to go to the bathroom. My body wanted EVERYTHING out. We called again around 7 am and said it might be time for us to come in but they said, ‘take a shower to deal with the pain.’ I did that but at this point I think I was past “take a shower to deal with the pain” and was throwing up in the shower. Water did not soothe anything that was happening! I remember texting my mom a little earlier and she had said, “go in sooner than later. It can go quick.” I told Daniel to get the car because I was so nauseous that I didn’t want to be in the car feeling any worse than I was. I held on to a bucket the entire drive to Huddinge Sjukhus (Hospital).

We arrived around 8 am, they took me into a room and I was 4 cm dilated. A bit to still go. :/ My birthing plan was to do this naturally, no pain meds so we started with acupuncture. Not long afterwards we were escorted to a room and the pain was crazy. I felt like my insides were trying to come out and basically they were. They gave me some oxygen but that made me feel claustrophobic. I couldn’t even stand anyone too close to me so, forget about soothing backrubs! Instead, I basically started going into a zone which, was weird at the time but really cool too. I was there but I wasn’t all at the same time. The pain became so bad that I gave in and asked for the epidural. Just as I was about to get it, I waved the doctor off because a contraction was coming. It was a big one and my water just broke at that time. It turned out to be too late to get the epidural. I am so grateful for that though! The pain was crazy and I remember making the loudest noises due to the pain but, being able to feel a baby come out of your body is a wild experience. Taylor was born just a short while later at 10:54 am on October 3, 2013.
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Giving birth is an experience like no other and such an incredible bonding process with the baby. Although we celebrate the kids on their birth days, I think us mamas deserve a bit of a head nod for the whole process!

Want to read more about how I became a sleep coach?  Read more here!

We have just gotten back from a month long trip to visit family and friends in Colorado and it was fun, but it definitely had some tough moments.  One of the things I enjoy about being a sleep consultant is that I really can understand my kiddo.  It doesn’t mean that it makes parenting any easier at times but, at least I can understand or begin to understand why some meltdowns happen.  And we seemed to have a lot of meltdowns on our trip.  Not all meltdowns were sleep related but being a sleep consultant made me dive into learning about child development, temperament, parenting styles, and mental health.  I saw how connected all of these were to sleep.

A month trip can be a long time for a kiddo, especially for a sensitive kiddo who, like my daughter, loves her routines and being in her own space. If you are unfamiliar with the term ‘sensitive child‘, or ‘spirited child’, (I would encourage you take a look at the links attached to those terms).
Seeing early on that she is reactive to her environment and very sensitive to sounds lead me to read more about is the topic. Being a sensitive person myself, I really can understand what my daughter needs.  It took me a long time to understand myself as a sensitive person and hopefully I can help her understand herself much earlier in life.

Back to our trip and those meltdowns

We seemed to have many meltdowns and arguments with her on our trip.  That’s not saying we don’t deal with more than our fair share at home but, it was more than normal.  Now, I know she’s only four and meltdowns happen but, I hate meltdowns.  One of the hardest parts of parenting is the emotional rollercoaster of being happy one minute and then dealing with a meltdown the next.  It has taken me close to five years to get used to her crying and being really upset to not have it spread over into my own mood.  I’m not always successful but I’m working on it!
Every meltdown made me think about what could be causing her to act the way she was acting.  I would try and help her or make adjustments but it wasn’t always possible.  As I reflect on our trip, it’s easy to see why we had so many meltdowns when she is dealing with a list of changes, and these are just a few!

• New environments and culture
• Speaking and learning a different language
• Meeting many new people
• Many activities
• Sleeping in a different bed
• Growing like crazy (new clothes again?!)

• Learning new skills
• Needing more alone time or space
• Being busy
• Overtired
• Development phases

Reflecting back on our trip it amazes me how much we do and go through without giving ourselves more credit when we handle all that we do, especially kids.

It would have been easy to give in and just make her happy when she was having a meltdown but being away for one month just didn’t make that possible.  It would have been even harder on us coming back to our normal routines.  There’s never an easy route and just because you try a method and it doesn’t go well, it doesn’t mean you should give up (same advice goes for sleep!).
I realize that dealing with meltdowns is a skill and it’s a constant work in progress, whether on a trip or not.  Here are my general guidelines to try and reduce meltdowns:

• Provide downtime. Some days it’s good just to watch a little t.v.and hang at home.
• Keep rules at home the same while on the road. Of course there will be some exceptions but the general guidelines stay the same majority of the time.  This helps provide consistency.  Less consistency means more meltdowns.
• Teach words to help describe a feeling. Are they tired, hungry, irritated by something else?
• Teach them how to fix the issue. Ask them “When you feel this way, what can I or you do to help?”  Guide them to find that emotion, teach them to understand their emotion and possibly how to fix the issue.​

So, what do you do when meltdowns happen both for the kiddo and the adult, cause let’s be honest here, it happens.  Give each other time to cool down and then come back to the talk it out.  Talk about what happened, say you are sorry, talk about a game plan for the next time it happens.  In the past when I’ve read help articles I used to think, ‘great, now I know exactly what to do and we’ll never have a problem again!’  But then the situation occurred again and we were right back to how it was even with trying the techniques.  Keep in mind that with any changes you make there will be some trial and error and mistakes but, you must try and try again!

Since being home I can see how much my daughter just needed some calm time to play on her own and process everything she experienced.   It’s hard to provide this all the time but at least I can recognize this and help her find ways to manage it in the future.

What did you see in your kiddos this summer?  Each year they grow and develop and it can be so much fun to see this!

Thanks for reading and I hope you had a wonderful summer!

As you know, I am absolutely passionate about the science behind sleep and helping you and your family finding your way to the sleep you need and deserve. What I’ve found along the way is that it’s not only sleep that weighs in. Nutrition and child development is as important and also goes hand in hand with sleep.

I think most of us have heard or read about the importance of talking to our children to help them with their speech and language development. But did you also know that this will help your kiddo later on in life with things like math, reading and social abilities?

So no matter no matter what their age, it is important to talk to children. I always tell parents to tell their kids what they are doing so that they begin to understand but also because it’s great to hear so many words.

“Children learn best from speech directed to them by their caregivers creating conversations that build on children’s interests.”

And for those of you who are thinking that they can give their child the same benefits by having adult conversations when your child is with them I have to tell you that unfortunately ambient speech will not have the same results. Children thrive when being addressed and engaged in a conversation.

This all sounds good but how do you do it without feeling foolish talking to yourself?

Here are my top 5 tips on how to talk more with your kiddo to make it feel more natural:

1. Narrate your day. 
When I was on maternity leave I talked to baby T about what I was doing, what was around us, describing colors and shapes or talking about how things work. It could be things like, “Mama’s going to wipe your little bottom now and change your diaper so you don’t get a rash” or when out grocery shopping “We are going to need an apple, some carrots and broccoli for our salad today. What color apples do you think we should get? Red or green?”.

2. Sing and talk when playing with your kid. 
Play peek-a-boo and other games where you practice taking turns, talk about what                you are playing and what is happening in your games. This also helps them understand how a conversation works. Sing songs where you use your body to describe what is going on, like “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or “Wheels On The Bus”. Describe the colors and sounds of toys you’re playing with, i.e. “The zebra is black with white stripes” or “What sound does the duck make?”

3. Talk about what is going to happen throughout the day. 
Like “Today we are going to go on a play date with your friend Oliver and in the afternoon we have a check up at BVC (healthcare center for children in Sweden) to weigh and measure you.”I’ve found  that as your child grows it is actually quite good to talk to them about what activities you have planned for the day. It gives them a sense of control knowing what’s up next. And even if they don’t remember, you can remind them throughout the day of what the plans were, i.e. “We’ve met your friend and after lunch we’re off to BVC”. It doesn’t eliminate tantrums entirely but it helps your child feel more included in what’s going on and not be ambushed by new things.

4. Encourage others to talk to your child! 
Grandma’s, grandpa’s, friends who also interact with your kiddo, ask them to engage in            conversation with them and let them know of the benefits of doing this.

5. Read to your child.
Books stimulate your child’s imagination and you can also pause and ask them questions while reading. For              example “What do you think will happen next?”
Let me know what tips and advice you have for talking more with your children in the comments below!

Resources:

Talking with children matters: Defending the 30 million word gap

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Erika Hoff, Meredith Rowe, Catherine Tamis-LeMonda, and Kathy Hirsh-PasekMonday, May 21, 2018

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2018/05/21/defending-the-30-million-word-gap-disadvantaged-children-dont-hear-enough-child-directed-words/

Barns språkutveckling

19 Apr 2018, kl 08:11

http://www.babyhjalp.se/barns-sprakutveckling/

Here are a few of the newest Happy Sleep Testimonials right here!  Just think, you too could be enjoying better sleep!
“Courtney was my guide to back to sleep.  As a new mom I didn’t know anything about the right sleep patterns of an infant. With her knowledge and schedule the whole house, including the dog, is sleeping better. Thanks for being so patient and helping find the right solution for my baby’s sleeping problem. ”
– Tristan Geisler
2002 Olympic Gold Medalist, Skeleton

“Courtney worked with my wife and me to determine a course of action when our son was waking in the night. He’s now a sound sleeper!”– Eric and Rachel

“I just have to say to all who are considering asking Courtney to help you and your child with The Happy Sleep Plan – she is amazing! We are in the middle of our program and it is not easy with our son and Courtney is there every step of the way! It is a great support and I encourage everybody to get help like this for the benefit of their child!”
– R. L.

Continue reading more testimonials here!

Want more information about helping your baby sleep?  Use my sleep book which has everything you need to know about sleep! Learn more here.

Visit the Parent Resources page for sample schedules and more tips to help your kiddo sleep!  Or get in touch if you have more questions.