I recognize that if you are reading this you may be over-tired and not have had uninterrupted sleep for a long time. To begin my sleep process, you do not have to complete a lengthy sleep diary. Completion of a simple client history review will enable me to identify core contributory emotional and developmental factors providing scope to devise a suitable, bespoke sleep plan for your family that encourages better sleep to emerge. It is important to me that parents receive high quality information, guidance and support and I continue to invest in training, education and research to ensure that when you select me to accompany you on your journey, that you are are assured that it is the right decision. It should never be underestimated how parents' state of mind and mental health influence the baby's sleep and vice-versa, says Magda Kedzierska-Teague of Sleep Story.

He doesn't feed to sleep except during the night and he used to be able to self settle for naps and at the start of the night but never in the night (including half an hour after he's been put down!) he's lost this though since we moved him into his own room. Establish a bedtime routine. Follow a consistent 30- to 45-minute baby sleep routine to help transition your little one from awake time to sleepy time. A nd start it early enough that you’ll finish before she becomes overtired.If she’s been falling asleep at the breast or bottle, schedule that feed before the bath or books, so you’re able to put her to bed while she’s still awake. To achieve good sleep, you do not have to give up breastfeeding, room sharing, co sleeping, get rid of dummies for example and you definitely do not have to cry it out. Experts recommend beginning sleep training when babies are 4 to 6 months old. This age range is the sweet spot, since babies are old enough to physically make it for six to eight hours overnight without needing to eat but aren’t quite at the point where the comforting you provide has become a sleep association. Sleep training methods

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National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Discussion of Extinction-Based Behavioral Sleep Interventions for Young Children and Reasons Why Parents May Find Them Difficult, November 2016.

Does your little one wail for extended periods of time before falling asleep? Her body might not be ready for sleep at your desired bedtime. The bedtime fading method can modify her circadian rhythm to get bedtime to where you want it to be.Here’s how.Lucy Wolfe: “A well-rested child is a precursor to a well-rested family unit – with huge benefits.” Time it right. It’s not the time to tinker with baby’s sleep when there’s been a recent disruption in her life (a move, new nanny, ear infection, travel). Wait until things have settled down before attempting sleep training.

The cry it out method of sleep training, also called the "extinction" method, involves putting your baby to bed and letting her cry until she falls asleep without any comfort or help from you. She recommends parents spend non-sleep time with their child in the bedroom, to reinforce the idea that it is a nice place to be. And in making the transition from co-sleeping to cot, introduce playtime in the cot, she suggests. While that might seem counter-intuitive, she believes it supports “a positive association”. Elizabeth Murray, D.O., F.A.A.P., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. Hello and welcome to Sleep Matters with Lucy Wolfe, I am so pleased that you have found me; I can help to transform your disrupted sleep life wherever you are located in Ireland and all around the world. With commitment, collaboration and predictability from parents and specific guidance, motivation, mentoring and support from me; you can expect to see improvement in as little as 4-6 days and most certainly within 2 weeks. It typically takes me 3-4 weeks to complete the process, during which time it is not advisable to go on holiday, have a sleep over, vaccinations or go away for a weekend. It can take the brain 3-4 weeks to learn a new pattern and I want you do give your child the best opportunity to learn and I want you to work with an industry leader to achieve this.Key sleep guidance for both adults and children will be to first prioritise sleep and consider sleep to be an important influence on health, development, and mental wellbeing.

If the ceiling light with a high-wattage bulb is on during the bedtime routine, it can be very extreme for a young child to go from a very bright room to complete darkness when the parent leaves the room.” moobar yeah... he has a hungry cry but in the night I think he's always waking and is upset that he's awake. He just wants to be able to stay asleep, poor thing! It doesn’t have to be a big convoluted process,” says O’Reilly “The idea is that, in time, little ones know that it’s bedtime – no matter who is putting them to bed; no matter when you’re expecting them to sleep (daytime naps or bedtime); and also, no matter where, whether at home or in granny’s house. Bedtime is bedtime – end of story.” As the weeks passed, the sleep routine schedule not only allowed me to be happier and more present with my children and husband, but it allowed me to get to know my youngest son better and understand the 'why' to some of his behaviour. Now that he was having naps (long ones, thank god) and was more rested and happy, it made other issues come to light, such as his sensitivity to certain foods I was giving him.

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I am a busy Mum to four lovely children and can easily associate with whatever sleep challenges that you may be experiencing, both as a parent and a professional. Hiring a sleep consultant has become more socially acceptable in Ireland, observes Kelly Geoghegan of Sleepy Stars, a former maternity nurse and garda, who has worked internationally as a paediatric sleep consultant. I don't want to confuse him so that he can be fed sometimes and not others but I also don't want to feed him unnecessarily because how things are right now is not good for any of us. Those are questions more parents are daring to ask out loud and, it seems, are willing to pay to have answered – judging by the growth of paediatric sleep consultants in Ireland over the past decade. Where once parents may have suffered in silence, or muddled through with family support, the more isolated and pressurised, dual-earning nature of modern family life means looking for professional help has become a necessity for some. She also explains that a younger baby’s natural bedtime will be similar to the mother’s and he/she may stay awake for a longer period in the evening, perhaps wanting to feed almost constantly during this time.