Are you having trouble getting your infant to sleep? An infant sleep consultant may be just what you need. As experts in the field of infant sleep, they can provide valuable guidance and advice about how to create a healthy sleeping routine for your baby, as well as offer tips and strategies to get the restful sleep your family needs.
1. They Understand Your Baby's Sleep Needs
Infant sleep consultants look at the whole picture when creating a sleep solution for your family. They understand that every baby is different and their needs may vary, so they will work with you to get a better understanding of yours' and your baby's specific sleep needs. Additionally, they can provide insights into your baby’s natural sleep patterns, which can help you create an appropriate sleep routine for them.
2. They Will Develop a Sleep Schedule and Routine for Your Baby
Infant sleep consultants can help you create an individualised sleep schedule and routine for your baby. They will work with you to find the right bedtime, nap times, and routines that work best for your family, while taking into account factors like age, diet, environment and more. By providing personalised advice tailored to you and your baby's needs, they can provide an effective solution to ensure both you and your little one are getting enough rest.
3. They Will Create Strategies to Manage Nighttime Feeding or Wakes
A paediatric sleep consultant will create strategies to ensure that to your baby or toddler's nighttime wake ups are accompanied by routine and calming activities. This could mean a quick feed, snuggles, nappy change, etc., with the goal of ensuring each wake up is low stimulus and designed to gently get your child back to sleep in the least amount of time. The goal is for you and your family to be well rested, so the infant sleep consultant will assess the individual needs of your household and develop a feeding-waking plan suited for you.
4. They Create Strategies to Combat Bedtime Battles and Wakeup Fears
A professional infant sleep consultant will take the time to understand your child's bedtime routine and create strategies that can help mitigate any night wakes or morning fears. This could include creating a calming atmosphere with dim lighting and white noise, creating a safe space in the bedroom, using visual cues or stickers to remind them of the order of activities, avoiding screens at least an hour before bedtime, having consistent wake up and nighttime routines created by the sleep consultant, incorporating a lovey into their bed setup, etc. These techniques will help your child understand what to expect during each part of their routine so they anticipate each activity rather than fear it.
5. They Develop Strategies for Sleep Training That Work For You and Your Family
A professional infant sleep consultant can help create an individualised plan that works for your and your family. They will work with you to understand your family's specific needs and develop strategies tailored to you and your little one. Depending on your situation, the sleep consultant may suggest a gentle approach like gradually reducing night wakings or a more structured method such as cry it out sleep training technique. Together, you can figure out what will work best for your family so that everyone can get the rest they need without causing stress to either parent or child.
If you need help with your child's sleep, feel free to get in touch to find out how I can help you and you family to get more sleep.