By a show of bags, who needs more sleep here?
This is why I’m beyond excited to be bringing you all today two incredible things that are going to change your life. Okay — well maybe 1 thing for certain and the other you’ll have to take a stab at winning and if you do, it will be life altering; I SWEAR! First and foremost let me introduce to to your newest BFF, Cheekychops Sleep Consultant Marnie. She’s pretty much the next best thing to a sleeping pill; however Marnie is far safer for you and your friends won’t judge you based on your choice to use her everynight.
As if Marnie doesn’t already sounds like a dream, today she is sharing with us all her FIVE fabulous sleep tips for children. Can I get an AMEN?! All because you’re a reader of Little Miss Mama and because Marnie is really that sweet, you’ll get the inside scoop straight from the mouth of an educated Sleep Consultant, how you can begin to help your children sleep longer and more consistently. I’ll stop beating around the bush now, onto the tips {and less bags under your eyes}:
We all need sleep, whether we are adult, teenagers, or children. Sleep seems so basic, but yet we don’t know that much about it. However, we do know how we feel when we are sleep deprived (calling all mothers here!) As a Sleep & Parenting Consultant, I help families get back on track and enjoy their lives again. So here are a 5 tips to help your child (and you!) sleep better:
- Stick to a routine: Establish a routine according to your child’s age. This will help you plan your day around naps and help your child know what is coming next. Children like predictability.
- Make sleep a priority: Classes and outings are fun, but if you are always out and about with your child there is a good chance that naps are on the go and this results in fragmented sleep. In order to sleep well and consistently, your child needs to have the opportunity to sleep in his/her crib.
- Stay away from props: Babies like to fall back asleep during the night in the same way they first fell asleep. So if your baby needs a soother to fall sleep, for example, you will ultimately end up having to give him/her back the soother multiple times during the night. We can’t prevent your baby from waking up at night, but we can make teach him/her how to fall asleep on his/her own.
- Develop a bedtime ritual: Doing the same thing over and over before bedtime helps calm your child and gives him/her a sense of security by knowing what comes next. It can be as simple as bath, jammy, brush teeth, book, and bed.
- Be consistent: Once you decide to make a change, stick to it for at least 3 weeks. So before implementing something, ask yourself if you can fully commit to it, without interruption, for a certain period of time.
We’ve always had Sofia on a strict routine as far as sleeping goes. Naps were always at the same time, bedtime was within 30 minutes every. single. night. We did the same night time routine, read the same 3 books, tucked her in the same way as we had done the night before and she snuggled up to the same blanket and stuffies each and every night. Although we have missed many things in life that happens between these strict times in our lives, we slept well, for the most part. Hiccups will happen along the way and sleep will become nonexistent, but they always revert back if you stick with it.
Cheekychops – Marnie Huard
Facebook // marnie.huard@cheekychops.ca // 604.510.9922
Marnie and I have teamed up today along with a few more mama bloggers that know just how important sleep can be for both parents and children. We are here to give you today the gift of SLEEP. We are giving away a Cheekychops Sleep Package {with phone or skype consultation} $350 + your sanity!!! INCREDIBLE RIGHT??!!
This convenient package allows clients to get support no matter where you are. We can have a consultant help you at a time that suits you, either over the phone or online.
STEP1: Identify your child’s core sleep issues.
We start by sending you a sleep journal, which you use to track Baby’s food, moods, activities – the things that can affect Baby’s sleep.The journal removes the guesswork. Your consultant will use it to quickly identify and evaluate Baby’s sleep issues.
STEP 2: Understand the issues.
In a private consultation, you and your sleep consultant will talk about:
• Your child’s core sleep issues.
• The routines and people in your child’s life.
• Sleep requirements and what to expect at your child’s developmental stage.STEP 3: Follow your sleep plan.
Based on your journal, consult, and Baby’s core sleep issues, your consultant will send you a personalized, step-by-step plan.Your sleep plan walks you through everything you’ll need to do to help Baby nap and sleep through the night.
STEP 4: 21-Days of unlimited email and phone support.
As you work through your plan, you can be in daily contact with your consultant to ask questions and get support, anytime.
So now… Let’s give this package away to one amazingly deserving parent. Right? This Giveaway is open to anyone in Canada or the US as it’s a phone/skype consultation package {so beyond rad}. It will run for 1 week starting today, February 5th to February 12th — with the winner chosen on the 13th, right before Valentine’s Days. What a fabulous gift, far better than Chocolate, Wine or Diamonds in my eyes — we need SLEEP to function!
ENTER NOW
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I would love to try this! With a 3 and 2 year old who think sleep is overrated, this mama would give up her secret stash of mama chocolate for some much needed extra sleep! Thanks for the chance!
I don’t even know what I would give. I figured out sleep with my older one, but my younger one is not consistent, even if we are consistent with him. I miss sleep!
What would I give…oh, I would love to think of something really significant but considering I am going on 3 hours of sleep right now, I just can’t! I just want to win…lol.
This is such an interesting question…i suppose I do have the option to sleep for 12 hours but I choose not to because I’m a mom and I need to fold the laundry, do the dishes, do this, do that….you get the point. Perhaps I need to hire a housekeeper!!!
My 3 year old has been waking up once a night since Christmas!! Would love to get him beck into the routine of falling asleep by himself if he awakes in he night!
I would give you my craft room that I can no longer use by the time I get my kids to sleep. I have an obsession with crafting and have everything I need. Unfortunately, it’s a room that’s been unused since I created it because by the time I’m done with work, feeding the kids and bath, it ends up being a three hour struggle some days.
Wow 12 hours of sleep. I can’t imagine! I am lucky to get 2 of 3 most nights. I’d pay for that for sure..
we sure could use this (note the 5am comment time)
This would be amazing – we are transitioning our 17 month middle-of-the-night-waker into his crib-turned-toddler-bed right now (one night and first nap completed) and would love some tips!
12 hours! That sounds like an impossible fantasy… I am SO tired all the time. Last week both my kids slept until 5:45 for the first time ever, and of course my husband picked that night to wake up at 1am and wander around being loud. Can’t win!
Caffeine isn’t cutting it any more. With a 3 y.o. who thinks sleep is over rated and a 7 mos old who wakes every 1.5 hours right now, I need some help!
I would love for my wee one to sleep well at night and especially for naps. Naps seem to be elusive for us and she just looks so tired during the day!!
Because I haven’t had one in two months since baby #2 was born! I need this!!!
No napping during the day either because I have an active and very busy 3 year old!
My son is 2 and a half and has never consistently slept through the night. Both my husband and I are tired of getting up throughout the night to tend to him. Having a sleep consultant to come help us is something we’ve talked about and would be extremely grateful for! It would change all areas of our life found the better and would definitely benefit our son!
Hey! I have a two year old and a seven month old. My little seven month old still gets up 3 times a night and I am exhausted! I would give up my iphone because I am always googling more things to try to get him to sleep through the night!! THanks!
Well, my little boys are finally sleeping, but my dear friend has a 5 month old and I would love to give this to her.
I’ve been lucky with my two girls being great sleepers from the get go. My sister not so much. I would love to be able to help her out and win this for her.
A big smile and a happy day
Am I allowed to enter this contest for my non-blog-reading friend? Because I know she’d be willing to giving her right arm for a solid 12 hours of sleep right about now.
I would love to get a solid 12 hrs of sleep. It has been a long time since that has happened with my 2 1/2 year old and my 6 month old. These bags under my eyes have got to go!!
I would love this! So tired, I don’t remember what sleeping longer than a few hours (if I’m lucky!) feels like!
this is SO needed around our house.
I would give up chocolate for at least a week. Sleep is wonderful.
I think the last time I slept 12 hours was in 2008, pre kids, pre exhausting busy life!