Getting a wake-up call before 6 am is something I’m sure we’d all rather do without. Unfortunately, “early morning wakes” are extremely common for parents with children under 2.

An “early morning wake” is anything before 6 am. 6 am is early yes, but it’s classed as daytime and it is actually quite normal for younger babies who are still on 2+ naps to wake between 6 am-7 am for the day and not because there’s a problem, more so to allow them to have enough time across the day to have adequate awake time and time for each of there naps.

Too often, as parents, we feel guilty about addressing our needs when we are finding it tough. My 1:1 sleep support is centered around giving you the attention and reassurance you need (as well as your little one) and knowing that you doing something to support your mental health and well-being is nothing to feel guilty about.

At Lucys Sleep Club, everyone can get what they need in a positive, loving, and healthy way when it comes to sleep support, minus any unrealistic expectations or asking way too much of your little one. 

It’s my birthday and officially the last year of my 30s. I’d always thought I’d be a wreck approaching 40 given my fear of getting “old” when instead, I feel great, probably the best I ever have.

I’ve reflected a lot on my life over the last year and can finally say I feel very comfortable and proud of who I am. This is and will continue to be a work in progress but I’m approaching the next 40+ years with a clearer mind, a sense of pride, and a greater love for myself.

I love having at least some idea of what my day is going to look like and know that I have some degree of control over how well things will play out. Don’t get me wrong I also love spontaneity, although when it comes to my sons sleep, I like to stick the “plan” that gives us the best outcome sleep wise.

I don’t know about you but sometimes, life just feels a little “WOW”. Most of us (me absolutely included) live at a pace that is really not sustainable; being mum, wife, employee, friend, self, and all that comes with these different hats. It can be bloody exhausting.

I’ve done a fair bit of work on ”self” over the last few years, after finally realizing that a lot of the pressure that I frequently felt came from me putting pressure/expectations on myself, that when it came to the crunch, I really didn’t need to do.

When it comes to night wakes, if you want to make things better, you need to understand the different types of bedtime challenges, how they present themselves & what can cause them.

I’ve provided a snapshot of those that are most common among babies ages 5 - 12 months below. Let this sink in. You are best placed to stop/reduce the wakes when you understand what is/could be causing them.

I love this change in season. It’s most definitely my favourite. The lighter and brighter morning and evening, the blue skies, and the rise in temperature. Yes, please. This is also a good time to look at your little ones’ sleep and see if you can make some changes/improvements to complement the change in season. 

I’ve shared my top 3 tips when it comes to spring cleaning your little ones’ sleep. These are simple and effective. Like I always say, it’s often smaller tweaks and consistency that make the best/greatest improvement.

You’ll often hear the word “Regression” used to describe this change in infant sleep. It is in fact, a positive & very important development in sleep maturity/your little ones’ development, rather than a setback/regression.

However, like any transformation, it can raise some challenges whilst everything shifts & falls into place.

Your baby’s sleep environment plays a key role in the success of a good night’s sleep. Sometimes the smallest tweaks can make the greatest change.

I’ve shared below the most important things to focus on when it comes to implementing good sleep hygiene for your little one. They are not miracles by themselves however, they are part of a winning sleep combination when paired with a consistent and age-appropriate routine.

Setting a goal is one of the first things I do with parents when we work together. Why? Well, without a specific goal, how will you know what you are working towards? Frequently the goal is too big, takes on too many different things or is just not appropriate for the age and stage of the baby.  

Before working on sleep, it’s really important for you to be clear with yourself on what success looks like. This gives you a chance to look at everything, rather than focus on purely the symptoms of the sleep challenge you are experiencing. It’s often really hard to do, especially when you are knackered, so I’ve broken it down a little to make it easier for you.  

Did you know a baby isn't born into the world fully equipped for her to regulate her emotional state? It takes up to a year for an infant to develop the part of her nervous system responsible for the "safe and social" state. But parents can do a great deal to help nature along the way.

Let's discuss how!

Having a child can have a significant impact on the planet, both in terms of the resources it consumes and the waste it produces. As a mother (of 4), I often think about the world my children are growing up in, what will it be like for their children and their children’s children.

I’m pretty open about the fact I’m not a fan of social media. There are elements of it that I really like; the ability to connect with the world, learn about things quicker or get access to educators way faster than we could without social media and the option to be positively influenced by the good that utilises the platforms in a kind and compassionate way.

I’m a reflector. I love looking back, taking the time to reflect on what’s come my way and what I’ve achieved or now aspire to achieve. Life is often racing at 100 mph and I think as humans we are programmed to just keep going, focus on what’s ahead and move on from what has been.

Sure I like that too. No need to stay stuck in the past however, rather than constantly wanting to move on to the next thing, setting “resolutions” or swearing to break habits that no longer serve you any good; what about acknowledging what you’ve introduced to your life that you now love, that unexpected new hobby or interest that you never saw coming, something you achieved that you didn’t quite think possible or even set our to door something that totally knocked you off your feet but you now feel inspired by it more than anxious.

I’m a huge fan of Christmas. I love the movies, the food, the songs and the excuse to eat chocolate as soon as I wake up. I also kind of dislike it too. The expectations to show up to certain things, the buying of “just for the sake of it gifts” and the fact that my consistent routine often goes to pot.

I’ve always been big on having a routine. It’s just who I am and what I like and it’s most definitely got deeper since becoming a mum and knowing/feeling the benefits that come with having a good routine for my wee guy.

“My door is always open and if things take a turn for the worse or you’ve no idea what’s going on, please reach out and let me know and we will get it sorted”.

This is how I end my last call when I finish my 1:1 support with my clients . I know too well that working on sleep does not finish when we finish our support, it just gets easier. Until you’re possibly stumped again and need a wee “sleep check up”.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is an ancient art and is seen as early as an Egyptian tomb which depicts a Reflexology session. It is based on the principle that all our body parts and bodily systems are reflected on the feet and the hands. Today, Reflexology continues to develop and be a part of clinical trials to improve wellbeing and support the body’s natural healing forces. By improving blood circulation and promoting relaxation in the nervous system encouraging the whole body to renew itself.

Reflexology is a relaxing treatment to the feet, sometimes the hands and ears, with the aim of improving wellbeing and is wonderfully beneficial during pregnancy when your body is responding to all the changes hormonally and physically. Treatment can help with nausea, vomiting and reflux, constipation, swollen feet, back and pelvic pain, improves sleep and helps prepare the body for labour.

I often get asked how I got into sleep coaching, why I do it? The main driving force was my son. After having him, I quickly realised that us parents get hee-haw when it comes to sleep education and support and are pretty much left to “wing it” and well, I wasn’t okay with that.

Before I could consider helping anyone else, I had to educate myself (also to help me navigate the new world of motherhood I was experiencing myself). I started training when I was 6 months post partum, during yet another lock down and on my maternity leave. I quickly learnt a lot and was both excited to share and help others but also quite sad that we are not told even the basics around sleep when we become parents, unless we actively go digging for the information.

I speak to so many parents around this point in their little one's life. Actually, anytime between 7 & 10 months really. Things may've been going really well for a while following the 4 month sleep transformation & then boom, night waking's start to creep in, nap refusal's become more regular & sleep may start to feel hard.

So what's going on/what may be causing it? Understanding why it is happening will help you with knowing what to do to help make it better/easier.

I won’t dress this up. Working on sleep is tough. It asks for the highest level of commitment, resilience and consistency and often at a time when you at your most tired and vulnerable. Does this mean it cannot be done? No. However, timing really is everything when it comes to “being successful” on your sleep mission, and being in the wrong head space, not being “ready” for the ask that comes with working on sleep or during a period of illness, really stacks the odds against you.

During my discovery calls with new clients, I always ask the same question “Are you ready to commit fully?”. I feel it’s important and right that I am this transparent and honest before providing 1:1 support. We never know how things will play out; however experience has taught me that it’s always hard before it gets easy and the commitment to things going well, comes from the parent. I am by their side 100% of the way but they are the ones who have to do the actual work, make the changes, stick to them and support the responses of their little one when doing this.