My Top Tips for When Sleep Goes AWOL
What the hell do you do when your usually amazing sleeper does a sudden U Turn. Scream and run for the hills? A good option but not the best solution. These times can feel really overwhelming and also trigger a lot of previous anxieties around sleep if you have had quite the journey getting to a good place.
Please know that sleep can take lots of different turns. Some good. Some not so good. The older our little ones get, the more in tune we get to what’s going on and as always, we immediately rule out anything health related that could be causing the change and address as necessary, putting care and comfort at the top of the priority list.
Just last week my son went AWOL. I saw it coming due to changes in his nursery however wasn’t quite prepared for the tougher nights. Wowzer, my eye bags were Oscar winning and my coffee consumption questionable. This is what promoted me to write this blog. To share my toolkit for when things go tits up. I can’t change the fact we go through a rougher time for a few nights, however I can make it easier and support us all during this natural progression in Clyde’s development.
Stay strong folks. Keep these tips handy.
Get to the Root Cause of “WHY” - The older little one’s get, the more regressions in sleep become about emotional/physical development and less about their ability to sleep/connect sleep cycles etc. Take a step back to look at what’s happened recently, are there any big changes/developmental leaps that have occurred/are on going. These will possibly impact sleep and supporting your little one through these times will help the greatest. This phase shall pass.
Increase Amount of Daily “Just Us Time” - When your usually good sleeper suddenly wakes more/resists bed etc. it may be down to the need for some more connection with you. Little ones' worlds are extremely WOW a lot of the time in their first few years and sometimes they just need extra love and connection during wake times. Giving this extra 1:1 time during the day hours will fill their cup and mean they are less likely to wake looking for it during the night.
Get Inspecting Their Sleep Environment - Often the environment/conditions we sleep in are the culprits behind why we don’t sleep so well. Is the temperature too cold/hot? Do they need more/less layers of sleepwear? Are there noises from the house waking them that you can remove/cover with the addition of white noise? Is there light getting in from the window/cracks of the door frame waking them in the early hours? Checking the basics can sometimes be the solution to your problems and I always recommend doing a sanity check, even if you think all is okay.
Review Their Day Sleep - If the balance between naps and night sleep is off (too much/too little) for their age and sleep needs, it can present itself in the form of bedtime battles, night wakes and early risings. Review the amount of time they are sleeping during the day and make sure they are not taking too much or too little. This can be a game of trial and error to find the right balance and I always recommend only reducing naps by a max of 10/15 minutes at a time and only if you feel it is truly needed. Your little one will be the best guide on what works. Use their cues to lead you in the right direction.
