Adults and Sleep

I know I talk about infants and kids sleep here a lot. And yes, it’s super important that your child get the rest they need. But what about you? I am just as guilty of not getting the rest I need as any other parent! I stay up late doing work, researching, snacking, working out, watching shows (where my Game of Thrones fans at?!) and spending time with my husband. It’s a badge of honor we wear as parents. Stay up late for some desperately needed adult and alone time.

What can we do? Do we give up that coveted downtime? Do we let our homes fall to pieces? No. But I ask myself each night to go to bed 15 mins earlier than I did the night before. Sometimes, I have a week long streak of abiding by that rule. And I feel great. More rested and somehow more efficient. So I try to keep that in mind on the nights I think “no, I can’t give up even 15 minutes”. Try it. See how you feel after a week of just going to bed 15 mins earlier than you did the night before.

Here is a link to an awesome article highlighting the issue in adult sleep! I think you’ll find yourself doing what I did as I read, “Yep. Yep. That’s me”. 

Wake up, America: You're fooling yourself about sleep, study says

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/16/health/sleep-myths-facts-study/index.html

Daylight Savings Time (Spring Forward ...AKA the hangover you didn't even party for)

When and where does the time change happen??

I’ll tell you where it DOESN’T happen: ARIZONA AND HAWAII, lucky bastards.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. beginning in 2007, though Congress retained the right to revert to the 1986 law should the change prove unpopular or if energy savings are not significant. Going from 2007 forward, Daylight Saving Time in the U.S.

• begins at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and

• ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of November

In most of the countries of Western Europe, including the countries that are members of the EU, Daylight Saving Time:

• begins at 1:00 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of March and

• ends at 1:00 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday of October

Spring daylight savings means setting the clocks forward 1 hour, which means you’re asking your child to go to sleep 1 hour earlier! For most kids, that is impossible!

How do we do this?!

Ease them into the time change across 4/5 days, I like to start the week before to give myself plenty of time. In fact, I started the bedtime routine tonight at 545pm and had eased the kids asleep by 650pm. We just started everything EARLIER. I added more books to the goodnight pile.

So, start your child’s sleep earlier by 15 minutes a day, for those 4/5 days. If your current schedule is sleeping 7:00 PM – 6:00 AM, start with 6:45 PM – 5:45 AM. You may need to wake the kiddos at their NEW wake time for the day, which is painful as a parent but it will save you a host of problems.  Continue shifting sleep 15 minutes a day for 4/5 days, eventually the new daylight savings time will line up with the pre day light savings time.

Remember: Keep the lights dim, TV off, music calming in the hour (or more) prior to bedtime. Dimming the lights before bedtime will help your child start producing Melatonin, that lovely sleepy hormone!

If you have a toddler very interested in clocks!: Hide the Time

We lie to our children all the time. “No i don’t know where your Halloween candy went, Susan! Gosh, let me help you look!” This is a point in your parental life where you will lie AGAIN, but for everyone’s good.

For toddler age and older children who have digital clocks in their room, put a piece of tape over the minute area on their clock. This way your child will see the hour, but not the minutes (which may confuse them with the time change and earlier/later bedtime to adapt).

If you have an infant waking at  5 am: Wait it Out

If you have a baby, they are going to take a little more coaxing to adjust. If your baby wakes and hour earlier than usual, say 5am instead of 6am, resist rushing into the room when she first cries. Wait until ten after the first day, twenty after the following day, and then 6:30 the third day. By the end of the week, your baby’s schedule should be adjusted to the new time and she’ll be waking up at her usual hour.

Daylight Savings is cruel. Hopefully, these tips help but if not, you know where to find me!

Heidi@eatsleepdream.love

The Sensory Seeking kiddo and Sleep

The Sensory Seeking kiddo and Sleep

Testing out the Huggaroo Pouch twin sized (used on a full size crib, for now) 

My son is very much a sensory seeking child. He needs a ton of input all day long and as we discovered when he was 2.5, it helped so much at bedtime. Our bedtime routine may seem a bit ridiculous to some but my #spd (sensory processing disorder) parents know how beneficial it is to get them an end of day boost of input! 

We do a magnesium lotion on the bottoms of his feet. Joint compressions. Deep pressure hugs. Roll him like a burrito in a blanket for 10-30 seconds. Books about bedtime. And try to tightly snuggle him in bed. He has his water bottle (that green Nalgene!) and he falls asleep well. 

At some point in the night, something will trip his sensory wires and wake him. Most times, he can soothe himself and grab a drink from his water bottle and settle. But if he’s had a rough day, too much input, too little input, or the bedtime routine is rushed, he can’t settle. He can’t settle because he can’t regulate his need for input when he’s half awake. So we go in, give a few deep pressure hugs and help him regulate. If there are increased wakings repeatedly, I look for the sensory sleep intruder. Blue light? Tags on blankets? Sheets askewed? Comfort toy missing? Every sensory child is different so as an #spd parent, you learn what to look for. 

With my son, it was always the blanket is off or not tightly bundling him. He responds so positively to that deep pressure. He has so many sensory toys thanks to his aunt and mother’s research. So, he is now getting great daytime and play input. But nighttime, we needed more input than the bedtime routine offered. Weighted blankets didn’t help, he would get so hot and sweat himself awake! 

Enter Dr.Mom in research mode. He couldn’t sleep in a sensory body sock because that wasn’t safe. BUT I found a company that uses the same sensory body sock material to make a sensory bed pouch! Not too many reviews on Amazon, but they were all glowing. Most ppl on the web had great things to say about the company, Huggaroo.  So we spent the $39.99 and primed it! 

It’s night one. I will say he saw it and IMMEDIATELY jumped into bed. Was asleep about 15 mins after lights out. Takes him about 30 mins most nights as he is seeking, seeking, seeking input. Give me a week. I’ll update. But I have a good feeling. 

Any sensory parents or special needs parents out there need a hand getting their kids the sleep they need? Come talk to me! I will find a way to improve your sleep and your child’s sleep. 

https://www.eatsleepdream.love/sleep-coaching-packages/