Sleep
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
June 11, 2024
We caught up with our baby sleep specialist Gemma Coe to find out everything you need to know about the dreaded sleep regressions...
Understandably the term ‘sleep regression’ may make you a little cautious! Baby sleep is rarely linear and there will be peaks and troughs throughout their life, especially in the first year. However, there are certain time windows where we can predict changes in patterns to how your little one sleeps. These are often called a sleep regression. However, they don’t happen on exactly the anniversary of a certain date, so please don’t worry about approaching the four- or eight-month mark!
Understanding the 4 month sleep regression
It typically hits between three to five-months, and for premature babies, it syncs with their adjusted age. Whether
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
March 06, 2024
It's a science in itself: baby sleep. It can be a rough ride for many parents because although baby is tired, it seems they won't sleep. But, do they not want to sleep, or are they simply unable find their own way to sleep? After all, they are bombarded with a lot of new information every day, every hour, every second, for such a little creature. It keeps their body and mind very busy, and it can be hard for them to ‘switch off’. But lucky for them, they have you. Because with your help, they can get the sleep they need. The basic ingredients for this are: relaxation, a strong sense of security, and routines. Nothing beats routines and rituals to help your baby fall asleep. Because they convey security and security relaxes them.
A few months ago, we shared tips on how you can help your little miracle
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
January 22, 2024
From traditional lullabies to high-tech white noise machines, using songs and music to help babies sleep is an age-old tradition for a reason. Our UK sleep specialist Gemma Coe is a mum of two and a certified baby and child sleep consultant. She helps families all over the world develop healthy sleep habits. Today she’s sharing with us her thoughts on whether white noise or lullabies or both are the key to a great night’s sleep.
What is it about a song or lullaby that helps little ones fall asleep?
Have you ever found yourself singing that lullaby to your baby with a sense of peace and calm? Sensing the slow, repetitive nature of the song and how it can tie naturally in with gentle rocking and movement? Song, the sense of presence, and the gentle rocking or patting motion or other repetitive
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
November 28, 2023
We've all been there: you've been pacing up and down the room for what feels like hours, your little one is lying in your arms or sitting in the carrier and is finding it difficult to fall asleep. But they really need it! And you had already planned to tackle some of your to do list or get some rest yourself (aka some doom scrolling on the sofa)! No matter what you try whether you sway, sing, bounce on your birthing ball - if it just doesn't work and you get more and more overwhelmed... this is where the basic problem lies as our midwife and sleep expert Katrin Ritter knows. Because one of the magic words in baby sleep is relaxation and your child can’t be relaxed if more and more external stimuli are acting on them.
The story of the sabre-toothed tiger: why baby won't sleep unless held!
To find out why, let's take a quick look
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
November 09, 2023
As a parent, it’s heart breaking to see your little one feeling unwell. A baby cold or a baby cough can be a BIG problem for sleep for both baby and you. It's so hard to comfort them while meeting all their other needs whilst trying to help them (and you!) get the rest they need. Sometimes it can be overwhelming.
Our UK sleep specialist Gemma Coe is a mum of two herself and is a certified baby and child sleep consultant. She helps families all over the world develop healthy sleep habits.
Today, Gemma gets you equipped with the knowledge and tools to create a comfortable sleep environment for your sick baby, adjust sleep routines and expectations during illness, and provide nighttime care that promotes rest and recovery.
Understanding the Impact of Illness on Baby Sleep
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
October 31, 2023
Why does my baby keep waking up every hour or two? How much sleep does a baby need? When does baby sleep finally start to get better? And of course, when do babies sleep through the night? As a midwife, our expert Katrin Ritter receives a lot of questions about sleeping. Read on below for her answers to your most asked baby sleep questions.
Why is baby sleep so important?
Sleep is a very individual matter and only works with relaxation. As your baby has a lot of developmental work to do in the first year of life and is growing rapidly, baby sleep naturally changes too. In the first months, your baby first must adapt to the world outside and learn what gravity, eating, digesting, sleeping and being awake mean. At some point babies/children learn that waking up at night is quite natural and that you can just go back to sleep. However,
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
October 15, 2023
“Hooray, the baby is here” that's what you think as parents. “Help, where am I?” thinks your baby. Imagine this: within a few hours, they are catapulted out of their dark, cosy, warm home into a completely new environment. Big and bright and cold. So what is swaddling for newborns? Is swaddling a baby safe? How can it help your new baby adjust to the world?
In the fourth trimester - i.e. the first three months of life - the baby must get used to life outside of their parent’s tummy. And that includes coming to terms with the extra space. Wow - suddenly they’re no longer bumping into a soft wall here and there but can stretch out to their full length. This can be unsettling for some babies - which they might express loudly. That is why swaddling can be helpful as a calming aid after birth until around the 8th - 10th week. When swaddling, your baby is wrapped in a cloth or a special swaddle bag like a little spring roll,
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
October 10, 2023
Too warm, too cold - with baby it's an eternal worry that their bedroom temperature and clothing isn’t right. Newborn babies can’t regulate their own temperature at first but during the day baby wearing can help regulate your little one’s body temperature. How? When you as parents sweat, you are the natural air conditioner for your child! Parents can cool and warm their babies through their skin – depending on whether they are too cold or too hot. But at night this isn’t possible so when you put your baby to bed, it is important to find the right room temperature and choose the most appropriate clothing to support the most beneficial sleeping conditions for your little one. A baby winter sleeping bag helps you to achieve this.
How to choose the right TOG sleeping bag:
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
July 26, 2023
Summer! Finally! Many of us will be planning on taking a trip at some point this year, whether that's a long break overseas or a short trip close to home. Our UK sleep specialist Gemma Coe is a mum of two and is a certified baby and child sleep consultant. She helps families all over the world develop healthy sleep habits. Today, Gemma talks to us about getting your baby’s sleep after traveling back on track.
I'm writing this blog two days after returning from a camping trip in France with my family so it's great timing. I heeded my own advice whilst on our trip. "Try really hard not to worry about sleeping too much and just concentrate on having fun. Holidays are precious". So yes, this happened. The kids had late nights, fun nights and there was zero recognition of the bedtime routine!
That was great whilst away, suited us really well. We could eat
Sleep
Expert Tips for Parents
July 23, 2023
Should you co-sleep with your baby?
Sleeping close to your little one seems innocent enough. After all, what's sweeter than cuddling up all night with your baby? But bed-sharing and co-sleeping with baby have become heated topics, and with so many opinions on either side, it can be hard to figure out the healthiest choice for your family. Our midwife Katrin Ritter tells you all the things you need to know about co-sleeping to make the best decision for you and your family.
What is co-sleeping or bed sharing?
Co-sleeping means that parents and children sleep in the same bed or in the same room. There are different types of co-sleeping:
- Room-sharing: Your baby or child sleeps in their own bed