Navigating sleep [for both you and baby] is no easy task. There are so many questions and moments of “am I doing this right?” What is a wake window? How much sleep does a baby need? And real talk-- every parent on the planet is perplexed about what on earth the term “drowsy but awake” really means.
One thing we do know for sure? No one is their best self when they are sleep-deprived.
So, to help you [and baby] get the rest that you deserve we connected with Janey Rilley the owner of Wee-Sleep to dispel some myths and chat through all things newborn sleep. Janey is an infant & Toddler Sleep Consultant who works with families to perfect baby’s sleep. How do they do it? By creating an easy-to-follow customized plan with a goal to teach your little ones the skills they need to happily sleep through the night.
In episode 04 of the 40 Weeks to Forever Podcast we discuss how to create a safe and suitable sleep environment for baby, the difference between sleep shaping and sleep training, and how to emerge from the fourth-trimester fog. Here are some sleep snippets from our conversation.
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EPISODE CONVO HIGHLIGHTS
What is a proper sleep environment for a newborn?
So, for a newborn, typically, parents do like to have their newborn in a room with them, and you know, near them. And that's completely a personal preference, but most people do have their little one in a safe bassinet. Obviously, no major cushions or pillows or blankets, just very plain nothing that can interfere with any safety issues at all with the newborn. So sleep environment, a cooler room is always best for a little baby. And in terms of the room, and its light, it should be super dark, as dark as you can make it. You know, the blackout blinds, the blackout curtains, all that good stuff. And then in terms of kind of noise, a lot of people do choose to use a white noise machine. I am a fan of them, especially, you know, busy moms. And you know, we're juggling during the day. And when our little ones do go to sleep, we kind of don't, you know, we want to make sure we have a kind of a sound blocker to some degree. So, for vacuuming or running around the house, or there's a barking dog or whatever the case may be, then a sound machine is really a good tool just on white noise, a straight white noise or rain setting a constant sound no heartbeats, no birds, no, nothing like that.
Janey Reilly
A lot of parents struggle early on because in those first few weeks their baby only wants to be held during the day for naps. And those newborn cuddles are so good! How much sleep does the newborn really need, and do those little cat naps here or there even count towards that sleep allotment that is required for a newborn?
So newborn sleep is extremely important. And you know, 5, 6, 7 naps a day, sometimes, right. And you know, if it has to happen in mom or dad's arms, or you know, a bouncer or swing or something, you know what I mean? Like some sort of device or a lulling machine, if that's what it takes for the little one to sleep then that is very important. Obviously, as the child grows up, we don't want them to be reliant on those things as they're coming out of that, you know, two, three months kind of zone. But I'm a realist in terms of newborn sleep, like we, you know, they're fresh into this world. And it's kind of the, of course, we want the snuggles we want all of that. We want to give them as much comfort, we want to make sure they're getting enough sleep and nutrition and all that great stuff. So in saying that newborns really do have a hard time sleeping quite often, especially on their own. They're used to being in a belly and, you know, so if naps have to be in mom or dad's arms, that's okay. When we work with families, I do encourage that because the morning nap is kind of an easier nap. It sets the tone for the day, even the little ones coming out of a, you know, a night's sleep, that first nap of the day is often an easier nap, if you will. So, if they can put the little one in the bassinet for that nap, kind of at least one or two of the naps in the bassinet and if the other ones have to be on the go or being carried or in a carrier of some sort, that's all okay.
Janey Reilly
What is a proper sleep environment for a newborn?
"So, for a newborn, typically, parents do like to have their newborn in a room with them, and you know, near them. And that's completely a personal preference, but most people do have their little one in a safe bassinet. Obviously, no major cushions or pillows or blankets, just very plain nothing that can interfere with any safety issues at all with the newborn. So sleep environment, a cooler room is always best for a little baby. And in terms of the room, and its light, it should be super dark, as dark as you can make it. You know, the blackout blinds, the blackout curtains, all that good stuff. And then in terms of kind of noise, a lot of people do choose to use a white noise machine. I am a fan of them, especially, you know, busy moms. And you know, we're juggling during the day. And when our little ones do go to sleep, we kind of don't, you know, we want to make sure we have a kind of a sound blocker to some degree. So, for vacuuming or running around the house, or there's a barking dog or whatever the case may be, then a sound machine is really a good tool just on white noise, a straight white noise or rain setting a constant sound no heartbeats, no birds, no, nothing like that."
- Janey Reilly
A lot of parents struggle early on because in those first few weeks their baby only wants to be held during the day for naps. And those newborn cuddles are so good! How much sleep does the newborn really need, and do those little cat naps here or there even count towards that sleep allotment that is required for a newborn?
"So newborn sleep is extremely important. And you know, 5, 6, 7 naps a day, sometimes, right. And you know, if it has to happen in mom or dad's arms, or you know, a bouncer or swing or something, you know what I mean? Like some sort of device or a lulling machine, if that's what it takes for the little one to sleep then that is very important. Obviously, as the child grows up, we don't want them to be reliant on those things as they're coming out of that, you know, two, three months kind of zone. But I'm a realist in terms of newborn sleep, like we, you know, they're fresh into this world. And it's kind of the, of course, we want the snuggles we want all of that. We want to give them as much comfort, we want to make sure they're getting enough sleep and nutrition and all that great stuff. So in saying that newborns really do have a hard time sleeping quite often, especially on their own. They're used to being in a belly and, you know, so if naps have to be in mom or dad's arms, that's okay. When we work with families, I do encourage that because the morning nap is kind of an easier nap. It sets the tone for the day, even the little ones coming out of a, you know, a night's sleep, that first nap of the day is often an easier nap, if you will. So, if they can put the little one in the bassinet for that nap, kind of at least one or two of the naps in the bassinet and if the other ones have to be on the go or being carried or in a carrier of some sort, that's all okay."
- Janey Reilly
about our guest
Janey Reilly is an expert Infant & Toddler Sleep Consultant who consults families around the globe. WeeSleep™ launched after she realized how important infant & toddler sleep is, and after struggling with her son’s sleep issues and seeing and hearing about so many families having difficulties.
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Today we are breaking down the differences between Canadian and US playards, or prams. Did you know that Canadian playards must adhere to Health Canada's specific "sleep-rated" guidelines? Check out our in-depth breakdown of some of our favourite playards, and if they are suitable for sleeping or napping.
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