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25.01.2022 ~ ? ~ This is without a doubt my most commonly asked question! And I understand why, It can be oh so frustrating. You spend all that time settling them, finally place them in the cot, and bam it’s like clock work, 40mins later they’re like hey Mum, I’m all done and ready to party!. It’s fairly easily to identify why it’s happening as there is usually only a few factors that cause it, they are:... Your little one cannot self settle. They need to master this before we can expect them to resettle and consolidate their sleep cycles. They are reliant on a sleep prop to fall asleep that they cannot replace themselves. Such as a dummy, bottle, breast or rocking. Come 4 months of age catnapping is neurological normal as their sleep has now matured and they will be producing their own sleep hormones. It’s really important from here to watch awake windows If your little one can self settle and is still waking up after 40minutes crying, than more than likely they are still tired and just need to resettle. Don’t try and get them up straight away, give them some time to try and resettle. Resettling is a behavioural pattern we have to help them learn. If they are doing less then 40 mins it can be due to being overtired or also not a big enough awake window. Our 4-12 month sleep guide will help you get on top of the 40 minute naps and stop you pulling your hair out over why it’s happening! To shop our sleep guides, click the link in my bio. Which one of these causes do you feel is encouraging your little one to catnap? Beautiful pic by @chasingthesummerfields See more

25.01.2022 I am currently holidaying my with tribe enjoying sunrise’s (thanks to Hattie) and plenty of sunsets! I thought I’d take the time to do a quick run down of naps and how many naps we usually try and encourage per age and when to drop these. 0-9 weeks 5-6 naps (5-6hours) ... 9-12 weeks 3-4 naps (4-5hours) 3-4 months 3-4 naps (4-3.5hrs) 4-7 months 3 naps (3.5-3hours) 8-15 months 2 naps (2.5-3hours) 15 + months 1 nap (2 hours) Most babies will drop from 3-2 naps around 8 months. Going from 2-1 naps occurs around 15-18 months. The last nap usually drops around 2.5-3 years of age. These are all a rough guide to what I would generally see for these ages. Obviously every child is different, but aim for somewhere within this guide (give or take 15 mins) should help to ensure your little one isn’t becoming over or under tired.

23.01.2022 So how much sleep should a newborn really be getting? Well, first things first, always try to ensure their wake windows are age appropriate because this will impact how well they nap. If we stick to a wake window of 45-90 minutes for the first 12 weeks (starting with 45mins and working towards 90 at 12 weeks) this will help ensure our little one isn’t becoming overtired. ... Once you are working off these wake windows you will find your little one is soooo much easier to settle and you can try to aim for the recommend amount of total day (24 hour period) sleep below. * 0-5 weeks = 15-18 hours * 6-12 weeks = 14-16hours Remember this is a rough guide for a 24 hour period. A newborn does not sleep 12 hours overnight, they will have periods of wakefulness when they feed etc. Every baby is so different, and one thing I really want you to be mindful of is that before 3-4 months of age, there is not set patterns when it comes to sleep, it hasn’t matured so things may seem a little all over the shop! This is completely normal! Enjoy this time while they are so sleepy as one thing is for sure, as they grow, they will need less and less of it Tell me, how is your little one sleeping?

23.01.2022 In this nap chat episode I am sharing with you my nap checklist. This checklist is the checklist I use when working with clients to help me identify what could be causing short or inconsistent naps. If you are having nap troubles and finding them a little tricky, go through this checklist and try and identify what could be causing this. Let me know below which of the 4 points it is and I’ll give you a suggestion on how to improve this. ... (Please note: The two blockout items I refer to in the video are from @thegrocompany and @ergopouch)

21.01.2022 Dummy, pacifier, Binky. There are a lot of names for it, but whatever it is you call it, is it impacting your little ones sleep? Dummy’s can get a bit of a bad wrap when it comes to sleep so I thought I’d go through and highlight for you where I feel a dummy is working and where it might be having a negative impact on your little ones sleep. If you are using one and it is working then by all means keep it up. ... Where the Dummy might be working: * Newborn baby - the sucking reflex is naturally really calming and soothing for your little one and can help settle them at the fussiest of times * Reflux baby - The extra production of saliva produced from the sucking helps to ease the acidic discomfort. * A baby who can find or replace their own dummy - this usually isn’t until at least 8 months. * Dummies can lower the rate of sids - the continued sucking is believed to prevent babies falling into a really deep phase of sleep. * Your baby is sleeping longer than 40 minute sleep cycles of a day and 3-4 hourly overnight with a dummy. * The dummy is working for you and your family! When it might be time to say goodbye to the dummy: * Your bub is under 8 months of age and waking after one sleep cycle 40 mins of a day or 1-2 hours overnight for you to put it back in - if over 8 months we can teach them to find and replace it on their own and consolidate sleep cycles. * It’s starting to impact your toddler teeth - if this is the case and you are now wanting to ditch I would strongly recommend you only keep it for naps and sleep. * Your baby keeps loosing it overnight - if they know how to pop it back in their mouth on their own, in this instance I would recommend attaching to a safe comforter. * Your baby is under 6 months and you are not wanting to maintain the dummy long term - between 4-6 months is the perfect time to ditch it. Are you struggling with the dummy? If so do you believe any of the above are contributing?

20.01.2022 Hi! It’s been a while since I popped on to introduce myself and with a lot of new faces I thought it was a good time to say hello! Soooo, I’m Kristy owner of The Sleep Teacher. ... I started studying sleep consultancy because my first born was horrific when it came to sleep, it was almost non existent, until I made some changes. These small changes helped me realise how well my baby could have been sleeping all along and I was officially a new woman! On a mission to ensure Mums and bubs were getting the sleep they needed! I’m sure the majority of you are following along for all my sleep hacks that I often share (and hope have helped you in someway) but for today I thought I would share some info about me and my life so we can all get to know each other a little better * I’ve got 3 girls 3.5 years apart, Elke, Minka and Hattie, all of which I was adamant were boys! * I only started drinking coffee 12 months ago, I couldn’t stand the taste before this. * We are finished having kids and I don’t cope well with this, I treat Hattie (my youngest like a newborn ) * We live near the beach and it is definitely out happy place. * I am a sucker for Nutella, but who isn’t!?! * Mitch and I have been together for 17 years and Married for 11. We met at high school but were 2 years apart. * I am Newcastle born and bred, however when these travel restrictions have eased we would love to move somewhere more tropical for 12 months (cabin fever has set in) * Come Friday’s I am all about the White wine and cheese (White wine must have ice in it) * I am homewares obsessed (my credit card, not so much) So tell me, where in the world are you from? How long have you been following along for? Do you have little ones? If so how old are they?

18.01.2022 ~ ~ Do you have a 15-28 month old that you are considering moving to a big bed all because they aren’t sleeping well in there cot? Please don’t do it!! ... Moving them to a big bed is not going to correct your sleep problems. If anything it will make them worse. (You might be thinking that’s not possible, but trust me it can get a lot worse)! Babies of this age don’t have the impulse control to stay in their bed or comprehend us telling them to stay in their bed. Moving a child too early is one of the two reasons I see toddlers have sleep issues. So when do we know it’s the right time? * I recommend waiting until at least 2.5 years of age (ideally closer to 3). * Are they asking or showing interest in a big bed. * It’s a safety concern. If they are starting to climb out of the cot their are things you can do to discourage this such as, sleeping bag and lowering the cot to the lowest setting. * Seep is already going really well in the cot but they are just getting a bit too big for the cot. There is absolutely no problem with transitioning earlier, however I would encourage you to consider a baby gate on their door as opposed to the cot, as this helps to act as impulse control once the cot rails have gone. Another thing to consider is that transitioning to a toddler bed or big bed won’t fix existent sleep problems. It’s such a guessing game this sleep thing, but when the time comes to transition remember: * Communication is key, talk to your little one about what is happening * Prepare yourself for a two week grace period before they work out they can get out of their bed. What are you going to do once they start getting out? * Keep the same wind down routine and bedtime * Introduce a bed rail if needed * Try to keep the bed in the same position that the cot was. * Keep all sleep associations the same, blanker, comforter etc. It can be such an exciting time when done at the right time. How old was your little one when they went to a bed? Or is this something you have been considering? See more

18.01.2022 Do you find your little one struggles to to meet the awake window recommend for their age? Have you been stuck on the same 1.5 hour awake window for a few months now and just can’t get past it? If your little one is sticking to an awake time that is shorter than appropriate for their age, this could be playing havoc with their naps and overnight sleep. ... Here’s why: A baby needs to develop a sleep debt to help encourage a drive for sleep. If we continually put them down every hour for instance, we aren’t allowing them to build up the need for sleep. It will only encourage short catnaps (which we all know can be very frustrating for all involved). These catnaps will then also have an impact on night sleep as our little one hasn’t had deep restorative naps throughout the day to help encourage deep restorative stretches of sleep overnight. It’s a cycle that’s hard to get out of. As our babies grow, their awake windows need to grow too. Now, I am by no means suggesting you stretch your baby out from 1 hour awake window to 2.5 hours for example ( no one wants an overtired baby), but I would suggest finding out what their age appropriate awake window is and trying to gradually stretch them closer to this. You can do this by stretching it out 10-15 mins every few days. If your little one is starting to fight naps, have periods of wakefulness overnight or continually wake shortly after being out down, it might be time to simply stretch those awake windows slightly. This will help encourage deeper, longer stretches of sleep, less fighting if the naps and overall better night sleep. Does this make you think your little one could be due for a longer awake window?

18.01.2022 I’ve been emailed a lot this past week about Colic. What is it exactly? Well colic often gets confused with reflux, however they are completely different. Colic is described as Excessive, frequent crying in a baby who appears to be otherwise healthy and well fed.... There is no know cause for colic, unlike reflux. If your baby has colic you may notice long periods of loud crying, they may pull their legs up to their chest and look as if they are experiencing discomfort. The crying can go on for hours at a time and despite our best efforts to try and calm our little ones it can be extremely difficulty to do so, this can be really frustrating for parents. Some things I find can help our bubs suffering colic are: * Ensuring they do not become overtired * Swaddling * Dummy * White noise * Getting out of the house and changing the scenery * The football hold (I’ve posted a demo of this in my stories) * Most of all, try not try too many things at once to calm your baby,this can become super stimulating for your already fussy baby. Try to stick to one approach for a good period of time before deciding it isn’t working If your little one is suffering from colic like symptoms please try and get yourself some support in place, it can be so exhausting for both Mum and Bub. The good news is, Colic doesn’t hang around forever, it usually peaks around 6 weeks and subsides by around 10-12 weeks. Have you experienced colic with your bub? What did you find helped?

16.01.2022 ~ - ! ~ I am always going on and on and on about wind down routines and how important they are! But did you know a wind down routine isn’t just for bed time?!?!?!... It’s super important that you have a consistent wind down routine in place for naps too. It should be consistent and inline with your bedtime wind down routine. This consistent approach will help prompt your little ones brain what is happening, and what is about to happen, sleep!!!! It’s usually a condensed version of your bedtime routine (no bath/massage and usually no feed). It doesn’t have to be lengthy, around 5-10 mins. It might be something as simple as: * into the bedroom * Close blinds (use dim lights for the wind down) * Nappy change * Story or song * Turn white noise on * Into sleeping bag or swaddle * Turn dim lights off * Kisses then Into bed These are all cues that when done consistently will all start to help your little one naturally wind down for nap time. Hot tip! You may notice your little one start arching their back or protesting when you pull out your sleeping bag or turn on the white noise etc. This is actually a really positive sign, it means they have started to relate it to sleep and they know they are about to be put down for a nap. (Babies suffer fear of missing out too ). Do you have a wind down routine for nap time in place? Would you like to share it below to help another Mumma out?? See more

13.01.2022 ~ ~ The good old cold and flu season has arrived! This means there a lot of little ones with runny and blocked noses impacting their sleep. ... I am always getting asked what do you do when your little one is sick? How do you help your little one through it without undoing all your little ones sleep skills. Well, sleep is super important when we are sick, it helps to build our immune system and fight of the illness. So in this instance, this is what I suggest: most importantly lots and lots of cuddles aiming for similar nap lengths. It’s ok to let your little one sleep a little longer but I wouldn’t let them extend past the 3 hour mark as we hydration is super important. if they are finding it hard to fall asleep the way they normally do, try and offer as much assistance as needed to achieve their naps and overnight. maintain the same consistent wind down routine that you usually use to help prompt your little one that sleep is approaching. be mindful that your little one may need an overnight feed or two if they didn’t have their regular amount of calories throughout the day or are dehydrated due to illness. If trying to implement any sleep teaching I would pull the brakes on and just focus on assisting your little one to sleep as needed. Lastly, do not stress yourself that you are going to undo your good sleeper by having to assist them in ways you normally wouldn’t have to. Once they are better you can get back on track and your previously good sleeper will be back within a couple of days. Our sleep guides can also help find your way back to sleep if you’re not sure where to start. Any sick bubbas out there at the moment? What are you doing to help them through it sleep wise? Image Pinterest See more

13.01.2022 ~ ~ If you’re a Mum to a little one, I am sure you have heard of the wonder weeks or leaps ????? These are periods when your little one is said to be more fussy/grumpy and or going through a regression. ... There are 10 leaps in total. Lots of parents have the app and follow it religiously. Which I do feel sometimes does not work in their favour. (No biggy if you do, just hear me out). It’s not that I don’t believe in these leaps, but I do believe that it can create a lot of unnecessary anxiety as these leaps approach. We almost end up preempting that it is going to happen, even though it might not, and even if it does, it might be made 1000 times worse because we are anxious about it and create habits that weren’t there before. Your little one could have just been having an off day, as we all do and their sleep seems out, but because the app says that they are in a leap we automatically go into pilot mode and assume this means sleep will fall apart. In my experience, the sooner you establish healthy sleep habits the easier these leaps will be. With a predictable routine and settling skills it will be much easier to follow your babies cues, minimise fussy periods and also help you respond to their needs accordingly. You are all amazing Mumma’s and you know your baby better than any app. If you are finding this is causing you some anxiety’s or worry, delete the app for a while and see if it makes a difference. Do you follow the wonder weeks?

11.01.2022 Are you wanting to start night weaning and don’t know where to start? We often get caught up thinking that our babies must sleep through at a certain age or weight etc. But, there really is no rule when it comes to night weaning. It can be such an emotional time for Mummas due to the sudden decrease in prolactin and oxytocin (referred to as the love hormone) that are used to produce milk, that weaning does really need to be done when you and your baby are ready. I have put ...together a checklist of some signs that your little one might be ready to night wean (swipe for this) And I have also posted a blog on the steps I recommend taking when you feel you and your little one are ready to drop the night feeds (read full blog post on my website). Is this something you have been contemplating? Are you doing it because you want to or do you feel pressured to?

10.01.2022 Before purchasing Kristy’s sleep guide, I was driving my baby around to sleep every night at least 4 times! Now, my baby sleeps 11-12 hours every night and this was all achieved within 2 weeks! I can not recommend Kristy’s sleep programs enough. Life changing! Mel - Mum to 10 month old Lucas. This Does this sound like you??? It was definitely me once upon a time (except with a pram) and I honestly thought I had no option. I thought that this was just how my baby li...ked being put to sleep. It wasn’t that they liked it at all, it was just that it was all they had become to know. It worked once, so I did it again and again and AGAIN until it was the only way she knew to go to sleep. I found getting her to sleep any other way impossible. But, the reason I was finding it so hard to attempt settling any other way was because she wasn’t following a routine so therefore I was most likely trying when she was over or under tired and the approach I was trying was not appropriate for my child’s personality, I just thought it was the only option. This is where our sleep guides help make these transitions as seamless as possible. You will have a flexible routine that still allows you naps out and about and you will receive a variety of different settling method that you can choose from as well as steps on dropping the nights feeds. Say goodbye to driving and pushing overnight with our baby sleep guides. Happy Saturday lovelies! What’s planned for today? We have soccer and a baby shower

10.01.2022 The Sleep Teacher X Sick Happens In this episode Penny from @sick.happens and myself discuss the most common illnesses that can affect your little ones sleep. Have you found any of these have an effect on your little ones sleep? ... See more

09.01.2022 Every.single.time!! Why are Dads always the fun ones?!?!

09.01.2022 ~ Separation Anxiety ~ I am always asked if this can have an impact on sleep, and the answer is yes!! Separation anxiety usually becomes apparent for the first time around 8 months when your little one starts to become socially aware and can tell one person from another. It can also peak again around 12 and 18 months. ... It can be so upsetting as a Mum to see your little one so upset if you aren’t within arms reach, but it can also be draining too as more often than not, even trying to put your little one down for 2 seconds while you use the bathroom can come with a lot of emotion and a child who is clinging to your leg screaming. The good news is, it doesn’t last forever and there are things you can do to tell help your little one through this: * Try to stick to an age appropriate routine so that they aren’t overtired, which will only make your little one more emotional. * Introduce a comforter if over 6 months of age, this will act as their little piece of home/Mum wherever they have to go(daycare etc). Try popping it in your top so that it smells like you and they will have this constant reminder of you during night and day sleep. * Introduce a nice wind down routine that ensures your little one has quality time with your before bed and help them relax before we try to settle them. * Don’t disappear without telling them where you are going if your little one is experiencing separation anxiety. Always let them know Mummy is just going to get her drink bottle etc communication is key no matter how young. * Always show confidence when saying goodbye, if you seem relaxed and confident then your baby or toddler will feel this way too. * Try and keep goodbyes short and sweet, if you linger then it only draws out the transition and gives your child a chance to become anxious. In terms of sleep what you might find is that your little one might have previously gone down easily and unassisted but all of a sudden they are screaming if you aren’t in site and they aren’t being held, so they can become overtired easily and therefore only nap for short periods, which therefore impacts night sleep. But the good thing is, it is short lived. I recommend sticking what what you were doing settling wise before hand, but offer a lot more reassurance when needed (if doing in the room settling apply more vocal reassurance and touch then you might have previously, if using in and out of the room approach then you might need to offer a lot more check ins and reassurance then normal too). Like all things with sleep, it won’t last forever so take a deep breath, remain calm and try and help your little one through this completely normal developmental phase. Have you experienced separation anxiety with your little one? At what age did this appear?

08.01.2022 Does letting a baby fall asleep on the breast form a feed to sleep association? No, it does absolutely not! I work with Mummas all the time who are so worried that if their little one falls asleep on the breast (or bottle) that they will undo any healthy sleep habits they have. ... The thing is, to form a feed to sleep association, your little one has to know this and only this! They will struggle to fall asleep any other way, as this is all they know! If your little one falls asleep on the breast, don’t stress yourself, your little one will still be able to fall asleep the way they always have the next time you go to put them down, they won’t loose that ability. And you know what, if your little one feeds to sleep all the time and this works for you, then I am here for it!! You have to do what works for you! But, I am also mindful that this doesn’t always work for everyone , so if it isn’t working and you want to help your little one learn how to fall asleep more independently, then our sleep guides are a great starting point offering you a different options, so that YOU can choose an approach that works for YOU! Do you have a little one who loves a feed to sleep?

08.01.2022 ~ ~ Do you notice your little one wakes around the same time every night? This could be habitual or it could also be when they are transitioning between sleep cycles. Just like adults our babes transition between light and deep phases of sleep throughout the night, this results in partial wake ups. During these partial wake ups your little one will stir, you may see your little one flicker their eyes, perhaps move around a little bit and make a ...few sounds before transitioning back Into another sleep cycle and falling back to sleep. Overnight you would see these partial wake ups around 11ish and 3ish. If your little one is reliant on a sleep prop to fall sleep then they may just need a little bit more help getting back to sleep at these partial wake ups. More often then not our babies have these partial wake ups and we actually think they are awake and go and get them up to feed, where they actually might just be trying to go back to sleep. Some patting and shushing may just be your answer to help them fall back into a nice deep sleep See more

07.01.2022 ~ ~ It’s sleep awareness week this week! My favourite week (Hello sleep geek)... So I thought I’d run through some of the amazing things that happen while our little ones sleep (and I am not referring to the housework or naps we take ). These are just some of the benefits your baby gets whilst they sleep: * Most of their brain development occurs whilst they are sleeping. Getting good sleep helps to increase brain tissue. * Deep sleep helps to boost growth and development. Growth hormones are secreted more effectively during deep sleep. * Their muscles receive increased blood supply * Energy is restored * The brain consolidates memories * Tissue and growth repair happen. * The body rejuvenates the immune system. As you can see there are so many physical and mental developments going on whilst your little one sleeps, and these are just some of them! Brain activity during sleep has a direct effect on a child’s ability to learn and can also affect mood and appetite. Getting QUALITY sleep is super dooper important for our little ones, their bodies will start to feel it when they aren’t getting the sleep they need. Just like us! EVERYONE is so much happier when they get sleep! Are you wanting to improve your little ones sleep but not sure where to start? Comment below with what you are struggling with and I will try and offer some tips. X Sending you all sleepy vibes tonight!

04.01.2022 Just finished a negotiation battle with a 4 year old because she was too tired to go to bed and her eyes were too open . That’s 3 days of preschool in a row for you! #overtired Tell me what’s been your little ones funniest bedtime stalling tactic? ... See more

03.01.2022 ~ ~ Meet Miss Myla: 5 months old... Catnapping 2 + feeds overnight Tried multiple sleep guides Here is what Mum has a to say: Kristy! I just wanted to say a massive THANK YOU! We’ve been following your sleep program for a month now and our 5month old daughter has slept through from 7pm - 7am without a feed three nights in a row (which she’s never done before)! We’ve tried a few programs (some extremely strict, and others that are more of a ‘follow their lead’ approach) and nothing we had tried was quite right until we found your programs. They are a godsend! The other program itself wasn’t a good fit for Myla (she would always catnap for 45mins at a time and would never sleep for the recommended sleep times so we were always trying to play catch up). We also found the other program to be way too strict and they wouldn’t provide you with any support afterwards. We decided to ditch that approached and instead tried to follow her cues instead. Catnapping was still a big issue with this approach and we found that she’d forever be overtired. Then the 4 month sleep regression hit and I’d been following some of your content about implementing habits and changes to help them with their sleep patterns. So we started on your programs a month ago and they’ve been fantastic! The settling techniques have been a lot more calming and reassuring for us and Myla (instead of just letting her cry it out, which was pretty traumatising). The awake and asleep times in your program suit her to a T as well, so she’s now sleeping like a champion through the day and we are no longer getting up to feed at least two (or more) times per night. She’s started sleeping through the night from 7pm to 7am and has continued to do so for the past 4 nights...thank goodness!!! We cannot thank you enough!! See more

03.01.2022 Help! My baby only wants to nap on me. In this video I will help you understand why your little one might seem to prefer to nap on you rather than their bed and I will also provide you with the tips you need to help transition them from chest sleeper to cot sleeper when you are ready. ... See more

02.01.2022 Have you ever been told that teaching your little one to self settle means neglecting their needs?? You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard this, and you know what? Before I became a sleep consultant, I probably would have believed it myself! There is no way I would be in this industry if I thought that was the case. ... Our little ones sleep needs have to be met just as much as their need to be fed and burped and held. Broken sleep is not healthy for Bub or Mum. Yes, of course our little ones still need feeds overnight if they are young, there is no doubt about this. And teaching self settling does not mean we ignore this need. It means we help them consolidate their sleep cycles in between these feed times to ensure 4-6 hourly wakes as opposed to 1-2 hourly. Sometimes the things we try or do (with the best intentions) can actually prevent our littles ones falling back asleep and getting the sleep they need. This is where self settling is more about meeting their needs than ignoring them.

02.01.2022 ~ ? ~ When we make the decision to start implementing some settling techniques with our little ones to help them learn to self settle, we often start trying to introduce these at the morning nap, which can end up not going as well as we had hoped!! Why?? ... Well, our babies have naturally occurring internal body clocks (just like us) called circadian rhythms. These circadian rhythms are dictated by hormones and body temperature. When the rise in melatonin (sleep hormone) and drop in cortisol (stress hormone) occur at night, this is the perfect time to start implementing some gentle settling techniques due to a higher drive to sleep. You will more than likely find it so much easier here, then you would in the morning or daytime. Plus, I often find that if we try to implement some settling of a daytime first, they often fight it anyway, skip the nap all together, and just end up overtired which isn’t fun!! My tip: Do whatever you need to do through the day to achieve some good naps and don’t worry about settling. Then get your baby winding down nice and early and start your settling come bedtime, it will be 1000x more seamless. Tag a Mumma who will find this helpful. Has anyone else found this to be the case? I did with Elke and I thought my child was never going to be able to sleep independently and it just wasn’t going to work for us. I took a deep breath, aborted the settling at nap time and started fresh the next night, with huge success!! It’s all about the timing. See more