Joanna Zeon Sleep & Wellness

Name: Joanna Zeon Sleep & Wellness
Address: Sydney, NSW, 2000, AU
Telephone: +61402642338

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Joanna Zeon Sleep & Wellness

There is a lot of misleading information out there when it comes to baby sleep and wellness. Consults are online or can be done over the phone.

Joanna Zeon Sleep & Wellness is an evidence-based Qualified Sleep Quality Practitioner specialising in the identification of underlying causes that may affect your child's sleep quality. Joanna Zeon has a PhD in Medical Science and only uses evidence based methods. There is no sleep training involved such as cry-it-out or controlled crying. Joanna works with you and works through a detailed person

alised action plan that with you. Plans are tailored to your needs, and packages include unlimited support. For more information visit www.joannazeon.com. Whilst Joanna is based in Sydney, we can assist nation wide. If you're not sure Joanna's service is right for you then please book in a free, no obligation to proceed discovery call through www.joannazeon.com.

21/12/2021

ah good 'ole Dr. Seuss. My daughter loves her 'Places to go' book. She even snuck it into daycare the other day without me knowing.

Something that I see a lot with kid's sleep quality issues is parents waiting around in the "Waiting Place" - and yes in the wise words of Dr. Seuss - it is indeed a most useless place.

Just waiting for their little person to grow out of a sleep issue.

If you wait long enough, on the surface it may seem that your child has grown out of their disturbed sleep - they may start sleeping longer stretches than they did before, they might have longer more consistent naps than they did before, but this unfortunately doesn't always mean that the underlying issue is resolved.

Research has shown that 41% of babies that don't sleep well at 8 months, won't sleep well at 3 years old and 45% of them still won't be sleeping well at 5 years.

Some sleep issues can "reappear" or manifest in other ways later down the track - perhaps as a behavioural issue, maybe as an educational problem, attention difficulties, speech difficulties, anxiety….

So if you find yourself sitting in the Waiting Place - just waiting for them to grow out of it and get better then its about as useful as waiting for your hair to grow or waiting for a a pot to boil or for the snow to snow.

As a parent, It can be tough to make the decision to do something about sleep issues especially when it comes to your precious little person but that's why I'm here to help you navigate this path.

If you're sitting on the fence trying to decide whether you should do something about it then drop me a DM and I can speak to you about what we can do together.

15/12/2021

And rinse and repeat. 🔄

When we don't feel well, we don't sleep well and if society would allow us we definitely wouldn't 'behave' well.

The reason we don't feel well is sometimes obvious and sometimes it isn’t. Perhaps you have just felt unwell and tired for so long now you think it’s completely normal? 🤕

Perhaps you think that you don’t feel well because you don’t sleep well but have you considered that your poor sleep is actually a symptom with an underlying cause? 🤯

If we think about this in the context of our little people, whose brains are still developing we can understand that they do not yet have the capacity to be able 'hold it together' when they feel like crap. The centres of the brain responsible for emotional regulation aren't developed yet so it's quite literally impossible for them.

So when your toddler or young child feels like crap and sleeps like crap well it makes sense that they will act like crap too.

There are great resources available on how best to navigate big emotions in toddlers, and while tantrums are a fundamental and important part of healthy child development (and completely normal), in my practice, I often help parents that are concerned that some behaviour is outside what they would consider 'normal' for their little person - especially when it is coupled with poor sleep.

When we address the underlying cause of your little person's sleep quality you get the bonus of having a happier, more settled and regulated child.

So if you feel like this post is speaking to you, then drop me a DM or comment below and I'd love to have a chat about how I can help.

25/11/2021

I saw a post recently about awake windows not meaning anything so I thought I'd put in my own two cents on this topic.

Age-appropriate awake windows refer to the maximum amount of time that your little person should stay awake between sleep.

The post I saw said that every baby is unique so their awake windows are also unique - and while it is true that babies are different, sleep is a biological function and just as adults all thrive from similar sleep duration, so do babies.

You may have heard the terms "high sleep needs" or "low sleep needs" - these terms describe poor sleep quality. Babies have certain age-dependent sleep requirements and while some babies may have a slightly higher need, some slightly lower, they should not deviate wildly from the average for their age.

If babies don’t spend enough time awake they won’t have enough stimulation for their as well as for their adequate . On the other hand, not enough time asleep means their neural connections and development are hindered.

Now while you can't force a baby to longer, what you can do is set up good practices to support quality sleep with their sleep environment and sleep or habits (such as a consistent bedtime).

At the same time, you may also need to identify and address any underlying causes that may be impacting their sleep (and therefore healthy awake times) - something that I can help you with1

So awake windows are a handy tool you can use to gauge whether your baby is within the averages for their biological age and if they aren't it could be a good clue that you need to do a little digging to work out why.

Head to the link in my bio - there are free resources available for setting up the perfect sleep environment as well as awake windows, total day sleep, night sleep and recommended number of naps for all ages.

If you are worried your little person isn't quite reaching these averages then drop me a DM or comment below and I can let you know if I think there is a sleep quality issue we can work on together.

03/11/2021

THE million dollar question!!! ...

Poor sleep quality is a symptom that has an underlying cause. I work with parents to fix children's sleep challenges by addressing their wellness issues.

Say we work out that your little person has a food-related issue. It can take time to work out what the trigger foods are; time for the foods to be eliminated; we may need to consult a dietician for advice and following that there may be a period of gut-healing to be carried out.

Or maybe your little one has struggled with progressing with solids, for this kind of challenge we would need other healthcare providers to get involved such as an IBCLC, a bodyworker, and/or a paediatric dentist.

If our kids aren't 100% well it can make sleep fall apart. Just like us as adults. So the process is to first address whatever is standing in the way of wellness - and this part of the process can take time.

If you want a long term solution, not just a short term bandaid put on the problem, then this is the path we need to travel.

So will it fix the sleep? Yes, 👊 it most certainly will and has done so for numerous other families. You just need to trust the process and give it time.

If this feels daunting and you're overwhelmed it's totally understandable.

That's exactly why you enlist help from someone like me who is:

✅ dedicated to identifying the cause
✅ knows the right people to help with addressing it
✅ can offer you ongoing support

I can be there every step of the way while we implement changes to address your little person's sleep quality.

Feel free to shoot me a DM if you want to get to the bottom of your little person's sleep and/or wellness challenges and we can work through it together.

16/09/2021

Did you accidentally Band-aid it?

I've come across this a few times - I speak to someone about their child's sleep and they say "she became a good sleeper after we did X" or "his sleep fell apart after we stopped Y"

When I delve into it and ask about what has happened and what they have tried, I find out that there's been a Band-aid solution stuck on the poor sleep.

And I tell ya I'm not surprised because when your child has poor sleep you quite literally TRY EVERYTHING.

So what is a Band-aid solution?

It's a temporary short term fix for the symptoms of poor sleep. The Band-aid works for some time and mum and dad feel great! They think their problems are solved.

However, when there is an underlying cause for poor sleep, it tends to rear its ugly head time and time again because the underlying cause is still there lurking under the surface.

Band-aid solutions can be anything such as using sleep training methods or using a motion style bassinet, it can be using creams to treat skin conditions such as eczema or medications to treat pain such as reflux medications.

Perhaps you have used a Band-aid approach for poor sleep. If you want to work with me to uncover the reason for your child's poor sleep feel free to DM me or comment below.

06/08/2021

Holistic is a word that gets tossed around a lot especially when it comes to wellness.

I often say I take a holistic approach to sleep and wellness issues so let me explain to you what I mean by that.

Sometimes fixing sleep has nothing to do with sleep. Poor sleep is very often a symptom of another underlying cause that we need to first address before we can get your child's sleep sorted.

When making my assessment I go through a whole range of questions and symptoms that may seem to have zero to do with your child's sleep.

These questions range from taking a detailed history including any complications during pregnancy or birth, any breastfeeding issues encountered early, how mum is feeling and feels things are going now, what mum is primarily concerned about and what a successful outcome looks like for her.

I ask about how feeding is going now with your baby or child, whether they are breastfed or formula-fed, or they are now eating solids, it is important to find out how it is all going because food and proper nutrition can absolutely have an effect on how your child feels on the inside and this can show up through disturbed sleep.

I complete a full assessment to identify any red flags that may point towards an underlying health issue in your child such as airway or breathing issues including oral dysfunction such as tongue and lip ties, and sleep-disordered breathing patterns due to airway obstructions.

More typical of a sleep assessment, I also assess the physical environment side of things to ensure that you have the optimal environment set up for your little one. Once any other issues have been ruled out then I work on daily structures, routines and settling methods with you.

So this is my holistic approach to sleep and wellness for your baby or child. Feel free to reach out to me through Instagram or Facebook if you'd like to discuss your personal circumstance and feel like a holistic approach is what you're looking for.

03/08/2021

Breastfeeding ain't easy.

When it comes to having a new baby, one of the most stressful things that mums deal with is breastfeeding. The second hardest is dealing with broken sleep.

It may come as quite a shock when breastfeeding doesn't come easily to a new mum. I mean, after all, it's natural and should just happen easily right?

Well not always.

After an initial learning period, breastfeeding shouldn't be painful. However many of my clients have either persisted struggling through the pain by sheer willpower or alternatively have decided to go to bottle feeding because they couldn't bear the pain anymore.

Some have thought they had perhaps had low supply as bub just never seemed to be satisfied.

All of these things are signs that the baby's latch isn't as good as it should be.

So if you have ever experienced pain while feeding, damaged (bleeding or cracked ni***es), mastitis or ni**le thrush.

If bub spills milk from mouth while feeding or takes in air, chokes on milk or pops off the breast, falls asleep before finishing feeds or takes a long time to feed.

These are all signs that the latch isn't great and needs to be assessed.

If bub isn't feeding optimally this can also:

- cause bub to be fussy or have 'colicky' symptoms
- cause highly disturbed sleep patterns
- cause mum distress if bub doesn't gain weight well

This is a common cause of postnatal depression as mum feels like she is constantly feeding a baby that just isn't happy or satisfied. She feels as though she is a slave to breastfeeding due to the frequent or prolonged feeding sessions.

I regularly pick up these symptoms in my sleep quality assessment. If you or someone you know would like a sleep quality consultation to identify underlying causes for poor sleep in your child please get in touch with me by shooting me a private message.

28/07/2021

Baby and children's sleep seems to be a contentious topic that can divide people.

While it is true that babies wake up overnight (which is biologically normal), excessive overnight waking can indicate a sleep quality issue.

While it is also true that you can 'wait-it-out' (ie wait until sleep improves as your child gets older) - if there is an underlying problem you may be waiting for a day that never comes. (Particularly if the cause of poor sleep requires medical intervention).

On the other side is sleep training. Sleep training works on the premise that the baby or child is not sleeping well because they haven't been taught how to sleep properly, requiring us to assist them.

Using this approach can be damaging if you are trying to train a baby or child that has an unidentified underlying cause for their poor sleep.

📣 No amount of sleep training will fix an underlying sleep issue 📣

📣 Sleep training does not fix sleep quality 📣

Sleep training is not for you if:

1) You are distressed by the process of sleep training.
2) You don't agree with the sleep training approach.
3) You have tried sleep training in the past and you are seeing the same issues appear again and again
4) Your child has an underlying cause for poor sleep yet to be identified and resolved.

Drop me a DM if you want to learn more about working with me. It is my job to identify the underlying cause of sleep issues in children and work with parents to get the right help to resolve the issue. Once the underlying cause is dealt with then we work together to get your child sleeping well within the biological norms for their age.

If you want to get email updates from me, sign up to the link in my bio ⬆ You can also get a free guide for setting up the perfect environment for sleep.

12/07/2021

While you are trying to get to the bottom of your little one's sleep & wellness issues, it can be really tough on your own sleep and mental health. So here are 5 practical tips to get you through the long days and nights.

1) Baby wearing.

Wearing your baby in a carrier frees your hands so that you can get other things done. So handy when your little one doesn't like to be put down EVER! Having a good baby carrier to use around the home can be a lifesaver.

2) Ask for help.

Sometimes this one is trickier than it should be. Some mamas might feel that asking for help means that they are failing, but it absolutely does not. So when you have a child that doesn't sleep, reach out for help: whether it be professional help to get to the bottom of your little one's sleep issue, professional help for your own mental health or just helping hands so that you can shower or eat or have a nap.

3) Bed share (safely).

When your little one doesn't like to sleep, you might find that they need you to co-regulate. Many babies suffering from underlying sleep issues only like to sleep in arms, or near you, so bedsharing (safely) can be a game-changer for the sleep-deprived mama. There are guidelines on how to safely bedshare at (https://rednose.org.au)

4) Look after you.

This is another one that may be difficult, but the old saying 'you can't pour from an empty cup' rings true, especially when you're caring for a little person that relies on you for survival. So try to make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet and keep your fluids up.

5) Know this will pass.

I debated putting this one in because unless you're actively working on identifying the underlying sleep issue, this phase may not just pass. However, if you have decided to identify the underlying cause, it may help to know that this phase will pass, and you will one day sleep again.

If you think your little one may have an underlying sleep issue, I'd love to help you and make sure this phase passes as quickly as possible. So please shoot me a DM if you're struggling with your little one's sleep quality, and let me help you.

Address

Sydney, NSW
2000

Telephone

+61402642338

Website

http://www.joannazeon.com/

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