Drift and Dream Sleep Consultancy

05/03/2023

Google being Google they don’t approve all reviews I get (anyone know anyone at Google I can talk to about this? 🤷🏼‍♀️) which is super frustrating.

Anyway I wanted to share this one in particular as I know the value others gain from reading reviews if they are on the fence about whether or not to move forward with changes ❤️

This is from Alex, mummy to little Harper who was close to 6 months when we started changes 🙂

“I can honestly say Nicola was one of the best things to ever happen to us. My husband and I were at our end with our daughter, who we bounced to sleep for every nap and at bedtime and all night long after wakings. We were bouncing for HOURS and honestly, it was mentally destroying us. We were not sleeping at all and she really wasn't either.

I was always very against sleep training and extremely nervous to start the process with Nicola, but now that I am in front of all of this, I have realized I had the completely wrong idea about what sleep training even is. I never felt like we were just letting our daughter cry for an extended period of time, and I felt like we were there for her the entire process.

Nicola was there for us every single day. She was very helpful to me especially because she was very patient with me and my struggle with PPA. She answered all my panicked questions and got back to me right away pretty much from the very start. Our daughter was very challenging, as she has been from birth, and Nicola was not dismayed by that. She helped us for 6 weeks and got my daughters naps and nighttime sleep on track. I never ever thought sleep was possible for us or for her. I had so much doubt in my heart starting the process, and Nicola has absolutely changed my mind and my life.

My marriage has even improved because of this process.I don't know what I would have done had it not been for Nicola. This process was worth every cent. And I honestly feel I made a friend for life in Nicola. I urge you to start this process if you are on the fence as it can truly change your life.”

➡️Do you feel this journey could be right for your family? Drop me a message and I’ll be sure to get back to you soon so you can be one step closer to more sleep 😊

03/28/2023

If you are in the Houston area and want to learn all about newborn sleep it's time to sign up for my Newborn Sleep Seminar.

Whether you have a baby on the way or will have a baby between 0-3 months by the end of April, this seminar is for you!

I am very excited to host this seminar at the fabulous Heart of Houston Birth and Wellness Center , and all are welcome!

Head on over to: https://bookings.driftanddreamconsulting.com/ #/customer/hohsleepseminar to book your space.

Spaces are very limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Can't wait to see you there!

01/13/2023

If we know better we do better 🙌🏻

Safe sleep is something every single parent should be aware of and educated on.

It’s up to you what you then decide to do with that information, but if you chose to have my support, safe sleep is a must ❤️

What do you think of when you hear about ‘safe sleep’?

“In addition to the traditional padded bumpers, stores now sell mesh bumpers and vertical crib liners. However, even mesh bumpers can become loose and pose a strangulation risk. Babies can also become trapped between them and the crib mattress.
There is no evidence that bumpers—of any kind--prevent injury in young infants.
Cribs today are regulated by the CPSC and have updated safety standards, with slats closer together to prevent baby's head from getting stuck. This means that bumpers are not only dangerous, but unnecessary. For parents concerned about a child's leg getting stuck between crib slats, the AAP recommends using a wearable blanket or sleeping sack that is the correct size for their baby.”

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/Inclined-Sleepers-and-Other-Baby-Registry-Items-to-Avoid.aspx

01/11/2023

Hi!!!! It’s been a minute 🙈
Let’s jump right in with any questions you guys may have.
Ask them below or in my stories 🙌🏻

12/26/2022

Anyone else basically have no pictures of themselves from yesterday? I didn’t even get a nice family shot 🙈 Merry Christmas to you and yours ❤️

10/28/2022

For my UK friends, your clocks go back 1 hour tomorrow (Saturday) night. For my USA friends we have another week yet 😀

If you are like me, you may hate daylight savings for the pure reason that it messes with our children’s sleep schedules when we have just got them on track 🙈

Below are my biggest tips to help your children adjust (or you can just wing it 🤪).

✔️ 1. Be patient and expect full adjustment to take around a week.

✔️ 2. Get up like normal the morning the clocks have gone back. If your child wakes at ‘new’ 6am, but to them it’s ‘old’ 7am then you can’t blame them for waking. Get up, put the kettle on, have breakfast, and then change the clocks in the house ⏰

✔️ 3. If your child is still napping, I would aim to start adjusting their nap timings from Sunday by 20-30 mins. By the clock they will be napping ‘earlier’ but by their body they will be napping later.

For example:
➡️ Old/Normal schedule: 7am up, 10am nap, 2pm nap, 7pm bed.
➡️ New schedule: 6am up, 9:30am nap, 1:30pm nap, 6:30pm bed.

➡️ Old/Normal schedule: 7am up, 12pm-2pm nap, 7pm bed.
➡️ New schedule: 6am up, 11:30am - 1:30pm nap, 6:30pm bed.

Do this for about 3 days and then push them the extra 20-30 mins until nap times are back to the time they used to be. For younger babies you can adjust the timings by about 15 mins every 3 days, but if they are on 2 naps they should be able to handle 20-30 mins every 3 days. It also helps get back to ‘normal’ sooner.

✔️ 4. Increase the time you wait before getting your child up for the day by about 10 mins every few days, until they are closer to getting up at their ‘normal’ time. If they usually get up at 7am for example but start waking at 6am, leave them until 6:10am on day 2, 6:20am day 4, 6:30am on day 6, and so on, until you are at your desired wake up time. Speed or slow this down if needed.

✔️ 5. If you use a toddler clock, use the same principle as tip 4, and have the OK light to come on just slightly later each morning.

✔️ 6. If your child doesn’t nap, bring their usual bedtime forward by 30 mins for 3 days and then right back to normal bedtime after 3 days.

08/31/2022

We all go through sleep cycles throughout the night which include light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. REM sleep, or ‘active’ sleep for our babies (newborns especially) can sometimes be mistaken for a wake-up due to the amount of noise and movement evident during this part of their sleep cycle.

My biggest advice? Every time your baby makes a noise in the night, don’t rush to their side (unless it’s an emergency). Wait, listen, and observe what is going on before assuming that they need something. They may just be in the active part of their sleep cycle. After a few minutes, you may find that your baby starts to quieten down again and progress through the rest of their sleep cycle without any help from you 😀

08/16/2022

Should you darken your baby’s room for naps? If they are struggling with naps, YES please 🙌🏻

So why do we have this fear of napping our children in the dark? 🤷🏼‍♀️ Some of the excuses we say and hear to not nap in the dark are:

1️⃣ “I don’t want my baby to get used to only napping in only a very dark room.”
➡️ I promise, they will be able to sleep elsewhere if they have solid sleep skills, but overall, don’t we all sleep better in a calm, cool, dark space?

2️⃣ “I don’t want my baby to think it’s bedtime and refuse their nap.”
➡️ I promise you they won’t! Babies NEED and thrive off of their naps.

3️⃣ “I can’t get their room dark in the day time.”
➡️ You can!! Be creative and use anything you can to make the room darker. For example temporary blackout blinds, black trash bags and Amazon boxes can all be useful. Heck, put your baby in the closet if you need too (please make sure it’s safe and ventilated properly first though!)

4️⃣ “Darkness should be kept for bedtime so they know the difference between night and day.”
➡️ Ok, this is true but just for those first 8-10 weeks or so. After that, they know the difference already 😀

I am here to tell you that if you are struggling with your baby’s naps (maybe they take a while to settle or they are always short), and you do not have a dark room, please give it a go.

➡️ Why? Well if their room is brighter than ideal, the light will be telling your baby’s brain to stay awake. There is no melatonin in the body to help them nap; environment and their sleep pressure is key! If it’s dark (and cool) you know you are giving your baby the perfect environment to learn. Why wouldn’t you want that? 😊

Now will having a dark room solve all your sleep issues? Probably not. However, if you are leaning towards teaching sleep independence, I highly encourage a dark space so you make it easier on your baby. If you ready have an independent sleeper, then a darker space could well be the answer to why your baby’s naps are always short.

Darkening the room can also really help those 5am wake ups so try it if you aren’t already 🙌🏻

08/10/2022

📣‘Sleep Training’ does not have to mean leaving your baby to ‘Cry it Out.’ I repeat (because it’s something that really annoys me), supporting your child to fall asleep independently does not mean you have to put your child down awake, close the door, and leave them to scream, without your support, until they fall asleep.

No matter the method you chose, teaching your baby, toddler, or child sleep skills is a process that takes consistency, patience, support, love and making sure all their other needs are met. Their need for routine, predictability, diaper changes, possible night feeds, a dark and cool room, age-appropriate awake windows, and overall, their need (and yours) for sleep.

You might be asking yourself, “Do I have to teach my child to fall asleep independently (aka ‘Sleep Train’)?” My answer is no, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.

Can you cuddle, rock, feed, and assist your child to sleep for as long as you wish? If that makes you all happy and well rested, sure!

However, if your child is struggling with sleep, and what you are doing no longer feels easy, sustainable, or that it’s even working the way it should, an option you can consider is showing them how to fall asleep independently.

Most parents are uneasy with the idea of teaching their babies how to fall asleep independently as they fear they will just be told to leave their baby to it (what everyone these days is calling ‘Cry it Out’). There are however a variety of methods to use, and finding the right one for you and your child is something I can definitely help with.

I hate to break it to you though, no matter what method you decide, if you want to change the current way your baby falls asleep, your baby will most likely still get upset. However, the difference is you can be supportive and involved as much as you want, as long as you feel it is helping. If your baby is used to being fed to sleep, but you decide to try and cuddle them to sleep instead, they will fight it initially because it’s different.

Not quite how to go about making changes? Reach out via DM so I can help you and give you the support you need 😊

08/06/2022

🎤 Attention all parents of school aged children 🎤

Hands up if bedtime has slipped later over the summer holidays 🙋🏼‍♀️

I can assure you, you are definitely not alone! We’ve had more late nights than ever this summer, but to be fair, we have also had some days when I’ve had to wake my kids at 9am! It’s been an enjoyable summer but I’m ready to start getting ‘back to normal.’

On average, I’d say my kids schedule over the summer holidays has shifted later by around 1 hour. They are going to bed around 8:30pm - 9pm and are up anywhere between 7:30am - 8:30am. They have also been sharing a bed and/or a room for the last 2 months so getting them back in their own rooms might prove a challenge 🤪

Overall, their later schedule over the summer has been working for us really well and I have definitely LOVED the later mornings. However, I know they are going to have to be up before 7am in 2 weeks time when school starts again (meaning I have to start getting my butt up around 6:30am 😴).

Do you know how much sleep your child needs? Children aged 5-8 need about 10-11 hours every night. Children aged 9-12 need between 9.5-10 hours every night.

Swipe through for my biggest ‘back to school’ tips for you and your school aged children to make sure they get the sleep they need. Hope they help 😀

07/09/2022

👋 Hi 👋

I’ve had quite a few new followers the last month so I just wanted to take the time to say thank you so much for checking out my page! 🥰

I know I seem totally MIA just now 🙈 I have taken extended holiday time with my family this summer and find it very hard to commit time to my social media.

Availability to book a free call with me on my website will open up again in about 2 WEEKS TIME so keep an eye out 👀 I am always happy for you to reach out via messenger as well, or drop me an e-mail at [email protected].

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer ☀️