Babies’ Sleep Problems May Last Over Years

Posted on January 12, 2012 by millpond

Friday, January 6, 2012 9:17 AM EST[STUDY]

By Kerry Grens

(Reuters) – There’s bad news for exhausted new parents craving more shut-eye — you can’t just assume that your baby’s sleep problems are normal and will soon pass.

A U.S. study published in the journal Pediatrics found that babies with sleep issues are several times more likely to still have difficulties when they are toddlers compared to babies who sleep well.

Researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio found that one in 10 children under age three has a sleep problem like nightmares, wakings, trouble falling asleep or an inability to sleep in the child’s own bed — results within the range of other studies.

“Often times the message is, ‘Don’t worry about Susie, this is typical and it will get better,’” said lead author Kelly Byars, a pediatric psychologist. Continue reading →

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Zac’s parents were suffering massive sleep deprivation

Posted on January 10, 2012 by millpond

Our 3 year old son Zac was waking, on a bad night, up to 12 times – seemingly ‘checking’ we were there.  The only way for us to get some sleep seemed to be to allow him to sleep into our bed.  One night when the wriggling got too much my husband slept in the spare room.  This was when I knew something had to be done.

Millpond Sleep Clinic’s program was logical and the firm but calm approach seemed to settle Zac more than letting him do whatever he wanted.  They suggested small changes we would never have thought of that made a big difference to his behaviour.  On the first night of using the sleep program Zac slept through the night and for most nights since.  If Zac does wake we know what to do and are no longer sleep deprived so can cope with it more easily.

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Baby’s and their sleep – Ryan Lowe, Child and Family Therapist

Posted on January 10, 2012 by millpond

I am a Consultant Child and Family Therapist and have worked for many years with a variety of problems.  In my experience feeding and sleeping are two major areas of disruption in family life.  They are the areas where parents can feel most powerless and they are areas which can determine certain patterns of family life for many years to come.  Eating and sleeping are the foundations, for example of boundaries and discipline and for containment, of children feeling safe.  Problems that are not addressed early can lead to many future difficulties within the family.

I am delighted to have come across Millpond Sleep Clinic as somewhere that I can trust to refer clients who need help in this area.  Mandy has been a staunch support to my sister with her first two children and more recently with her twins and I have been very impressed with the sensible, compassionate way that Millpond Sleep Clinic works.

I have included an article below that gives some background to the issue of sleep in infants and young children and hope that this is of some use to parents in their thinking about sleep.  I would also like to offer my services to any parents who feel that they would benefit from the support and advice of a child and family therapist.  I have a website which offers free advice and also offer a free initial consultation if you have concerns that you would like to discuss in person.

Best wishes, Ryan Lowe

ryan@askachildtherapist.com www.askachildtherapist.com

I think it is worth putting a newborn baby in context. Man’s environment has changed at an extremely accelerated pace, much faster then we are able to make physical evolutionary adaptations. Continue reading →

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Four year old Oliver was waking every few hours every night

Posted on December 20, 2011 by millpond

Oliver’s sleep routine was erratic from birth.  Even now at 4 years old, he would wake every few hours wanting a variety of things to settle him including me having to stay in his room till he went back to sleep again.  Then up for the day at 3 or 4 am.

He and I were then always grumpy/tearful/tired. We all felt depressed.

For Oliver the word ADHD was bounded about but I truly believed if he got enough proper sleep his behaviour would rectify itself.  The Sleep Clinic understood my situation completely and said they could definitely help.

Juliet, my sleep consultant, had such a calm, knowing manner, she made me feel completely at ease and confident.  I didn’t feel embarrassed about fessing up to the strange things we do to get our children to sleep!  She didn’t seem fazed by it at all. Her spoken instructions and written programme were so easy to follow.

Oliver, Michael and I responded amazingly well!  On the first night Oliver slept 11 1/2 hours solid…..and ever since!  He is a changed child.  We are all so much happier.  Life can go on now.  Thank you Millpond Sleep Clinic … oh and The Sleep Fairy!

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Baby Sleep Problem

Posted on December 19, 2011 by millpond

Eight month old Leo was waking for a feed up to 10 times a night

Before I came across Millpond our baby (Leo – 8 months) was co-sharing our bed and starting to wake for feeds between 6-10 times a night.  I had always nursed him to sleep but now the night feeds were becoming more regular and I was starting to stagger through the day absolutely tired and exhausted.  To top it off my husband (who regularly works away from home) was returning to lovely uninterrupted nights in the spare room which was making me hugely envious!

I was inundated with advice from friends and family but what I wanted was someone non-biased and professional to help, so I googled ‘UK baby sleep clinic’ and came across Millpond.  I liked their soothing website and immediately identified with one of the families on their case study page.  Needless to say I contacted them for further information.  We live overseas in Africa but I was returning to the UK with Leo for a 3 week trip so decided to sign up for their Core Package once we arrived to see if we could return after our visit with a baby who was sleeping without a breast in his mouth and in his own cot.   Continue reading →

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All I want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by millpond

Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic tips for sleep

Christmas is a time for late nights, fun games, tons of chocolate and chaotic routines. Once all the presses’ have been opened and played with and the turkey and mince pies eaten, we all yearn for a good rest and plenty of sleep. But for some children the late nights and excitement means a time of sleep deprivation and getting your little ones back on track after all the festivities can take hard work and effort.

So where to start:

Switch off the TV at least 30 minutes before sleep

Tidy away all the new toys

Have a bedtime snack that avoids sugary foods, instead have a glass of warm milk and an oat cookie or banana

Have a winding down routine that includes a warm bath that lasts only 5 minutes.

Go straight into the bedroom with the lights low for a story and say good night.

Keep all your interaction with your child calm and simple.

Keep the bedroom dark and cool, about 18 degrees C.

Wake your child every morning at the same time to regulate their body clock.

If you need a little extra support and guidance for your child’s sleep, contact Millpond Children’s Sleep Clinic direct. Throughout December and January we are offering a 10% discount off our sleep packages. Quote “Christmas sleep” when you book.

0208 444 0040

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

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Baby Sleep Problem – Elliot’s sleep was transformed with a sleep plan!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by millpond

Before Millpond Sleep Clinic
At 9 months old Elliot had his worst night sleep – 13 wakings in 12 hours. Over the coming weeks and months Elliot was diagnosed with a whole range of allergies and intolerances; dairy at 10 months, soya at 1 year old, peanuts and cashews a little later. Elliot’s digestion had never been very good and we had not felt confident starting behavioural sleep training as we could not be sure that his waking was not genuine. As a tiny baby he had started breastfeeding very well – and didn’t want to stop;  we had reduced down to a feed a night (as well as at least two or three other wakings) soon after he turned one but this changed dramatically after he fractured his ankle at 14 months and I was feeding all night long. Continue reading →

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Millpond introduce “Babyhuddle”

Posted on December 13, 2011 by millpond

Sharing the love!

We all remember this moment when we find out that we are pregnant with our first child. It’s a moment of great joy, excitement, and anticipation.

We get excited at all the things we would do and get for that baby when it finally enters the world. In our quest to become the best parent we browse the web in search of what we need to do to be prepared. What products do we need to get, when to use and how to use them. It’s quite a scary undertaking, with the huge array of sites out there, and it’s up to us as parents to decipher this maze of information leaving us lost, confused and stressed. Continue reading →

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Baby sleep problem

Posted on December 5, 2011 by millpond

Six month old Tom woke frequently at night for feeds.

We hadn’t had a block of more than 3 to 4 hours sleep for months. Things were getting worse, not better, and I was worrying about how I would cope when I returned to work after maternity leave.

Having a plan that was tailor made for us and knowing exactly what to do was exactly what we needed.

The explanation of the rationale behind the plan was really clear and the holistic approach was enlightening. The support of Jane our Millpond sleep therapist, was invaluable. We had read a lot in books and online but nothing could substitute for a completely clear plan of action and one-to-one support from an empathetic expert.

Tom’s sleep has improved more than we could have ever hoped for!

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Baby Theo was waking 5 or 6 times every night

Posted on December 5, 2011 by millpond

Mum Kerry tells her tale:

Millpond has quite literally saved my sanity!

Before the sleep programme Theo was waking 6 to 7 times every night and taking longer and longer to settle.

Some nights I was so tired I would be crying by the side of his cot. Now he sleeps a good 10 to 11 hours every night and naps well in the day thanks to a structured programme from Millpond.

Its amazing what we have managed to achieve in a couple of months and we now have a much happier little boy!

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