by Andrea Olson of Go Diaper Free After years and years of teaching elimination communication (or EC) to parents with little babies, one of the biggest challenges they face is balancing EC with good baby sleep. In a recent survey of our Go Diaper Free community, one-third of parents said that Nighttime EC was their biggest challenge. Many new parents who practice EC will wonder: Should I practice elimination communication at night? How will EC affect my baby’s sleep? Will it harm
baby sleep tips
25 Nap Time Tips: How To Help Your Baby Nap Better and Longer
We know, parents, we know - judging by what we're hearing from many of you in our Helpdesk, naps are high on your radar! You want to know how to make them more consistent, how to make them longer, how to make each nap as restorative as possible! In short, you want to become the Nap Jedis. And we get it! A great nap schedule is, after all, one of the keys to sleeping through the night! If you're struggling with short and inconsistent naps, you'll definitely want to take a moment to download
Baby Won’t Nap? Here Are 7 Reasons Why (#7 Is Surprising!)
Baby Won't Nap? Nap time is, without a doubt, a tired parent's favorite time of day. Baby goes down for a much-need snooze, leaving mom and dad time to have some much-needed "me time". But of course, in order for your baby's nap time to be a favorite time of day, your baby has to actually, you know, TAKE A NAP. And therein lies the problem, for many parents! So many of you have written to us over the years, letting us know that your baby won't nap, and you are at a loss as to why. Baby
The 3 Key Ingredients For Better Baby and Toddler Sleep
I'm no baker-extraordinaire, but I've baked enough in my time to know a thing or two about recipes. And I know that when it comes to a recipe for a yummy baked good, there are things I can change and things I most definitely cannot. For instance, I always substitute unsweetened applesauce for half the amount of oil called for whenever I make muffins or quick breads. But there are also elements to every recipe that you absolutely cannot change, aren't there? Leave out the salt, for instance,
Will Crib Toys Ruin Your Baby’s Sleep?
A question we hear fairly often from parents is whether or not it's okay to put toys or aquariums in the baby's crib. Lots of us use these kinds of crib toys as a way to entertain our babies, or to give them something to do after they wake up from sleep (in the hopes that they may let US sleep a little longer!). The concern for some parents, however, is that baby won't sleep and would rather play with her toys. Fortunately, this is a question we have answered before, in past articles. Keep
Cultural Differences in Baby and Toddler Sleep
Here at the Baby Sleep Site®, we take great pride in the fact that we’re an international business. We’ve worked with families from across the globe in an effort to get a better night’s sleep. Geography has never been a barrier for us; not only do we work with families from around the world, but a few of our employees have even worked from their homes overseas! After years spent helping families from all over the world, one of the things we’ve learned is that cultural differences play a big
How Moving Homes Can Affect Your Child’s Sleep
For most of us, moving does NOT top our list of things we enjoy. Moving creates a multitude of things to worry about, after all. Once you’ve found a new place to buy or to rent, you’re still not even close to done. What about transferring your mail? Or shutting off your utilities? And if your move is an international one, the list gets even longer -- what about work visas and passports? Which possessions should you sell and which should you ship? Moving is not for the faint of heart,
How My First 5K and Baby Steps Can Help You Sleep Train Your Baby
When you're a sleep coach, many other things in your life tend to remind you about babies or sleep training or sleep training babies. On November 5th, I ran my first 5K race. It was a race where a portion of the proceeds would be donated to The Honor Flight for World War II veterans to fly to Washington D.C. I can thank my son (who inspired this site) for the inspiration (I guess he inspires me a lot!). He ran his first 1K over a year ago and wanted to run in another race. Back then, I was out
How the Holidays May Impact Your Baby’s Sleep
With the holidays quickly approaching, I'm sure many of you are wondering what you should do, if anything, with your baby's schedule and sleep. It can be tricky when you travel or need to be at a family event during a nap time (our extended family Thanksgiving "dinner" is at 2 p.m., for example). Depending on your baby's personality and temperament, some babies will be fine with an "off" schedule for one day. They may be a bit overtired, maybe have a little rougher night's sleep, but get back on