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Here are a few more tips to help you make the transition.

Walkin on Sunshine! Sunshine is going to be your best friend during this time change. Did you know that our body clocks are set by the sun? Well, they are! So on Sunday Nov. 5th, plan a fun filled day outside. Meet all your friends for a picnic and hike. The more sun you get, the quicker your clock will re set!

Proper Schedule. Make sure that your child has an age appropriate schedule. If your child is waking too early, napping at odd times or going to bed too late, the time change will just make these things worse. There is no time like the present to get these things in order. A well rested child can handle minor changes in schedule much better than an over tired one!

Environment is Key! Even though it is going to be getting darker earlier, it is still helpful to make sure that you have a proper sleep environment. Get your child’s room as dark as you possibly can and use white noise or a sound machine to help drown out any outside noises. We all sleep better in a sleep inducing room, right?

And  finally, just remember that it can take a few days to adjust! These tips work great for adults as well. So don’t dread it, just go with it and enjoy your fall! I hope to Meet you all in Dreamland!

So today my husband came home for lunch and said, Guess what time it is? And because I am a Mom, the first thing that came into my head was the Bubble Guppies song!

Excuse me, what time is it?

Manager : IT’S TIME FOR LUNCH!

Mr. Grouper: What time is it?

Students: It’s time for lunch!

Mr. Grouper: What time is it?

Students: It’s time for lunch!

Mr. Grouper: What time is it?

Students: It’s time for lunch!

Mr. Grouper & Students: It’s lunchtime! Hey, what’s for lunch?

But my hubby said, that he was referring to the time change! (Slaps hand to forehead!)

What??!! NO!!!
And I should be on top of this kinda thing, right? I guess I am in denial.

So anyway, here we are, talking about the time change….AGAIN!

But we can do this! If we get lemons we make lemonade, right?

In general I find that kiddos tend to have an easier time with “Spring Forward, rather than “Fall back.” The only tricky part, is keeping a decent bedtime when it is still light at 9pm.

So here we go, my top tips for getting through!

– Make sure that your child isn’t overtired before the change happens. Kids who have built up a sleep debt have a much harder time adjusting to any sort of schedule change, especially daylight savings. The week before the time change, make sure your child (three and under) is napping and bedtimes are at a decent hour.

-Believe it or not, our bodies will do most of the adjusting on their own. Our body’s internal clock is controlled by the amount of light that our bodies perceive during the day. So most people will find that their body slowly adjusts on its own.
–For Kiddos on One Nap- If your child normally goes to bed at 7pm, the time change would now make that an 8pm bedtime. So on Sunday night put them to sleep 7:30 (new time) for three days, then on the fourth night switch them to their regular bedtime of 7:00pm (new time).  Keep in mind they will be going to bed ½ hour earlier.

-For Babies on 2-3 Naps: I do recommend waking them by 7:30am (new time) so that we can preserve that morning nap time. I know I know, I am brutal. I never recommend waking a sleeping baby unless we are protecting another sleep time. And we do want to protect that morning nap! We are still aiming for them to go down about 9am!

Don’t forget that the time change means more light at night and in the morning!
So think like a bear! Make sure your child’s room is just like a cave, dark and cool! It is very important that we keep our sleep environment nice and dark! This goes for every one of all ages! We want our bodies to release all of the sleep hormone Melatonin. Melatonin is nick named the “vampire hormone” because it only comes out in the dark. So let’s give our children’s body a helping hand by keeping their room nice and dark, for naps, nights and early morning!

When you do get up for the day, open those windows and try to get some outside time if you can. Remember what I said above! Our body clock is set by the sun, so exposing your child to lots of light in the morning hour will help set their body clock!

And above all, don’t worry too much! We will make it through!

I hope to Meet you all in Dreamland!

Vacation! It’s all we ever wanted, right?! But traveling with little ones can add in a whole different list of things to think and worry about. Car seats, packing enough bottles, and don’t forget the swim diapers!

But sleep…..many of us have worked hard to have the perfect bedtime routine and daily schedule to maximize sleep. And the thought of traveling with an overtired and cranky child almost makes the vacation not seem worth it.  But never fear! Here are some tips to help you make it through vacation without too much stress.

• Fill Up That Sleep Bank! It is a good idea to make sure our children are nice and well rested before we go on vacation. It might sound simple but when overtired, children create a literal sleep debt. So hold off on the sleepovers and late nights right before the big trip. We want their sleep bank nice and full!
• Plan Ahead! If you are going to be staying in a hotel, try and make sure you are in a quiet area. Being next to the pool or elevator can add undue noise late at night. Many hotels will also rent out cribs, or know of companies who do. This can be very handy when you are flying to a location and don’t want to bring a pack n play.
• Practice! Children thrive on consistency! So if your child is going to be sleeping in a pack n play or somewhere different while traveling you might want to practice at home. Set up the pack n play and let them nap in it a few times or even sleep all night in it. This will make it much less scary during vacation.
• Keep Your Schedule In Mind! Try to stay as close as you can to your child’s normal schedule as possible, but also try to enjoy yourself. If you haven’t planned a vacation yet, but want to, I usually recommend that people try and stay in one place. It will be easier on your child if you stay in one place for 5 nights verses taking a road trip with stops at different hotels each night. Although, I am not a fan of car naps in general, sometimes it is the best you can do on vacation. So try and plan some of your driving around your child’s normal nap or bedtime.
• Consistency Wins the Day! When putting your child down for bedtime or naps, try and stick to your same routine. If this includes reading books, snuggles, singing etc. go ahead and do all of those things. Don’t forget your child’s sound machine and their favorite blanket, lovey or stuffed animal. This will give them some comfort and something familiar to take to bed with them.
• Don’t Let Jet Lag Get the Better of You! Changing time zones can be tricky for little ones. If you are staying for more than a day or two I recommend that you switch them over to the local time immediately. This requires waking them at their normal time and putting them to bed and down for naps at their normal time.

For example; If you are from California and your child normally gets up for the day at 7am and you travel to Florida then wake your child up for the day at 7am Eastern time. He may be a little groggy or even grumpy but nap time will fall earlier and it will sync pretty quickly.

Make sure your child is getting lots of sunshine to help set that body clock! And remember that you can always put your child to bed slightly earlier to compensate for when they are tired. Don’t forget that our kids get very simulated and excited on vacations, and rightfully so. But this is why we can’t throw their sleep needs completely out the window. If we do, we will end up with a very grumpy child who is unable to enjoy their vacation. Keep to their normal nap routine, even if they don’t act tired. Your little one isn’t going to let on that they need a nap when the mini golf course looks so appealing!

• Provide a Place! Sometimes during vacation you are going to be out all day! You want to get the most bang for your buck, especially at places like theme parks. So the thought of leaving to go put your child down for a nap, doesn’t sound like an option. So bring something for your child to nap in such as a stroller, carrier or backpack. At least they have somewhere to nod off for a bit. You can even get fancy covers for strollers and joggers to help darken out their little area.
• For International travel, do whatever you need to get through flight day. Use day one for recovery and day two start setting their clock to local time!
  
  And an extra note for breastfeeding families: Traveling with an older EBF baby can be challenging. Milk production is pretty regulated on a 24 hour schedule. In addition to sleep, milk production needs to realign to a shifted 24 hour schedule. It happens pretty quickly, but just something to be aware of in the first day or two.When you return from vacation you might have a small adjustment time. This is normal and once we expect it, it usually isn’t bad. Just jump right back into your normal schedule and supplement with an early bedtime until they have caught up on any lost sleep.

  Here are a couple of my favorite items that can make traveling with kids a bit easier!

  Portable White Noise! This portable white noise machine has a clip that you can clip to a car seat, stroller or pack n play!

  Travel Bed! If you are short on space this little pop up bed is perfect for toddlers!

  Travel Crib! I love both the Babybjorn and the Lotus travel cribs!

  Baby Jogger Cover! This cover not only protects from sun and bugs but also darkens out their space if they need to nap!

  Snooze Shade Cover for a Pack N Play! This is one of my favorite products! I love a dark sleep environment and how can we get that while on vacation? Well this cover fits over most pack n plays and perfectly darkens out a baby’s sleep spot!

  Travel Black out Shades! This is another item that can quickly darken out any sleep environment! This shade has Velcro and goes up in a matter of minutes!

And don’t forget! Have Fun!

Kerrin Edmonds a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and is the Owner of Meet you in Dreamland- Infant and Child Sleep Consulting. She lives in San Luis Obispo’s North County with her husband and three children.

The backpacks and lunch boxes are out and Walmart is selling boxes of crayons for 10 cents! That can only mean one thing…….school is starting soon.
The lazy days of summer are coming to close and that means your late night BBQ’s and backyard camp outs are too.

Here are some tips to help you get back in to the swing of things!

1) Start now in adjusting your child’s bedtime back to a nice early start. If your child has been staying up late and sleeping in. Oh wait, who are we kidding? Staying up late and still getting up early. Start now in adjusting that bedtime. Slowly move it back to a reasonable time.
2) Make sure your child has an age appropriate bedtime routine. A good bedtime routine is critical in getting your child’s mind and body ready for bed. This routine does not need to be long and drawn out. Mom needs a break too! So keep it to a short and sweet 10-15 minutes, then you, my friend, are off the clock! Chocolate anyone?
3) Keep a regular bedtime even on weekends. This makes sure kids and teens are getting enough sleep. It also keeps their circadian rhythms regulated. I know I sound like a downer with this tip, but it will make life easier. Now the occasional late night for a special occasion is no big deal, but if your child is staying up late every weekend, it will only get harder and harder for them to have to keep adjusting back and forth.
4) All screen devices should be kept out of the bedroom. This included video games, televisions, computers, and cell phones. Use of electronics before bed can lead to poor sleep. Eliminate exposure to electronic media within an hour before bed. These items are lit by blue back lights which inhibit the release of melatonin. Really, your child can live without these things in their room. We did, right?
6) Make sure your child is getting plenty of exercise and sunshine during the day. Both of these things help set our body clock! Sitting in a class all day can be tough, so make sure they are getting lots of outside time. Take them to the park and run their legs off. They will sleep better for it!
Remember that sleep deprivation can have detrimental effects on school and work performance, safety while driving and working, the immune system, cognitive processes, and mood.
Children require(depending on age and if they are still napping) between 9-12 hours of sleep a night!

Your teachers will thank you for it!

I hope to Meet you in Dreamland!

Toddler beds are so cute! And so is the bedding! All the fun options, have you looked at Ikea’s selection of toddler beds and bedding? To die for!
But let’s not jump the gun too quickly, because you know what isn’t cute? A toddler up at all hours of the night because they have the freedom to do so! Nothing makes a toddler move faster than an open door, gate or toilet seat! If ya know what I mean.

So how do we know when is the right time to make the transition?
Transitioning our little one to a toddler bed is and should be a rite of passage. This is a big step and we need to make sure that our children are not only physically ready but emotionally ready as well. Believe it or not a crib provides a lot of security to our little ones. It is confining, but in a comforting way. They know where the walls are and this makes them feel safe.
It also helps us to keep them safe. There is nothing scarier than the possibility of a toddler roaming around the house alone at night! I bet you know just where your toddler would head first. I had a friend who found her little girl sitting on the kitchen counter eating chewable vitamin C tablets. Because, obviously!
So before we talk about making the transitions, let’s talk about reasons not to transition your child.
1) Another baby is coming and you need the crib! Let’s think about this first, a new baby can be unsettling to a child. Suddenly there is another little person vying for your attention and not only are they getting your attention, but they have taken their crib! I know how it is to need to transition baby furniture. I had three children in under three years! I get it! I just bit the bullet and eventually wound up with two cribs and a pack n play. It is just a short season of life!
2) Your toddler is climbing out of their crib. One of the first things we learn as parents is not to reward unwanted behavior. But in a sense that is what we are doing when we give our children a toddler bed when they climb out of the crib. Now, I know what you are probably thinking. How in the world is it safe for them to be in their crib when they can climb out and hurt themselves? And yes, this is a valid concern that I will address in another blog post!
3) They are having sleep issues. I have had a lot of people start having sleep issues with their child and so they think transitioning to a toddler bed will help. But probably not! We need to make sure our children are good sleepers before we start changing things up!
So the first thing I tell parents when they ask about toddler beds is to wait until your child is old enough to ask for one! And when that happens, we need to make sure that they are capable of following sleep rules. Transitioning to a toddler or big kid bed is a privilege and should be accompanied by big kid behavior.
So if your child has met the above criteria, let’s talk about how we introduce this new bed!
1) Talk about it! This is a big deal! Let’s drag this one out a bit! Make it exciting and fun. Get the bed and go out and pick out bedding together.
2) Before the big night, sit and make a sleep rules chart. Get out all of your fun crafting supplies and some poster board. Talk all about sleep and how important it is. Explain how it makes us strong and gives us energy to do the things we love! Then ask your child what it is that we do to get ready for bedtime. Then write all of these things out in order. Don’t be afraid to get specific! Towards the end you can write things like “I lay down in my bed.” “Mom gives me a kiss.””I close my eyes and go to sleep.” If you are super crafty you can even take pictures of your child doing these things and put them on the poster board as well. But I am about as crafty as…….let’s just say my sister was the crafty one. So if that kinda stuff gives you a panic attack, never fear! Basic is good!
3) Call a family meeting! Now this might sound a little cheesy or you think, “Whats the point?” But I am tellin ya, it works! So gather everyone together! Mom, Dad, siblings, pets, baby dolls and transformers! Have your child show everyone their new sleep rules chart and have them explain it to everyone! Get a play microphone and pass it around. When the family meeting is over, go hang the chart in their room.
4) Get a tot clock. These are great little clocks that change color when it is okay for your child to get up. My favorite is the Ok to wake clock and you can get it on Amazon or Target.

5) Consider a gate. If you think your child will be okay with following the rules and boundaries you have set up then you will probably be fine. But You can choose to use a gate at the door if you want. A gate doesn’t need to be a negative thing. Just like the sides of a crib, the gate can give them a visual and literal boundary. This shows them where they can and can’t go. Let them decorate it and tell them that the gate reminds their feet to stay in bed!
6) Consistency and confidence will win! Remember that consistency and your unfailing confidence wins the day with sleep training!

So to wrap up. Don’t rush the toddler or big kid bed. There is plenty of time for it and there is no need to rush! But when the time is right, make a plan and stick with it!

I hope to Meet you all in Dreamland!

Doing the Bedtime Routine By Yourself

The evening is winding down and bedtime is fast approaching. How are you going to make it through the bedtime routine by yourself with multiple children? Maybe you have a spouse that works evenings or you are a single parent.

I have been there myself! I have three children, my second are third are only 10 months and 3 weeks apart. So at one point I had two babies to put to sleep as well as a preschooler, and my husband worked nights.

No matter the reason, putting multiple children down to bed can be overwhelming. Here are a few simple steps to make it less daunting!

1) Have a bedtime routine set in stone. Make sure you have an established sleep routine with your children and make sure it is relatively short or you will spend all night putting your kids to sleep.
2) Make a sleep rules/routine chart. If any of your children are over 2.5 years old, make a sleep rules and routine chart. This will help solidify your routine for you and your child. It will also give you something tangible to point to if your child likes to stall at bedtime.
3) Call a family Meeting! For children over 2.5yrs old, after you make a sleep rules chart it is time to call a family meeting! Have everyone present and have your child go over the sleep rules/routine chart and explain it to the family! This gives your child a sense of power and control over the situation while setting in stone what the evening will look like.
4) Give yourself more time than you think. Start your bedtime routine earlier than you think you need too. Once you get the hang of putting multiple kids down to bed you can tighten up your time but until then, give yourself lots of time so your kids don’t get overtired in the process and you don’t get stressed out.
5) Do as much of the routine together as you can. With multiple children, try and do as much of the bedtime routine as you can together. If you can do bath, brushing teeth or reading books together, do it!
6) Prioritize who needs to go down first. Based on how the day was, decide who needs to go down first and go with that. If the youngest needs to go down, get your older children either to sit quietly with you or give them a quiet activity they can do while you put the baby down. You can give them a baby doll to go put night night and tell them you will meet them when you are done putting your baby down. Or you can give them a quiet time to color, draw, or a small puzzle to do. You should already have your bedtime routine for your baby short and sweet so your other children shouldn’t have to wait too long. If your older children need to go down first (because maybe they aren’t napping anymore) put the baby in a swing, pack n play, bouncy seat or high chair to contain them while you put the older child to bed. If you do leave them in some sort of seat, make sure they are properly strapped in and in a safe location.

Just a one hour difference, not that big of a deal, right? Those with young children know that even moving the schedule by one hour can wreak havoc on a perfectly timed day. So how can you adjust with as little upset as possible? Meet you in Dreamland has listed some key tips and tricks to keep everyone well rested!
– Make sure that your child isn’t overtired before the change happens. Kids who have built up a sleep debt have a much harder time adjusting to any sort of schedule change, especially daylight savings. The week before the time change, make sure your child (three and under) is napping and bedtimes are at a decent hour.
– If you are a planner you can slowly start adjusting your child’s schedule beforehand. About three days before the change just adjust naps and bedtime by 15 minutes each day. Then when the day arrives you are just about there!
– If you didn’t get around to adjusting beforehand, never fear! Once the change happens just jump right into the new times. Keep to your child’s regular sleep, wake and nap times.
-Try not to compensate for the lost hour by holding off bedtime or allowing your child to sleep in. This will increase the time it takes to transition. There may be some crankiness from being tired, but this should last only a day or two.
-Think like a bear! Make sure your child’s room is just like a cave, dark and cool! As we enter into the spring and then summer months it will be very important to get their room nice and dark! We want their body to fully release all of the sleep hormone Melatonin. Melatonin is nick named the “vampire hormone” because it only comes out in the dark. So let’s give our children’s body a helping hand by keeping their room nice and dark, for naps and nights!
– When they do get up for the day, open those windows and try to get some outside time if you can. Our children’s body clock is set by the sun. Exposing your child to lots of light in the morning hour will help set their body clock!
– Last but not least, just relax! The “spring forward” is much easier for little ones to deal with. So if you made it through “fall back,” your little one will be ready to bounce into spring!