Over the Moon Sleep Consulting

💤Not sure if you and your family should hire a pediatric sleep consultant? If you’re struggling with any of these sleep issues or just want to set a strong sleep foundation from day one then it may be time to schedule your complimentary discovery call.

👶👧We work with newborns and children up to 6 years old. It’s never too late to get your little one’s sleep on track.

👆Click the link in our bio to learn more!

🛠Let’s Solve Those Early Morning Wakings:

As long as your baby isn’t currently experiencing a big developmental milestone (ie language burst, newly crawling, walking, climbing, rolling, etc) then most early morning wakings can be attributed to something.

👨‍🍼Sleep prop - if your baby is relying on a prop to fall asleep (nursing, bottle, pacifier) then she’ll not only have night wakings but she’ll wake up and stay awake early in the morning.

☀️Environment - everyone stays in their lightest stage of sleep from 4am on. So if there’s a lot of light coming through your baby’s windows then she’ll struggle to connect those early morning cycles. Try to make it as dark in her nursery during the day as it is in the middle of the night.

😴 Too much daytime sleep - if your baby is exceeding her daily sleep hours then it will interfere with her nighttime sleep. It’s OKAY to wake a sleeping baby.

😫 Overtired - if your baby’s last wake window is too long or she had a crappy day of naps then she’ll definitely be overtired. And overtired jumpstarts her cortisol levels which will put her in fight or flight mode all night. So follow those wake windows and move up bedtime if her naps were too short.

🍼 Hunger - if your baby isn’t meeting her daily caloric intake and her schedule looks great then she may be waking from hunger. Try feeding her TWICE in a wake window to increase her calories while also avoiding feeding too close to naptime.

⏱Habit - if your baby is waking at the same time every morning (and it’s super early) and your first instinct is to start her day then she’s most likely gotten into the habit of waking and staying awake because she thinks that’s when her day is supposed to start. Give her 10-15m to put herself to sleep OR avoid getting her up anytime before 6am or before her 12 hour interval is up (if she went to bed at 7:00pm don’t get her up until 7:00am).

Leave an emoji in the comment section:
❤️if you love your baby’s wake time
OR
🚩if your baby is waking TOO early and you need help!

Sleep Well 🤍

🍼Is your baby waking at night out of habit or because she’s truly hungry? Swipe to go through our checklist. If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions then there’s a really good chance your baby has gotten into the habit of waking at night not because she’s hungry but because she knows you’ll come running 🏃‍♂️

⏱️Instead, give her 10-15 minutes before going into her room. Once you go in, keep lights low (red light is ideal) check her diaper and reassure her that she’s okay and it’s time to go to sleep. The goal is to not offer her a feed but to give her the opportunity to put herself back to sleep.

👇Comment below if you’re struggling with these middle of the night wakings.

Sleep Well 🤍

✨Save this Nap Drop Guide and follow for more sleep tips ✨

⏰As your baby’s wake window stamina increases and her naps start to lengthen, you’ll start to notice you may not have enough time in the day to keep all her naps while maintaining an appropriate bedtime.

🔎Save and use this guide to know the average age for a nap drop and the most common signs to look for!

👇Comment below with your baby’s age and current number of naps to receive a complimentary nap transition guide - OR - tag a friend who you know is in need of a nap drop guide!

And as always…

Sleep Well 🤍

✨SAVE FOR THIS WINTER✨

❄️With the seasons changing, it’s time to change up what your little one is wearing to sleep.

⭐️Remember, your baby doesn’t start to develop an effective thermoregulatory system until about 6 months of age. This means their bodies become more equipped to adjust to temperature variations and are able to maintain a consistent internal temperature.

🥶Babies can lost heat rapidly, nearly 4x faster than an adult (cue in grandma stressing about your babe not wearing socks).

🧦So when dressing your baby for sleep during these colder months, you may want to add an extra layer depending on the temperature of the environment they’re sleeping in.

Sleep Well 🤍

🧳As we approach the due date for our grand finale baby, we thought we’d talk about what we’re packing in our hospital bag. We’ve learned a lot since our first baby - what we didn’t need and what was an absolute necessity.
Here are our must haves for a hospital bag (keeping in mind that I’m having a scheduled c-section so my stay and recovery is quite a bit different than a vaginal birth):

1️⃣ DreamKnit Kimono Set - not only are these pajamas the softest things we’ve ever had the pleasure of wearing but the kimono top makes breastfeeding and skin to skin a breeze.
2️⃣ Nursing/Hands-Free Pumping Bra - there’s no clasps, weird holes or elastic plus another win for comfort! We’re also packing their postpartum underwear which is c-section friendly and offers support for postpartum bellies.
3️⃣ Portable Breast Pump - because I have two boys so being strapped to an outlet pumping seems far fetched (I’ll also be bringing an old fashioned hand pump).
4️⃣ Koala Babycare Silver Ni**le Covers - usually we just rely on some good old fashioned ni**le cream but we’ve heard amazing things about these covers!
5️⃣ Sound Machine - to drown out all those middle of the night check nurse check ins.
6️⃣ The Basics - Pacifiers, Phone Chargers, Pillow, Soft Towels, Snacks & Drinks, Toiletries, Those Squishy Foam Slippers, Spotify Playlist, Baby and Mama Going Home Outfits, Bottle of Champagne 🍾

👇What are we missing that you had to have in your hospital bag? Comment below, we’d love to hear!

Sleep Well 🤍

✨HOW TO LENGTHEN YOUR BABY’S WAKE WINDOW✨

❔Did you know that overtime your baby will need his wake windows adjusted?
👀Baby’s stamina gets better as he gets older while his sleep needs also change.
📈Every now and then he’ll need a little adjustment so he can build up enough sleep pressure to connect cycles during his naptime and throughout the night.

➡️Here’s how:
⏰Push his wake windows by 10-15 minutes for three days.
🥱During his usual nap or bedtime, change up the activity to keep him engaged and alert.
📆If after 3 days you notice he needs a little more awake time, push his wake windows 10 extra minutes for three days before reassessing.

👇Drop all your wake window questions in the comment section below and I’m happy to answer!

Sleep Well 🤍

✨Did you know that your baby needs slight changes in her bedtime routine as she grows older?

👉Save and swipe to see what changes need to be made and when.

⭐️Additional Tips:

💡When the last feed moves to the beginning of the bedtime routine, make sure it’s done in a brightly lit room like the kitchen or living room.

🦷Teeth brushing can be started as soon as that first tooth pops through. It consistently becomes a part of their bedtime routine by 18months or age at the latest.

2️⃣At two years of age, you can start to give your toddler ownership over her bedtime routine by giving her choices (of these two pairs of pajamas, which one would you like to wear? Of these 4 books, which 2 would you like to read?).
🎂Once your baby turns 1, you can introduce a lovey. At 18 months a blanket and/or small pillow can also be placed in her crib.

Have questions about your baby or big kid’s bedtime routine? Leave them in the comments below and we’ll answer them for you!

Sleep Well 🤍

👩🏻‍🎤Notice your babe, who is usually a rockstar sleeper, start to have crappy naps? It may be time to adjust his schedule to get sleep back on track.

🪧Signs that a schedule adjustment is needed:
🕚Takes longer than 15-20m to fall asleep at naptime.
👀Naps are getting shorter and shorter.
🥱Sleepy cues are becoming non existent.
🌚More frequent night wakings.
🌅Earlier morning risings.

✔️How to make the adjustment:
📆Extend the wake window 10-15m for three days.
🔍After three days reevaluate. If naps are getting back on track then stop there.
➕If your baby is still taking a long time to fall asleep then extend the wake window an additional 10m for three days before reevaluation.

🛑But wait…
If this is only occurring with the last nap of the day and extending the wake window will interfere with keeping a decent bed time then it’s probably time to completely drop that nap.

⏰Move bedtime up during this process to avoid your babe going to bed overtired. Over time, he’ll adjust and his stamina will increase so you can return to your regularly scheduled bedtime!

👇Leave any questions or comments below and we’ll be happy to answer!

Sleep Well 🤍

⏰Fall Back Guide!

✨Follow for all your baby/big kid sleep tips and tricks✨

💥Oh man, are we in the throes of the Terrible Twos (still a great sleeper but oof, the meltdowns). If you’re struggling through this stage, like us, save this post for tips on how to navigate those epic tantrums.

⬇️And don’t forget to tag a friend in the comments who would find this helpful!

Sleep Well 🤍

✨BIG KID SLEEP TIPS✨

These strategies don’t work because none of these teach your child independent sleep skills. They also don’t teach your child that their bed is a safe, positive place.

🛠Let’s break it down:

🛏A fancy bed - this may seem like the perfect tool to get your child excited and ultimately getting him to want to stay in bed. But the excitement only lasts for a few hours until it’s time to ultimately sleep in that bed. No amount of cartoon sheets will keep him in bed when the lights turn off.

💡A bright night light - it seems like turning on a bright light would comfort your child but it actually really affects their circadian rhythm, melatonin production and sleep cycles. If you need to keep a light on, use a red one only.

💤Laying with your child - using this strategy will definitely get your child to fall asleep initially at bedtime but it won’t keep him asleep or in his bed. When he eventually wakes in the night, he’ll need you to initiate sleep again. This is because he used you as his sleep prop at the start of the night and lacks independent skills to connect cycles through out the night.

🎁Unrealistic rewards- I love a good reward system in place to help keep your child in bed. BUT make sure the goals are realistic. If on night one the goal is to stay in bed all night, your child will see this as impossible and throw in the towel right from the start. Instead make the goals attainable, such as nights 1-3 he has to fall asleep with out[insert sleep prop]. Even if he wakes up in the night, he still gets a reward in the morning because he achieved his goal.

🔒A locked door - we want bedtime and sleep to be a safe and enjoyable part of your child’s day. So by using a lock so they can’t come out of their room in the middle of the night will make this a scary experience for your child. Not only is it scary but it’s also unsafe.

🧗Keeping the crib - this is only an issue if your child is climbing out and there’s no option to turn it into a toddler bed. If you keep the crib intact, your child will continue to climb out. Move to a big kid bed instead.

Sleep Well 🤍

✨This glowing review for our girl gives us all the feels 🥰 Read this client’s full praise below 👇

“We have 2 boys under 2 years old that were terrible at night time… waking up at least 3x each during the night. We were desperate for help. I feel like we had tried everything and nothing was working. After reading reviews online, we decided to contact OTM and it has been the BEST decision we have ever made. Regina created a plan for both of my kids and since day one, it worked like magic! I am forever thankful!!! We used to rock and feed our boys when they woke up during the night, now they both fall asleep on their own and sleep through the night. We cannot stop talking about OTM and how much our lives have changed for the best. We are all well rested and happy. Regina will always have a special place in our hearts! Thank you!! ❤️”

🛑The dreaded 2 year old sleep regression, ah! You probably thought you were in the clear at this point, but nope. Here comes another development leap and your toddler’s sleep is now a disaster! Read through these slides for what this “regression” really is and what you can do to get sleep back on track!

And as always, Sleep Well 🤍

3 Reason Why Your Baby Wakes Up Crying

✨SAVE SAVE SAVE✨

🚽About to tackle nighttime potty training? Read and save this post first! And following for all your baby + toddler sleep tips.

Sleep Well 🤍

🗓I can’t believe we’re already counting down the days until the first day of school. Summer! Where did you go??

☀️As we head towards the end of summer, let’s talk about how we can optimize your students’ sleep so they can be at their best in the classroom.

⏰Set a bedtime and stick to it. Children need a minimum of 10 hours of nighttime sleep. If your child needs to be up at 7:00 am, the very latest he should be going to sleep is 9:00 pm. So plan accordingly and START the bedtime so he is asleep at the appropriate time.

🛌Don’t leave it to the last minute. Start implementing that bedtime a few weeks prior to the start of school. Adjust the bedtime by 15 minutes every four days until you’re at the ideal time.

❤️Establish a bedtime routine. If your routine fell to the wayside so you could enjoy your summer nights, then revisit the routine your children had last school year. Familiarity will definitely help your child settle back into the schedule quicker and with less resistance than trying out something new.

⏲Use a timer. Your child can quickly become the kind of negotiations and may start trying to push that bedtime little by little. Using a timer to set boundaries takes the blame off of you, and puts it on the timer!

📱Turn off those screens. Screens put out massive amount of blue light. Our brains associate blue light with sunshine and therefore daytime. So screens before bed can actually have the unwanted effect of firing your kid’s system back up when it should be powering down. Try to avoid screen time a least two hours before bed. (Adults, you too!)

✨And lastly, we hope your babes have a wonderful school year! We’re here for you if you need support beyond these tips. Just click the link in our bio 👆

Sleep Well 🤍

✨Sleep pressure (or homeostatic sleep drive) builds up in our body as our time awake increases. Having the right amount of sleep pressure, in the right environment, makes us want to go to sleep.

☑️But several things can affect sleep pressure such as:

💡Light
🛏Environment
⏰Awake Time

💡Light - You know, as well as anyone, how hard it can be to nap or sleep in later in the morning on a brightly lit room. That’s why it’s essential your baby’s room is dark dark dark. Blackout curtains or blinds are the best solution for a brightly lit room. This keeps out afternoon sun and that early rising sunlight. If you’re traveling, invest in to make the right sleep environment an cinch. (Use code OVERTHEMOONS$20 to receive $20 off).

🛏Environment - Your baby’s sleep environment should be EXTRA boring. That means ditch the projectors, mobiles and any other light enhancing objects. You want the least amount of distractions possible.

⏰Awake Time - This is the KEY element to getting your babies to take long naps and sleep through the night. Having an appropriate amount of awake time before naps and bedtime ensures your baby will be efficient in connecting her sleep cycles. Too little sleep pressure/awake time leads to longer times to settles and short naps. Too much awake time leads to instantaneous sleep and short naps. Save the next slide for a guide on age appropriate wake windows.

And as always,

Sleep Well 🤍

🤒Let’s talk babies and illnesses. Your little one is bound to get sick- whether it’s germs at the park, at daycare or from her older sibling who’s exposed every day at school. It’s just gonna happen.

⬇️So what does sleep look like when your baby is sick? Follow these guidelines to ensure your baby’s sleep doesn’t suffer.

💤Let her sleep, sleep, sleep. If you regularly wake her every morning at 7:00. Stop. Let her sleep until she’s ready to wake in the morning.

⏰And are you capping her naps daily? That’s great when she’s healthy! But if she’s sick, do not wake her from a nap. Even if that means her regular 1.5 hour morning nap is going on 3 hours.

❔Why? Sleep is restorative. The more she sleeps the faster she’ll heal.

❤️‍🩹If she wakes in the middle of the night, and you know she’s sick, don’t leave her to try and put herself back to sleep. Respond to her calls. Give her comfort, medicine, whatever she needs.

🤱The amazing part about a baby with a strong sleep foundation (calling all former clients 😉) is if your baby gets sick, and you have to hold her at night or during a nap, it won’t derail her sleep. Once she’s feeling better, she’ll be back to sleeping independently because she’ll remember all her sleep skills.

👆Is your baby waking frequently at night but she’s not sick? Let’s chat and find out why! Click the link in our bio to schedule your free 15 minute Discovery Call.

Sleep Well 🤍

Let’s talk Sleep Latency and how it relates to your baby’s sleep 🤍

“Sasha is an absolute life saver and miracle worker. Our little one did not sleep through the night once in his first ten months. In fact, he was up every 45 minutes or so, all night every night. At the ten month mark, with my wife and I hanging on by a thread, we started working with Sasha and on the very first night of her program, using her methods and the personalized sleep plan she made for our son, he slept entirely through the night, a full 12 hours. Ever since, as long as we've stayed disciplined and diligent in following the plan, he's been a great sleeper and our life has totally changed for the better. Hiring Sasha and Over the Moon Sleep Consulting was the single best investment we made as parents of an infant. We would recommend Sasha and her company to any and every parent who is struggling with their child's sleep. She is caring, humane, thorough, and supportive. We couldn't ask for anything more. 10/10 would hire her again without any hesitation!”

This review from an overnight client gives me all the feels 🥰🥰🥰 Love this family and their sweet baby boy. It was such a pleasure supporting them through their sleep journey. Also their house was 😍!

Sleep Well 🤍

👶Babies aren’t a one size fits all, especially when it comes to starting new things.

🍽Did you know that motor skills and feeding skills are interconnected? You cannot have sufficient feeding skills without having key motor skills first. So if you’re debating on whether it’s the right time to introduce solids to your baby, run through this checklist before pureeing those sweet potatoes.

🔄Rolls from Back to Belly

🙋‍♀️Pushes up Through Extended Arms

🧘Sits Along for Short Periods

🥱Brings Her Toy to Her Mouth

👷Has Good Head Control

Bon Appétit!🧑‍🍳

👩‍⚕️The AAP has just released new safe sleep guidelines. These apply to a baby under the age of 1 ONLY.

🔎There hasn’t been any big changes but these new guidelines just offer more clarity.

👇If you have a question about a specific baby product and if it’s safe for baby, ask in the comments section and I’m happy to guide you!

Sleep Well (+ Safely) 🤍

✨One of the most crucial elements for teaching children to go to sleep and stay asleep is helping them to initiate sleep on their own. That way, they can fall asleep easily and peacefully at bedtime, and connect sleep cycles to stay sleeping all night long (only waking up when they’re ready to be up for the day.)

BUT WHAT ARE SLEEP CYCLES?

🔄Babies cycle through four stages of sleep, just like adults do. Some are light stages of sleep and other are deeper levels of sleep. They cycle through these stages every 45-60 minutes or so and it is normal to have over six cycles per night. As they “come to the surface” of sleep (move from deeper into lighter sleep), they can either easily transition into the next sleep cycle or have a “true wake-up”. True wake-ups are more likely to happen when their surroundings are not the same as they were when they fell asleep in the first place.

🧑‍🍼So your little one depends on a pacifier, breastfeeding, rocking, laying with a parent or a bottle to fall asleep, then they won’t be able to connect cycles through out the night with out that prop in between cycles. Hence, all those wake ups!

👀Putting your baby in her crib awake and without a prop is the most effective and efficient way to teach her how to connect cycles and sleep through the night.

👆Unsure on how to make that happen? Click the link in our bio to schedule your free 15 minute discovery call. We’ll discuss how we help support you and your baby in this journey.

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✨NEWBORN NAPS ✨

WHERE?
☀️In a brightly lit room

WHY?
🌜To help set his circadian rhythm and decipher between daytime and nighttime

WHEN?
⏰Every 45-60 minutes for the first six weeks

HOW?
📚Start with a short naptime routine (diaper change, book/song, cuddle, into crib awake).
1️⃣If he fusses or squirms, wait a minute or two to see if he can self settle.
2️⃣If he gets more upset, pick him up again to calm him.
3️⃣At the first signs of drowsiness, put him back down again. Repeat this process until he falls asleep (or until one hour has gone by, then offer a feed).

🚙Newborn naps are flexible. Naps in strollers, car seats, a carrier or your arms the first few weeks are 👌.

🤱If you’re worn out on naps then focus on the first nap of the day and make the rest movement naps.

👇Do you have a new baby? What newborn tips are you looking for? Comment below and/or tag a mom who could use these nap tips!

Sleep Well 🤍

👧 Transitioning your little one from a crib to a toddler bed can be daunting and scary. If you’re debating on making the move, read through our sleep tips first.

🛑Take a pause, and really assess why you’re making the move. If baby is crawling out, putting herself at risk, and you’ve tried every trick to keep her in, then yes, now is the time.

🗣First, the week leading up to the change, make sure to have daily discussions on what your toddler can expect. Let her know what’s happening and why.

🧑‍⚖️Lay out some rules and expectations for sleeping in her new bed (ie, she needs to stay in her bed until morning, it doesn’t become a new home for all her toys - blankets and lovies only.)

⏰Set up a color changing clock to signal when she needs to be in her bed and when it’s time to get up and start her day. Do some practice runs before she does it independently the first night.

🛏Having that much freedom can be tempting for her. Make sure her room is toddler-proofed and all sleep distractions are removed.

✅Collaborate with your toddler on a new bedtime routine. Let her be a part of the process so she can take ownership in her bedtime.

🥱Napping in a toddler bed can lead to protests. Instead, reframe what she’ll do during that time. Encourage her to rest her body, but don’t insist on her falling asleep.

•When in doubt, reach out to a sleep coach 👋🏻 We work with children up to 6 years old! Click the link in our bio to learn more about our sleep packages🌙💤

Sleep Well 🤍