The Secret to Sleep Success

So, your baby isn’t sleeping. Maybe you’ve resorted to swing naps, bouncing all night long, or trying to figure out how you can transform into a human that simply doesn’t need any sleep at all.

We’ve yet to find a way to not need sleep, but we have found a way to get your baby to sleep (and let you sleep in the process).

One-size-fits-all books just don’t work. The main downfall of them is they neglect to take into account one very key element of baby sleep. Your baby! The reason sleep books are a dime a dozen is because each baby is completely unique in what they need and each family is unique in their goals. A book can’t adapt to that, It’s just a set of rules, printed there in black and white. And if it doesn’t work?

Well, then we start to believe our babies just don’t sleep.

The truth of the matter is your baby can and will sleep. They just need the proper environment and coaching to do so. This could involve any number of situations that a book off Amazon just can’t account for. While the authors of these books may have some sound advice, they don’t know you or your baby!

Another little secret is this: “no cry” solutions just don’t work.

Nobody likes to hear their baby cry. We’re actually biologically programmed to respond to baby’s cries. Studies have found that the effects of a baby crying on a parent’s brain is similar to them being electrocuted. Feeling a little shaky after a long cry session with baby? That’s why.

While crying can signal that something is wrong with baby, it also is the only way they have to communicate with us. What they’re trying to communicate is not always something that needs fixing. Imagine being a brand new baby, unfamiliar with the entire world. They have a lot of learning to do. With that learning and frustration comes tears. These aren’t necessarily tears that need to be addressed, simply a baby communicating that something is different and unfamiliar.

Babies often cry when they want to move but are unable to, for example. During tummy time, many babies get annoyed and frustrated because they can’t roll or move. They may cry but this isn’t a danger or pain cry, it’s simply them communicating, “Hey! I’m pissed!”

The same happens when babies begin to learn how to sleep independently. They get frustrated. That doesn’t necessarily mean we need to run to assist them, though. Letting them learn on their own is a great way to help them establish healthy sleep habits for the rest of their lives.

The secret? Your family needs a customized approach combined with support.

We’ve cracked the code. By using an approach that is custom-tailored to your baby, your family, and your goals, we’re able to create a plan that is unique to you. We sit with you, learn about you and your baby, see your space, and devise an all-encompassing plan including how to reset during bumps in the road. Carolina Dream Tree is with you for 72 hours, walking through each naptime and bedtime. We’re helping to reassure and give guidance as you and your family adjust to your new normal (11-12 hours of baby sleep a night!). We offer support in the weeks following and guarantee results.

By using this method, we minimize tears and maximize success!

We leave our clients well-rested and ready to help their baby continue to develop their newly learned skill through illness, travel, and any other curve balls life may throw at them.

The secret is that there isn’t one secret. It’s a customized and supported approach to baby sleep.

4 Month Monsters: The Dreaded Sleep Regression

Your newborn comes home, all snuggly warm and makes it a habit of snoozing for most of the day. Brand new babies sleep 18+ hours a day, often dozing between feeds for a couple weeks. As you celebrate your very sleepy baby, your well-meaning sister or aunt jumps in with, “Just wait until the 4-month sleep regression….”

We’re sure you’ve heard it everywhere. On Facebook, websites, in passing conversation...at 4 months old your darling, sweet, sleeping baby will turn into a growling, angry monster that never sleeps.

What if we told you the 4 Month Sleep Regression was a lie?

Well...okay, maybe not an all out lie, but more of a misconception.

As your baby grows and develops, you’ll notice changes left and right. New movements, noises, and schedules will emerge as your little one grows up right before your eyes. As babies grow so do their brains. They require different things and as they grow, their sleep patterns will inevitably change. One of these very expected changes is an increase in the time your baby is awake. They’ll become more alert, more aware, and...well, more wakeful.

The 4 Month “sleep regression” is really nothing more than a developmental milestone. It’s less a regression and more of a progression in your baby’s journey to grow!

Carolina Dream Tree Saves Charlotte: Sleep Coach to the Rescue

It’s an epidemic among new parents.

They’ve all lost something. Something very, very precious to them.

Sleep.

Across Charlotte, North Carolina, parents of small babies are desperately looking for the rest they seem to have misplaced.

Most families have noticed a shocking correlation with the arrival of their newborns.

As we have watched exhausted parents push their baskets through Target in search of coffee and some Dollar Spot decor they definitely don’t need, we knew we needed to step in.

Where is the sleep? We wondered.

Brilliant news: we found it.

The sleep new families have been missing for months was right under our noses the whole time (and we have the secret to bringing it back)!

Carolina Dream Tree brings a simple, custom, and effective method to you. We help you reclaim the restful nights that seem just a hazy daydream and make them a reality in your house.

First we assess your family’s needs in a phone call that can only be described as “thorough”. We walk through your goals, hopes, dreams, family dynamic, and just what it will take to get your baby loving their crib. Families who complete this call feel a huge sense of relief and direction.

We then schedule your sleep coaching and come to your home on those dates. In just 72 hours (usually over one weekend) we will bring a plan to you created specifically to get your baby sleeping independently. We’re with you through each naptime, each bedtime, each and every stir you hear on the monitor. We help create an environment that supports your baby learning how to fall asleep (and stay asleep) and walk with you, step by step.

Once your baby is successfully sleeping 11-12 hours a night, the support isn’t over. We’ll leave you with a plan going forward, a phone number, and an email where you can reach us over the next month. There will be bumps in the road but, rest assured, those are learning experiences and actually great things! They’ll set baby up for a lifetime of healthy sleep habits.

Sleep affects everything! From mental health to healing and development, your whole entire family needs sleep. Carolina Dream Tree has gone the extra mile to make sure that our Charlotte families have a sleep coach here that supports their unique baby, family, and lifestyle.

End the battles surrounding sleep and get back to your life!

If you’ve had it with sleepless nights are are ready to reconnect with your pillow, connect with us and schedule your sleep assment call. We can’t wait to speak with you!

End The Bedtime Battles: Helpful Sleep Tips for Tired Parents

Are you a tired parent?

(Of course you are, that’s a silly question.)

Well, welcome! You’ve arrived at your saving grace. We’ve created a blueprint for exhausted parents just like you.

If you’re craving sleep we know your baby must be too. We all know very well that sleep is vital to proper brain development and that your little one needs an incredible amount of it! If baby isn’t sleeping, nobody is sleeping.

Maybe your baby won’t sleep. Maybe you’re battling nap time. Maybe it’s just all a struggle. Never fear! Carolina Dream Tree is here to give you some quick tips and tricks to help you get through it.

Establish a bedtime routine!

This tip comes with a small caveat. Establish a simple bedtime routine. Often we see parents try to make their routine 5+ steps every single night. That may be fine for a week or so but imagine being sleep deprived and needing to complete each step! Keep it simple, sweet, and connecting. Some parents choose to have one last nightly feed, read a book, swaddle and rock baby to sleep. Whatever you establish, know that you’ll likely have to do this for the foreseeable future in order to soothe your baby off to dreamland.

Swaddle, swaddle, swaddle!

Newborn babies are used to being warm, held close, and feeling secure. When your little is born they have what is referred to as a “startle reflex”, meaning their bodies will often startle them awake without warning. While this reflex will fade, until your baby grows out of it most parents find it incredibly helpful to wrap those little arms up. The AAP does recommend leaving the swaddle behind once baby can roll independently so if you notice that milestone, work on weaning off it.

Not sure how to do it properly? A simple fix is a swaddle sack. This genius invention is a blanket that zips around baby and allows you to burrito them super quickly and simply. 3 steps to a swaddled baby!

Establish a bedtime (and it may be earlier than you thought).

One very important aspect that parents miss is an overtired baby doesn’t necessarily look “tired”. They’re fussy and often hyper-alert. When your baby is tearfully bright-eyed, it’s often difficult to soothe them to sleep. “Conventional” wisdom would tell you to keep your baby up during the day or later in the evening so they sleep at night when the opposite is actually true! Sleep begets sleep. Get your sweet one sleeping better by establishing a consistent bedtime and sticking to it.

Sleep train!

Yes, we’re aware this is probably an obvious one coming from a Charlotte sleep coach but hear us out.

When your baby is awake, you’re awake. When your baby is tired, you’re tired. We’ve already talked about the dangers of sleep deprivation and why it’s important for parents to get adequate (not just sporadic) sleep. Helping your baby learn to sleep independently can be one of the greatest gifts you give your family.

When is the appropriate time to sleep train? That answer depends on you. Our method begins sleep training about 12 weeks of age but some families aren’t quite ready at that moment. By using a customized method we’re able to create a sleep solution just for you no matter what age your little one is.

Sleep is the word and the solution. Finding ways to help your baby sleep can mean the difference between a well-rested and productive day and one that requires unspeakable amounts of caffeine to support it. No matter what, Carolina Dream Tree is here to help you and your family thrive.