Quality Sleep for Toddlers and Moms with Lauren Olsen of @sleepandthecity

Host Vanessa Quigley is joined by co-host (and sister) Shelly to talk to pediatric sleep expert Lauren Olson about how we can get our kids to sleep - and Shelly REALLY needs the help. Her darling 18-month-old is waking up 5x a night. Here are a few tips Lauren shared:

Tip 1. Try not to give your toddler food an hour before bedtime - their bodies will be wanting to digest instead of falling asleep. BUT - if you have to give a snack, did you know bananas have tryptophan in it??? Go with that.

Tip 2. Make sure your child is getting their caloric needs met during the day. 

Tip 3. Wean your child off their dependency. If they are falling asleep with a bottle, Lauren tells us to only offer half a bottle. And then the next night, maybe it’s water instead of milk. And then the next night, it's a sip of water. 

Tip 4. For a child that used to be a great sleeper but suddenly stops, look for outside stressors. Has there been a change in their daily routine? Are they going through a growth spurt? Is a parent traveling more? A new baby? Once you identify that stressor, you can help talk your child through their feelings.

Tip 5. If your child wakes up scared, redirection works well. Christine gives the example of giving them a “dream stick” or rock so that when they wake up afraid, they can hold the stick or rock and feel mom’s love for them. 

Tip 6. If you give melatonin, 2-3 days max. Don’t rely on it as a permanent solution to sleep problems.

And perhaps the best tip of all, be patient. For more information on Lauren and her sleep solutions, check out https://www.sleepandthecity.com/

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