Do you need a Sleep Coach?

 

Christina Gantcher from Good Night Sleep Coaching works with parents of children ages 0-6 for a good nights sleep.  Last Wednesday, Christina found herself in the basement "meeting room" of a upper west side apartment building full of about 10 guys munching on wings and drinking cold "beverages".  Not your typical sleep class audience, but then again, we are anything but typical.  She was the guest speaker for the NYC dads group.   Most of us are the primary care givers of our children, myself included, while some where part time, but all were involved dads, wanting to learn more about sleep. Well, how to get more of it.

She talked.

We listened.
Here are some of the my notes:

Sleeping brain is still awake, still working.

Falling asleep is a learned skill.

Quality of sleep has a direct relation to our ability to attend or “be present” in daily activities. 

3-4 months we begin non-REM sleep (sleep cycles)

In transitioning from cycle to cycle we have partial arousal where the body wakes up.

During milestones, sleep disturbances are a given.

Missing “windows” or the right time to sleep, the body releases Cortisol (a bump in energy supplies) and the body wakes up. 

Wait 45-1 hr. to try for another “window”.

Look for clues that may not always be noticeable to signify sleep time.

Consistency is the key to success.

Nap time you really want two 45-minute sleep cycles.  So at least a 1.5-hour nap is very good.

Early rising –             

                        1.   Too late bedtime.

2.     Nap Deprivation

3.     The nap/ bedtime gap is too short

4.     Inconsistent response.  (some mornings you bring them into bed, some you get up, some you watch TV. etc.)

Her solution to sleep troubles:  “Sleep Lady Shuffle”

Over the course of several nights “fading” out of the room as to teach the child how to sleep.

Then we talked.

She listened.

While each of us had our own unique issues, somehow I left the "lecture" feeling more connected to the other dads in the room.  We were all looking to learn more and by the end of it, we did.  If you want to learn more, I encourage you to contact Christina Gantcher at goodnightsleepcoaching.com