sleep - Mums in Cyprus | The Family Network

MiC’s #WednesdayWin – Newborn Sleep Guide

By MiC Team 09/10/2018

Introducing our latest #WednesdayWin competition – 3 copies of Lisa Gargaro Sleep.co’s guide to the first few week’s of your new baby’s sleep!

We’ll let the expert speak for herself about this fab e-book worth 15 euros (or, if getting a good night’s sleep is important to you, it’s priceless! 🙂 ):

Welcome Mama!

First of all, a huge congratulations on your impending arrival, or the recent arrival of your baby! The journey of motherhood you are about to embark on is a truly amazing one. Although, being honest with you, it will also have its many challenges along the way.

As you are aware, during your prenatal stage you will have been given lots and lots of information on the birth, feeding and the various option discussed with you (depending on your country of maternity care and especially if you are breastfeeding). The support in all of these areas is great and it still continues once your baby is born.

However, what I have noticed is the distinct lack of honest, helpful, and reliable information available to parents about what to expect with their new baby’s sleep and sleep needs. What I find really strange is this very part is going to be something that will definitely rule your life greatly and heavily over the next few years! I believe passionately that this then makes it something you’ll be investing time into to ensure you truly understand. Knowing what to expect sleep-wise for both everyone will be invaluable. This better understanding will help your baby learn great sleep habits from a very early age.

This is where I came in and exactly why I am here! My mission being to help families be able to better understand their baby, allowing them to be more confident in their response to their baby’s needs.

So, let’s not delay any more. Let’s get started today with this guide specifically for mamas like you!

How can I win one of these e-books?

To enter the competition, simply email: kat@mumsincyprus.com with

“Lisa Gargaro Sleep.co” in the subject line.

Please also provide us with:

Your full name
The town you reside in (in Cyprus)
Your mobile telephone number

THE COMPETITION WILL CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 AT 17:00!

Once the three winners have been drawn, on or after Wednesday October 24 2018, they will receive a link to download their personal copy of Lisa’s e-book.

You can find further information this newborn sleep guide, as well as Lisa’s other sleep consultation services, you can go to her website >> here.

website: www.lisagargarosleep.co/

facebook: @LisaGargaroSleep.co

e: lisa@lisagargarosleep.co

t: 00357 99260557

Skype name: dream.sleep.club

How Stress Affects Kids and How to Help Them Cope

By MiC Team 01/10/2018

This is a guest post from Lisa Gargaro, Certified Sleep Consultant @ Lisa Gargaro Sleep.Co

Feeling stressed has almost become the norm for many overstretched, busy families. Think about it—when was the last time your family—or any family, for that matter— enjoyed a long stretch of together time without being glued to a smart phone or other electronic device or looking at your watch?

It is not thought that stress can actually be good for you although one type of stress called ‘eustress’ can actually be positive and productive—eustress is the kind of stress that’s healthful or helps you feel fulfilled (for example, the kind you experience when you do enjoyable exercise or challenge yourself in some way). Many people & children suffer far too often from negative stress though. All that stress leads us to cope with our lives & situations in unhealthy ways. These then take their toll on overall health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, stress is not just a problem for adults. There’s evidence that teens & young children are also vulnerable to stress and its effects.

The latest Stress in America SurveyTM by the American Psychological Association (APA) polled adults as well as 1,018 teens, ages 13 to 17, who live in the United States about stress over the previous month. While American adults continue to report higher stress levels than what they believe to be healthy, the survey also reveals that the patterns of unhealthy stress behaviours we see in adults impact teens as well. According to the survey, many American teens report experiencing stress at unhealthy levels, appear uncertain in their stress management techniques and experience symptoms of stress in numbers that mirror adults’ experiences. Stress during the teen years also seems to take a toll on activity, nutrition and lifestyle behaviours’ that no doubt contributes to current and future habits and health.

This stress impacts teens in myriad ways. The survey shows, for example, that 36% of teens report fatigue/feeling tired; 35% report lying awake at night; 32% report they have headaches; and 23% report skipping a meal.

The report also reveals that teens are less aware than adults about the impact stress can have on their physical and mental health. In fact, 42% of teens say they often don’t know what to do to manage their stress or they aren’t sure if they are doing enough to manage it. Fifty-one percent report that while stress management is important to them, more than 1 in 10 report they never set aside time to manage stress. And 55% of teens say they set aside time to manage stress only a few times a month at most. Although 37% exercise or walk and 28% play sports to manage stress, many teens cope with stress by engaging in sedentary behaviours. For example, a lot of teens report turning to screens to cope with stress. In fact, 46% report they play video games, 43% surf the internet or go online and 36% watch TV or movies to cope with stress. Playing computer games & watching screens then has a negative effect on the zeitgebers causing sleep issues which creates a downward spiral effect.

When it comes to teen girls especially, the report reveals that stress impacts behaviours that relate to food. For example, 39% say they eat too much or too little, 35% report overeating or eating unhealthy foods, 31% report skipping a meal and 22% report a change in appetite when stressed.

It’s clear from this APA survey that both the young and old (and those of us in between) are vulnerable to the effects of stress. Whether it’s is related to school or work, relationships, finances, or any combination of factors, stress is an inevitable part of everyone’s life. If we often perceive all that happens around us in negative ways, and it makes us cope in less-than-healthy ways, stress can take a huge toll on us (not to mention those around us).

Studies suggest that stress can have negative effects on our eating and fitness habits and on our ability to fall asleep—and stay asleep.

As discussed in the Stress in AmericaTM survey, studies also suggest stress can weaken immunity and exhaust the body, increase inflammation in the body (and thereby increase cardiovascular disease risk), and make us more vulnerable to colds.

Because of the many perils of stress, it’s imperative that parents find ways to manage stress positively and productively. A tall order, I know. But because our kids see what we do and how we handle different situations and stressors, for better or worse, we need to model as best we can positive ways of perceiving and coping with stress. If we prioritize finding positive and productive ways to handle challenges, it’s more likely our kids will see our example and learn to cope better as well.

While there’s no one size fits all strategy to manage stress, a combination of behaviours can help us all cope better and enhance our overall health and wellbeing. Staying physically active, engaging in exercise and sitting less can temper stress. Finding activities we enjoy—especially outside in the sunshine—can boost mood and help our hearts be healthier. Eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods from all the basic food groups—whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein foods, low fat dairy and healthy fats—throughout the day and at regular intervals can help steady blood sugar levels and have mood-boosting and other benefits. Connecting with others regularly, laughing and meditating can also help. Getting enough sleep by having regular, consistent bedtimes can also help us avoid fatigue that no-doubt can in and of itself contribute to unhealthy behaviours.

Sometimes, no matter what we do, stress will get the best of us. But when we try our best to cope and nothing seems to work, there’s no shame in seeking help from a qualified health professional (eg a psychologist).

If your child or teenager is showing signs of sleep problems or stress then please reach out. My knowledge and background in both psychology and sleep places me a very good & secure place to help with this.

I am Lisa Gargaro, an expert sleep consultant and I can produce a personally tailored individual sleep program for your baby which details exactly how and what you will need to do to help your baby or child to sleep independently for 10-12 hours each night. With good sleep, the behaviour of your child will be dramatically improved as a result. Please contact me directly to chat about how I can help you, making sleepless nights a thing of the past and every night a great one from now.

If you are an adult who suffers from insomnia I am also able to help you sleep. With a personally tailored sleep program and with the use of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), we can train you to sleep so you don’t view bedtime as the enemy anymore.

Being a mother of 4 children I understand & relate to how important it is for the whole family to sleep, this is my passion & goal to help other families achieve this by helping them gain the knowledge & support they may need.

website: www.lisagargarosleep.co/

facebook: @LisaGargaroSleep.co

e: lisa@lisagargarosleep.co

t: 00357 99260557

Skype name: dream.sleep.club

How Can a Sleep Consultant Save My Marriage?

By MiC Team 12/08/2018

I am not a marriage counsellor, nor do I pretend to be, but every day I receive emails from parents all over the world telling me how I have saved their marriage.

How could I, a sleep consultant, do that? Let me tell you all about it.

These letters of thanks come mainly from mothers, sometimes from fathers, who say they were spending no time together, were fighting all night, felt emotionally drained and were absolutely at the end of their tethers. The common theme in all of these letters that seemed to be at the root of all their martial angst was: a lack of SLEEP.

“How can lack of sleep be ruining a marriage?” You may ask? The question I would like to ask is: Why is no one talking about this?

We need to talk about the root of the problem

We all know that marriage takes work, and lots of it. To feel happy in our relationships we need to feel supported and nurtured. We need to make time to connect on every level, from the emotional to the physical. We also know how quickly we can start to disconnect from our spouse in certain circumstances. Sadly, this disconnection can start chipping away at the very foundations of our marriage until there doesn’t seem to be much left to fight for.

Sadly, recent studies about marriage have shown that the average marriage lasts eight years before ending in divorce. During this time, couples often experience many stressful events that can put a strain on marriage. They may move to larger houses, take on more debt, start new careers and, of course… HAVE CHILDREN! Add months or years of interrupted sleep to all this and you have a recipe for disaster!

On frustration and exhaustion…

Often during my seminars and consultations I ask parents (mostly 95% mothers attend these) how they feel when they are tired. The responses are usually similar. They feel grumpy, depressed & emotional. They overreact, they argue, they don’t eat properly. Mothers feel overwhelmed by the demands from their children and spouses. They feel burnt out, helpless and scatter-brained. One mother shared with me that she was so exhausted one morning that she actually put the toaster in the fridge & didn’t notice until she went to make toast the next day!

Dealing with a baby or toddler several times in the night often leads to feelings of resentment for mothers, not necessarily towards their children but more towards their spouse. One mother said, “I don’t get angry at the baby, but I sure let my husband have it the minute he walks in the door!”. At 3am, arguments often ensue about whose job is more important the next day. Yes, dad may have to work, but stay-at-home mothers have to get up and deal with children all day, which is definitely an equally demanding profession. And many women working full time may also end up also managing the household and majority of childcare. One mother told me that after the sixth wake-up one night, she walked into her husband’s “bedroom” and screamed at the top of her lungs that he should get out of bed and deal with his child or she was moving out!

To be fair to fathers, they don’t always know how they can help. It’s a helpless and frustrating feeling for many fathers to try repeatedly to put their children to sleep only to fail time and time again. Often the mother will eventually walk into the room and take over once she sees that her partner is unsuccessful, which only leads to more frustration for both parties.

When we co-sleep out of necessity rather than choice…

I regularly see couples (and in fact did this myself with my first 2 children 20 years ago) sharing their beds with their children. Not by choice, but out of sheer desperation. I call this “co-sleeping out of necessity,” meaning that co-sleeping was not necessarily their first choice but it seemed like it was the only way anyone could get more than a few hours of rest. What this often leads to is mum and baby in one bed and dad in another. One couple I saw had not shared a bed in eight years! One parent slept with the older child, while the other slept with the younger. Tell me how that can be good for a marriage!

There is no denying that sharing a bed with your spouse is a crucial ingredient to a healthy relationship. Not just for sex, but for that deep intimacy that comes in the night when you reach out for your partner and they are there. It’s the pillow talk you have before falling asleep that can be the one time of day that couples can share their thoughts, feelings and dreams. Even if it’s just to talk about the cute things the children did that day, it’s still a connection. That is pretty hard to do when there is a sleeping baby in someone’s arms. The mere thought of accidentally walking that baby that you just took an hour of rocking to get to sleep so scares most parents that they wouldn’t even dream of striking up a conversation. Then there is the constant movement and restlessness of most children that usually drives one parent from the bed somewhere in the night. Even if it means sleeping in the toddler bed, it’s usually a preferred option to the having a tiny foot in your face all night.

The need for a healthy and well-functioning marriage

Do all this for months, even years and it’ s no surprise that a marriage would start to disintegrate fast. In my opinion one of the most important things I can give to my children, besides a good night’s sleep, is a healthy and well-functioning marriage. I want them to see how couples who love each other act towards one another. I want them to see that we make time for each other and nurture the relationships that matter the most to us. They need to see how all family members’ needs are important, not just their own.

I want them to see all this, so they will go out into the world and find these things for themselves and eventually model the same for their children. But I can’t do this if I am exhausted. I can’t do this if the only thing I care about at the end of the day is going to sleep for a few hours. I can’t do this if my children are by my side twenty-four hours a day. I can’t do this if I resent my husband because he won’t or can’t help me in the night. I can’t do this if every day the only thing I can think about is getting my children to sleep more.

The real challenge is that the issue is simply not being discussed! Couples are ashamed that their marriages are falling apart for no better reason than a simple lack of sleep. I deeply and passionately believe that by shining a spotlight on this issue we can make a dramatic and important difference in the lives of millions of people.

As you can see, it’s not just a matter of “wanting to get a better night’s sleep”; the issues go much deeper than that. It’s about creating a healthy and nurturing environment for each and every family member. It’s about feeling better about your job as a parent and about having extra energy and time to stay connected to yourself and your spouse.

What’s right for EVERY member of the family

No one could live on a diet of only bread and water. You might be able to do it for a few weeks, maybe even months if you were really committed, but eventually you are going to start to feel depleted, resentful, unhealthy, and bored. The same can be said for telling a parent that their sleepless nights are just something that they have to “just live with.” How can that be the best thing for a baby? How can a mother /father live their best life on a diet of bread & water?

It is for this reason that I know that the career choice I have made in my commitment to sleep and in helping families be the best they can be has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. I have lost count of the number of mothers who tell me how thankful they are for my guidance and support… how she could never have done this without me… how it has changed her entire life and how it has given her back herself and her back time with her partner. It’s always so wonderful to hear how something so seemingly “small” as getting a restful sleep night after night has had such a profound impact on their overall happiness.

I know personally how much a difference it can make to the family. I know that this program works not only by promoting good sleep which in turn ensures child and baby development is exactly where it’s supposed to be but also ensures that the family environment is surrounded by love & nurturing 24/7 providing their children with a secure and stable environment that they need to thrive. At the end of the day that is what every parent wishes for more than anything else; a thriving stable loved child surrounded by love which it sees and feels daily.

How I can help…

I can help your family reach this place. Through my own personal story I can relate completely to where you are right now and I know that an improved sleep solution can help remove a lot of the strain that is felt by everyone. When this is resolved, the feeling of darkness and resentment is turned in one of love and passion for each other and it’s the best feeling in the world to watch those you love blossom in front of you.

For your own family, I am offering a FREE 15 minute sleep evaluation call where we can discuss in further detail how I can help your family stop the rot of sleepless night killing your marriage and allow your love for each other bloom again. To book your call please click on the link below which will take you to my online availability calendar to allow us to start chatting about your own personal story and how I can help you with your family’s sleep.

https://my.timetrade.com/book/B1CMM

MiC’s Weekly Roundup #349! On having your say and doing it your way! 💬 📝 👍

By MiC Team 18/06/2018

#349 | June 18, 2018

Straight to your inbox, the latest news from our MiC community and a selection of what’s happening this week in a town near you.

News

Wow… this term has sped by and we are now just days away from the school holidays! We hope that wherever you are this summer that you’ll stay in touch with the MiC community. We will of course still be writing articles, running competitions, sending you regular newsletters and posting all that great stuff that you love over on our Social Media channels throughout the holidays!

Events

Summer has arrived and the event scene is starting to heat up!
For the full calendar and detailed event listings, click here

New Stuff

A selection of the latest posts from our Magazine.

To visit the Mums in Cyprus online community, click here.

Go to the full MIC WEEKLY ROUNDUP newsletter >> here

You can find past issues of our MiC Magazine in our archive here.

See you online… it’s where we all get together!

Kali evdomada!

Carine and Kat x

If you like what we do – please consider leaving a review/testimonial on Facebook for us – feedback is always appreciated!

Make sure to follow our Social Media Channels @MumsinCyprus: on Facebook; Twitter; Instagram and Google+!

Do you want to get our MiC Weekly Roundup direct to your inbox? Then make sure to become an MiC member and subscribe to our newsletters: http://bit.ly/MiCRegister

How To… know whether your baby is ready for sleep training

By MiC Team 25/05/2018

Lisa Gargaro Sleep Co is creating new personalised Sleep programs every week for families out there who are struggling to get enough sleep. However, the truth is that even if she can create the best laid plan for you, your baby and family, it will not be effective if you as parents are not ready for your child to do this.

So for Lisa, as a sleep consultant, the first big question she asks is: Are YOU ready to make this change and to undertake sleep training with your child?

If you don’t know or are a little unsure, take a look at this 10-step checklist that she has created, to help you make that decision and determine if you and your baby/toddler are ready for sleep training!

Lisa’s 10 Point Checklist: IS IT TIME TO SLEEP TRAIN?

1. Need over Want?

Babies learn early on what feels good (e.g. being in mummy’s or daddy’s arms) and what doesn’t (i.e. dirty, wet nappies). This leads to an instinctive reaction to cry. They learn that when they cry, they will get a clean diaper or will be held and comforted. A new-born baby has limited self-soothing abilities and if these are not developed, over time they will learn that a need can become a want.

Your previously great-sleeper may also suddenly develop ‘sleep regression’ at around 4 months old, with frequent sleep problems occurring. You may convince yourself that your every-two-hour-eater is genuinely hungry or needs comfort. But eventually, once you have started to run up a sleep debt yourself, you’ll find yourself asking and wondering whether they really need it as much as they want it. Is the only reason they “need” it because that’s all they’ve ever known, or because they can’t sleep without it?

2. Do you believe your baby is ready to self soothe?

Your baby does have the ability to learn new ways and methods to sleep. Far and wide across the world experts discuss the ‘right’ age to try new methods, however, each family is different and setting an exact age may not be helpful. There are two key elements to finding the right age to start. Firstly; whether you believe that your baby has the ability to learn a new skill and form a new method of putting themselves to sleep, and secondly and more importantly; do you wish to help them learn this new skill for themselves so that they can self-soothe independently, ensuring they are well rested to give them the best possible chance to grow and develop?

3. The timing is right for you AND for your baby.

The timing has to be right for both you and your baby. Many experts would agree that a 3-6 month old can learn to self-soothe, but it may be right for YOUR family to wait until baby is 12 months’ old. This can depend on your baby’s temperament and a whole host of other factors. Nobody knows your baby better than you and only you can figure out the right time to do this for them. Keep in mind that you can always try, take a break and try again a bit later on if you doubt your timing at any point after you have begun.

4. You are ready for it to get worse before it gets better!

You decide the timing that is right for you. The difference between hearing your 16-week old or 6-month old fussing or crying, versus hearing your 11-month old is very obvious. Whether you decide to use a no-cry method or a crying one, there is always going to be some difficult and uncomfortable moments to deal with. So ask yourself: are YOU ready for some rough days and/or nights? Are you able to deal with it when it may get harder, for a few days once you start, before it gets easier?

5. Your baby has a sleep problem.

Sometimes, it is our own expectations that are to blame for our baby’s perceived ‘sleep problem’. Ask yourself: “Is your 8-month old breastfed baby still waking up once a night to eat?” For many, that is A-OK and age-appropriate while for others, this is not acceptable nor wished for. We know all babies are different and sometimes you just have to adjust your expectations of them. Once the expectations are lowered and you stop comparing between your baby and your neighbour’s, you will find this does wonders to your outlook and your family.

6. You are getting desperate!

You know that you NEED to sleep train your baby, when the thought of having to wake up every hour to put a pacifier in the baby’s mouth cannot go on any longer. Or for those of you who do have appropriate expectations and don’t feel you have a true ‘baby sleep problem’, only you can decide whether you need to sleep train. Some families say that even getting up once a night is just brutal months and months later, so maybe your sleep training is about getting a full night’s sleep. Similarly, others have experienced increasingly severe side-effects to sleep deprivation such as suffering with various health problems, daily difficulties in functioning, or even depression. One client told me recently that she never understood how sleep deprivation could be used as a form of torture until she had a baby. This is something that I can totally relate to!

7. You can and want to commit!

You are able and willing to commit to the time needed to undertake sleep training. One of the most important aspects of my support as your consultant is setting appropriate expectations about how long sleep training will take. Some people get frustrated three days into the training when changes are not happening fast enough for them. I would ask you to first consider how long your child has had the current sleeping habits. For some toddlers, sleep training means you are changing habits which they have had for as long as two or three years! To be clear, results come rarely overnight (though sometimes they are!). However, most people will have at least some success within one week and for older children, approximately two weeks. These changes will help give you the boost you need for the long haul!

8. Sleep training is NOT a crash diet!

You are ready to be 100% consistent and patient with the program and with your child. Changing strategies daily or even hourly can lead to more crying and frustration for both you and your baby. Consistency is necessary as this will create the security needed for your child to change their learnt sleeping behaviours. I like to use the analogy that this is similar to yoyo dieting versus a more sustainable and effective “lifestyle change”. Therefore, sleep training should not be seen as a crash diet. You need to be consistent both in the short- and the long-term.

So, are you truly ready? A key part of success of the program is patience. Even more so if you are using a no-cry sleep training method, you need to be prepared to be patient. You would never expect your baby to learn to walk or talk in a day, so you can’t expect him to learn new sleeping skills so quickly.

9. What are your goals and how do you want to achieve them?

You are ready to invest in your family by asking me to be your family’s sleep consultant. I will create your personal family plan. We will decide what your goals are and the steps you need to take to achieve them. By investing in my support as your sleep consultant, it helps ensure results are achieved and maintained. I can help you adapt the program, keep you motivated and stay on track throughout.

What I have found from speaking to my clients is that my guidance during the program is invaluable to helping them see a clear path ahead through the ‘brain fog’ they have due to their lack of sleep. The added support from myself also helps keep them focused and motivated, with the knowledge that I care deeply about their family’s progress in achieving independent sleep for their child.

No major changes occur in one day, they take planning and dedication. Life has a habit of throwing curve balls at us that we don’t anticipate, which is why my experience and training as a sleep consultant means we can work together to make changes to your plan, and work through it together until we have achieved your goals.

10. You have support

You need support to help you through this process. Sleep training can be very emotional and draining and without the confidence needed, the best of plans can fail. It is helpful to have support whether it’s in the form of your spouse, a friend, or myself. Success happens when you have someone you feel accountable to “check in” with and they can help keep you going. Some of my clients have lacked the support at home but were still able to succeed due to the support that I happily offer.

I hope you find this article helpful in making the decision of whether you are ready to tackle the emotional task of sleep training. Alternatively it may have given you the answer that it is okay to wait until the time is right. The only person who knows what you live with day-in and day-out is yourself. I believe that by listening and trusting your own instincts, they will take you far and where you need to be.

If you are ready to sleep train, let the expert Lisa Gargaro from Lisa Gargaro Sleep Co help!

If you’ve tried sleep training on your own without success, you are not alone; many, many parents struggle to get their babies and toddlers sleeping well. What you may need at this point is an expert to help you through the sleep training process. By contacting Lisa today, she can start creating a personalised sleep plan for you, your baby and your unique parenting style. The plan will take you through every step of the process, detailing the schedule for you to follow, with Lisa available at any time to answer your most pressing sleep questions.

Once you have made your decision and wish to start your sleep consulting package simply contact her via your preferred method and she will be in touch soon to start the process.

Lisa has created a special one-hour sleep consultation package EXCLUSIVELY FOR MiC MEMBERS. To find out more, click here.

e: lisa@lisagargarosleep.co

t: 00357 99260557

Skype name: dream.sleep.club

website: www.lisagargarosleep.co/

facebook: @LisaGargaroSleep.co

Tips on a fuss-free bedtime routine

By eleni 11/05/2015

Hello. Seeing as Georgie is considered a healthy sleeper, I get asked about his bedtime routine and how-to’s very often. I always try to explain that it is just another healthy habit he has been taught. Sleep is something you learn how to do and seeing as it is also something we cannot live without, I think its about time we learnt how to do it properly and teach our children how to unwind and rest.

On the blog today I have written about my experiences with Georgie’s sleep and the five rules I have.

Go ahead and take a look.

Thank you and take care.

Eleni

What’s the secret to sleep?….. Help!

By Emma 22/11/2010

I need a plan, I need a plan so we can get some more sleep. I will Google a solution in a minute, but first I will have a little rant and share with my lovely readers….lots of whom are Mums of various age children and might just give me some useful advice.

Leo does not sleep through the night, he did for a while but that seems like a distant memory right now. As a small baby he went to bed at 7pm, fed like clockwork at 11pm, 3am then waking at 7am – perfect. At that time I admit I did slightly look forward to the days when he would drop the 3am feed, now I wish we were still on that routine as it was better than were we are 18 months down the line.

Where did I go wrong? I’m fairly sure I know, the question is how the hell do I get out of this?

By the time he was 6 months old he was sleeping through some nights, he usually still had an 11pm ish bottle but that was fine. Then we had some time staying with friends before our move to Cyprus. He was teething and unsettled and I was worried about waking the household up, so I sat with him in the night, gave him more milk, whatever I thought might keep him quiet and go back to sleep.

Then we moved, it was new, unsettling (for me maybe more than him!) he learnt to sit up and would cry until someone laid him back down. No problem, that was a phase which passed.

He had a cold, more teeth, no blackout blinds and a host of random things which occurred between November and May which I understood would cause problems. Wait till he’s one I said, then we’ll cut the bottles, and he’ll sleep all night and all will be well.

His birthday came and went straight into a fever, mosquito bites and room temperatures of 35 degrees at night.

So, now what do I do?

He wakes at least 3 times in the night, sometimes he will have a drink and go straight back to sleep, sometimes he’s stuck his leg through the bars but more often than not there is no obvious reason. The last two nights have been the worst, he will scream and scream until he is picked up and start again as soon as you put him down unless he is already fast asleep.

I’m off now to Google “controlled crying” (from what I’ve seen it appears to be controversial but anything is worth a shot right now) and then I’m going to bed….and it’s only 9pm.

At one week old, back in the day when we all got sleep!

Do your children sleep well? Any suggestions? I’ll be forever grateful, once I’ve caught up on some sleep that is!