Sleep in young children is a widely discussed issue because it is so prevalent yet it's controversial- because everyone has a different belief or idea of what the right way to handle it is. At Baby Steps Nutrition, we are all about respectful parenting. Our job is to provide you with evidence-based information so you, as caregivers, feel more empowered in whatever decision you do make. American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that sleep problems affect 25 to 50 percent of children and 40 percent of adolescents. I have a feeling this may even be underreported! Sleep challenges in babies are what most new parents struggle with- and the biggest reason for chronic exhaustion. Even when and if babies sleep through the night, there are many problems that can pop up time to time- teething, learning a new skill like crawling, changes in routine- I want to be very clear that here, we are not talking about babies with a medical condition, because that involves a patient-specific approach. We will get into the basics of sleep, separate fact from fiction, and reassure parents that with some gentle and proven techniques, the family can be off to a better night's sleep. On this episode of Baby Steps Nutrition Podcast, Argavan speaks with Christien Hembrecht, a mama of 2 boys (ages 5 and 3) with a little one on the way. She is a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach and founder of Sleep Champs, providing gentle sleep coaching to families with babies and children up to the age of 6 years old. In this episode, Argavan and Christien talk about her motivation to become a sleep coach (all of us can relate!) to help other tired families. Furthermore, Argavan and Christien provide parents with insights about typical sleep behavior in children and factors that can worsen nighttime sleep. If you or someone you know is struggling with sleep and chronic exhaustion, this episode is for you!
Helpful resources related to this episode:
Christien’s blog
www.sleep_champs.com/blog
A Guide to Better Sleep e-book
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/parenting/kids-tantrums-advice.html?referringSource=articleShare
For more on Christien Hembrecht, you can follow her on Instagram @sleep_champs, on Facebook: Sleep Champs page and through her website www.sleep-chamos.com/.
For more on Argavan Nilforoush, be sure to follow her on Instagram @babystepsnutrition, on Facebook @babystepsnutrition, on Twitter @argavanRDN, on LinkedIn @ArgavanNilforoush and through her website www.babystepsnutrition.com.