The Nurturing Sleep aim is to ensure that every child feels safe and reassured in relation to sleep.
It’s important that emotions are understood and addressed because sometimes they can become barriers to healthy and restorative sleep. To effectively address these possible barriers and emotions we need to dig deep to understand the older baby and child from the inside out, and what may be triggering difficult sleep situations such as stalling at bedtime, resistance to cot or bed, night waking and night crying or screaming.
Many parents ask what I do, however, I don’t know what I’ll suggest in each sleep situation until I have found out what the barriers are to an optimal and peaceful sleep flow. It’s not about applying a behavioural approach, it’s about digging deep to understand:
In a nutshell
What I do not do:
I don’t use quick fixes, nor do I use behavioural approaches such as controlled crying, cry-it-out or even no-cry. Generally, behavioural approaches serve to ‘train and condition’ a child to sleep and can be a quick fix. While these approaches may suit some parents, I offer an alternative.
Please also note: I do not use behavioural approaches – therefore I do not use a no-cry approach – no-cry is a behavioural approach.
What my sleep approach is about
What I do:
What I do is related to attachment: responsiveness, listening, considering underlying emotions and feelings which may be driving behavioural and/or difficult sleep behaviours. My work is influenced by my training in prenatal and perinatal psychology, conscious parenting, the developmental-attachment theory (Neufeld), Aware Parenting, and of course, 40 years experience! I believe that in healthy children, sleep issues are influenced by 4 specific factors which tend to interact: emotional, physical, physiological and biological factors, and of course, these factors are hugely influenced by age, stage of development, day to day experiences…. and so much more!
Nurturing Sleep
Behaviour Support
My behaviour support is appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers.
Throughout my work I have found a strong relationship between sleep and daytime behaviours. In some cases sleep disturbance is a symptom of other behavioural, social, developmental and/or emotional factors within the child’s life, or there is a cycle of sleep disturbance influencing daytime behaviours. It can all be linked!
In most cases when working with toddlers and pre-schoolers, I work with daytime behaviours to support sleep. As with sleep support, my approach is based on respect for how the child feels, and consideration of what is influencing those feelings and emotions. My focus is not on ‘fixing’ the observable behaviours, but rather gaining insight: understanding what is driving those behaviours, investigating those behaviours from the inside out.
The support I offer is non-punitive; I draw on Dr Neufled’s developmental-attachment theory and approach, along with conscious parenting theory and understanding of prenatal and perinatal psychology (Birth psychology).
Within behaviour focused consultations, I help parents understand their toddler or preschooler from the inside out, and provide them with tools to help balance the underlying triggers, emotions and influences related to the tricky behaviours.
What its about – Whether we’re talking sleep or behaviour (or both)
Contact Ann
Ann Caird BA Certified Baby and Child Sleep Consultant.
