Tips To Create A Better Sleep For Children – Little ZZZ Sleep Consultant

CWM interviewed Maryann Wild from Little ZZZ Sleep Consultant today about all things sleep; tips, guidance, support and more.

If you are part of our Facebook community group for women, Central West Mums; you can watch it here.

Maryann Wild is a fully certified sleep consultant as well as holding a Bachelor of Teaching birth to 5 years. Maryann has a strong understanding of child development and the need of good sleep to ensure children are able to grow and develop. Maryann has seen hundreds of families a year and is a wealth of experience on this topic.

1. Who has struggled the most over the past 18 months with the COVID pandemic and subsequent lockdowns?

Over the last year and a half, parents particularly mums are struggling with that sense of community. Especially our new Mums. At this time many of us seek help from our family and friends but when we have a lock down this puts extra stress on us.  This is a time that any new parents need support and lock down makes this extra hard.

2. How can we support all parents, especially new Mums in lockdown?

To support our new parents by checking in on them. I know we can’t visit though we can arrange a Face-time to actually see them. Drop them a meal, you could make a meal yourself or purchase one from one of the amazing new delivery options in the Central West. Pop an esky out the front of their house and get others to drop meals off also. Get a coffee delivered to them and then do a Face-time, have a coffee date. Go for a walk with a new parent, fresh air does amazing things.

3. How do we still create a sense of community, tell me more about this?

As mentioned before, setting up Zoom catch ups; breaky with family and friends via Zoom. Have a group chat with friends and family. Make sure you book your community health nurse appointments. Some maternity departments are setting up virtual mothers’ groups. MILC located in Orange is a great service for breast feeding parents.

4. Let’s talk about sticking to routines while working from home?

• Try to keep wake-up times the same, starting the day at the same time sets our little ones up for great naps. It’s a great way to stay in routine.
• Try to get outside if you can before naps and in the afternoon. Spending time in the sun gives our body serotonin, which is turned into melatonin in the dark. Melatonin is the hormone that makes us sleepy.  Being outside helps us to feel better.
• We know children thrive when given routine and consistency. Try to stick to routine as much as you can.
• Do the best you can, some days the routine will go out the window and that is okay. You are doing amazing.

5. What can you do to entertain older children while working from home?

Here are few of my top tips for experiences to those parents with older children.

• Play dough – (see Maryann’s playdough recipe in image gallery below).
• Pencils and paper
• Sorting objects
• Water paints
• Check out NSW early childhood education page on Facebook and their website
• Have box for each day of the week with different toys for each day. Or just one box and change the toys each night for the next day.
• Do the best you can. Don’t be ashamed to use the screen we are all just doing our best.

6. What are your top tips to help newborns sleep?

My top tips are to follow awake times, use an arm down swaddle and use white noise.

Here is the link to the awake times I recommend. Using awake times means aiming for your little one to be asleep by the end of the wake time. Start to try settling them 15 minutes before the end of the awake time.

Plenty of great ‘arms down’ swaddles. You can use a muslin wrap, ergoPouch cocoon swaddle, Merino, Miracle wrap, just to name a few.

Newborns can be all over the place some days will be great, others will bloody hard. On the hard days do the best you can and start again tomorrow.

7. Can you please share some tips for parents who have children waking up during the night?

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer it could be for few different reasons. Here is a link here, with some advice around why babies can be waking overnight.

Try to stay consistent and offer extra support by extra pop-ins and checking in on them in bed.

8. Children might go down in their beds at night, but then want to come into the parents bed; what can you suggest here?

It is about breaking the habit and helping them learn to settle in their own bed.

Setting up a bedtime routine and sleep expectations.

Children will do this due for a range of reasons; one which may be needing extra comfort during these stressful times. Try to take them back to their bed, rather than making this a habit if you prefer not to bed share.

The raisingchildren.net.au is a great website with great practical information on all aspects of parenting. RedNose.org.au also has great information relating to sleep.

9. What are your top tips for children of any age?

These are my top tips for great sleep preparation:

• Have a dark room. If your child is over 2.5 years, they tend to have a fear of the dark. If this happens you might like to use a night light. If you use a night light make sure it isn’t bright enough to read.
• Set a bedtime between 6pm – 7pm perhaps?

Do what works for you, if what you are doing works for you then stick with it.

Consistency is the key!

If you are struggling or need help, please reach out for help on these numbers.

Maryann Wild can be contacted on: 0400319626

Contact your local GP or

Lifeline: 13 11 14

PANDA: 1300 726 306

Mental health NSW:  1800 011 511