Meaghan Straus Sleep Consulting

How dark is your baby's room for naptime? Do you find your baby wakes every 30-45 minutes from naps? If your baby's room is bright enough to read in, this could be part of the problem. I recommend making it as dark as possible for sleep times. Even blackout blinds can allow sunlight in around the edges but with a little creativity (think black garbage bags and blankets), you can make daytime look like night!

We hired Meaghan to teach my husband and I how to get our 9 month old baby to sleep. We had been experiencing night waking every 1-2 hours for several months and daytime naps that would not exceed 30-40 minutes. The first time I spoke with Meaghan on the phone, I knew I had made the right decision for our family. We asked Meaghan to visit our home and asses our baby's nursery and discuss our needs. Meaghan is professional, knowledgeable and extremely pe...rsonable. We felt at ease right away knowing she would help us regain control and help our baby get some much needed rest. Meaghan's approach to sleep training gives your family the flexibility to find a plan that suits your lifestyle and is also a gentle method for retraining not only the baby, but the parents on good sleep habits. After a little less than two weeks, our baby is sleeping 12+ hours over night uninterrupted and napping for approx. 1.5 hours at a time - it is amazing! I am still shocked at how quickly Meaghan's plan helped our family, I only wish I had called her sooner! We have a much happier and contented baby and in turn, a much happier family life. We highly recommend Meaghan's services to any family looking for help. Rachel See more

Is it time to stop swaddling? I just love a swaddled little bundle of sweetness but at what age is it no longer safe to keep them swaddled? I typically recommend weaning the swaddle around 10 weeks old. How do you wean off a swaddle, you ask? I start with keeping one arm out of the swaddle for a few days and then two arms out for a few days before transitioning to a sleep sack. ... If your little one is kicking free from the swaddle or showing interest in rolling, swaddling becomes a hazard and it is time to transition to a sleep sack cold turkey. My babies used the Halo Sleep Sacks and the Gro Bag. What are your favourite sleep sacks? See more

How much sleep does your child need? The truth is, every kiddo is different. It can take some experimenting to find just how much sleep your child needs. Based on these guidelines from the National Sleep Foundation, where do your child's sleep needs fall?

Three kids in and I still always go back to my baby sleep guide from @meaghanstraussleep Jo started fighting her naps and bedtimes about a week ago, so I kne...w the nursing to sleep newborn days were coming to an end. It’s always hard for me to commit to sleep training, but each time I do I’m asking myself within a few days why I didn’t do it earlier Josie has been going down for naps easy as pie, and often doesn’t even make a peep! Thanks again, @meaghanstraussleep !! #littlejosiejune #sleeptraining #littlepainforalotofgain #naptimeformama See more

Let's talk about big kid beds! First things first transitioning your toddler to a big kid bed is NOT a solution when sleep is not going well. If your toddler isn’t sleeping well in their crib, I encourage getting sleep on track before making the switch. Removing the boundaries and security of a crib is a hard and often confusing adjustment for some toddlers and making sure that they are age appropriate is important. I highly recommend waiting until your child is... 3 to ensure developmental readiness, unless safety is an issue. If you're ready to move your toddler to a big kid bed, I have a few tips! 1. Include them in the process of setting up the bed and picking out the bedding (if you're brave)! This is an exciting time! 2. Invest in a toddler clock. Toddler clocks can be very helpful for teaching your kiddo to stay in bed until morning. Boundaries are key to success! 3. Discuss expectations and celebrate success! Reward charts can be very motivating for kids to follow the rules of sleeping in a big kid bed! At what age did you transition your toddler to a big kid bed? How did it go? See more

#blackouttuesday