I’m a psychologist, a nutritionist, and a mum… and here are my tips for helping your little one sleep through the night

Just like eating and drinking, sleep is an essential human need. If your baby or toddler struggle to sleep, you’ll find out pretty quickly that it has a massive impact on you as a parent too. In addition, healthy sleep supports good immune health, learning, memory, growth, and development. Establishing a bedtime routine is a vital part of the sleep journey for babies and children, so here are my top 5 tips to help your little one get into a healthy sleep routine:

1. As a parent myself, I have experienced first-hand how difficult life can be when your child struggles with their sleep. I used to buy numerous separate items to help my child get to sleep, but now Glow Dreaming’s research-based 5-in-1 system has been a life saver! Glow Dreaming includes a gentle red light to stimulate melatonin production, pink noise to support a deeper, more restful sleep, a built-in humidifier to help your little one breathe easier during the night, and fabulous aromatherapy options. An added bonus is that there is no need to fork out for an expensive sleep trainer as Glow Dreaming can provide you with a personalised sleep program from ICRA (Individualised Circadian Rhythm Amelioration).

2. Developing a bedtime routine plays a really important role in preparing your child for bedtime. Many families have told me that their little one seems to become very energetic at bedtime and it can be a real struggle to get them to bed. This is where Better You’s ‘Roald Dahl’ Kids’ Sleep Bundle can really help. The sleep bundle contains magnesium bath flakes, a magnesium sleep body lotion and a magnesium sleep body spray, all suitable for toddlers over 1 and those with sensitive skin. Magnesium is a mineral that assists sleeping by helping us unwind and is an important factor in how our body manages our sleep cycle. Using magnesium products before bed may help your child to relax and help their body prepare for that all important sleep time.

3. Master Herbsmith and co-founder of Pukka Herbs, Sebastian Pole, set up Herbal Reality, an online resource platform for Herbal medicine. He suggests lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) as a remedy that may benefit young children who are struggling with sleep. He says: “Lemon balm is a deliciously fragrant member of the mint family that provides relief from tension in the nervous and digestive systems. Lemon balm is a wonderful herb for children. Lemon balm delivers its properties immediately as a gentle, soothing yet uplifting remedy, acceptable to everyone from the very youngest of age. Lemon balm tea also has a gentle lifting effect that can be very comforting in low moods and for anxiety and tension. You can use it as a fresh herb tea, dried herb tea, tincture, essential oil or cream”.

4. I recommend growing your own lemon balm so that you always have it on hand. It smells delicious and is very easy to grow in sun or light shade, plus you can dry the leaves to ensure you have a good stock of it throughout the year. I use Earthsong Seeds organic Lemon Balm Seed Pack – a bargain at only £2.50 for a minimum of 150 seeds.

5. Does your child struggle to sleep due to constant coughs and colds during the Winter months? In the UK, most over-the-counter cough medicines are not recommended for children under 6 years of age because the risks outweigh the benefits (1). I recommend having a bottle of Pukka Herb’s Elderberry syrup to hand throughout Autumn and Winter. This delicious elderberry syrup also contains manuka honey, ginger and thyme to support seasonal health, and is suitable for children aged 2 and over.

  1. https://www.gov.uk/drug-safety-update/over-the-counter-cough-and-cold-medicines-for-children

 

The Father’s Day Wellness Gift Guide

From high tech sleep boosters to natural sleep aids, here’s a guide to some of our favorite Swanick products we know Dad will love this Father’s Day.

For the Dad that Needs a Great Night Sleep: Night Swannies ($69+)

  • Our flagship and best selling product. Night Swannies Orange-tinted lenses block over 99% of blue light between 400-500nm (as tested by a third-party laboratory including Harvard Business Review)

  • Wearing your Night Swannies continuously 2-3 hours before bed will help you slip comfortably and easily into a deep and restorative sleep

  • From Classic to Aviator there is a frame to suit her style. Acetate frames and spring hinges.

  • Sizes: Small, Regular, Large

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com or Shop on Amazon.co.uk

For the Dad putting in long hours at the Office: Day Swannies ($69+)

  • Diminish symptoms of digital eye strain and computer vision syndrome.

  • Protection against the most harmful blue light wavelengths between 400-450nm.

  • Allows access to natural levels of blue light needed for optimal productivity during the day.

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com or Shop on Amazon.co.uk  

For the Midnight Wanderer: Better Nights Anti-Blue LED Night Light ($24.95)   

  • For the Dad that is sneaking to check on the kids or for a midnight snack… light the way blue light free

  • Better Nights Anti-Blue LED Night Light is a direct plug-in, set-and-forget automatic night light that supports your sleep and reduces your exposure to blue light

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com

For the Outdoors Dad: Henley Sunglasses ($75)

  • Our sunglasses feature our blue light blocking technology to keep harmful blue rays at bay, along with stellar UVA/UVB ray protection.  We also added polarization for exceptional glare protection.

  • Our Henley Sunnies are fashioned in a versatile sunglasses style, providing ample coverage that suits any face.

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com or or Shop on Amazon.co.uk

 

For Grandpa too: Fitover Night Swannies ($79)

  • Designed with precise standards so you always get a secure, comfortable fit over the top of your existing prescription glasses.

  • For those who already wear glasses, these fitover blue light blockers easily slip over and attach to your existing frames, providing you protection from harmful blue light spectrums before bedtime.

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com or or Shop on Amazon.co.uk

 

 

 For the Peace and Quiet Lover: Sound Blocking Ear Plugs ($19.95)

  • Earplugs are the most portable, versatile tool you can have for creating an optimal sleep environment any time, any place.

  • Reusable, moldable silicone ear plugs allow you to achieve total silence for a sound sleep.

  • 100% Silicone, 3 pairs per case

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com

For the Papa Bear: Kid’s Swannies ($69)

  • Is bedtime a struggle with your child? Blue light from phones, tablets, and tv may be the culprit

  • Just for kids! Created for young children who are especially sensitive to the effects of blue light

  • Colors: Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple

  • Shop on SwanwickSleep.com or or Shop on Amazon.co.uk

 

         

ABOUT

SwanwickSleep.com

We’re the people who want to help you get the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had.

Australian brothers James and Tristan Swanwick co-founded Swanwick after a lengthy battle with sleepless nights. They tried everything from herbal remedies, sleeping tablets, changed their diets, and overhauled their lifestyles before coming across research on blue light.

They designed prototype orange lens glasses and put them through an extensive testing process. The results exceeded expectations- they went from relentless tossing and turning to having the best night sleep they’d had in months.

They created Swannies Blue Light Blocking Glasses to help people across the world improve their sleep quality and live more fulfilling  lives.

PILLOW PERSONALISATION FROM NANU

Let’s be honest, there is absolutely nothing better than laying your head on the pillow at night. There’s also nothing worse than laying your head on a pillow at night and that pillow being lumpy or flat. Shudders.

The sleep experts at Nanu have introduced a gamechanger – the world’s first personalised pillow.

How it works

Simply input a few answers online about which way you sleep, together with your height and weight and then asks you to choose the level of firmness. The answers will then be put into a pillow builder, or to be more technical, a mechanical algorithm, to create your tailored pillow. Simple.

What’s in the Nanu pillow

Super soft and allergen free recycled filling. The sustainable efforts filter through to the packaging too, they use only recycled materials.

How much it costs

The pillow costs £30. Whilst it might seem a little steep compared to a typical pack of two, it’s completely worth it. Don’t believe us? Give it a free 30 day trial!

Why it’s important to get the right pillow  

A good night sleep might just be the best medicine. It helps your skin, helps to reduce stress, puts you in a better mood and could even make you smarter!

Head to https://nanusleep.co.uk/ to create your pillow and learn more about the benefits of sleep. Happy napping!

This is How Much Sleep New Parents Get

PARENTS GET A MERE TWO HOURS AND SIX MINUTES OF SLEEP PER NIGHT

A new study into the hilarious actions of sleep deprived parents has found that a staggering 78 per cent admit to doing something silly due to exhaustion, and it’s not surprising given that they only manage to catch two hours and six minutes of sleep each night.  

 

The research of 2,000 UK parents of children aged between 0 – 10 years, commissioned by bed maker Silentnight.com, revealed the amusing mishaps of exhausted parents due to the shocking state of their sleep habits.

 

Lack of sleep is undoubtedly one of the biggest pains for new parents, so it comes as no surprise that over a third (35 per cent) admitted to mistakenly drinking their baby’s milk formula due to excessive fatigue and one in five accidently put items such as a nappy or kettle in the fridge.

 

Not only are drained parents making silly mistakes physically, but their emotional state is also questionable, as 20 per cent admit to forgetting to pick up their other children from nursery or school. While 18 per cent admit to cradling the dog instead of their baby, and the same percentage confess to bursting into tears for no reason. Continuous lack of sleep seems to be causing an epidemic of confused and muddled parents, which is even affecting simple household chores, as nearly one in five admit to accidentally mixing up the washing and turning clothing the wrong colour.  

 

And the sleep deprived antics don’t stop there. Christian, 32, from Blackpool, admitted to cradling the family pet, saying, “I fell asleep on the sofa and when I heard the baby cry, I picked up the cat and rocked it back and forth.”

 

While holding her child, Ruth, 32, from Birmingham asked her husband to go and get their daughter from her cot. While Karen, 30, from Coventry was so sleep deprived she left the house and forgot to do up her nursing bra.

 

Other bizarre confessions from zombie parents include falling asleep in restaurants with friends, forgetting their child’s name and trying to unlock the back door using a car key fob.

 

Commenting on the findings, Silentnight’s sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan has warned that parents place too much emphasis on the amount of time they’re supposed to sleep.

 

She said, “It’s important that we focus on achieving quality, deep sleep, rather than a quota of hours. As a new parent, it’s vital to make the most of any free time you have restfully and to take regular naps of no more than 15 mins, when you can, in order to re-energise.

 

“Think about delegating tasks, don’t be a perfectionist and allow your other half and family to help out as much as possible. It’s also important not to over rely on stimulants as these will affect your sleep in the long run.”

 

Interestingly, parents seem to be completely overwhelmed by their own lack of sleep and exhaustion issues more than their littles ones, with nearly seven in ten (69 per cent) not concerned or worried about their baby or child getting enough sleep.

 

Hilariously, when asked what they would rather have, Silentnight’s findings highlighted the desperation of sleep starved parents, with a whopping 77 per cent claiming they would rather have an afternoon nap, than dinner out at a Michelin star restaurant (15 per cent). Other luxuries such as a relaxing spa weekend (38 per cent) were again overruled by a long lie in (42 per cent).

 

The findings also revealed that the sleepless nights don’t become any easier if you go on to have more than one child, with 70 per cent of second time parents admitting sleep deprivation worsens with the addition of siblings.

 

So, what can be done to combat sleep deprivation for British parents?

 

Both meditation and a hot drink before bed (27 per cent) were the preferred methods of drifting off into a deep slumber. Surprisingly, reading before bed was least favoured by older parents, with only 7 per cent of those aged 46 – 50 trying this past time, in comparison to 19 per cent of millennial mums and dads.

 

Dr Nerina added: “Sleeping with a newborn baby can be extremely difficult, and it’s important that parents try to find a balance where possible. If you do find yourself continually waking during the night, then there are a few tricks that you can use to get yourself back to sleep more easily.

 

“Be prepared – try to have everything on hand for a quick feed or nappy change and if you have to put a light on, use a low-level bedside lamp. The less time you are exposed to light, the easier it will be to get back to sleep again. Don’t be tempted to check your phone, as the blue light from screens tricks your brain into thinking it’s more awake than it is, making it more difficult to get back to sleep. Avoid checking the time – if you do this, you are more likely to start worrying about how little sleep you might get.

 

“And finally, don’t worry if you do something silly due to being tired, every new parent can relate!”

 

The study revealed the top ten parenting mishaps:

 

  1. Mistakenly drinking my baby’s milk formula

  2. Sending my child to school with no PE kit or lunch

  3. Eating baby food

  4. Putting an item such as a nappy or kettle in the fridge

  5. Forgetting to pick my children up from nursery or school

  6. Cradling the dog instead of a child

  7. Forgetting what I’m saying in the middle of a sentence

  8. Crying for no reason

  9. Falling asleep while cleaning the house

  10. Mixing up the washing and turning clothing the wrong colour

 

The Perfect Gadget Helping Babies Sleep: Rockit

Frost took the Rockit with us when we went on holiday and were very happy indeed. It rocks the pram just so and baby falls into a peaceful sleep. We managed to enjoy a good meal while the Rockit took over parenting duties. Highly recommended for frazzled parents everywhere. A great invention.

Travelling tech for weary infants and worn-out parents.

Pack this on your pram to stop their sleepless nights (and your arm ache) with this ingenious gadget the Rockit – Portable Baby Rocker.

Soothe your babies tiresome tantrums and help them drift off to sleep with the Rockit device, designed to gently rock the pram with it’s adjustable speed setting and thirty minute automation.

This astronomical inspired baby gismo is ideal for new parents to put their baby to sleep wherever they are as it’s universal bracket is easily adjustable to any pram or pushchair.

Keep moving and snoozing with this simple space like product for bouncing babies. The super-quiet motor ensures your baby isn’t disturbed, and it’s even rain showerproof suitable for inside and out.

The liberating Rockit assists busy adults by freeing up their hands for those tricky moments where you’re unpacking the food shopping or enjoying a coffee with friends.

As seen on Channel 4’s TV show Buy It Now – just £39.95 now at Prezzybox.com.

 

Matt Dyson, inventor of Rockit said: Rockit was designed by three dads with seven children between us. Nick Webb came up with the initial concept when his three-month-old daughter Abby refused to sleep in the pushchair at the supermarket checkout.

 

“He noticed this problem affected other weary parents but couldn’t find a product available on the market that was cost effective and portable to help.  One evening he had a lightbulb moment. He took an old printer apart, salvaged the motor and soldered together a simple circuit. The resulting prototype worked and the very next day Abby remained asleep even when the pushchair stopped moving.

 

“After two years of hard work and support from the Design Council, Rockit has now become an award winning product that is helping babies to sleep all over the world.”

Helping Children Sleep By Dan Jones

helping children sleepHelping Children Sleep

Almost 20 years ago I began working in children’s homes. Many of the children had endured years of abuse and other traumatic experiences by the time they ended up in care, this impacted on their ability to feel safe, relax, and sleep at night. Due to having Asperger’s, a high-functioning form of autism I obsessed about learning communication skills. I used this knowledge with the children I was working with. The children were often happy to have stories read to them at bedtime. I used to read stories to them, but rather than putting on different voices for different characters, or reading the stories lively, I used to read them in a relaxed tone of voice in time with the child’s breathing. Any sentences with words which could be associated with relaxing or inward absorption I would say with extra calming emphasis. This slight shift in how the stories were being read often helped the children to feel calm and comfortable and fall asleep. I started teaching what I was doing to other children’s home staff and to parents to help them to be able to help children sleep comfortably at bedtime without arguments and conflict, and years later wrote two books of children’s stories based around this approach: Sleepy Bedtime Tales, and Relaxing Tales for Children.

How do you help children to fall asleep at night? 

The first thing to be aware of is what actually happens for us to fall asleep. Obviously being tired helps, so not letting a child sleep during the day is a huge help, secondly the environment is important. As bedtime approaches parents can start ‘putting the house to sleep’. What I mean by this is that a few hours before bedtime parents close curtains, turn off main lights and put on small lamps to make the home dimmer, and begin to focus on doing calm, low stimulation things with the children. The focus is on slowing them down, and making the environment quieter. If children are running around until bedtime their heart will be racing and they will be excitable and harder to relax, likewise, if they have been watching emotionally stimulating TV programmes before bed this will reduce their chances of falling asleep. Parents ideally limit screen time in the hours before bed. Mobile phones, tablet PC’s, computers, and TV’s all give off a lot of blue light which triggers the ‘wake-up’ processes in our brain – not what you want when you are trying to help your children sleep.

dan jones, author, book, help children sleep, how to get child to sleep

Once bedtime is approaching parents can have structure around what happens, and let the children know bedtime is approaching. It is more effective to say that it is bedtime in half-an-hour, and then giving notice at fifteen minutes, and then finally saying it is now bedtime, than it is to wait until bedtime and then tell the children it is time to go to bed when perhaps they are in the middle of a game or something and now they have to cut the game short.

Author Dan Jones

Different children like different things at bedtime to help them sleep. Some are happy to be read a story. Although it is fun to read stories and get all involved in portraying the characters, putting on voices, and actions, this isn’t conducive for sleep. The stories need to be read in a calm and relaxed manner ideally framed for the child that they can lie down with their eyes closed, listening and imagining the story as they fall asleep. Most children accept this and enjoy imagining the story play out in their mind. The parent can then read slowly and calmly, adding emphasis and time when giving descriptions to help the child become increasingly absorbed in the inner experience. Another approach children like is for the parent to sit with them stroking their arm, back or hair. If this is done in time with their breathing, so each up-stroke is with an in-breath, and each down-stroke is with the out-breath then the stroking will build rapport with the breathing, and once the breathing is matching the stroking the parent can stroke slower or longer strokes and the breathing will deepen and the child will fall asleep. If the child wakes up during the night they can be encouraged back to bed, then the parent can calmly repeat the same again until the child falls asleep once more.

 

 

Cocoon Sleep Squad: Cocoon Mattress Review

cocoonmattressreview
cocoon-sleep-squad-cocoon-mattress-reviewAs an editor of a magazine you get offered a lot of stuff to try. It is quite cool actually, because you tend to be the first to know about new brands and trends. So much so with Cocoon. The Sleep Squad were in full force and sent us one of their mattresses to try. It comes in a box the size of some (large) golf clubs. Completely manageable. You then take it out and it is covered in plastic which you take off obviously. It also came with a free pillow.

You tear along the give of the plastic and then roll it out. It says do not use scissors, but I had to just at the very beginning of the plastic because I could not find the give. It wasn’t as easy as I am sure other people find it. But small niggles aside, the entire thing is easy enough. Cocoon recommend that you wait 72 hours before you sleep on your new mattress so it returns to its normal state following transit.

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Cocoon is designed and made by Tempur Sealy, the world’s largest mattress company. With 130 years’ experience to build on, the engineers know what it takes to create quality mattresses that not only stand the test of time but provide lasting comfort for everybody. The mattress moulds to the body and gives a good nights sleep. It leaves you feeling weightless. You sink into it, but not in a bad way. It is very comfortable and supports the entire body. You can even try before you buy for 14 nights and they have a free return policy. You can choose a soft or firm mattress and they do single, double or king size. The single is £350. Cocoon will collect your old mattress for you and your new mattress has a 10-year warranty.

We were very impressed with the mattress. Not only does it look good, but it really is a superior mattress which give you a good nights sleep. Cocoon is a great name for the brand as it fits the mattress perfectly. You feel very cosy indeed. It is definitely worth the money and the delivery is seamless. Try it for yourself. We take our sleep very seriously at Frost and we give this a thumbs up.

Below: the mattress before it expands. They compress it for delivery. 

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It’s official – this summer has been a sleep washout with a third of Londoners saying it’s the worse they can remember for getting a good night’s rest.

cocoonmemoryfoammattress

Humidity, Brexit anxiety, heightened pollen levels and being generally uncomfortable means the capital’s slumbers have been tossing and turning from June to September.

And with 80 per cent of us only managing between five and six hours sleep this summer, much less than the recommended eight hours, we are seriously suffering from sleep deprivation, according to new research.

Now help is at hand for all those insomniacs as the Cocoon Sleep Squad is hitting the streets with everything from sheep to count and choirs singing lullabies to bringing new mattresses for restless Londoners as the Indian Summer continues.

“Our research has shown that the humidity this summer has been the main culprit for night-time wakefulness, followed by frazzled children, nocturnal pets and noisy neighbours, which is why we’ve decided to do our bit to help the nation catch up on  some ZZZs with our sleep squad,” said  spokeswoman Hayley Parle.

When it comes to getting some shut eye, almost a fifth (18 per cent) said they read a book, one in seven of us (14 per cent) turned on tablets or phones to try get into the land of nod and almost 10 per cent swear by having a bedtime bonk!

Weirdly one in 20 still try the traditional method of counting sheep to drop off while a more modern five per cent got up make a brew or have a fag.

In fact, a quarter of us (25 per cent) just gave up trying to snooze altogether which is why the Cocoon Sleep Squad is here to help the nation get back to sleep.

Of those Londoners who made it through the night, their favourite sleeping style is being cocooned in sheets (25 per cent), with a fifth (21 per cent) preferring the face-up starfish position.

“We’ve extended the Cocoon Sleep Squad for the next few weeks because the stifling weather is set to continue and we want to do our bit to make sure we get some well needed shut-eye,” added Hayley.

To call in the Cocoon Sleep Squad tweet @CocoonSleepUK/visit  www.uk.cocoonsleep.com and use #needanewmattress to stand the chance of winning a bed in a box, the new Cocoon from Tempur Sealy.

 

 

 

Power through the New Year with Whitworths Shots

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So January’s finally over and how many of those resolutions have you stuck to thus far? In a study conducted by leading healthy snack brand Whitworths, nearly 10 million Brits wave goodbye to their diet plans as we enter into the month of February due to faltering willpower. So what is the solution and how do we claw back our start of year “New Year, New Me” mindset?

Frost had the pleasure of experiencing a workout of a very different kind hosted by the brains behind Whitworths called The Willpower Workout. The workout is the foundations of what will help us to turn our healthy eating patterns into habits. So why do so many of us struggle to keep and maintain healthy eating patterns? The study showed that the population is set to lose willpower due to things like boredom of healthy food, with 26% of us claiming a lack of low calorie snacks are easily available, 19% feeling down about the bad weather and 9% of us a lack of sleep Karen Cox, Brand Controller at Whitworths comments; “As a brand that promotes healthy snacking, we believe that working on maintaining willpower is the key to succeeding in losing weight. Our ‘Willpower Workout’, which launched this month, is a little different to classes you’ll find in your local gym – featuring experts in the fields of hypnotherapy and sleep therapy as well as fitness and nutrition.”  

Want to have a go…? Check out this video to try the very first and exclusive Willpower Workout.

So who are Whitworths? They are the brain-child of the award-winning shots range, not the alcoholic kind ahem, but the kind that will give you a satisfying and healthy snack boost throughout your day. In this day and age where the demand for healthy-snacks is through the roof, Whitworths are committed to providing us with something a lot tastier than your average rice cake or salad. Whitworths Shots have it all covered with eight incredible flavours to choose from;

Berry and White Chocolate Shot: An indulgent mix of cranberries, extra juicy, plump and large Chilean flame raisins and creamy white chocolate pieces (93 calories per pack)

Toffee Pecan Shot: A sweet and satisfying collection of juicy sultanas, dried chopped dates, toffee pieces and crunchy pecan nuts (99 calories per pack)

Fruity Biscuit Shot: A fruity blend of sunshine sultanas, cranberries and rich white chocolate-coated shortcake biscuits (93 calories per pack)

Orange and Chocolate Seed Shot: A classic mix of orange flavour cranberries, golden, succulent raisins, milk chocolate-coated and natural pumpkin seeds (95 calories per pack)

Raisin and Chocolate Shot: Plump golden and crimson raisins paired with rich dark chocolate balls make this the perfect simple-but-satisfying treat (91 calories per pack)

Blueberry and Seed Shot: A delicious juicy jumble of raisins, pumpkin seeds, yogurt-coated sunflower seeds and dried blueberries (98 calories per pack)

Cranberry and Almond Shot: A super-saintly mix of juicy, succulent crimson raisins, little jewel cranberries and toasted, crunchy almond slices with no added refined sugar (97 calories per pack)

Apricot and Seed Shot: A ‘clean eating’ blend of chopped, tender apricots, tangy cranberries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds with no added refined sugar (88 calories per pack)

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All at under 100 Cals per shot. So turn your healthy eating patterns into habits with Whitworths Willpower Workouts and let us know how you get on. Remember, it only takes 21 days to make a habit.

Shots are available now in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug and WHSmith from 49p per pack.

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