Difficult and very tricky to settle, week-old Viviana had been to various sleep schools but no professional advice was working. She was constantly unsettled and overtired. It seemed no one could help, and as a result, their mental health and well-being were suffering. Viviana was a very playful and alert baby.
She struggled to switch off and was stimulated by her environment and the fear of missing out. She was more unsettled and alert than ever even after a 5-night stay at a sleep school. As Viviana was tired all day it was hard for her parents to read her tired signs. She was always rubbing her eyes or yawning. On a good day they were able to put her in the cot and she would rub her eyes but would be awake for an hour until she would finally have a meltdown.
As there was no sign of her going to sleep, her parents would have to pick her up and then cancel the nap. We decided that her day naps were where she needed the most help and we decided to work together with a Daytime β in-home consultation. When I met Viviana I could see how alert she was, her sleep environment had some light coming in and there were lots of things that could catch her eye.
This gave her the chance to not to be so stimulated by our presence. Reducing her stimulation meant that Viviana was able to link her sleep cycles without being distracted.
This really helped her to switch off and become calmer when it came to sleep time. Applying a calming wind-down routine before any sleep time. Making the sleep environment as dark as possible and pitch-black.
