Category: Sleep

1. Sleep Tips for parents with a Toddler

   Posted on 1:42pm Friday 29th May 2015

   Hand's up if you have a toddler who never wants to go to sleep? *raises hand*

   Don't get me wrong, she loves her bedroom and has a perfectly lovely bedtime routine with a bath, story and snuggle time but when the lights go out, suddenly there are a million reasons why she can't sleep.

   

   So my husband regularly finds me asleep on the floor of the toddlers bedroom but this is not my preferred sleeping scenario, I much prefer to be snuggled up with my husband in our own bed (without the toddler creeping in) and not falling in an exhausted heap on the sofa (or the floor). 

   This summer is (allegedly) set to be the warmest in 135 years* which means plenty of sun filled days! But experts** warn that sleeping in temperatures above 24°C means you’re likely to wake up during the night or only have a light, fragmented sleep, preventing you from getting the restful night you need. This is not ideal when you have a toddler who thinks that sleep is for the weak!
   
   So have been listening to Silentnight’s sleep expert, Dr Nerina Ramlakhan who says: “We all love summer and the long evenings, but the increased temperatures can make it harder to sleep well, which can have a detrimental effect on our health, relationships and work. She added: “A good night's sleep is important in order to process information throughout the day as well as to repair and rebalance the body physically and mentally. Ideally, in order for us to sleep well, there needs to be a fractional temperature difference between our body and our brain – a warm body and a cool head!” 
   
   Dr Nerina, has created a list of 5 top tips to help the nation keep cool and get the best rest when the weather is hot and humid: 

   1. Stop your bedroom over-heating during the day by keeping curtains and blinds closed 

   2. Wash your feet with cold water before getting into bed, and run your wrists under cold water 

   3. Use light bed sheets and a summer duvet - 4.5 Tog recommended 

   4.Try a Geltex mattress from Silentnight, with an innovative combination of an extremely elastic gel and air-permeable foam offering unparalleled breathability to prevent the body from overheating 

   5. Finally, it is essential to stay well hydrated during the day and most importantly, don’t fret too much if you can’t sleep. Use the time to rest and think positive thoughts, then you will be extra productive the day after 
                    
   We also have some slightly ‘alternative’ methods you can try to help you cool down at night. Here are the top quirky tips to try: 
   
   1. Use a fan and place it so that it is blowing the air over a tray of ice - this will cool the room down as the ice melts 
   
   2. Keep a plant mister containing water by your bed to spray on your face during the night 
   
   3. Place a wet flannel in the fridge for an hour or so before getting into bed and lay it on your forehead to help you drift off 
   
   4. Sleep in cool wet socks or even a damp T-shirt 
   
   5. Chill your pillow case in the freezer before getting into bed 
   
   *According to UK Met office 
   **According to Meir Kryger, author of "A Woman's Guide to Sleep Disorders" and "A Good Night's Sleep” 

   I have to be honest, I can't see me putting on wet socks or a damp t-shirt but a cooling spray would probably be my recommendation, especially for warm feet. The toddler is not a massive fan of being warm and loves to sleep with no clothes on ...... that is until the Silentnight hippo arrived and she just "had" to pinch his pyjamas!!

    

   What are your top sleep tips?

   Tweet

2. My child has asthma : what do I do?

   Posted on 8:16pm Saturday 16th May 2015

   Usually the Lilypad blog is full of anecdotes, silly stories and probably far too much clothes and fashion discussion than any parenting / lifestyle blog "should" have but this week I am a little exhausted.

   I am exhausted by asthma.

   My toddler has asthma and on a daily basis I am questioning "am I doing the right thing?".

   I have never really known anyone in my inner circle with asthma.

   I was immune to the effect it can have on a family. 

   

   Anyone who has a child with asthma soon learns that symptoms come and go and can change as quickly as the weather. This week we have had a mixture of;

   • wheezing
   • coughing, especially at night
   • times where she has has difficulty breathing

   She has also complained of a tummy ache a few times and after doing even more reading, I have learnt that little ones may have a tight feeling in their chest and don't know how to describe it, so complain of tummy ache.

   They are reluctant to diagnose young children with asthma (especially those under 2) as nearly one-third of very young children will have wheezing at some point. Over time, most of them will stop wheezing as their airways grow; however for others early wheezing can be a sign they will get asthma in later childhood or adult life.

   So what do I do?

   • I make sure she is taking her preventative medicines every day.
   • Constantly look for triggers (usually keeping the cat off her bed) but the pollen has been a big factor this week.
   • Regular handwashing to prevent spread of coughs and colds (reminding her big sister of this too!)
   • I lie awake listening to her breathing. Is it too fast? Is she too hot? 
   • I lie awake wondering why.

   Why does she have asthma?

   Why can't I fix this?

   I didn't smoke or drink or do anything that is reportedly "dangerous" to a child in the womb. I even stayed away from prawn sandwiches! I could control what went into my own body but I can't control what is happening to hers.

   I am frustrated and exhausted.

   My child has asthma and with every attack I tell her it will be okay. Mummy and Daddy are here and she sleeps, eventually she sleeps.

   We are not the first family to have emergency trips to the hospital and we won't be the last but my heart breaks just a tiny bit every time I hear her say "Mummy, I need my pump". She is our daughter, a toddler, a swimmer, a gymnast but she is also an asthmatic. 

    

   I needed to vent this evening and normal "fluffy" service will resume soon (I promise).

   

   If you enjoy hearing our family stories and toddler adventures, we would love you to vote for us in the MAD Blog Awards. It is kind of a big deal and it would mean that we know at least one or two people do read our little blog! There are some amazing bloggers out there (and I hear it is a pretty amazing party too) but a vote in the Pre-School Section would be very very welcome xx

   Tweet

3. How to prevent a fire in the home #MoreThanFireSafety

   Posted on 8:38pm Tuesday 5th May 2015

   Working from home has lots of advantages in flexibility (not to mention staying in your pj's .... I can assure you that never happens!) but having come from a corporate world in a former life, I am always conscious of health and safety too, although not carrying out risk assessments every five minutes definitely has its advantages.

   When I was told that More Than were launching their Fire Safety Campaign, I was straight on the phone to my brother, who is a Fire Fighter to see what his top tips were regarding fire in the home. His immediate response? Get out, stay out and call the fire brigade! Once I told him I was not working for his boss and wanted "real" advice about fire prevention, he was actually really helpful! (who knew my baby brother could be so informative!)

   It appears that a small thing can make a big difference where fire is concerned and the Fire Service advocate the use of Smoke Alarms. They are such a small thing at relatively small cost but can be the difference between getting out of a fire in time and not. More Than suggest buying longer life batteries and it is important to have them on every level of your home.

   

   Did you know that ....?

   • 90 people die each year because the battery in their smoke alarm was flat or missing.
   • More than five fires a day are started by candles
   • Every three days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette
   • Faulty electrics (appliances, wiring and overloaded sockets) cause around 7,000 house fires across the country every year. (Yes, I bet you looked under your desk at the extension lead right then didn't you?)

   The one thing that my brother said that really made me think was to make a "Bedtime Checklist" as you are more at risk from a fire when you are asleep, so it is a good idea to check the house before you go to bed.

   • Close inside doors to stop a fire from spreading
   • Turn off and unplug electrical appliances, unless they are designed to be left on (I don't want to be responsible for you unplugging the freezer and having all the food defrosted!)
   • Check the cooker is turned off
   • Don't leave the washing machine o
   • Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
   • Make sure exits are all clear
   • Leep door and window keys where everyone can find them quickly if needed.

   It is worth taking a few minutes to take a look at the #MoreThanFireSafety campaign as a fire can be devastating but making sure you do everything possible to prevent it and protect your family against it can be done by a few very simple measures.

   Do you have any tips you would add?

   Tweet

4. Family Road Trip Checklist

   Posted on 1:58pm Tuesday 7th Apr 2015

   Last year we didn't have a big family holiday (I am obviously excluding my hen weekend and mini moon as the children didn't come on those), so we are all getting excited about booking holidays for this year. We have a summer holiday booked, the girls are already talking about the plane and swimming pool whereas I am just grateful that someone else is cooking and cleaning for a week, but we have booked a short break to Hoburne in the Cotswolds too, which means the inevitable family road trip will ensue.

   Here are my top tips for a safe, entertaining and stress free family road trip!

   1. PLAN AHEAD

   The Sat Nav is my friend but it is also a good plan to have a vague idea of where you are actually going just in case the Sat Nav decides to go into meltdown and send you the wrong way down the motorway as *may* have happened in the past. *disclaimer : I am quite sure this was the Sat Nav's fault and not my own.

   2. HAVE GAMES AT THE READY

   I love the driving and taking in the scenery, I can also sing a whole catalogue of songs, play every car game known to man and whilst I am quite sure I whined, "Are we there yet?" often enough to drive my parents nuts, I refuse to answer that question from the girls until we are 10 minutes away from our destination. Car games are great fun for getting everyone into the holiday spirit, unless of course you have an extremely competitive husband who you may have to disqualify from playing to give everyone else a chance of winning.

   3. CHECK YOUR VEHICLE

   Make sure your vehicle is reliable and ready to go, paying particular attention to the tyres, coolant and engine oil. (not forgetting the fuel). I am a little guilt of ignoring the warning signals on my dashboard so making sure you know what all the lights mean is a bonus. You can check your knowledge here.

   4. SET A REALISTIC TIMELINE

   It is a family road trip, not a race and trying to drive the length of the country is just going to tire kids and adults alike. It is recommended that you spend a maximum of five to six hours on the road, plus multiple breaks (although if it takes me that long to get to the Cotswolds I may be a little concerned).

   5. TRAVEL DURING NAPTIME OR DURING EARLY EVENING. 

   If your schedule permits—and your child is known to sleep in the car—consider trying to travel at nap time or early evening. Not only will it make the drive a little quieter for you, it will also cut the chances your child will get car sick or experience a tiredness induced meltdown. Bring along their favourite toy or blanket and a child-friendly travel pillow to make the car seat more suitable for sleep too.

   6. BRING SNACKS - LOTS OF THEM

   I have to say that snacks are probably the number one way to keep our kids (and my husband) happy on a family road trip. So, pack a coolbag full of snacks. Include a mix of healthy choices, like raisins, carrot sticks and grapes, as well as treats, like a few biscuits and a bit of chocolate. (this is where I advocate leather seats in the car). Don’t forget bottles of water too (anything else is far too sticky if it spills).

   7. KEEP THE KIDS BUSY

   This can be just as much a challenge with the tween as with the toddler. The tween is happy on her tablet, whereas the little one gets car sick, so we are big fans of the portable DVD players ..... especially those that can play two different films as the tween isn't too keen on Frozen on repeat. (Individual headphones are a GREAT idea at this point also).

   8. KEEP AN EMERGENCY KIT TO HAND

   Keep an emergency kit easily accessible in the boot, to include a torch and extra batteries, jump leads, leather gloves, roadside flares or reflective warning triangles, duct tape, a roll of paper towels, a first aid kit, sunscreen and the ever so versatile baby wipes.

   9. TOILET BREAKS

   When you are on a road trip and someone inevitably needs a bathroom break, keep a lookout for a budget chain hotel that are often located on the motorways. They tend to have toilets in the lobby area and, in my experience, they are usually much cleaner than those in service stations.

   10. HAVE FUN

   My mum always said if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail and with all this preparation nothing can surely go wrong? But let's be honest, things happen, there are traffic jams and diversions that seem intent on ruining our journeys but at the end of the day, what is a road trip without a little detour??

   Now go and enjoy .....

    

   Tweet