Philosophy
At Nest Care, every member of our team shares common philosophies on sleep training and care. These philosophies are based on extensive training and experience working with families in the home environment.
Newborns 0-6 weeks
At Nest Care we believe in the ‘fourth’ trimester – a time when your baby needs to adjust to life outside the womb. We believe that when babies have their needs met ‘on demand’ (primarily feeding and holding) they’re more settled and sleep through the night sooner.
Let’s not kid ourselves though. This is a very demanding time, especially when you’re also sleep deprived. We therefore suggest that during this time:
All hands are on deck at home (partners, brothers, sisters etc.)
You accept offers of help from others such as meals, care for older siblings and housework
It’s best not to enforce strict feeding and sleeping schedules
Infants 6-12 weeks
Now that you’re getting to know your baby, you can start subtly introducing a routine to help her understand the difference between day and night.
Now is also the time to introduce your baby to the dynamics of your family environment. This’ll help them adapt to your routine during the day and start sleeping longer at night.
Infants 3-6 months
Your baby should now start following a more structured routine. This will help them to become more wakeful during the day and sleep through the night regularly.
We also recommend that you now:
Consider introducing solids (from 4-6 months)
Eliminate dummies, swaddling and wrapping to avoid dependence
Phase out night feeds (if medically appropriate)
If you start to identify any sleeping difficulties – such as cat napping, regular night waking or always needing help falling or staying asleep – now is the ideal time to address them.
Infants 6-9 months
Your baby should now have a well-established routine. They’ll become even more wakeful during the day and sleep through the night most of the time (unless they’re unwell, teething or has accomplished a new developmental milestone).
If you haven’t already done so, be sure to introduce solids to your baby by six months at the latest.
Infants 9-12 months
Your baby will now be napping 2-3 times a day and sleeping through the night almost always (unless they’re unwell, teething or has accomplished a new developmental milestone).
Their solids will be well-established and they’ll be enjoying foods with a variety of textures. You can now also offer them finger foods to encourage self-feeding and chewing.
If you’re having issues such as unexplained crying, broken routines or poor sleeping, it’s definitely not too late to get the support and advice you need.
Toddlers 1-3 years
Your toddler will only need 1-2 naps a day – and should be sleeping through the night consistently (unless they’re unwell, teething or has accomplished a new developmental milestone).
They should now start eating similar foods to the rest of your family.
If you’re still having issues with routines and sleeping, it’s still not too late to get the support and advice you need.
Pre-schoolers 3-6 years
Your pre-schooler will only need one nap a day – and should be sleeping through the night consistently (unless they’re unwell, teething or has accomplished a new developmental milestone).
They’ll now be eating similar foods to the rest of your family.
If you’re still having issues with routines and/or sleeping, support and advice is just a phone call away.