Hi! My name is Elizabeth Zarzour. I am a Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Newborn Care Specialist, and Speech Therapist. I help cut through all of the noise out there, address all of your sleep questions, and create a personalized plan for your children to become strong and independent sleepers! I’ll keep this short and sweet, because if you are a tired mom/dad looking for help- the last thing you want to do is read a long blog!
There are a lot of sleep consultants out there, which is great! We come in all shapes and sizes. When looking for your sleep consultant, it should be someone that you feel comfortable with and that aligns with your sleep goals. I am results-oriented and to-the-point, but also extremely understanding and non-judgmental. I’m going to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Trust me, I’ve heard it all from parents; and I’m here to tell you that you are not alone – we can solve anything! I’m a mom of 3 severe reflux/milk protein intolerant babies, so I’ve been there!
With all that said, here are my top 3 tips to start healthy sleep habits in your home:
1) Get outside.
Expose yourself and your children to as much morning and evening sun as possible. This helps set our circadian rhythm (internal clock) which can get off track in the darker winter months. Evening sun exposure is especially helpful as it helps promote natural production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to sleep! This is another reason to reduce blue light/screens before bed- it affects your melatonin production because your brain thinks it’s still day time!
2) Implement a solid bedtime routine.
Children thrive on a routine. It gives them predictability in their day, which they love! Starting 30 minutes before their bedtime, start a routine which includes a bath/shower, brushing teeth, 1-2 books, etc. Incorporating a bedtime routine chart can be helpful for older kids to keep them on track! Keep the routine to 30 minutes max so that they know there is no stalling- once it’s over it’s time for bed!
3) Make sure your child is on an age appropriate schedule.
Kids grow and change SO quickly, and this includes their nap/sleep needs! Newborns can only be awake for 1 hour before needing to go back down for a nap, but that stretches to 2 hours around 3 months! If you are having nap and/or bedtime struggles, check to make sure your child is on an age-appropriate schedule! Too much, or too little, day time sleep can really affect night sleep. Reach out to me if you need help adjusting your child’s schedule!
My biggest piece of advice is something I recently told a parent while sleep training: “We are striving for progress, not perfection”. We need to give ourselves and our children some grace. I don’t know about y’all, but I am burnt out on our society expectations of “perfect diets to feed our kids”, “perfect schedule to be on”, and “perfect parenting tactics”. Let’s just do the best we can, ok?!
I’m here to support you to strive for that progress, not perfection. We got this!
You can get in touch with me via email ezsleeptraining@gmail.com, instagram @e.z.sleep or my website www.ezsleeptraining.com