Written by Alice Bingham AKA @aliceinhealthyland

I connected with the beautiful Hannah AKA The Sleep Nurse via the Australian Birth Stories podcast.  I was sharing my birth story of Lottie and Hannah was the Introduction Special Offer. I am guessing it was meant to be.

With having 3 young children, I was starting to struggle with the no sleep 😴, you know when you wake feeling like a zombie? You feel like you have been on night shift but still have to get up to work the day shift too! Yep! That was me 🤣. With David working long days (5am leave the house and return home after 7pm) I had to kick on. I remember sharing on my stories (Instagram) that I wasn’t sleeping or coping due to the cutest little reason (AKA Lottie), partying all night long and having longer that usual day naps. At 6 months she was still in our room in the bassinet as Winter Rose was using the cot (she had just turned 2). I knew something had to change but I just needed the motivation to do it! Hannah reaches out to me saying she could help. I took her up on her offer but then forgot to reply (as you do) and had a email glitch. A few weeks went on and I finally was like NOPE, I need to connect with Hannah.

She kindly sent me a questionnaire asking all the finer details of Lottie’s sleep patterns etc. our daily schedules, get room environment, car rides we did, the other children’s routine, solids routine, what our parenting style was. She truly did cover all basis!

Once I filled out all the paper work and sent it back. Hannah came back with a gentle routine for our Lottie. She was very kind with her words, in depth with her rationales and worked within our gentle parenting style. She is AMAZING! I was so blown away with how simple the changes were that needed to be made. She offered a one on one phone or video consult too. Emailed to check in and asked for feedback on how we thought her routine she made would suit our family. Hannah is so professional in the way she  works with the families, she makes sure it’s a suitable routine to suit you and your family. Hannah truly has everyone’s wellbeing at interest when writing the routine up.

We brought Winter Rose a second cot off Marketplace so we could put Lottie into her own room in the big cot. We use a sleeping bag by Ergo Pouch and just use their pjs as well. Lottie has a dark room with black out blinds. Her room is dark for both day and night naps.

After 3 days we had Lottie started sleeping much better. She would only wake at 10pm and 2am. I was able to just settle her with pats at the 10pm one.

After just 1 week Lottie was sleeping all night with a wake up at 5am. I was blown away.

After 10 days Lottie was sleeping 6:15 to 6:30am and is still going strong.

I shortened Lottie’s day sleeps to just a morning hour and an afternoon 2-3hrs. I wake her if she doesn’t wake herself now.

I will time our trips in the car as close as I can to suit her routine. I am relaxed with her times not being exactly on cue, because life haha and I am happy with that. I really do think it’s a family preference on how strict you want to be with naps and sleeping routines.

Last week Lottie was unwell and I allowed her to have extra day sleeps as she was exhausted. I am totally fine with that and she was still sleeping her 12hrs at night.

Lottie is such a happy bubba when she is awake now and I have become a much happier mumma! Feeling better with more sleep. Plus I have timed my 2year olds nap with Lottie’s arvo nap. Cruz is awake all day but thats okay we get some special time together.

Hannah has offered my following and subscribers a special discount –  $20 OFF any purchase, use code ALICE20 at checkout. Thanks Hannah!

More about Hannah…

Hannah is an experienced and passionate sleep consultant whose aim is to help families make the most of their little ones childhood. She believes that sleep and rest are the key elements to any happy and healthy household.

Hannah is an AHPRA registered nurse with experience in maternity, neo-natal intensive care, special care nursery and has spent the bulk of her nursing career in general practice. Prior to her career as a nurse she worked with many families as a professional nanny. It was here that her interest in children’s sleep patterns eventuated. 

She is an experienced and certified sleep consultant through “Baby Sleep Consultants NZ”. 

As a mum of two small boys she understands first hand what it is like to be a sleep deprived mum!

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thesleepnurse/?hl=en

Website – https://www.thesleepnurse.org/