As a new mom, there is a lot that I don’t know. In fact, I don’t know if I know anything when it comes to my baby. The one thing I do know is that I want her to sleep. For her sake and for mine.

That’s why I’m so happy I met Erin Howes Hill.

She is a baby sleep expert, so I thought I would ask her all my sleep-related questions. I know she’s helped me out, hopefully, she will for you too.

If you know anyone who is a new mom. SHOW THEM THIS! It might just save the last bit of their sanity

How did you become a sleep expert? I was a nanny for a couple of families that didn’t structure bedtime at all, their kiddos went to bed super late, 10 pm or later each night. The kids were narcoleptic during the day, so I mentioned that they need a routine and a decent bedtime. The parents listened, the kids were trained with my help in a couple of nights and word spread like wildfire in the neighborhood I worked. They told everyone “she changed our life!” I wasn’t certified, but I proved my methods worked over and over, so the referrals kept rolling in! I finally got my certification online.

What’re the biggest mistakes parents do regarding sleep with their children? They introduce a sleep association, ie. rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep, nursing to sleep, bouncing to sleep, swinging to sleep. These keep baby from learning how to self soothe, a skill that’s a necessity for every baby. So, when the baby is put down in crib asleep, he wakes up in an unfamiliar place, not where he fell asleep, and he will get scared and need comfort. Most likely whatever got him to sleep the first time.

When’s the ideal bedtime for a newborn? How much sleep do they need? Newborns don’t necessarily need a bedtime, it’s best to put them down every hour to 90 min since they woke up, so they don’t get overtired and fight sleep. A sleep sack helps with the startle reflex, and keeps them from waking themselves up 🙂

Why do newborns always get a second wind right before bed? This can be a result of getting overtired, if they haven’t had enough sleep during the day, they will fight naps/bedtime. To avoid this, make sure you are trying to put them down every hour to 90 min from when they awoke.

How can you make sleep a nice experience for a child? I always recommend a dark room, continuous white noise running and a cozy sleep sack to ensure a tranquil sleeping environment.

Do you recommend co-sleeping? How do you break the habit? If co-sleeping works for you and your family, meaning everyone is getting sufficient rest, I’m all for it. However, this won’t teach the child to self soothe or sleep independently which will be necessary when they’re older. To break this hard habit, depending on the child’s age, put a crib or mattress beside your bed and slowly transition them outside of your room into their own. You can do this over a few nights or weeks.

How do you break the habit of nursing to sleep? Feed-in a brightly lit room, with a normal amount of noise and distractions based on your household. Try not to rock while feeding and keep tickling toes or stroking face during to keep baby awake. Also, switch up nighttime routine by feeding before bath and storytime, this also allows baby to fully digest before being laid down in a crib, thus avoiding gas bubbles or reflux.

How do you eliminate the middle of the night feedings? A couple of options, one is cold turkey, when baby cries for that feed (by 6 months pediatricians agree it’s no longer necessary) let them fuss a few mins (10-15) and often they will settle back to sleep without it. If you want a more gradual approach, cut the amount of milk baby was getting by half the first night of weaning and down another half the second night until it’s nothing. Most babies will realize it’s not enough to wake up for anymore!

Do you recommend cry it out? What are the pros/cons? I recommend teaching baby to self soothe, rather than CIO. With any sleep training, there will be some crying involved. It’s new and different from what the baby has experienced so far, and unknown. Cry it out does have its benefits, it is the fastest and most efficient way to train, in my opinion, but hardest on the parents.

How does a sleep expert help parents? I offer a free phone consultation to make sure your baby/child is the right fit for my 7-day program. Once we agree to work together, I provide a detailed email that covers everything you need to know to complete the program, a 360 approach, feeding schedule, naps, bedtime, do’s and don’ts, tips, and tricks, common misconceptions, etc. You will always know what to do and how to do it. I provide my personal cell for text support from 8am-10pm PST, for my client’s convenience. You never feel alone or lost in the process!

How can people get in touch with you? Best way to reach me and set up a free phone consult is emailing me at eshowes@gmail.com or texting 541-840-8358. I also have a Facebook group called E’s Dream Sleepers where they can find testimonials and more information! I look forward to helping more parents get more sleep and helping more babies become Dream Sleepers! Don’t keep suffering! Reach out today!