I'm a WellVine baby sleep consultant - ask me anything!

[KateMumsnet]

Hello everyone

We thought we'd try something new this week, as part of our mission to make parents lives easier. With our remarkable powers of observation , we've noticed that lots of new parents struggle with getting their baby to sleep at one time or another. Even those who 'got away with' an easy-peasy newborn can find themselves staring, eyes drooping, at a sleepless little one, whether it's at four months, or six, or twelve; just when you think you've got this sleep thing nailed, something comes along which takes you right back to square one, and exhaustion.

So we've invited the folks at WellVine over for a baby sleep AMA. The WellVine app gets you personalised sleep advice from your own baby sleep consultant, who gets to know your baby's needs and helps you work through a personal sleep plan, all over video call. Genius, really - no ‘cry it out’, just gentle and supportive sleep advice from an expert, when and where you need it.

WellVine's sleep consultants will be hopping on and off the thread around their other duties over the next few days, so leave your questions about your baby's sleep needs here on the thread and they'll come back to you with their advice. Personal sleep plans are a bit beyond the scope of an AMA, but they'll do their best with all your other questions, so ask them anything (sleep-related)!

If you think you'd benefit from some one-to-one sessions or want to find out more, have a look at WellVine. We'll get a very small commission if you sign up, which will help to keep the lights on at MNHQ - but there's absolutely no pressure and the AMA is open to anyone who has a desperate sleep question (usual webchat rules apply).

Hi all, and thanks for so many excellent questions. We'll be closing this webchat today and we hope that the answers have been helpful.
A huge thank you to Maryanne,Sam and Kerry, the sleep consultants from WellVine for taking the time to answer your questions.

And remember, if you think you'd benefit from some one-to-one sessions or want to find out more, have a look at WellVine. We'll get a very small commission if you sign up, which will help to keep the lights on at MNHQ - but there's absolutely no pressure.

Thanks again,
MNHQ

Thank you so much Sam, my 18mo has only taken 15 mins to go to sleep tonight after I gave him a long nap! fingers crossed for a later waking time in the morning

Hi, hoping you can help a first time Mum who is struggling!
My ten week old is really unsettled of a night, we out her down and she falls asleep ok, dream feed her and she goes back asleep but then around 1.30-2am she is really unsettled. She isn’t awake crying, her eyes are closed but she is wriggling and kicking so isn’t in a deep sleep. This goes on all night so at the minute I’m hardlh getting any sleep and she is exhausted when she wakes up. Within minutes of being awake she is yawning and only makes it about 40 minutes before I have to put her down for a sleep. Really would like to know how I could help her?

Hi there how could I become a consultant? I am a qualified health visitor with much experience in this field. Many thanks

Hi Maryanne,
My 8week old sleeps but pretty much all at once. When she finally drops off to sleep at night between 1-2am she will sleep for 5-6hours, wake and feed, go back down for approx 3 hours, wake and feed and go back to sleep for another couple of hours. However she won’t go to sleep after this or nap for a long time and can become very unsettled at night and will only eventually fall asleep breastfeeding. I really want to get out of this routine, any advise much appreciated. Thanks

Is it true that one sleep cycle is not restful sleep for babies and doesn't do them any good? My son rarely naps longer than 45 mins in the day but a friend told me recently that they need more than that to be beneficial.

Any tips on how to get him to nap longer? He has two hours between naps and can sometimes take an hour to put down for me to only get 30-45 mins sleep out of him. Sometimes he wakes up and within half an hour he's rubbing his eyes and is irritable again. He also appears hyperactive when tired which I'm guessing is a sign of being overtired but I can't get him to nap for any longer. He'll be 7 months old at the end of this week.

Hi my 20 month old has slept through from being new born but the last month she is refusing to sleep at night , she will only fall asleep if we are next to her and when she is finally asleep she wakes up after 2/3 hours. If we aren't in the room with her she screams until we come. Then she is either wide awake for hours or refuses to sleep unless with me and her dad.

Her routine is exactly the same nothing has changed, she's not poorly and doesn't have any more teeth coming through. I have no idea why she is being like this and no idea how to stop it?

My 18mo co sleeps. I don’t want her co sleeping as dh is on the couch. She’s also waking up several times a night crying for no reason- some nights she just doesn’t sleep at all- not even a doze. Seen hv, gp and even did parenting class. Tried Ferber method, side cot and extinction method. Got a good routine for bed until we get into her crib. She will cry for hours or until she vomits. I’m at my wits end. Sleep clinic says no reason other than that she doesn’t need as much sleep. I unfortunately need more than an hour a night. Please help

Help I’m at my wits end my 16 month old boy wakes all through the night. He doesn’t have a bottle of milk he has a bottle of juice blackcurrent diluted he gose to sleep between 8 and 9 every night with a bottle of juice he wakes untold times and every time he wants the bottle of juice if I don’t give it to him he screams and I have a daughter to get up for school and a husband who works so I feel torn I even took him to the Drs and all he sed was don’t give him the bottle and look at me as if I was mad. Really need some advise here as now is causing depression.

Any tips for our 13 month old DD to sleep in her cot more. She does sleep in it when she has a nap but at night time she has about four or five hours. But tonight is the worse she is still crying at half past 4 in the morning we've tried everything from giving her milk to calpol to soothe her teething to watching TV but nothing is working please help

Hi I have a 14month old and he hasn't been sleeping through the night since last year and the last couple of weeks he has been sleeping in bed with me and his dad. Has anyone got any helpful advice for me to get him back to sleeping through the night.

Hi everyone

I’m new and this is my first post.

Need some advice, my 4 month is very active during the day and eats well. R goes to sleep between 7.30 -8 pm and has 3 naps a day sometimes 2. R used to wake lots during the night so I was told to introduce a dream feed at 10.30. For the past week R wakes up at 3am for a feed 6 oz / 5 oz and then has been walking at 5.30 looking for more food. I’m not sure if the dream feed is working . Should I leave the dream feed at 10.30 and let R sleep through and wake naturally.?

This is so late but my baby suffers with wind and reflux and everything she will toss and turn even when on tummy I have to keep picking her up and settling her. she has a tongue tie and I’ve tried everything for her reflux and wind but nothing worked so I think it’s down to her tongue tie would you agree?