Good Night Blog
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Breastfeeding and sleep
By Jolandi Becker – MD of Good Night Often breastfeeding and sleep are thought to be part of two different worlds. Many people will tell you that your child won’t be able to sleep through the night until you stop breastfeeding. Tell that to my...
05 August, 2019Adjusting to life with two children
By Magriet Rothman – Good Night Consultant The moment I found out I was pregnant with my second child I was in tears. These were tears of a combination of emotions: joy, happiness, fulfilment and panic. My husband and I always wanted two children, but...
24 July, 2019EARLY WAKE-UPS
By Jonel Basson – Good Night Consultant You reluctantly open your eyes. It’s still dark outside, but something very familiar called you out of dreamland – it’s your little one’s voice calling for his Mommy. You glance over at the clock just to realize that,...
09 July, 2019Being a dad today or being today’s dad…
By Steffen Becker – Parent to Oscar and Emmi Women have a distinct advantage over men in the game we call parenting, which is that they get to “meet” the little one roughly 9 months before daddy does. Just imagine a group of three friends....
16 June, 2019The Best Fathers’ Day Gift Is Sleep
By Christiaan Kriel – Husband of Sleep Consultant Carla Kriel On 16th June we celebrate Fathers’ Day and this has me thinking… What is my primary responsibility as a father? What contributes to my ability to perform in this role? I’m am blessed with two...
11 June, 2019WHY DAYTIME SLEEP IS IMPORTANT AND WAYS TO IMPROVE IT
By Sunette Joubert – Good Night Consultant Busting the myth: How often have you come across parents that argue it is best to keep a baby up during the day, as it makes for better sleep at night? Well, this is certainly one myth that...
06 June, 2019Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury
By Jolandi Becker – MD Good Night Often parents feel guilty about the need to want their babies or children to sleep. “Why can’t I wake up so many times for my baby if they need that?” While the fact remains that inevitably there is...
06 May, 2019SURVIVING A NEWBORN
By Nicky Kyle – Good Night Sleep Consultant “It would be easy they said” “What is there to it? Just feed them and let them sleep” “I can’t wait to dress it up in cute little outfits and take Anne Geddes inspired photos ALL day...
26 April, 2019Sugar, Devil or Friend?
By Lize Snyman – Dietician Over the past few years many health experts voiced their opinions loudly on social media regarding the many dangers that dietary sugar pose to our health while very few articles ever consider the merits thereof. When you consider dietary sugar...
09 April, 2019Keeping sleep safe
By Jolandi Becker – Good Night Managing Director Safe sleep should be one of the first things parents are concerned about when creating their child’s sleep environment. It is vitally important and often neglected. Forget about décor and theme (for now!), here’s my top tips...
08 April, 2019How to get a good night sleep despite third-trimester discomfort?
By Jolandi Becker – MD of Good Night Sleepless nights are often associated with the new-born baby phase, but the reality is that often, a mommy lacks proper sleep even before baby has arrived. Some people laughingly say that this uncomfortable third trimester prepares parents...
01 April, 2019How to make breastfeeding and work, work.
By Carey Haupt – owner of Family Kitchen, Bsc in Dietetics and Msc(Med) The balance between breastfeeding and working is delicate. But with a bit of practice preparation, working moms can be successful at breastfeeding. There are many benefits for both mom and baby to...
21 March, 2019My great sleeper is sick – Now what?
By Salome Botes – Good Night Sleep Consultant At this time of year the seasons change, and the mornings become colder, sometimes with the sniffles rapidly catching up with us. It starts with a snotty nose, which quickly changes into a cough and ends with...
12 March, 2019To Co-sleep or NOT to Co-sleep
By Jolandi Becker – MD of Good Night One of the most common questions my clients ask is about when they need to move their babies out of their room and out of their little cots. In a more hushed tone it sometimes follows, as if they’re sharing a dirty...
05 March, 2019How they show love is how they want to feel love….
By Carla Kriel – Good Night Senior Sleep Consultant February is the month of love, but our children should feel loved every day. As such, it is very fitting to talk about love languages and your child.“What are love languages?” you ask. The love languages are straight...
14 February, 2019Why It’s a Good Idea to Start a Baby Sleep Routine from the Start
Bringing home your newborn is a beautiful yet challenging time. Along with the intoxicating newborn scent and newborn cuddles, also comes the 1 am wake-ups. Oh, and the never-ending feeding and nappy changes. So many nappy changes! You will hit the stage where if one...
07 February, 2019New Year’s Sleep Resolutions
by Raylene de Villiers – Good Night Sleep Consultant Its that time again! New Year’s Resolutions! Most of us try to keep to resolutions but by now, the third week in January, some have already been left at the way side. What if you kept to your New Year’s Sleep...
22 January, 2019Why crash courses on baby sleep don’t work
I have been assisting families with implementing sleep plans for many years and as it so happens that I am assisting the same families again with their second or third children. Often, the question comes up: “Why does the same plan of my first child...
02 January, 2019Traveling and Surviving the Festive Season
It is the season to be jolly but for many parents the idea of family or travel can be daunting with young ones in tow. There are many factors to consider and anything could go wrong…. Here are some tips and notes to help you...
07 December, 2018Sleep Training “Setting the stage”
The words ‘CRY IT OUT’ jump into most parent’s minds when they hear the words ‘SLEEP TRAINING’, which is why I don’t like to refer to myself as a sleep trainer but rather as a sleep consultant. We have a very holistic approach at Good...
13 November, 2018The Two Largest Lessons for Implementing Sleep Training
As a sleep consultant and mom of a one year old, the biggest lesson I have learned thus far is not “how to implement sleep flawlessly” or “7 steps to assure your child sleeps through for the rest of her life”, no the two biggest...
27 September, 2018Can Sleep Training harm my baby?
With the stigma around the cry-it-out method – which is what the majority of parents believe sleep training your baby to be – there is no wonder that moms and dads are right to question whether sleep training can harm their baby. In South Africa,...
18 July, 2018Setting the stage for a good night’s sleep
As moms, we can often feel helpless when it comes to our babies, especially with their sleep. We look for ways to be able to feel in control and positively change our baby’s habits. This is easier said than done and often leads to more...
18 June, 2018Night Terrors
By Jolandi Becker – Good Night Director Most parents will be woken at least once in their child’s life, to their little one screaming and crying from having a bad dream. Nightmares are especially prevalent in children who are between two and three years of...
05 June, 20185 Ways Baby Tracking Can Help New Moms Create Successful Routines
This article was submitted by Cherralle, a South African mommy blogger who created the With Love Baby Journal. Nothing prepared me for coming home with a newborn. I tend to be quite structure in my work and lifestyle. However, with a newborn all that does...
23 May, 2018How nutrition affects your baby’s sleep
When a baby is not sleeping it is difficult for parents to figure out the root cause. Much sleep advice received from parents or maternal grandparents involves advice about nutrition as it is a long- standing sleep myth that a baby usually wakes up because...
06 May, 2018How can you help your toddler get better sleep?
The toddler years are classified as the period between 12 and 36 months. Developmentally there is a big difference between a 15-month-old, a 2-year-old and a 36-month-old though. Accordingly, there are differences in how you will approach sleep training a 15-month-old, an 18-month-old, a 2-year-old.
06 May, 2018What is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and how can you protect your baby from it?
One of the scariest things for all parents is the reality of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the unexplained, unexpected death of a baby who is less than one year old. Because it usually occurs when the infant is sleeping, it is sometimes...
06 May, 2018Mother’s Guilt
My mother always warned about mothers’ guilt. I never thought it could be that bad, until I became a mother! It has become a constant companion. Mother’s guilt is real! It is like PMS, we all get it from time to time. The severity does differ...
02 May, 2018How can you help your baby get a good night’s sleep?
As moms, we can often feel helpless when it comes to our babies, especially with their sleep. How can you help your baby get a good night’s sleep? We look for ways to be able to feel in control and positively change our baby’s habits....
18 April, 2018NIGHTMARES AND NIGHT TERRORS
Has your child woken up screaming at any point in time? A sudden frightening child screaming awake shortly after falling asleep. It could be that your child is having a night terror – something that is much like walking in your sleep. But how do...
07 March, 2018Loveys, Blankies, Burpies, Teddies…. What’s your child’s favourite comfort item?
Linus from the “Peanuts” comic strip is infamous for carrying around his security blanket while sucking his thumb. An attachment object or “lovey” as it is better known, is very helpful when you are trying to help your child have restful deep sleep. It becomes...
15 February, 2018Chiropractic care and the effect on infants
Chiropractic care and the effect on infants At the end of pregnancy there is a lack of space left for infants to move around in the uterus. If there are no complications, babies spend the last few weeks of pregnancy lying in the ideal position...
23 November, 2017Being in denial…
Being in denial… By Mia Stoltz The one thing that I was sure of my whole life was that I wanted to become a mother. I was that little girl playing with her dolls from a very tender age. I remember going to the shop...
23 October, 2017How much crying is normal?
Most, if not all parents are cry sensitive When I was a first time mom, I believed that baby’s only cry when they are close to dying. Hence the reason I was in a complete panic the first time I took my baby home and...
20 September, 2017SLEEP REGRESSION
SLEEP REGRESSION “Why do your baby’s sleep patterns sometimes regress, what to do about it, and when to be worried” Written by: Petro Thamm There is nothing more rewarding for a parent when finally, they feel as if they have won the “no...
15 August, 2017HOW I SLEEP TRAINED MY BABY WITHOUT ALLOWING HIM TO CRY-IT-OUT
HOW I SLEEP TRAINED MY BABY WITHOUT ALLOWING HIM TO “CRY-IT-OUT” Sumari, as the co-owner of a Production Company that does lullaby’s for baby’s (zzzz Lullabyes), expected some kind of success in getting her baby to sleep! What is more, with the help of her...
08 August, 2017How Does Your Child Sleep? Tips for Raising an Independent Sleeper…
How Does Your Child Sleep? Tips for Raising an Independent Sleeper… By Petro Thamm Sleep. We all need it, and we don’t know how important it is until we can’t get enough of it? Are you a mother? Then you know EXACTLY what I’m talking...
25 July, 2017Sleep Training Multiples
Once upon a time, I found myself with 4 children under the age of two. Yes, crazy! I had triplet girls who had just turned two when their baby brother was born. Most people cannot believe I survived, neither can I, really! But what saved...
28 June, 2017SLEEP… WHAT CAN THE BRAIN GAIN?
We spend a third of our lives sleeping, an activity as vital to our health and well-being as eating and exercise. But exactly why we need sleep hasn’t always been clear. We know that sleep makes us feel more energized and improves our mood, but...
06 June, 2017A Day In The Life Of A Sleep Trainer
I was invited to dinner with a bunch of influential supermoms in the baby industry a while ago, which provided a platform for some interesting conversations. As with all informal chit-chat, the conversation quickly turned to a “what do you do for a living” refrain...
17 May, 2017Why Sleep is important
Read our new article about Why Sleep is Important. Written by one of our very own Consultant Corlia Dreyer
10 May, 2017Good Night Sleep Consultant Talks About Becoming A Mother.
I have been a sleep consultant for 3 years and helped over 340 babies and their families in getting a good night’s sleep. I love my job, I learnt a lot in 3 years especially as I did not have any of my own children....
20 January, 2017MAGNESIUM AND ITS BENEFITS TO SLEEP
MAGNESIUM AND ITS BENEFITS TO SLEEP Magnesium, Zinc and Iron are three of the fundamental elements necessary for sleep. Interestingly, Magnesium can be absorbed through our skin as well… It can also help with restless leg syndrome and more. “I recently went away with my...
21 June, 2016Is my child unresponsive during sleep training?
Sleep training. What a heated debate. Ask any parent that has been parenting in this century and they are sure to have an opinion about whether they are for or against it. In our experience, it has a great deal to do with what parents...
17 March, 2016Travelling With Kids?
The holidays are around the corner (yippee!). I hope that you have already decided what you are going to make for Christmas pudding. One other thing that needs a little planning is travelling with kids. Nothing can spoil a holiday quite as quickly as a...
07 December, 2015What To Do With Sick Children
I very often get this question from parents: What do I do if my child is ill? With the flu season approaching it’s a good idea to address this. Just think back to the last time you had a cold: Even though you felt more...
31 October, 2015Why hiring skilled moms makes good business sense.
Times are tough and if you own or manage your own business you know how difficult it can be to find fit for purpose people. In fact, it’s hard to find people full stop. But the way we work is changing and there is a...
06 October, 2015To Chiro Or Not To Chiro
To Chiro or not to chiro BY DR NICOLE LOUW MTech Chiropractic (UJ) MCASA Is chiropractic safe for my children? Why should my child get checked, she feels fine? You have your children’s teeth checked, and most schools do an eye and hearing exam yearly, so why don’t you...
08 July, 2015Babies SHOULD Be Waking During The Night
Every once in a while I receive a frantic email or Facebook post about the newest article that is doing its rounds on social media. I always feel so saddened by people who share information that they have not researched properly. By enabling the content...
25 May, 2015The Dummy Mummy
BY PETRO THAMM So is a pacifier good or bad? My answer to this is it depends. Let’s start with the good…. Dummies have the wonderful ability to help trigger the sucking reflex in children and can also (according to Dr. Harvey Karb) help them...
11 May, 2015Why Sleep Training Is The Same As Being On a Banting Diet
You must have lived in isolation for the last year if you have not yet heard about Tim Noakes and his Banting (High-Fat, Low-Carb) diet. It is the dieting craze that has taken South Africa by storm. I love the fact that waiters no longer...
03 March, 2015Stopping Night Feeds In The Young Toddler
BY ANN RICHARDSON It is important to note that everyone wakes up spontaneously many times during the night. So, even if your toddler is ‘sleeping through’ the fact is that he is probably waking up at least 4 – 5 times a night. Most of...
11 February, 2015Sensory Influences On Sleep
BY MEGAN FAURE If your baby isn’t sleeping well, you are in good company – more than 50% of babies have sleep problems in the first three years of life. Sleep is definitely the most complex of all infant behaviours so it’s no wonder it’s...
12 January, 2015Sleep Training – In or Out?
In South Africa, the controversial “sleep training” debate has heated up considerably over the last few months. With so many puritan views on the subject, it’s difficult to discern which information is objective, honest and suitable for everyday families. With the vast amount of books...
06 October, 2014Toddlers And Sleep
“My toddler gets out of his crib!” I very often receive a frantic phone call from parents, wanting to know HOW to stop their toddler from climbing out of his/her cot. How come they sleep so soundly and then, within seconds, clamber dangerously towards their...
14 September, 2014Interesting Sleep Research
Good Night belongs to various internationally accredited associations, and as such, we have the privilege of accessing a wealth of information regarding sleep. Some of the very interesting information recently published includes: • A study completed by The University of South Australia following 690
01 September, 2014SIDS Explained
One of the scariest things for all parents is the reality of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). SIDS is the unexplained, unexpected death of a baby who is less than one year old. Because it usually occurs when the infant is sleeping, it is sometimes...
25 August, 2014Goodnight’s Nutrition Fact File
Here’s the low-down on Goodnight’s take for guiding families in instilling healthy eating habits in their children from a young age. Our resident go-to health-fundi, Nicci Robertson, provides us with savvy facts about being mindful and engaging when it comes to fuelling the family. Nicci...
11 August, 2014Travelling with Babies and Toddlers.
If you’re panicking that travelling with your baby or toddler could be even more stressful than it’s worth, or that their sleep routine will be ruined, then follow these tips for easy travel Travelling A lot of parents worry that once their toddler is in...
11 August, 2014Going Out? Is Your Life Over When You Have a Baby?
When clients ask me: “What do we do when we want to go out during our baby’s sleep time?” I ask them: “Did you not know your life ends when you have children?” Of course, this is a joke! But, as with all things “baby”,...
28 July, 2014Mistakes To Avoid When Feeding Your Newborn
When we become first time parents (or even second or third time) to a newborn, we are so worried about so many different things. Is the baby eating enough, pooping and peeing enough, are they sleeping too much during the day or not enough? And...
21 July, 2014What Makes Good Night Different
I had an unsettling call this morning from a lady who was in tears. She had been following an individual’s advice who called herself a “sleep expert’s”. As a result, the woman’s 10 month old baby had been vomiting; crying inconsolably for up to three...
15 July, 2014“Self Soothing” Myths And Facts
Social media has been abuzz about a recent article published by Psychologist Sarah Ockwell-Smith about the misconceptions or damage one can do by teaching your baby to “self sooth”. Herewith my response: As a self-proclaimed attachment parent, Sarah falls within one end of the parenting...
08 July, 2014Do You Hate Bedtime?
A correct bedtime routine can really help your child transition to sleep As a parent, I am sure you have often read about the importance of a bedtime routine. This blog post attempts to provide a few “bedtime routine secrets”. The most important thing to...
23 June, 2014Confessions Of A Sleep Therapist
There is a saying that goes: “The cobbler’s children go unshod”. Simply put, the son of the shoemaker has no shoe…. Very often, the cobbler spends so much time looking after his customers’ needs that he has no time for his children’s. I often find...
16 June, 2014The Teething Monster
Is your baby not sleeping through the night because of teething? Teething babies: The good, the bad and the ugly Often these words are heard: “My baby cannot sleep through the night because he is teething really badly!” Most moms want to smack me around...
09 June, 2014Interesting Information About Your Infant
A recent Sleep Sense Conference in the United States provided phenomenal content and REALLY rekindled my passion for providing children and parents in South Africa the gift of a Good Night’s Sleep. I was struck by how much I missed my beautiful dirty-handed, Barney-watching, bambino...
02 June, 2014Myth busters: Baby Sleep
Keeping your baby up longer at night/between naps will encourage her to fall asleep faster and sleep better. This is definitely a myth. Keeping your baby up longer at night/between naps will result in an overtired child. An overtired child will be fussy, cranky, have...
19 May, 2014Why Is Sleep a Struggle Over Weekends?
I always have a giggle over weekends because it seems like my phone is on steroids on a Saturday! My clients always phone me frantically because their children, who usually sleep so soundly during the week, struggle with their weekend sleep patterns. Contrary to what...
12 May, 2014The Curse Of The Short Nap
I honestly do not know why we always tell moms: “Sleep when your baby sleeps”. I remember when my son was little; when he eventually fell asleep, that gave me enough time to race to the toilet, and hurriedly gulp down a cup of tea!...
05 May, 2014What To Do With Sick Children
I very often get this question from parents: What do I do if my child is ill? With the flu season approaching it’s a good idea to address this. Just think back to the last time you had a cold: Even though you felt more...
01 May, 2014What role does Nutrition play when it comes to your child’s sleep?
Not as much as you might be thinking. Very often, when we talk to clients their main concern is that milk, milk supply, solids or the lack thereof, are the causes of their child not sleeping. This is a natural reaction due to the kinds...
14 April, 2014The Importance of Sleep
SLEEP YOURSELF TO SUCCESS The average person sleeps for almost a third of his/her life. Yet, in today’s society, sleep is often seen as unproductive time and everyone, from teenagers to adults, generally sleeps three hours less than people in the 1960s due to modern...
07 April, 2014Is Your Baby a Cry Baby?
How much crying is normal? Most, if not all parents are cry sensitive When I was a first time mom, I believed that babies only cried when they were close to dying. Hence the reason I was in a complete panic when I first took...
31 March, 2014The Magic of Melatonin
Is it really so easy? – Just give my child a magic pill? I wish I could create a magic formula that would make children sleep better at night. Imagine! You just sprinkle them with this magic fairy dust and they will happily travel to...
24 March, 2014Is your white noise machine damaging your baby’s hearing?
A new study in Pediatrics suggests that some noise machines can produce sounds so loud that they could potentially damage infants’ hearing and auditory development. If SIDS isn’t scary enough! Now we are potentially damaging our children by playing them white noise? As with all...
17 March, 2014Attachement Parenting
The Web defines attachment parenting as: An approach to raising infants that aims to promote a close relationship between the baby and its parents by methods such as feeding on demand and letting the baby sleep with its parents. 1. What do people mean when...
10 March, 2014Get Your Child To Sleep Better: Bedtime Routine
Would you like to know one of the most important steps parents can take in order to get their child sleeping through the night? It’s very simple, very easy… and actually pretty fun, too! It’s setting up a bedtime routine. Now, I know you might...
03 March, 2014Sleep Training does not work
What does cake have to do with sleep training I hate diets. I cannot tell you how much I hate eating the same types of food repeatedly, or how much I hate Cottage Cheese, tins of tuna and celery. I can tolerate exercise, on occasion…...
25 February, 2014Day versus Night
One of the greatest myths out there is to have your baby learn day from night (especially your newborn) and to have them sleep in well lit environments by day and then in a dark room by night. The BEST sleeping environment for all of...
19 February, 2014Better Sleep For Mom – Some Tips
Sleep is vital to our health. It helps us function better, mentally and physically and we only realise the immense value of it if we don’t get enough of it. It really is necessary for survival and we will sooner die of sleep deprivation than...
10 February, 2014Tips you can try TONIGHT to help with your child’s sleep problems
Would you like to know one of the most important steps parents can take in order to get their child sleeping through the night? It’s very simple, very easy… and actually pretty fun, too! It’s setting up a bedtime routine. Now, I know you might...
03 February, 2014Cry-it-out method
Most parent’s cringe when they hear the word: “Cry it out”. But what does it really mean? In the 20th century, behaviorist John Watson (1928), interested in making psychology a hard science, took up the crusade against affection as president of the American Psychological Association....
27 January, 2014The Teething Monster
Is your baby not sleeping through the night because of teething? Teething babies; The good, the bad and the ugly I hear it so often: “My baby cannot sleep through the night because he is teething really badly!” Maybe I was just lucky that my...
05 November, 2013Sleep Training – Should We, Shouldn’t We
I’m often confronted with individuals bombarding me with statistics (they have read on this VERY credible Google source called [email protected]) of how sleep training is “bad” for you. Often this is a taboo subject in my industry because of all the negative connotations ar
05 November, 2013Sleep Myths Everyone Should Know About
Sleep. We all need it, and we don’t know how important it is until we can’t get enough of it? Are you a mother? Then you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about. Can you still remember what it feels like to look into your partner’s...
05 November, 2013Why is Consistent, Uninterupted, Consolidated Sleep Important?
WHEN SHOULD MY BABY GO TO BED? An early bedtime is advisable! Around 6 -7:30 Pm! Discover what time works best for you baby/toddler. Play around with the bedtime in 10/15 minute increments to discover his/her “window of opportunity”. That is when your child is...
05 November, 2013How to deal with sick children and sleep
I would like to share some wisdom today from Dana Obleman, my mentor and coach, on how to deal with sick children: Today I wanted to talk a bit about sickness. I noticed on the blog there were several people expressing some concerns around their...
14 June, 2013Early Risers – What to do when your baby wakes up very early in the morning
A few tips from my lovely friend and colleague from Sleep Stars Consulting: Early rising is one of the most common problems that parents have when it comes to their little one’s sleep. The child may fall asleep with no problems, sleep through the night...
10 June, 2013Thumb vs Soother
I am re posting an article done by a lovely colleague of mine: Pam Nease: What are the pros and cons of soother and thumb sucking? I have friends that swear by (and against) both! Not sure what’s best for my baby. A: “You can...
22 April, 2013
Latest Articles
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Adjusting to life with two children
24 July, 2019 -
EARLY WAKE-UPS
09 July, 2019 -
Being a dad today or being today’s dad…
16 June, 2019
