HUSH BUDDY GUIDE FOR PARENTS
CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY
First, THANK YOU for making your child’s sleep a priority. Better sleep now will nurture valuable brain pathways that will help them for the rest of their lives.
But how do you get your toddler to sleep better?
YOUR GREATEST TOOL IS…
Consistency! That means…
• The same bedtime nightly
• The same bedtime routine nightly
• A consistent sleep environment all night long
SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN
A study by St. Joseph’s University found a healthy routine at bedtime significantly improved bedtime behavior in the child, helped the child fall asleep more quickly, reduced middle of the night awakenings, and, not surprisingly, also improved the parent’s mood!
We’re going to help you do this.
STEP ONE: SETTING UP WHISPER, THE HUSH BUDDY™
PLACE
Set up Whisper, the Hush Buddy™ without your child present to help preserve the child’s imaginative bond with the character. Place Whisper, the Hush Buddy™ where it can be viewed easily by your child when in bed, but not where it or the power cord could fall into your child’s bed, ideally 5 or 6 feet away and not directly beside any sound producing device such as a white noise machine.
CALIBRATE
Turn on any fan, white noise machine or any other device that will be on as your child goes to sleep. Plug in Whisper, the Hush Buddy™ and wait quietly for 4 seconds. During this time, the device’s glow will fluctuate as it automatically detects the normal ambient sound in the room. The Hush Buddy will blink 4 times when it is calibrated.
TEST
Clap your hands or speak loudly. Whisper should dim until you’re quiet for 2 seconds. If not, unplug Whisper and recalibrate.
Remove other night lights. Leave Whisper, the Hush Buddy™ on so your child will see it illuminated anytime they’re in the room. The LED lights consume very little electricity.
FEATURES AND SETTINGS
Use a pencil or pen to press this child-proof button in the middle of the underside of the device to control how long Whisper, the Hush Buddy™ will wait before becoming bright again. Most people find 2 seconds (the default setting) is sufficient.
Other options are 4 seconds, 6 seconds, and the progressive setting, where Whisper waits 2 seconds longer with each outburst before brightening, up to 10 seconds.
STEP TWO: INTRODUCE WHISPER, THE HUSH BUDDY™
BEFORE THE BIG NIGHT
Build anticipation in your child before Whisper arrives by visiting hushbuddysleep.com/anticipation with your child. When the product arrives, open the packaging together. It’s designed to be a treat for your little one!
After setup, show your child the new story book and point out that Whisper is actually there in their room, waiting for bedtime. Set the expectation that their new friend, Whisper will be a part of bedtime from now on.
BELIEVE
The more your child believes Whisper is a good friend, the more effective Whisper will be at bedtime. Set the example by speaking to and treating Whisper as a friend. Some parents have encouraged the imaginative bond by letting their child quietly tell Whisper what they hope to dream about that night.
STEP THREE: A SMART LEAD-UP TO BEDTIME
Let’s build an enjoyable bedtime routine for you and your toddler. It should be no more than 30 minutes, and always moving toward sleep.
SCREEN FREE TIME
45 minutes before bedtime, direct your child away from screens to a low key activity they enjoy, such as coloring. This will help their body begin to produce the sleep hormone melatonin when bedtime arrives.
YOUR BEDTIME ROUTINE
30 minutes before bedtime, begin your bedtime routine. Below are some calming routines you may consider. Once you’ve selected the elements for your routine, do them every night, in the same order, consistently.
1. Bath
2. Put on pajamas
3. Have a light snack
4. Brush teeth
5. A gentle massage
6. Sing a lullaby
7. Say prayers
8. Read stories
STEP FOUR: A NEW BEDTIME EXPERIENCE
THE FIRST NIGHT
The first night with Whisper is the most important.
The presence of Whisper, along with a new bedtime story and possibly even a new bedtime routine, changes your child’s usual behavior cues at bedtime. The first night, they’ll be watching carefully, trying to learn the new bedtime pattern. That means the things you do on the first night using Whisper will likely be expected by your child every night thereafter. If you want them to go to sleep independently, this is your best chance to make that change. Stay firm the first night, or your child may expect you to give in night after night.
IN THEIR ROOM
- Once you are in the bedroom with your child, do not lay down with your child. Sit on or near the bed.
STORY TIME
- If you typically read multiple stories, to conclude bedtime do so, finishing with our story book, Whisper, the Hush Buddy”.
- Read “Whisper, the Hush Buddy” in a soft, soothing voice.
AFTER THE STORY
- Always whisper to set the example of caring about the well-being of Whisper.
- Turn off the room light.
- Say good night to your child AND to Whisper, the Hush Buddy™ to reinforce its identity.
- Leave the room, closing the door as much as usual. Be sure Whisper is the primary source of light in the room.
LEAVING THE ROOM
If you have trouble leaving the room easily, try the “excuse me” method. Simply say “excuse me, I need to _______”. It doesn’t matter how you fill in the blank. Leave the room, and wait two minutes before returning. Praise the child for staying in bed and quiet. Then use the “excuse me” method again, with longer intervals before you return.
TEACHING THEM TO SELF SOOTHE
When you leave the room, your child may still cry or fuss. You are not a bad parent if this happens! We’re going to teach you how to help your child develop the valuable lifetime skill of self soothing.
WHEN TO GO BACK IN
Wait just 2 minutes. If they aren’t quiet, reenter the room.
ONCE YOU’RE IN
Comfort your child, but do NOT pick your child up, lay down beside them, or give in to other demands. Speak softly, and show concern for Whisper, who doesn’t like noise. After a minute or less in the room, leave again.
IF THEY CRY AGAIN
Now, wait 5 minutes before reentering the room and repeating steps above.
IF THEY CRY A THIRD TIME
If your child cries a third time, wait 10 minutes before reentering the room and repeating steps above. Continue, if necessary, with 10 minute intervals between entering the room.
When your child stops crying, do not go back into the room unless you suspect something is seriously wrong. If you hear your child is still awake, but quiet, don’t go back into the room. They are learning to go to sleep on their own!
SUBSEQUENT NIGHTS
Follow the bedtime routine again, reading “Whisper, the Hush Buddy” as the final book every night for the first week, and saying good night. After that, read the story once a week or so, or whenever requested.
If your child cries when you exit, wait 5 minutes before returning to the room the first time, then 10 minutes the second time and 15 minutes before entering a third time if necessary.
AVOID THESE SLEEP DISTRUPTERS
Make the job easier by avoiding these sleep distrupters.
SCREENS
Screens emit a bluish light. Since blue light is the color of the daytime sky, it signals your toddler’s body that it’s time to be awake, and it won’t produce the sleep hormone melatonin. Take away devices with screens 45 minutes before bedtime. Replace that screen time with drawing, coloring, so some other calm activity they enjoy.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Rigorous physical play won’t “wear them out”. Instead, it stimulates them.
INCONSISTENT DEVICES
Bedtime devices that turn off automatically after a few minutes may disrupt your child’s sleep. When toddlers wake up in the middle of the night they naturally expect everything to be the same as when they fell asleep. If devices have turned off, your toddler may come looking for you because the surroundings are profoundly different.
