Preparing for a new baby and still struggling with sleep? Whether you are thinking about another baby or already pregnant, it’s normal to have a lot of worries about how you’ll manage sleep with a newborn and your older child. If your child is still a challenging sleeper, it can add additional stress. In my work with parents, I hear a lot of the same questions and concerns.
Read MoreThere’s nothing worse than a little one awake for hours in the middle of the night! You want to sleep, and they are ready to party. While this is normal for babies in the first months before they develop a circadian rhythm, it can also be a common struggle for some older babies and toddlers. Long awake periods in the middle of the night are often referred to as split nights.
Read MoreIts effects on parenting around sleep are powerful, and parents feel that pressure. When you dig into the research on sleep training, however, you find that it isn’t as soundly supported as many parents and professionals believe. In this post, I’m highlighting 10 facts about sleep training research that everyone should know to make informed decisions about how you support sleep for your children.
Read MoreWhat does an intentional end to bedsharing look like? How do you set yourself up for success moving forward? It can be challenging transitioning away from bedsharing without a clear idea of what the journey might look like. Generally you just hear a lot of worst case scenarios and bedsharing blame.
This article features an outline of realistic expectations for your child’s sleep in the first 5 years, updated for 2022. It can be hard to know what healthy sleep patterns even are at each age. This article will cover healthy and developmentally appropriate sleep expectations for infants and toddlers by age. Download this as a PDF for an easy reference.
Read MoreSleep hygiene is our sleep environment, behaviors, and daily patterns that promote good quality sleep. It’s not just what happens in the evening, however. Your whole 24 hours contributes to how well you and your little one sleep at night.
Read MoreNaps. Something all parents want and some babies fight! Naps are an area that confuse and frustrate so many parents I talk with. There’s so much misinformation out there, some of which really undermines finding a nap rhythm that works for your family. Below are some of the most common questions I get from parents in my sleep classes and coaching support.
Read MoreBedsharing is a wonderful, biologically normal way to care for your baby at night. It’s also a big controversy in safe sleep. Since many pediatricians only focus on a “just don’t” attitude towards bedsharing, parents are stuck trying to navigate safe sleep messages and the reality of nighttime parenting. In this guide, I’ll answer some of the many questions I hear from parents about sleeping with their baby, cosleeping safety, bedsharing, and many questions that I also asked as a new parent.
Read MoreOne of the most common questions I get this time of year is how do I support sleep during the holidays? Whether it’s travel, hosting family, or just a lot of different events, there is a lot to navigate. You want to enjoy the time without undermining your littles sleep too much, and there can be a lot to consider. Below are some of the most common questions and areas of struggle I hear from parents struggling with what to do about infant and toddler sleeping arrangements during travel.
Read MoreDeciding to night wean is a big step. If you didn’t see my blog post earlier in the month on the decision to night wean, check it out here. Once you’ve decided this transition is right for you, or even just to reduce nighttime nursing, how do you start to night wean?
There are many ways to support your little one through the night weaning process. Their personality, readiness, language skills, and preferences will all guide you in coming up with a plan. There are simple, low-pressure ways to cut back on nursing and more intentional strategies to eliminate feeds.
Read MoreYou are tired. Your little one feeds a lot over night. You aren’t sure if nighttime nursing is a help or making sleep worse. You think you might be ready for night weaning, but you’re not sure if it’s the right thing to do.
Read MoreOlder baby and young toddler sleep is a dynamic time with many developmental changes that can affect sleep. One of these phases that can make sleep more of a challenge is separation anxiety. Understanding separation anxiety, sleep, and ways to support your little one through it can make this phase less of a struggle.
Read MoreSo many parents reach out to me with concerns about contact naps. Sometimes they are worried about long-term sleep independence. Sometimes it’s more about sustainability. Sometimes is just an overwhelming need to start moving away from all contact sleep. Both my kids have been huge contact sleepers, so I know the struggle!
Read MoreThere’s so much conflicting and confusing information on baby and toddler sleep. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck between what feels right and what everyone says you should do. So often parents feel as though they have two options, sleep train or do nothing and struggle along until time improves things. However, there are a range of gentle, responsive ways to support sleep without sleep training.
Here are three shifts you can make to improve sleep while decreasing overwhelm.
Read MoreAt some point many parents wonder if it’s still normal for their child to wake at night and need them. I hear many parents of toddlers frustrated and concerned that their toddler is still waking. So many parents expect wake ups in the first year but are unprepared for them to continue into the toddler years.
Having a realistic understanding of toddler sleep is just as important as understanding baby sleep norms. Toddlers are complex and dynamic, and their sleep can mirror the ups and downs of their development. It’s normal for toddlers to wake at night.
Read MoreThe other day I was talking with a client about how hard it is when your little fights naps! It reminded me of my own struggles with a toddler who won’t nap. My daughter was fighting her nap so hard, even though she was tired. This wasn’t the first or last time she refused a much-needed nap, and every time the struggle is real!
Read MoreAre you ready for the time change?
I’ll be honest, I completely forgot about it until last week. It snuck up on me. This year it’s November 1st so we get Halloween and a time change all in one weekend!
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