I think we can all agree that no sound on this earth is more distressing to a parent than that of their crying baby. And in their early years, nothing prompts a meltdown from your little one quite like the sight of you leaving the room. Separation anxiety is so common among babies that you would probably be more likely to worry if your little one didn't cry a little when you left them alone. The truth is, teaching your baby to trust in your inevitable return when you leave the room is probably h...
Jun 22, 2018•17 min
As parents, we all strive to do the best we can when it comes to raising our kids. But actions taken with the best intentions can have negative effects, and we may not realize the impact they have until the damage is already done. Today, I'm going to talk a bit about some of the more unhelpful behaviors I've observed in my time as a sleep consultant (as well as some of my own!) and talk a bit about why we're likely to engage in them, why they're not doing what they're intended to do, and what we...
Jun 15, 2018•18 min
I can't tell you how many times I've spoken with parents who were desperate to get their child sleeping through the night, but when it came to actually getting started, they felt like it "just wasn't the right time." Don't get me wrong, they had good reasons for saying so. Baby was teething, baby was just getting over an illness, baby was about to switch to a big-kid bed, and so on. The truth is, there are some situations where I think it's best to put off sleep training for a brief period, but ...
Jun 08, 2018•15 min
There's a commonly held belief among the devotees of attachment parenting that sleep training isn't compatible with their parenting style. That's not surprising, since one of the founders of the attachment parenting movement, Dr. Bill Sears, amended the core principles of his system to include "Beware of baby trainers." But having worked with parents who subscribe to this approach, I have found that there's plenty of room for compromise. You can stick to every fundamental rule of the attachment ...
Jun 01, 2018•26 min
Tell me if this sounds familiar... You've put baby to bed, they seem to be sleeping peacefully, but when you open the door a crack to check on them, they've pushed themselves into a corner of their crib into what appears to be the most uncomfortable sleeping position imaginable. If your baby doesn't sleep well, or has trouble getting back to sleep after they've woken up, this presents a serious dilemma. Do you go in, try to readjust them, and risk them waking up? Do you leave them in that uncomf...
May 18, 2018•12 min
Ben Franklin once said that the only guarantees in life were death and taxes. I think that must have been before he had kids, because he forgot to mention parenting advice. Information comes at you fast and plentifully after your first baby arrives, and although it's always given with the best intentions, some of it is, to be blunt, incorrect. In today's episode of The Sleep Sense Show, I'm looking at five of the most common myths surrounding your baby's sleep. I can't say for sure where they co...
Apr 27, 2018•24 min
A lot of people new mothers (and old mothers alike) think that breastfeeding and sleeping through the night are mutually exclusive. For all of you breastfeeding mothers out there, I'm happy to report that this is simply not the case. While it's true that breast milk is digested faster than formula, breastfed babies are still capable of sleeping for more than a few hours at a time, and past the six-month mark, they're just as capable of sleeping through the night as their formula-fed counterparts...
Apr 20, 2018•17 min
Don't you just love that blissful moment in the late morning or early afternoon when you put your baby down for their nap? Watching them drift into a restful, rejuvenating daytime sleep is one of the most maternal sensations I know. Which makes it so much more aggravating when they wake up 20 minutes later and refuse to go back to sleep. Then they're cranky for the rest of the day, overtired at bedtime, and the next 24 hours leave you pulling your hair out in frustration. Sound familiar? Don't w...
Apr 13, 2018•17 min
Toddlers are very curious creatures, as I'm sure anyone who has one already knows, and they are constantly testing to see where the boundaries lie regarding their behavior. Although it may not seem like it, toddlers absolutely crave structure and rules. They test the limits all the time, but they don't actually want to see anything change. But those tests are often accompanied by tears, shrieking, and meltdowns. So how can you enforce the rules while avoiding the temper tantrums? Well, not to so...
Apr 06, 2018•11 min
I'm super excited today to have Dr. Keira Barr on the show to tell us all about the role sleep plays in the health and well-being of our skin. As you probably already know, our skin is our largest organ, but you may be surprised at the information it provides into our overall health. You may also be interested (I know I was!) to learn how sleep and our skin are interconnected, and how the benefits of a good night's sleep can show up in a very real and noticeable way, all over your body. You can ...
Mar 30, 2018•36 min
I just want to start off here by saying that The Sleep Sense Program is not what is considered a "cry-it-out" approach. But having said that, I think it's time that we took a look at the term and what it really means. Given all of the negativity and false information that has been thrown around about allowing babies to cry, I think new parents are often overwhelmed at the thought of even a few nighttime tears and the damage they might cause. So today, we'll take a look at what people really mean...
Mar 23, 2018•19 min
Today, I'm going to try something a little different. I'm going to leave the kids out of the show altogether and focus specifically on you. Because even though we may forget it from time to time, your sleep is every bit as important as your little one's, and grown ups tend to have issues getting to sleep and staying asleep just as often as their babies. So today, I have three easy, effective tips for you that you can implement tonight to start improving your own sleep routine, on a special "Adul...
Mar 16, 2018•18 min
After conquering their baby's persistent night wakings, many parents take a "Hey, that's good enough" approach if their little one insists on getting up at 5 in the morning. And if it really is good enough for you, if baby's gotten enough sleep through the night, and you're ready to start your day at 5 AM, power to you. But for those of you who are aching for that one extra hour in the morning, I want you to know that it's possible, and I'm going to tell you everything you need in order to help ...
Mar 09, 2018•16 min
"There are two things life doesn't prepare you for. Twins." There's no question that twins present a unique challenge to sleep training. Do you keep them on the same schedule, even if they don't seem to want to sleep at the same time? Should you keep them in the same room if one tends to wake the other up? Today, I have (hopefully) all the answers that you're looking for when it comes to sleep training twins. How to synchronize their routines, what to do when one of them starts crying, and every...
Mar 02, 2018•22 min
How many times have you finished up your little one's bedtime routine, kissed them goodnight, tucked them in, turned out the light, only to see their adorable little face appear in the hallway five minutes later? And then five minutes after that? And again, and again, until bedtime ends in a series of tears and ultimatums. Keeping kids in their rooms is a tricky challenge. We can't just lock them in there, and they are oh so clever when it comes to figuring out which excuses get them a few extra...
Feb 23, 2018•20 min
"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams." So said Oprah Winfrey, one of my biggest inspirations when I decided to start my own business, and she was absolutely right. And although I have realized my dream of being a mother and and entrepreneur, there are still moments that I wouldn't describe as especially dreamy. Combining a family and a small business has been an adventure like no other, and as more and more women are taking the brave, exhilarating steps int...
Feb 16, 2018•21 min
If you have kids and a sense of humor, chances are you're already a big fan of my guest today. Jill Smokler is the creator of the "Scary Mommy" blog, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Confessions of A Scary Mommy and Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies ) . Jill's honest, unfiltered, and hilarious take on parenthood has helped millions of parents, myself included, to accept the less-than-glamorous side of child-rearing with a smile, and reminds us all that we don't ...
Feb 09, 2018•41 min
Every parent I know has relied on the magic soothing abilities of a pacifier at one time or another, and for good reason. There's no arguing their effectiveness. Nothing quiets a crying baby faster with as little effort as popping a soother in their mouth. Now, I'm not anti-pacifier, but I do think they should be used in certain circumstances, and that they can have a negative effect on sleep if used at bedtime. In today's show, I'll tell you my thoughts on when is the right time to use them, wh...
Jan 26, 2018•22 min
According to a 2013 analysis by the NHIS, nearly 10% of children aged 4-17 will be diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives. The trademark symptoms, hyperactivity, lack of focus, and forgetfulness, are easily attributed to the disorder, but my guest today has shown compelling evidence that many kids who display them are actually not suffering from ADHD at all, but actually from a lack of sleep. Dr Vatsal Thakkar, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the New York University Schoo...
Jan 19, 2018•36 min
Some parents love the experience of sleeping next to their baby, whereas others end up doing it out of necessity, enduring the inevitable fingers in the nose and late-night kicks to the belly in exchange for an otherwise peaceful night. But at some point, the time comes when your little one has to move into their own room and stay there, which, as many parents know, can be cause for a series of midnight meltdowns. In today's episode, I have a bunch of useful tips for deciding if it's the right t...
Jan 12, 2018•20 min
From one mother to another, that probably sounds a little imprecise. "Besides your kids, of course," I can hear a lot of you thinking. But no, in fact. To me, maintaining a solid relationship with my partner is absolutely at the top of my list. I'll explain what I mean and why I feel it's justifiable in today's episode.
Dec 29, 2017•20 min
Raising a little one is probably the most important job most parents will have in their lives. The responsibility that comes along with bringing up a child can't be overstated. And nobody in the history of parenting has ever gotten it 100% right. We're all going to make mistakes. We're going to say the wrong thing or overreact in situations, and once we've had a moment to think about it, we're all going to feel a little guilty. Parental guilt is an unavoidable aspect of having a child, but I've ...
Dec 22, 2017•20 min
Today I'm delighted to welcome global parenting expert Jo Frost, the screen hit success of International shows such as Supernanny, NannyOnTour and Family Matters. We will be discussing all sorts of Family topics so please tune in, and for those of you who wish to receive Ms. Frost's help, you can do so privately via her Private Family Consultations company where Frost provides a bespoke fee service to help families with all parental/family challenges from baby care to sleep, eating, behavioral i...
Dec 15, 2017•1 hr 2 min
It's a valid question, for sure. After all the hard work you've put into getting your baby to sleep, now you're concerned that they might be sleeping too well. Will an extra long nap mess with their bedtime or throw their schedule off? What if she's sleeping past the time when she normally eats? Is it ever a good move to wake a sleeping baby? Well, I'm happy to report that this is about as close to a yes-or-no answer as you're likely to get in parenting, and I'll tell you where I stand and where...
Dec 08, 2017•15 min
So your baby is managing to sleep a solid 10 - 12 hours at a time. That's great! Or at least it would be, if it was happening at night. This is actually a very common scenario with parents of infants, where their little one seems to have their days and nights mixed up. They sleep almost all day long, then wake up in the evening and stay awake throughout the night. So is it possible for your little one to actually establish a nocturnal sleep pattern, and if so, what do you do to remedy the situat...
Dec 01, 2017•14 min
Every kid has moments when they lose their cool, whine, pout or otherwise act like a brat. But we all know at least one kid who seems to define the term perfectly. They whine from the moment they get up in the morning, they throw a fit every time they don't get their way, they have to have things exactly how they want them... you've met one, I'm sure. And for a lot of parents, when they see those traits in their own kids, the thought often crosses their mind, "Am I raising a brat?" The uncomfort...
Nov 10, 2017•36 min
Twice a year, every year, the powers that be set out to sabotage all the hard work you've done to get your child sleeping on a predictable, reliable schedule. Alright, technically speaking, that's not the actual intention of daylight saving(s) time, but that's pretty much all it accomplishes in the eyes of the parents of a youngster. Hopefully, one day we'll just do away with this obsolescent practice, but until then I have some strategies that will help your little ones adjust to the time chang...
Nov 03, 2017•15 min•Season 1Ep. 68
As though the challenges of being a new parent weren't enough, about forty percent of babies will be afflicted with a little something extra, known as colic. Colic, as many parents are unfortunately aware, is marked by extended periods of inconsolable, hysterical crying, and although it's almost always resolved by the fourth month, any parent who has been through the experience will tell you it is a seriously rough ride. So today I have some tips for you, not just for soothing your baby if they'...
Oct 27, 2017•21 min
Having kids is the most rewarding, inspiring, blessed experience a person can have. No question about it. They're adorable, innocent, and so full of wonder as they discover the world around them. And it's a good thing, because if anyone without those qualities sat at my table, told me my cooking was "gross" and threw a lovingly prepared meal across the room, I can safely say that they wouldn't be invited back. Mealtime can be a real battle with kids in the house, and it's no laughing matter when...
Oct 20, 2017•20 min
We all get a little bored from time to time, but kids are especially susceptible to moments of tedium and dullness. And what's worse, they really like to let us parents know when they're feeling bored. They'll place themselves directly in front of us, lie on the floor, stare at the ceiling, and repeatedly tell us in no uncertain terms how unbelievably bored they are, which can be frustrating for parents who feel like they need to provide entertainment. But boredom isn't necessarily a bad thing, ...
Oct 13, 2017•15 min
