All it Takes is a Plan

What does nervous system regulation actually look like when you have kids? In Part 2 of my conversation with Amanda Armstrong of Regulated Living, we're getting much more practical about nervous system regulation for parents and children, and how we can support our kids when they're overwhelmed, dysregulated, tantruming, or struggling to settle down for sleep. One of the biggest takeaways from thi...

What does the vagus nerve have to do with sleep? More than you might think. In this episode, I’m joined by Amanda Armstrong of Regulated Living to talk about the vagus nerve, nervous system regulation, and the connection between our nervous system and sleep. We talk about what the vagus nerve actually does, how our nervous system responds to stress, and why regulation can play such an important ro...

Is your baby or toddler waking up in the middle of the night and staying awake for hours? If so, you may be dealing with a split night. In this episode, we’re breaking down what a split night actually is, why they happen, and most importantly, how to fix them. We’ll talk about the most common causes for split nights, including a lack of independent sleep skills and/or a schedule issue. Snag our FR...

In August of 2022, our oldest daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with cancer. Just 9 days before her 5th birthday, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Her main tumor was in her jaw muscle, and she had a handful of tumors in her lungs, as well. Two weeks ago, I shared all of the details of Olivia's diagnosis: what led us to the ER that day and what those initial days and weeks looked like as we g...

In August of 2022, our oldest daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with cancer. Just 9 days before her 5th birthday, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Her main tumor was in her jaw muscle, and she had a handful of tumors in her lungs, as well. Last week, I shared all of the details of Olivia's diagnosis: what led us to the ER that day and what those initial days and weeks looked like as we got m...

In August of 2022, our oldest daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with cancer. Just 9 days before her 5th birthday, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Her main tumor was in her jaw muscle, and she had a handful of tumors in her lungs, as well. In this episode, I'm sharing all of the details of Olivia's diagnosis: what led us to the ER that day and what those initial days and weeks looked like as...

In this episode, I'm answering YOUR questions! Here's what we're walking through: How do we adjust our sons' sleep schedule (ages 9 and 6.5)? We want them to go to bed later at night and wake up later in the morning. We've pushed bedtime later, but they're now waking up even earlier in the morning. Is my toddler (2 years 7 months) ready to drop her nap or should we push bedtime back later? Should...

One of the questions I get most often from families preparing ot travel is: "How do we all sleep when we're sharing a hotel room?" If you're nervous about sharing a hotel room with your baby or toddler, you're not alone. In this episode, I'm sharing practical tips we've used with our own family and the strategies I recommend to clients for making hotel room sleep easier. We'll cover everything fro...

In this week’s episode, I’m sharing something a little different and more personal — our family’s experience with homeschooling. I talk about why we chose homeschooling, what we’ve come to love about it, and also the parts that have been genuinely hard. From slower mornings and family rhythms to the challenges and sacrifices that come with it, this episode is just an honest conversation about what...

If your toddler suddenly starts fighting their bedtime routine, or they start freaking out when you go to lay them in their crib or tuck them in for the night - and before this, sleep has been pretty smooth - separation anxiety may be playing a role. But it’s not always the whole story. In this episode, I’m breaking down: When separation anxiety most often shows up in toddler sleep Why it's actual...

If your baby suddenly cries the moment you walk toward the crib, or bedtime feels like more of a fight, or the nap and bedtime routine have gotten tougher, separation anxiety may be playing a role. But it’s not always the whole story. In this episode, I’m breaking down: When separation anxiety most often shows up in baby sleep Why it's actually happening developmentally Signs it's impacting sleep...

Every toddler parent dreads the day their toddler climbs out of the crib. That definitely wasn't part of the plan! So what do you do? In this episode, I share 7 tips to actually prevent your toddler from climbing out of their crib, and then I also share what your options are once they climb out. I also give a peek inside what we did when our toddler climbed out of her crib about a month ago! Get o...

I'm excited to introduce you to the newest pediatric sleep coach on the Via Graces team, Samantha Gomella! In this podcast, she tells us about the sleep challenges she had with her oldest son, and how that finally connected her to me. She also shares about how different her experience was the second time around with her daughter, and how confidence marked her journey rather than anxiety. Sam also...

"What if sleep training doesn’t work?" This fear and common hesitation isn't actually about sleep, it's about putting your time and energy and emotions into something hard, and worrying it won’t pay off. So let’s talk about it! In this episode, I’m breaking down why sleep training sometimes seems like it’s failing—and what’s actually going on behind the scenes. You’ll walk away knowing what to adj...

Can you breastfeed and sleep train? If you’re a nursing mom and even thinking about sleep training, chances are you’ve wondered, “Does sleep training mean I have to stop nursing overnight?” Or worse, “Will sleep training tank my milk supply?” Or, “My baby probably won’t sleep through the night until I wean.” In this episode, we talk about how: Sleep training does not equal weaning Breastfed babies...

We are continuing our mini-series on sleep training hesitations. And today the big question we're asking is, Will sleep training make our life rigid? And we're answering that big question by answering these smaller questions: What if I want to enjoy a contact nap? Will sleep training make my baby a sleep snob? Does sleep training mean we’ll be stuck at home all day every day? We travel a lot. We’r...

Last week, we kicked off a mini-series on common sleep training hesitations with, "Does sleep training harm attachment?" This week, we're continuing with those hesitations by answering the question, "How much will my baby cry during sleep training?" We'll talk about what's realistic when it comes to babies and toddlers crying during the sleep training process, what's not realistic, as well as ways...

Does sleep training harm your baby’s attachment? It’s one of the most common—and emotionally charged—questions parents ask. If you’ve ever worried that sleep training might damage your bond with your baby, you are absolutely not alone. In this episode, we’re diving into the research behind attachment and sleep training with psychologist, Dr. Shanna Sarita Alvarez, to answer the question: does slee...

If you have twins or triplets, or are expecting twins or triplets, this episode is for you! While much of sleep training twins is the same as sleep training a singleton, there are also many differences, because you have more babies or more toddlers! So in this episode, I'm sharing how to sleep train twins and triplets, including: Safe sleep and how we chat about that with twin families A realistic...

Have you ever been nervous about putting your child to bed after they skipped dinner? What if they wake up hungry? Have you found yourself in the pattern of giving your toddler a bedtime snack every night to try to help them sleep through the night? Is that bedtime snack actually necessary? In this episode, I'm interviewing Alyssa Miller, a registered dietitian and picky eating specialist with Nut...

My baby just turned 12 months old last week, which means there are some sleep changes on the horizon for us. So in today's episode, I'm sharing the three sleep changes that should be top of mind when your baby turns one! Including: Introducing a lovey Taking milk out of the bedtime routine Preparing for the transition to one nap If you have a baby who is almost one, or who just recently turned one...

Listen as I interview Angie Ludwig, a mama of two and a family photographer in Columbus, Ohio, as we talk about the before and after of the sleep training process with both of her kids. She shares why her family chose to hire a sleep consultant to help with both kids, and also peels back the curtain on what the sleep training process was like for them. If you'd like to chat more about what it woul...

If you've done any research about baby sleep, you've heard about overtiredness and how it can wreck sleep. And while yes, overtiredness can absolutely cause sleep challenges, we need to talk about undertiredness! As a sleep coach and mom of four, I see undertiredness impacting sleep way more often than overtiredness. In this episode, I share: What we mean when we say "overtired" and "undertired" H...

“I know it’s time to transition my baby out of the bassinet, but I’m terrified of doing it wrong and wrecking their sleep.” Can you relate?? In this week's episode, we're covering the bassinet to crib transition, including: When it's time to transition your baby from the bassinet to their crib Tips to transition from the bassinet to the crib Extra tips to transition your baby from the SNOO to the...

Listen as I interview Michelle Pratt, a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and mom of two, best known as the founder of Safe in the Seat , the leading car seat safety platform for parents. In the episode, she shares: Her personal why behind Safe in the Seat The most common car seat mistakes What we should all know about car seats and sleep The various resources Safe in t...