All it Takes is a Plan

If you've done any research into baby sleep, you've likely heard of "awake windows," or "wake windows." However, I have found that there is still a lot of confusion around wake windows, including: When to follow awake windows vs. tired cues When awake windows start and when they end How to know when it's time to adjust awake windows When to switch from wake windows to a more clock-based schedule A...

What is the best age to sleep train? Four months old? Six months old? 12 months old? Three years old? The answer is: IT DEPENDS! It depends on what's best for your child and family. In this episode, I go through every age and stage and share why certain ages might be the best for certain families and why other families might choose to wait. MORE RESOURCES A to Z Online Sleep Classes: Newborn Sleep...

Whether you are traveling for the holidays or not, it's natural to experience extra stress during the holiday season. And that extra stress often leads to sleep disruptions - yes, for our kids, but also for us, as adults! Listen to our adult sleep coach, Kathryn, as she shares her top tips to help you not only sleep well over the holidays, but also how to adjust your expectations for when sleep is...

Short naps happen. Skipped naps happen. Late bedtimes happen! Off-sleep days aren't always ideal, but it's real life. The goal of this episode is to help you think through how to handle those off-sleep days, whether they're planned or not. We'll talk through: How to adjust your baby and toddler’s schedule when they take short naps How to adjust your baby and toddler’s schedule when they skip naps...

Knowing when it's the right time to wean your baby or toddler from breastfeeding can be overwhelming, not to mention the overwhelm that can come with actually weaning them. Nursing is a really intimate relationship between a mother and child and it can be tough to figure out the best way to end it. So in this episode, I share: How to balance nursing and solids for babies and toddlers The different...

Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you have your baby completely weaned from the bottle by 15 months old? This can feel really overwhelming, whether your baby is nearing this bottle transition, or if you have an older toddler who still loves their bottle and you know it's time to wean them! In this episode, I'm sharing: When you should wean your baby or toddler from th...

Transitioning your child from their crib to a bed is a really exciting transition, but it can also be nerve-wracking! We’ve done it twice now, and while it went smoothly both times and sleep is literally my job, I was still just as nervous! I’m going to walk you through my top tips for transitioning your toddler from a crib to a bed, including: The ideal age to make the crib-to-bed transition How...

In honor of Veterans Day, this week's podcast is all about how the majority of those who served in the military still really struggle with sleep.  Our adult sleep coach, Kathryn, served in the Coast Guard for several years, and she recently did some digging into the connection between veterans and sleep.  She'll share: Her personal experience with being in the military and how that impac...

We have used sleep sacks with all of our kids, both as babies and as toddlers. I love that sleep sacks are not only a familiar part of the nap and bedtime routine that you can bring with you wherever you go, but they're also some extra peace of mind for parents that their babies and toddlers are warm and comfortable while sleeping. In this episode, I'm sharing the best swaddles and sleep sacks for...

Has your little one had a nightmare or night terror recently?  I hope not, but if they're 3+ years old, there's a good chance they've at least had a bad dream, or if not, it might be coming soon.  In this week's episode, we're sharing all about nightmares and night terrors, including: What the difference between nightmares and night terrors is How to potentially prevent ni...

When it comes to daylight saving time, it's hard enough for adults to wrap their minds around the time change. But as parents, it's even harder! How are we supposed to keep our baby or toddler's sleep on track when we fall back?? In this episode, I will share: When we recommend starting to adjust your child's schedule for daylight saving time How to fall back with babies on an awake window schedul...

Hearing your baby wake up or your toddler come to your room before 6 am is rough! And those early morning wakings are a common sleep challenge that takes time to rectify, but it's not impossible! In this episode, we are explaining the five most common reasons babies, toddlers, and older kids wake up early, as well as solutions to solve them! Additional resources to help solve your child's early mo...

With the back-to-school season and now cooler weather rolling in, sick season is upon us! And no matter what we do or don't do, our babies, toddlers, and big kids will likely get sick at some point - it's inevitable! So in this episode, we're helping you feel prepared for how to handle sleep when your child is sick. We'll cover: How to approach sleep when your little ones are sick What changes you...

Have you ever felt any  guilt  around sleep training? Whether that was before you sleep trained, while sleep training, or after? Or is guilt one of the reasons you haven't sleep trained yet? In this episode, we're jumping into that guilt a bit, but we're getting super specific - we're chatting about the guilt that often comes with sleep training for families who have struggled with infer...

It is not uncommon for babies and young kids to experience a sleep regression when going through a big life change. And one common life change that can cause a sleep regression is moving! In my nine years of marriage, we have moved NINE times, seven of which included kids. So to say we have learned a few lessons about moving with kids is an understatement! In this episode, I am sharing my top tips...

Social jet lag...ever heard of it? It's a common scenario for all of us: Friday hits, we're excited to stay out late, sleep in on Saturday, maybe do the same Saturday night, catch a Sunday nap...but then Monday hits, and despite getting extra sleep over the weekend, you feel like you've been hit by a bus. The reason? Social jet lag! Our adult sleep coach, Kathryn, is sharing what social jet lag is...

A lot of newborn families think that those first several weeks equal sleepless nights, never being able to put your baby down, survival mode, and pure exhaustion. And I’m not pretending those things aren’t real – there will absolutely be sleepless nights, newborn babies definitely love those snuggles (as do we!), some days you are just surviving diaper to diaper and feeding to feeding, and you’re...

In last week's episode, we talked all about realistic expectations for a baby and toddler's sleep at daycare. This week, we're diving into more specifics about what it looks like to sleep train a baby or toddler in daycare. We're covering: What to request from and communicate to the daycare provider The importance of advocating for your little one Realistic expectations for sleep at daycare and at...

It is not uncommon for babies and toddlers to sleep differently at daycare than they do at home - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. So in this episode, I am sharing realistic expectations you can have about daycare sleep. I will help you think through what questions to ask your daycare providers about sleep at their center, and I will also share what you can realistically expect from your...

There are certain milestones we talk about a lot in parenting - learning to crawl, walk, eat food for the first time, the first word, etc. And there are some sleep milestones we talk about regularly, like sleeping through the night, moving baby to their own room, or transitioning to a big bed. One sleep milestone we don't often talk about but is certainly a transition, is giving our toddlers a pil...

Did you have some sort of lovey, stuffed animal, or special blanket growing up? Many parents wonder when they can safely give their babies and toddlers their own special lovey to sleep with! In this episode, we walk through what a lovey is, when it's safe to give one to your baby for sleep, how to introduce a lovey, and so much more. Here are our favorites/the most popular lovies: Jellycat Soother...

Ever wonder how families do it who have multiple kids sharing a room? Or are you entering a season of life where you need to or want to have your kids share a room, but you're nervous about it messing up their sleep? If you answered yes to any of those questions, this episode is for you! As a mama of girls who have room shared for nearly four years, and a sleep consultant who has helped numerous f...

We all know it's much easier to sleep in a cool room than in a warm room, but do you know why? And did you know body temperature plays a big role in your sleep, as an adult? On the podcast this week, our adult sleep coach, Kathryn, is sharing more adult sleep tips; specifically how body temperature impacts sleep, as well as some tips to cool down and stay cool overnight to get the best rest possib...

Whether you choose to sleep train on your own or hire help from a sleep consultant, there are five key pieces to a successful sleep training plan. Those five pieces are: A solid sleeping environment An age-appropriate schedule Consistent and supportive routines A sleep training method/plan Time + Consistency! If one of those pieces doesn't exist, sleep training likely won't be successful! Here are...

Do you normally breathe with your mouth open or closed? What about when you sleep? Did you know that for optimal health, we are all supposed to breathe with our mouths closed , both during the day and overnight? Sometimes, however, we can't (or don't!) breathe through our noses, due to habit or another physical restriction. Sometimes that restriction is a high palate! Oral myofunctional therapists...