How Long 'Til Bedtime? | Sleep and Parenting Podcast

Do you have a baby under 2 or are you expecting? Listen in to hear the FOUR items Allison believes need to be in every infant's bedroom. She provides complete details on the items, as well as why she believes these items are necessities.  Links for items Allison mentions in the episode: Canopy humidifier Levoit humidifier Blackout blinds   Hatch Sound Machine   Dohm White Noise Sound Machine   Cli...

Many working moms who juggle careers and daycare often experience some form of mom guilt. It can show up in many ways, but one that Allison frequently hears about is the guilt that comes with having limited time with children in the evening because of early bedtimes. Allison herself struggled with what she calls "working-mom-bedtime-guilt." After solving her older daughter's sleep puzzle, she disc...

Have you ever wondered if it's too late to embark on sleep training with your baby, toddler, or young child? Parents often ask Allison this question. It's very common for parents to wonder if they've missed the window to improve their child's sleep situation. In this episode, Allison's sharing her thoughts on if it's ever too late to sleep train a baby or child. Allison mentions  Episode 153. When...

Figuring out the ideal number of naps per day for a 4 month old can often be challenging for parents. In fact, the entire 4 to 5 month window is a particularly unique period of time when it comes to naps schedules. Prior to 4 months, babies don't have a mature circadian rhythm, which means they aren't generally ready for a set nap schedule. Add in the sleep interruptions that the four month sleep...

Kim Grenawitzke from Solid Starts joins Allison for a discussion on introducing solid foods and developing adventurous eaters. Kim is the Senior Feeding and Swallowing Specialist at Solid Starts and a mom of two.  This episode is packed from start to finish with actionable advice for your family, no matter what feeding stage you're in. You'll hear strategies for starting solids with your young bab...

Studies clearly show that getting the optimal amount of sleep improves a child's impulse control, emotional regulation, and learning retention. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children 3 to 5 years old get 10-13 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period and that children between 6 and 10 years old get 9 to 12 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period. These are big ranges and it can be diffic...

Are you considering moving your child from the crib to a bed? Is someone in your life pressuring you to ditch the crib? Expecting another baby and wondering if you actually need to buy another crib? This episode is for you. Allison often tells people that one of the most valuable pieces of advice she can give them is to keep their child in the crib longer than they think they need to. Listen in as...

After each guest interview we do for the podcast, Allison asks our guests some rapid-fire questions unrelated to their area of expertise. Today's episode is a compilation of all the great "bonus answers" they shared with us in the last six months. These four guests will share their favorite stress-relieving self care strategies, family game and book and podcast recommendations, charities and nonpr...

Welcoming a new baby into the house is life changing, for parents AND for older siblings. This big change, or even just the anticipation of it, can often trigger a sleep regression in toddlers and preschool age children. Allison is sharing three tips to help you avoid a sleep regression with an older sibling when you bring home a new baby.  Allison mentions  Episode 146. Going From One to Two: Fea...

Have you thought about taking a break from drinking alcohol? Or have you just wondered what being Sober Curious is all about? Join Allison for a candid conversation about the Sober Curious movement with Casey Davidson. Casey is a Certified Life Coach and Master Practitioner in Core Energy Leadership and is eight years sober. After finding out how much happier and healthier she felt after removing...

Our three coaches share gift recommendations for the children and adults in your life. The 2024 holiday season is the inspiration for this episode, but their ideas are gifts you could give at any time throughout the year.   Allison mentions our gift idea episode from 2023:  Episode 112. Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List - Our Team Favorites Details on the products mentioned in this episode: Jou...

The holiday travel season is upon us. You may be preparing to take your family on a long car ride or be flying somewhere. Your travels may be taking you to stay with family or to stay in a hotel. Some children will be sleeping in their own room during these travels and some of you will need to roomshare. And on top of everything else, many will be traveling to different time zones. So today, Allis...

There is no evidence based answer as to when a baby no longer "needs" night feedings. Based on her experience working with over 1,000 babies, Allison tends to find that by 6 months or 16 pounds, whichever comes first, most babies are ready to sleep through the night without feeding. Sometimes, however, these babies need help dropping those night feedings. If you are considering dropping one or mor...

Allison is addressing the two most common questions and concerns she hears from families after the fall time change and the end of daylight saving time.  Click here to watch or listen on YouTube   Want to hear more from Allison? Provide your email address here to receive Allison's weekly email about the podcast and other fun topics.  Enjoying How Long 'Til Bedtime? Please consider rating and revie...

Infant and toddler sleep needs to be balanced throughout a 24 hour period. Both nighttime and day sleep are important for our babies' growth and development. Even though the bulk of our children's sleep happens at night, naps are very important. Some babies are naturally inclined to take long naps before they learn to sleep well at night… and sometimes those naps can be too long. In this episode,...

The dreaded fall time change is upon us again. But there's no need for concern. Allison has guided her community through this transition for years with great results. Her plan makes it a very quick and mostly painless process. In this episode, she shares how you can help your child smoothly transition to the new time and avoid getting stuck with crazy early wakings. She also discusses where we cur...

What do you do if your 3 month old baby suddenly starts taking 30 minute naps and becomes difficult to put back to sleep at night? We've got the answer for you today in this Sleep SOS episode. Earlier this week, Allison asked her Instagram community to submit questions about their child's sleep. Katie, a mom of a 3 month old baby girl, is asking for guidance on improving her daughter's naps and lo...

October is SIDS awareness month. SIDS, which stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is the reason it's important to understand what it means to practice safe sleep. One of the recommendations you'll see around safe sleep is room sharing with your baby, but with the baby in their own safe sleep space, i.e. a crib or bassinet. With some babies, room sharing truly makes sleep easier, but for others...

The majority of daycares in the United States shift babies from two naps per day to one midday nap at 12 months. For many 12 month olds, this transition is happening too early and can lead to a variety of challenges. Dropping to one nap too early can result in an overtired child, which can lead to unpleasant evenings and bedtimes and may trigger night wakings or extra early morning wakings. If you...

If you have a child who is not sleeping well, it can be very difficult to determine the next right step to take for better sleep. And if you and your partner don't agree on what that next step should be, the situation becomes even more challenging.  Our sleep coaches meet with a lot of couples who are trying to decide if a formal sleep training approach is right for their family. Sometimes, one pa...

If you have a baby or young child who isn't sleeping well, you may have wondered when it is the "best time" to implement a sleep training plan or you may have searched the internet to try to figure out if you are "too late." Allison has helped over 1,000 families teach their children to become independent sleepers and she's sharing her thoughts on identifying the "best time" to sleep train your ch...

As children get older and move into the elementary school years, evening activities often begin to push bedtimes a bit later and interrupt sleep schedules. Families with young children who are thriving with their early bedtimes may worry about or even start to feel the negative effects of these later bedtimes. In this episode, Allison is offering a plan for balancing evening activities, homework,...

Many children between 3 and 5 years old attend a daycare where rest or nap time is offered daily. Often, a child who is struggling with sleep at home catches up on their sleep by taking a long nap at daycare. And when bedtime is a struggle at home, parents sometimes ask the daycare to either skip the nap or cap it after a certain amount of sleep. It's not uncommon for daycares to respond by tellin...

If you have a child between 2.5 and 6 years old and you've been dreading bedtimes because your child resists, stalls or is falling asleep crazy late, Allison's 3 Days To Smoother Bedtimes sleep challenge is for you. We're kicking off this FREE challenge for the third time on September 4th. Hundreds of parents have participated in our two previous challenges and have found that a few simple tweaks...

Allison is joined by Angela O'Brien for a vulnerable conversation about the importance of exposure and inclusion as it relates to the special needs community. Angela is a professional organizer, host of the Especially Organized podcast, and a special needs mom.   Allison and Angela discuss the reasons it's important for our young children to be exposed to people with special needs, the biases that...