That's Not How A Baby Sleeps

Have you ever wondered if your child's sleep struggles could be related to something more than just sleep? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Turner, an airway-focused dentist, to discuss the often-overlooked connection between airway health and sleep. From mouth breathing and snoring to tongue ties and early airway development, She helps us understand some of the red flags parent...

Note: We had a few technical difficulties with recording this week, so this episode is audio only and may sound a little “off” at times — thank you for bearing with us. 💛 This week on the podcast, we’re joined by our Mother’s Day giveaway winner, Kate — a mama of four boys (including her younger twin boys) and a birth doula. Before the call, Kate tracked her twins’ sleep so we could take a deeper...

Enter our Mother’s Day Giveaway HERE Motherhood isn’t just physically exhausting. It’s the constant thinking, remembering, planning, anticipating & the never turning your brain off . This week on the podcast, we’re talking about the invisible mental load of motherhood — the piece no one really prepares you for, but that impacts everything… including your capacity, your nervous system, and even...

Why does parenting feel like there is never enough time… even when you’re doing everything? This week on the podcast, we’re joined by Sondra Fireling, founder of Beyond Delegation, for a powerful conversation about the invisible load so many parents are carrying and why modern family life can feel so overwhelming. Sondra teaches families how to create time wealth — the feeling of having enough tim...

“Not all sleep training is cry it out.” This is something parents hear all the time… but in reality, many families end up there anyway. In this episode, we’re unpacking why methods like timed check-ins (Ferber) or the chair method—often labeled as “gentle”—can actually lead to more tears, not less. If you’ve ever felt like your baby cries harder when you go in to comfort them… you’re not imagining...

“If my child cries, I’m doing something wrong” So many parents feel stuck between two extremes — either never making changes to avoid upsetting their child, or being told they need to ignore the crying altogether . But there is a middle ground. In this episode, we’re talking about how to support your child’s emotions while still making changes around sleep — whether that’s weaning, moving away fro...

Nap transitions are one of the most common questions parents ask about sleep. One day naps seem to be working… and the next it suddenly feels like everything has fallen apart. In this episode, I’m breaking down nap transitions from the newborn stage all the way through the toddler years so you can better understand what’s actually happening with your child’s sleep. I talk about: • How many naps ne...

Middle-of-the-night moments with our kids can sometimes feel incredibly scary. Your child suddenly sits up screaming. They look awake but don’t recognize you. Or they start walking around the house while seemingly still asleep. And if you’ve never seen it before, it can leave you wondering what on earth is going on. In this episode, we’re talking all about parasomnias — a group of sleep behaviors...

Talking to kids about bodies, boundaries, and consent can feel… intimidating. A lot of us didn’t grow up with these conversations and most parents are quietly wondering: “Am I starting too early?” “How much detail is too much?” “What if I say the wrong thing?” This week on the podcast, we sit down with sex education expert Kimberly Wolf for a deeply practical and reassuring conversation about how...

This week on the podcast, we’re sitting down with Lauren Weber of Isla Grace Sleep and co-creator of the Baby-Led Sleep Approach — the certification both Aleni and I completed as sleep consultants. We dive into Lauren’s journey into motherhood, the sleep struggles that shaped her work, and the pivotal shift that so many parents can relate to: Learning to trust that you actually know your baby best...

Breastfeeding advice is everywhere — and yet so many parents still find themselves completely blindsided once baby arrives. In this episode, we sit down with Taylor of June And Lily, a lactation educator and pediatric nurse, for an honest, reality-based conversation about breastfeeding, newborn sleep, and the early postpartum days. We talk about why prenatal breastfeeding education matters far mor...

Sleep advice often assumes that all babies are the same — and for many families, that assumption is where everything starts to fall apart. In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Sloan , a baby-led sleep and wellbeing specialist who specializes in supporting highly sensitive, neurodivergent, and medically complex babies and children . Together, we unpack the huge gap families fall into when their...

Parenting already comes with a lot of noise — and when you’re raising children in a multicultural home, that noise can feel even louder. In this episode, we sit down with Melina , a childhood development specialist and founder of Pueblo , to talk about what it really looks like to parent across differences — cultural and personal — without losing yourselves or your relationship along the way. Meli...

Bed sharing works for a lot of families… until it doesn’t. In this episode, we’re talking about how to transition away from bed sharing gently and responsively , without rushing your child or forcing independence before they’re ready.  We dive into why separation can feel so big for babies and toddlers, how attachment actually develops in the first year of life, and why there is no such thing as a...

Toddler sleep can feel confusing, emotional, and wildly inconsistent — especially when it seems like everyone else’s toddler is “sleeping through the night.” In this episode, we’re breaking down what normal toddler sleep actually looks like , from night wakings and nap resistance to bedtime struggles and early mornings. We talk about how developmental progressions, temperament, separation awarenes...

If infant sleep has felt harder than you expected, you’re not alone — and you’re not doing anything wrong. In this episode, we walk through what’s biologically normal for infant sleep during the first year of life. From frequent night wakings and short naps to sleep disruptions during developmental progressions, we explain why so many common struggles are actually expected. This episode is for par...

In this episode, we’re joined by Anna, a baby wearing educator, for a conversation about baby wearing as more than just a tool — but a biologically normal, relationship-based way of caring for babies and toddlers. We talk about how baby wearing supports regulation, attachment, emotional connection, and sleep, and why humans have always relied on carrying our babies long before cribs and sleep “sol...

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by pelvic floor specialist Dr. Ashley Schaab for a conversation every mom deserves to hear. Pelvic floor health is one of those things we all know matters… but no one actually talks about until we’re already struggling with discomfort, leaking, pain, or feeling like our bodies just aren’t the same postpartum. Ashley walks us through what actually happens to the...

In this week’s episode, we’re diving into all things Santa, Christmas, and sleep — because the holidays bring magic… and also overstimulation, late nights, sugar, travel, chaos, and so many opinions from relatives who haven’t had a baby in 30 years. We share how each of us navigates Santa in our homes, what we do (and don’t) feel comfortable with, and why we aren’t forcing Santa photos if our kids...

This week on That’s Not How a Baby Sleeps , we’re welcoming back one of our past guests — Blake Alexiss — for an honest and heartfelt conversation about the transition from one child to two, and what sleep looked like the second time around. Blake opens up about the rollercoaster of adding a new baby into the mix, how her second postpartum experience compared to her first, and the sleep myths she...

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most popular — and most frustrating — pieces of baby sleep advice out there: “drowsy but awake.” If you’ve ever tried putting your baby down this way and watched them instantly go from peaceful to panicked… this episode is for you. We break down what this advice was supposed to do, why it only works for a small percentage of easygoing babies, and how i...

In this episode, we sit down with Kelsey — one of my incredible 6-week clients — to talk about her journey navigating baby sleep without sleep training. Kelsey shares openly about the sleep challenges she faced with her son, the pressure she felt to “fix” sleep by teaching independence, and what it looked like to finally trust her instincts and take a more connected approach. We chat about what le...

This week on the podcast, we’re chatting with Ashley — a mom of two and professional organizer who is on a mission to help overwhelmed mothers create more simplicity, ease, and breathing room in their homes. Ashley opens up about her own journey into motherhood, the moment she realized her space and routines needed to work with her instead of against her, and how organizing became a way to find ca...

In this episode, we’re diving into the viral trend of “f*ck around and find out” parenting — and unpacking what’s really going on behind it. We talk about the extremes of this style compared to gentle and authoritative parenting approaches, and how easy it can be to swing from one end of the spectrum to the other when we’re feeling burnt out, overstimulated, or just plain done. We also share some...

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Mariel , one of Aleni’s past clients, who opens up about her journey navigating her son’s sleep — a journey filled with challenges, advocacy, and ultimately, connection. Mariel’s little one struggled with multiple medical issues, including reflux and oral ties, which made sleep incredibly difficult in those early months. Like so many parents, she was told ov...