The Responsive Family Sleep Podcast

Have you hit a wall of exhaustion? Are you spinning in circles wondering what to do first? IN this episode, I’m talking you through 3 key things to do when you are beyond tired. Our brains tend to jump to big changes and drastic measures, but that’s often a bad idea because you don’t have the reserves to do it thoughtfully, assuming you even actually want to make that change. I talk you through pr...

You need to teach your baby how to sleep. Give them the gift of good sleep skills. Do comments like this sound familiar? In this episode I’m unpacking the idea that we need to teach our babies to sleep. Hint, we don’t and can’t. I talk about sleep being an involuntary state that you don’t have conscious control over. I share some of the things you can influence to support falling asleep: sleep fee...

Is my child getting enough sleep? How much sleep does my baby need? These are common questions I get from parents, and they can create a lot of stress. The evidence I use to answer these types of questions always includes the National Sleep Foundation recommendations. So I was very excited to have Dr. Dzierzewski From the National Sleep Foundation on the podcast to talk about their latest annual p...

Nursing to sleep and back to sleep is normal and healthy, but what happens when your baby or toddler just won’t unlatch! It’s one of the patterns I see push so many parents over the edge into not coping. In this episode I’m talking you through some tips for unlatching from night feeds. I share some specific tips for the moment of unlatching and also some bigger picture tips for how to manage over...

Over the years I’ve worked as a sleep coach, I’ve seen long-term logging sleep become more and more common. But have you paused to reflect if logging sleep is helpful or harmful to your sleep or mental health? Is all that data actually useful? In this episode I’m talking you through the pros and cons of logging sleep. I hope this episode encourages you to be more intentional with logging, or even...

As a parent, you are surrounded by all the shoulds, should nots, and strong opinions on how you should parent. When you are a responsive parent, it can feel like all that noise doesn’t align with your values. In this episode I’m joined by Claire Felps, a counselor specializing in acceptance commitment therapy, to talk about showing up as a responsive parent in a world that isn’t always supportive....

It’s time for a safety focused episode. When can a baby sleep on their stomach? So many babies sleep better on their stomach, but when is it safe? In this episode I’m walking you through the safety guidelines and some things you can do to encourage baby to meet the milestones needed for safe tummy sleeping.  Resources related to this episode Pediatric PT /milestones IG accounts: @mommyandme.pt @ne...

What does a baby need headed into a nap? Do they need a pre-nap routine just like they need a bedtime routine? In this episode I’m answering some common questions about pre-nap routines, how they can help, and how to make sure they aren’t limiting your nap flexibility.  Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about w...

What does your baby’s tongue position have to do with their sleep? Actually, quite a bit. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Alison Sigal, a pediatric dentist and airway specialist,  for a conversation about airway health and sleep. I find this to be a really important and under talked about reason for frequent waking, feeding challenges, and unsettled behavior. We discuss: Why tongue ties matter....

Overtiredness is a common topic in the sleep world. Sometimes, it feels like it’s the answer to all sleep problems. I see so many parents anxious about overtiredness. In this episode, I’m sharing a deeper look at the overtired conversation. I will talk you through: Is overtiredness a real thing? How does focusing on overtiredness influence your ability to support sleep? Why sleep pressure and regu...

I think we’ve all been there – your little one is not…settling down, stopping crying, letting you transfer them, falling asleep! And you are wondering why is it always this hard. The frustration builds, and you are getting dysregulated right along with your child. In this episode, I’m talking about the power of cognitively reframing the situation to help you regulate and better understand what you...

The way you take care of your nervous system influences how you show up to nurture and take care of your baby. In this episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Grove, a Nervous System Whisperer & Venting Coach, to talk about how you can show up for yourself in the overwhelming and intense early years of parenting. We discuss self care as regulation support and emotional release, not the traditional sel...

I talk with so many parents who are in a hard season of life. They feel bad that it’s so hard. That they aren’t coping better. They feel like it should be easier, come easier. Sometimes it’s hard because it is hard. In this episode, I’m talking about what to do when it’s hard. Sometimes there are ways to optimize  things to make life easier (and I love helping you do that!), but sometimes we need...

We’ve all had one of these days – the first nap is rough, they fight the next nap, and it’s late afternoon and they’ve hardly slept. You're frustrated and dysregulated. They are tired and dysregulated. And you feel the impending doom of how bad bedtime and the night are going to be. In this episode I’m sharing a few ideas for how to survive because most of us have been there. Even with a soli...

Night wakes are a normal part of nighttime parenting, and often they are more disruptive to parent sleep than baby sleep. Long wakes in the middle of the night are a particularly challenging experience. In this episode, I’m talking you through some common causes of split nights or long wakes in the middle of the night. I’ll also help you tease out the differences between transfer challenges  and t...

You are told to leave your baby to cry by the sleep trainers. You are told to respond, and made to feel like you should have the answer to every cry by the no cry folks. You wonder if crying in arms is just as bad as CIO – and does it matter if you’ve done everything to soothe your little? In this episode I’m talking about crying, and sharing some perspective and context I hope will be helpful. Cr...

Are you dreading the time when your toddler drops their nap? Wondering about quiet time? In this episode I’m sharing some insight and tips about quiet time. There are different ways families think about quiet time, and different set ups will work with different toddlers. And if quiet time feels impossible, I share some thoughts around working towards it and also a full confession that it never wor...

There are so many all or nothing messages about night feeds. Pressure to night wean early. Pressure to be 100% consistent. In this episode, I’m sharing my thoughts and some practical tips for how you can reduce night feeds without night weaning. I’m sharing some general night feeding norms  because that’s always the best starting place. I also share some thoughts around the decision to reduce feed...

Temperament is one of the biggest factors that shapes what kind of sleeper your baby or toddler is. It’s also one of the least acknowledged pieces of sleep in the sleep world. In this episode, I’m going over some key points about temperament that will help you view your little’s sleep with a bit more understanding. I touch on temperament traits, the dandelion orchid spectrum, and how various tempe...

As new parents, you are trying to figure this whole parenting thing out, and as new grandparents, your parents are trying to figure the whole grandparenting thing out. And a lot has changed in the last several decades when it comes to parenting research, tools, and strategies.  In this episode, I’m joined by parenting coach Sheena Hill to talk about responsive grandparenting and her new book The G...

There are lots of rules shared about what makes a nap a good nap. Most of them aren’t true, or aren’t true as absolutes. In this episode, I’m busting some nap myths and sharing some thoughts around what makes a good nap for your baby or toddler.  Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https:/...

Breastfeeding is not the reason that other people can’t support your baby to sleep! And yet, it’s so often blamed for a parent preference around sleep. In this episode,  I’m talking you through why we see a feeding to sleep preference so often tied into a parent preference. There are  structural/family systems reasons as well as  regulation reasons, but also lots you can do to gently shift the pat...

Babies aren’t born regulating their circadian rhythm which means they don’t know their days from night in the early months. While time is a big piece of the puzzle, there are things you can do to help your baby’s emerging circadian rhythm and support better sleep. In this podcast episode I’m talking you through simple strategies to help your baby sort out their days from nights more quickly and se...

We need to do better as perinatal professionals when it comes to sleep information. To parents who are my main listeners, this episode highlights the most common misinformation shared about sleep from professionals so that you are more able to spot outdated and unhelpful sleep myths. For professionals because I know some of you are listeners too, this is information you need to know. It’s not abou...

Your baby wakes, signals they need you,  and you respond to settle them back to sleep. This is a pretty standard part of most parents nights. What most people don’t realize is there are lots of small decisions you make about that interaction that can impact how rested you feel in the morning. In this episode, I’m sharing some points for you to consider when responding to night wakes. I want you to...