The Responsive Family Sleep Podcast

The other day I was reflecting on some of the struggles a few clients had shared with me, and how common their individual stories really were. As new parents, there’s so much pressure, guilt, and expectation that you should be doing it “right”. In this episode, I’m doing something a bit different and sharing the advice I wish every parent new as the mom of big kids. It’s not about what I chose to...

Bedtime can be a really hard time of day for many families. If bedtime has been long, stressful, and feels like a battle, then this episode is for you! There are many reasons bedtime can turn into a struggle. In this episode I’m walking you through some of the most common reasons I see for challenging bedtimes. Bedtime can be a peaceful and connected time with our babies and toddlers. The key is e...

Happy new year  It’s January, and you may be thinking about bringing some order to the chaos that the holidays brought to your sleep routines. I’m sharing a from the archives episode on getting back on track after the holidays. I want you to feel ready to reclaim your normal rhythms or look ahead to new routines, and I hope this episode helps. In this episode, I’m sharing some ideas for where to s...

What helps you feel like you are taking care of yourself ? How well have you adapted those things to your life as the parent of a baby or toddler. In this episode, I’m talking about non-negotiables. The self-nurturing things you need to show up as the person, partner, friend, and parent you want to be. These are not fun, optional self-care activities, but rather small, important nurturing activiti...

Modern sleep info is recent while baby biology is hundreds of thousands of years old. While cultural expectations have changed drastically, babies have not. In this episode I’m talking you through the mismatch of baby biology and humans as carry mammals with the modern independent, separate sleep focused sleep expectations. Your baby is hardwired for proximity so I hope this episode helps you lean...

Sleep is in a reasonably good place. You feel like you have a handle on things. Then suddenly, they are waking more, a struggle to get down to sleep, and need so much support and soothing! What happened? This is a normal part of sleep development, and the reasons for sleep suddenly getting harder can be varied. In this episode, I’m sharing a simple check list to get you started on troubleshooting....

There’s lots of talk about how babies should sleep, but that conversation it often misses the mark for what babies and toddlers actually need to get good quality sleep. We need to look past the modern sleep rules and shoulds and should nots and talk about the physiological factors that lead to good quality sleep. In this episode I’m sharing the core things humans of all ages need to sleep well – t...

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope today is a day full of family, food, and connection with loved ones. This is a short episode reflecting on gratitude.  Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

The holiday season comes with so much joy and also so much disruption to your normal sleep and parenting routines. This is a common time for lots of questions about routines, sleep set ups, and navigating family. In this episode I’m talking through some of the most common concerns I hear from the families I work with, and I hope they give you some good food for thought as you plan for your holiday...

The return to work is a big transition. So many parents are worried about the impact of starting daycare on sleep, and the need to prepare their baby to handle daycare naps. In this episode, I’m walking you through some key things to consider about sleep and the daycare transition. This is a big transition for the whole family, and bringing understanding, patience, and extra connection through the...

Your toddler nurses 1 million times a night (or at least it feels like it)! Your little won’t unlatch for hours on end. There are many reasons why you might want to set some limits around your toddler’s nursing around sleep or otherwise, but how do you do it? In this episode I’m talking about nursing limits.  What is a nursing limit When might you want to use a nursing limit, sleep and otherwise W...

It’s germ season, and babies, toddlers, and young kids get sick a lot! In this episode, I’m talking with pediatrician Dr. J about supporting sleep when your little is sick. We chat about: What to expect from sleep when your little is sick How to make them more comfortable  Red flags that you need medical support Tips for preventing illness in the germy months  Sick littles and sleep is hard, and t...

Switching sleep spaces can be stressful for both parents and babies. Whether you are moving your little from their bassinet to their crib, crib to big kid bed, bedsharing to floor bed, it can be a big transition. In this episode I’m sharing ways to make the transition easier for everyone. I talk you through building familiarity with the new sleep space, helping them feel safe and connected to you...

Parent preference is a really normal thing, and it’s a common struggle around sleep. Sometimes it’s developmental and sometimes it comes from doing what works for so long that we just don’t have experience doing something else anymore. In this episode, I’m sharing some tips around parent preference and how to gently encourage balancing things out. I share some tips for supporting the relationship...

Habit stacking is a common strategy I use with many families when they want to make a change with sleep or have more flexibility. In this episode I’m sharing: What is habit stacking (or layering sleep associations)? When and how to use habit stacking when supporting your baby or toddler through a sleep change. Examples of sleep soothing tools to stack. And some tips for ways I see the strategy not...

Sleep predictability is a common struggle for many families. And the important thing to note is that not all babies are going to have the same level of predictability in their sleep patterns. In this episode I’m talking you through the things we can’t control and the things we can control that contribute to how predictable our child’s sleep is. Everything from age development, and temperament to h...

For most babies and toddlers, there naps have an impact on their nighttime sleep quality. So what happens when your child is in daycare, and you aren’t in control of their naps? This is a common situation for many of the families I support. In this episode I’m talking you through some daycare nap troubleshooting. I discuss: The most common daycare nap challenges Daycare has limits Every environmen...

Are you a morning or evening person? What about your baby or toddler? We all have tendencies in our circadian rhythm, and this episode dives into those tendencies or chronotypes. I talk about the general trends in chronotypes, some impacts of modern living environment on our circadian rhythm, and  How our circadian rhythm shifts across the lifespan. I also talk about the mismatches that can happen...

Black out curtains are a popular tool for helping people of all ages get better sleep. In this episode I’m talking you through when to use black out curtains and some of the unintended impacts I see with my clients. I discuss: Why to use them.  When to and when not to use them. Some ways they can mess with sleep rhythms.  Do you find black out curtains helpful for your little one? I’d love to hear...

Are you regularly nap trapped? Whether you know your little routinely needs contact naps to get good sleep or you just find yourself caught in a phase where it’s happening a lot, being nap trapped by a contact nap can be frustrating. In this episode I’m sharing tips around making the best of contact naps. I talk about:  Being realistic about contact naps Taking care of your own needs before you th...

Welcome to the last of the summer from the archives series! We’re revisiting some much loved podcast episodes from the early months of the podcast. These are episode that are great to revisit at different points in your parenting journey.  The majority of parents will bedshare at some point, some regularly and some occasionally. Yet we live in a culture that actively discourages bedsharing. Many p...

Welcome to the summer from the archives series! We’re revisiting some much loved podcast episodes from the early months of the podcast. These are episode that are great to revisit at different points in your parenting journey.  Sleep training culture is pervasive, and almost every parent I talk with feels its impact in some way, even the most confident, attachment focused parents. Understanding th...

Welcome to the summer from the archives series! We’re revisiting some much loved podcast episodes from the early months of the podcast. These are episode that are great to revisit at different points in your parenting journey.  There’s so much focus on what baby’s need in infancy, and so little focus on what parents need in those early critical months. Even when the focus is on new parents, the fo...

Welcome to the summer from the archives series! We’re revisiting some much loved podcast episodes from the early months of the podcast. These are episode that are great to revisit at different points in your parenting journey.  Sleep and lactation – such a huge an important topic! In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I think this is an important topic to share again.  Every parent needs sleep inf...

Welcome to the summer from the archives series! We’re revisiting some much loved podcast episodes from the early months of the podcast. These are episode that are great to revisit at different points in your parenting journey.  When will my baby sleep through the night is one of the most common questions I get in casual conversation with parents. There’s so much pressure and emphasis placed on sle...