The Responsive Family Sleep Podcast

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.  This is one of my top episodes for good reason. Sleep is all about regulation, and we can’t talk about improving sleep without understanding nervous system regulation.  In...

You know they are tired, and suddenly they just start zooming around the house! Toddlers can be notorious for getting wild right when you want to calm them down for sleep. In this episode, I’m sharing some of the reasons why your toddler might get the sillies right at bedtime. To know where to troubleshoot, you need to know why they are acting the way they are. I talk you through some of the commo...

There’s lots of talk about how much babies should sleep, but much of that conversation centers around averages, often the higher end of those averages. So what happens if your baby never seems to sleep as much as they are supposed to? You may have a low sleep needs baby. IN this episode I’m talking about life with a low sleep needs baby or child. I answer some common questions about low sleep need...

Early morning waking is such a frustrating and tricky sleep challenge. IN this episode I talk through some of the causes of early waking. I share some realistic expectations around what is early waking, some seasonal patterns, and talk through some of the contributing factors. Sleep timing, physical needs/discomforts, and environmental factors can all lead to early morning wakes. Sometimes we can...

So many new parents (moms especially) experience exhaustion and overstimulation in early parenting. Some struggle more in the baby year with the higher level of touch and sleep disruption. Some struggle more in the toddler years with the increased chaos that often comes with toddlerhood. While these are common experiences, it doesn’t mean we have to struggle with no way to support ourselves throug...

When is it parental separation anxiety and when is it simply normal biology? In a culture that values separation and independence, where is the line between a parent’s instinct that they and their baby aren’t ready to be separated around nighttime sleep verses anxiety around separation. In this episode I’m unpacking this complicated topic.  I discuss some important cultural and historical context...

Mom guilt is such a huge challenge for so many new moms. In this episode, I’m joined by Alysia Lyons, mom, author, and coach, to talk about mom guilt. We talk about how mom guilt is a notification that your actions are out of alignment with your values, and how self-compassion is essential when looking back at past actions. We then unpack how that shows up in responsive parents and attachment base...

It’s summer travel season! So many parents worry about the impact of travel on sleep. In this episode I’m talking about some tips for common travel concerns. I talk about some mindset tips around how well your baby or toddler travels and ways to think about being both flexible and still provide some consistency.  I share some things to think about for sleep set ups and strategies for supporting sl...

Anyone with a baby somewhere around 4-6 months has probably heard the advice to start solids to help improve sleep. And yet, the reality of the impact of solid food on baby sleep doesn’t back up this common advice. In this episode I’m talking about the popular sleep advice to start solids to improve nighttime sleep. I discuss the reality of solids food having a neutral to negative impact on sleep...

Transfers are hard! And yet the thought of putting your baby in the crib awake and them peacefully drifting off to sleep is laughably unrealistic. In this episode, I’m sharing my best transfer troubleshooting tips. I also share a few thoughts on when to work on transfers to start building some positive momentum. Some babies just struggle with transfers no matter what you do, so I also share some a...

Do you struggle with being a perfectionist in your parenting or life in general? If you answer yes, then you are definitely not alone. I support so many parents who struggle with perfectionism and perfectionism doesn’t blend well with the messiness that is sleep and development. In this episode I’m joined by Jillian Scott, a trauma informed health and wellness coach to talk about perfectionism. We...

In a developmental and attachment based approach to sleep, success is as much about the process as where the process gets us. Outcomes matter, but they have to be understood within the context of your individual baby or toddler’s unique needs and capabilities. I share some of my key success points with the families I work with – that sleep is easier, more restful, and that they navigate any change...

So many parents I support (and let’s be real, my family as well) struggle with too much stuff, too many commitments, too much busyness. Simplifying parenting and life seems like an amazing dream, but one that can feel so hard to achieve. And yet my guest for this episode breaks down small and actionable ways to simplify family life. In this episode I’m joined by Jenna Michael, a coach specializing...

Our culture is so anti bedsharing that we tend to only hear (or interpret) bedsharing stories as scary, bad, worse case scenario situations. In this episode, I’m unpacking the idea that bedsharing is a bad habit or a tool parents are scared of using. So many parents feel like if they bedshare they’ll get stuck bedsharing for forever and look at other families’ long term bedsharing as a cautionary...

Nap struggles are frustrating, but they don’t always mean it’s time to drop a nap. In this episode I’m talking about nap transitions. I share  common times for nap transitions as well as the fact that transitions are often messy times with sleep. I give some context for when fighting naps and skipping naps mean it’s time to drop a nap and when it means it’s time to troubleshoot your current nap rh...

Throughout human history new parents had support with their newborns around the clock from their friends and family. Now, most parents don’t have friends and family who are able to help overnight, and postpartum doulas are an option for nighttime support to help you get more rest.  However, if you are a parent looking for someone who is knowledgeable and comfortable with nurturing biologically nor...

Modern life is not sleep friendly for any of us. While there are many ways to better support and optimize baby and toddler sleep, let’s not forget that there are often simple things that adults can do to support your own sleep (no matter how your child is sleeping). As the days get longer (and warmer), it’s a good time to check in with yourself and what small steps you can take to better support y...

Your baby is an individual and comparing them to other babies can create a whole lot of unnecessary stress and struggle. In this episode I’m talking about how comparisons make your life harder as a parent, especially if you have a baby or toddler who is more….more sensitive, intense, persistent, active, perceptive….essentially who needs more support and is more wakeful than the children you see ar...

Sleep is separation, and connection is our best tool to support through a separation challenge. And in fact, connection is almost always part of the answer to most parenting challenges. In this episode, I’m talking about the role of connection in the evening to set you up for better sleep - Connection through the bedtime routine, but also in the hours ahead of the bedtime routine. I discuss 3 key...

There’s a lot of focus on moms and their experience with baby sleep, but less attachment based conversations focusing on the dad experience. While I’m fortunate to get to support many actively involved dad’s through my work, I’m also a mom , not a dad. So when I wanted to talk about the dad experience I reached out to Adam Angel, a licensed social worker  with a specialty in working with new dads....

When can I get my baby on a schedule is a very popular question I get from parents of younger babies (and even parents of older babies struggling with sleep unpredictability). It’s understandable as schedules bring predictability and order to what can feel like sleep timing chaos. In this episode I’m talking about schedules – what’s realistic and what’s not. The answer to when a baby’s sleep gets...

The world of sleep information is full of information that claims to be gentle and responsive but is really just sleep training with gentle marketing. So many of the sleep norms commonly shared are just wishful thinking for sleep training outcomes. How is a parent supposed to know what’s what? In this episode I’m sharing some of the red flags for sleep training - sometimes it’s very obvious and so...

Attachment is the most fundamental need and yet we don’t do much to educate parents around attachment – what is it and what do we need to do in our parenting to support it? In this week’s episode I’m joined by my friend, colleague and sleep coach Heather Boyd to talk about attachment. Our conversation focuses on the importance of attachment, attachment as the basis for development to unfold, and D...

Is it normal for my toddler to still wake? Surely they should be independent by now….. Even the most responsive parents can sometimes feel like toddler sleep should be easier than it is. In this last episode of my realistic expectations mini series I’m talking about 2 and 3 year old sleep. Older toddlers can still need your support at bedtime and in the night. They also do have a lot more capacity...

Feeding and sleep are two of the most individual and emotive topics in early parenting. In this episode I’m joined by Kassi Reyes, IBCLC to talk about navigating your feeding journey, especially when things don’t go as expected. We talk about the importance of support and accurate information, and also that a lactation consultant’s job is to support you to meet your feeding goals as defined by you...