Sleep Well Sleepy Blog

Let’s talk about separation anxiety!  I get emails from people saying that they’re not sure if it’s the right time to make changes to their child’s sleep because their child is going through separation anxiety.  That is a very common part of childhood development that most children go through at one point in their lives.   Some experience it a little more often and more severel ...

Childhood is full of exciting milestones: first tooth, first solid foods, first steps.  Making the switch from a crib to a bed is another sign your child is growing up.  For some parents the idea can be a bit nerve-wracking.  They wonder what life will be like if their child is free to get out of bed whenever he wants…will he be roaming the halls at night?  Will he ever settle ...

As our lives are inundated with to-do lists, household chores, meetings, and work, it can seem like there isn’t enough of the day to find time to get everything done let alone spend individually with your children.  I am not talking about watching a movie with them or just being in the same room with them, I mean one on one complete undivided attention with your child.  That me ...

Teething!!  Have you ever found yourself blaming just about anything you can’t figure out with your baby or toddler on teething?  He didn’t eat well today, it must be teething?  He is really grumpy today, his gums must be sore?  He didn’t sleep well last night because he is teething.  I don’t know what is wrong with my baby….teething??? In my line of work, teething often gets ...

Most parents coping with young kids and sleep issues are desperate for any solution to their nightly trials, and there are countless tinctures, sprays and salves that promise to soothe your child into a peaceful slumber. To me, this is not unlike to the staggering number of natural weight-loss products on the market: there is no shortage of companies trying to make big bucks s ...

How many naps a day should my baby or toddler be taking?  If you have young children or babies you probably have asked this question.  The biggest factor that helps determine how much sleep your child needs is her age.  Here is a breakdown of naps and sleep needs based upon a child’s age: Babies ages 0-3 months need about 16-18 hours of sleep per day.  The usually need about 4 ...

All parents of toddlers have witnessed the full body flailing of their enraged child.  Kids definitely don’t hold back when they’re angry or upset!  This can be disconcerting to the parent, but even more disconcerting is when your baby or toddler repeatedly bangs her head against the wall or the sides of her crib or the floor—for apparently no reason at all. According to paren ...

During my years as a sleep professional, I’ve gotten used to people asking me what the “secret” is to getting a baby to sleep through the night. Of course, there is no ONE secret. Teaching a child healthy sleep habits is a combination of lots of different things. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some shortcuts, either! With that in mind, today I’d like to share with y ...

I want to talk a bit about the bedtime routine.  Now, if you go to any baby site on the Web, search “my baby won’t sleep,” or whatever you’re looking for in regards to sleep, almost every single site will tell you about the importance of a bedtime routine.  So will I. Even adults have routines.  We all do things in a very similar order before bed every night.  Without them, we ...

Today I want to ask you a very important question.  Are you addicted to your monitor? It might sound silly, but this is really an area of concern for me. I think what happens for a lot of us is we get dependent upon this monitor.  You’ve got it right beside your ear.  I’ve had clients who even sleep with it in their hand through the night so that they can hear their babies. ...