Sleep Well Sleepy Blog

When I talk with clients about the importance of getting their child the rest he needs, one thing we always discuss is their child’s sleep window, the natural time that the body wants to sleep.   Its during this time that the body produces the sleep hormone, melatonin, to prepare the body for sleep.  So if we can lay their child down during his sleep window, it will be easier f ...

First of all, I like to refer to this as teaching healthy sleep habits or making healthy sleep changes because I think when some parents hear the words sleep training they get all kinds of preconceived notions in their head about what that looks like.  I work with tired parents all the time.  As a matter of fact, that is all I see….tired, and often completely and utterly exhaus ...

This is a question I often asked my first child when she was an infant.  I asked it in a sweet voice, I asked it in a pleading voice, I asked it in an angry voice, but no matter how many times I asked, she never gave me the answer. I can remember the night— and some of you will know exactly what I’m talking about— when I felt like I could not take it anymore.  My daughter just ...

I have had the pleasure of attending the Associated Professional Sleep Societies SLEEP meeting where new guidelines for recommended sleep duration were released. Developed by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a very intensive study was conducted by 13 of the top leading professionals in the field and based upon their findings, here are the new sleep guidelines for infant ...

If your child will be attending childcare or is in childcare currently or even has grandparents caring for them, there are some things to consider, especially if your child is under the age of three years old.  I talk to many parents with babies and toddlers who are experiencing sleep issues and the main issue is the child’s daytime sleep.   Daytime sleep for babies and young c ...

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 ...