Sleepy Times
a sleep blog
We love meditation to help children relax before bed but the problem is most devices that play meditations have lights (a.k.a. not good for sleep). This is why I was so intrigued to try out Zenimal - a kid-freindly meditation device that does not have any lights! This blog is my personal review of the product based on my own experience with it.
The new AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations have some parents second guessing every move with their babies. That’s why I turned to the pediatrician I trust the most — my own children’s doctor, Dr. Payal Adhikari — to weigh in on the latest updates made to the guidelines. In this blog, read what Dr. Adhikari had to say and learn more about some of the most important updates made to the AAP Safe Sleep Recommendations.
You’re in the middle of sleep training and something just isn’t working. “Maybe my baby just isn’t cut out for this,” you think to yourself. Not so fast! Before you throw in the towel, take a look at these measures of progress and adjustments to make when sleep training feels like it’s gone off the rails. Then see if there may just be one small thing you can do to get right back on track!
So you’ve decided to sleep train your baby after multiple long nights, weeks, or even months of sleepless nights. You’ve probably heard wonderful stories from friends and family about their experiences and would love that same experience — except you have something they don’t: anxiety.
Multiple questions might flood your mind: Are you able to sleep train and see results? (Spoiler: YES!) How will you get through this period? Will they just outgrow this on their own? What will others think?
Senior Sleep Consultant shares her top tips on how to go through the sleep training process starting from night one while working through the anxiety.
If you’ve researched sleep training, then you’ve probably seen it all — the good, the bad, and the ugly. There’s a lot of information to parse through and it can be difficult to get an accurate read on the real-life impact of sleep training for a child and family. As a mama who knows what it’s like to go from exhausted to seeing her child thrive from sleep training, Sleep Squad Consultant Stacey Mademann shares her first-hand knowledge on the subject using the latest research to help illustrate the positive impact of teaching your child this life skill.
One of the most important gifts you can give to your child is meeting them where they are developmentally. This means sometimes accepting that they require less sleep than, say, your friend whose kiddo sleeps 13 hours per night and takes 3 hour naps per day. Expectation setting is everything, especially when it comes to sleep and sleep training. Master Sleep Consultant Jade LiManni walks you through managing expectations with your child’s sleep, as well as determining what’s normal and healthy to see.
Many parents might be turned off by the bad reputation attachment parenting gets. But attachment and attunement can work together to build greater trust and confidence in your child, even when it comes to sleep!
If you've been needing a confidence boost to help your child develop more independence, read this guest post by Senior Sleep Consultant Meg Meadows.
Pacifiers can be a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they can be soothing and even help to prevent SIDS during the first 6 months of a baby’s life. But on the other hand, they can wreak havoc on a child’s sleep — and that affects everything. Sleep Squad Consultant Stacey Mademann has the tips you need for recognizing when it’s time to get rid of the pacifier and the ways to make it happen.
Children’s imaginations can run wild — and for good reason! They’re starting to develop abstract thought. But when fantastical thoughts start to affect bedtime, you need a plan for how to help your child through it. Read this guest blog by Sleep Squad member Marian van Noppen for her tips on how to befriend the bedtime scaries.
Don’t you feel like one of the hardest things to do as a parent is to watch your child feel discomfort when they’re sick? It can be especially challenging, I know, when you’re in the midst of sleep training.
It’s a mixed bag of emotions — you want (and should) comfort your kiddo and help them heal, and at the same time, you also want them to maintain the independent sleep skills they have worked so hard to achieve.
Fortunately with a little guidance, you can treat your child while maintaining their healthy sleep habits — or at very least, set them up for success to continue those habits once the sickness has passed. Check out this blogpost for what I advise my clients to do when their child is under the weather.
Handling bedtime for multiples can be daunting. But handling bedtime for multiples when you’re flying solo for the weekend can be even more stressful. With her husband having to travel for work, Master Sleep Consultant Jade LiManni has learned how to navigate this process like a pro. She shares her tips and tricks in this blog post so you can, too!
Browse the latest articles on sleep tips for babies, toddlers and big kids. Here are some of our latest posts…
We highly encourage parents to keep their child in a crib until the age of three years old. If your young toddler is starting to climb out of their crib, here are 5 strategies for preventing them from climbing out.
This blog post by Natalie Myre Hart is designed to help new parents quickly recognize and understand the sleepy cues of newborns. It offers practical advice on how to interpret early signs of tiredness in babies, aiming to prevent overtiredness. By identifying these cues early, parents and caregivers can better manage newborn sleep patterns, ensuring a smoother and more restful sleep routine for both the baby and themselves.
Navigating the first year of parenthood brings a whirlwind of milestones and, yes, a few sleep regressions too. From the first smiles to navigating the 4-month sleep reorganization, this post provides expert tips to manage sleep regressions and ensure peaceful nights. Whether it's establishing good sleep habits early on or overcoming the 12-month sleep regression, our guide is here to help you and your baby find restful sleep. Explore key insights and strategies for a year filled with less stress and more rest.
