Must-Read Sleep Books: A Guide to Better Sleep
Sleep is vital for our physical and mental health, but there is so much information out there sometimes it’s hard to know where to start and who to trust. Whether you're a parent dealing with your child's sleep issues or an adult struggling with insomnia, finding the right resources is essential in your sleep journey. In today’s post, we'll explore some must-read sleep books that offer insights and solutions for better sleep. From the science of sleep to bedtime strategies for children and relaxation techniques for adults, these books are some of my current favorites on sleep! "Why We Sleep" by [...]
The Bedtime Pass: A get out of jail free card to solve your bedtime woes
As a parent, you've likely experienced countless nights when bedtime feels more like a never-ending encore of curtain calls, peppered with endless requests and questions from your little ones. The struggle of getting your child to stay in bed and sleep through the night can be a nightmare. If you're nodding your head in agreement, you're not alone. Fortunately, there's a behavior analytic technique that we use in sleep treatment that could bring some peace and quiet back to your evenings – the Bedtime Pass. In this post, we'll explore how the Bedtime Pass works, what the research says about it, and [...]
Time-Based Visiting: A gentle approach to independent sleeping
A few posts ago we talked about sleep dependencies and how healthy sleep dependencies can make for a good night’s sleep, while unhealthy sleep dependencies can cause all sorts of problems. One of the most prevalent unhealthy sleep dependencies that I see with children is parent presence. Many children need a parent with them in order to fall asleep, and if the parent manages to sneak out once they fall asleep, they tend to wake back up later in the night and need their parent again. Teaching your child how to fall asleep independently is a tough job, but time-based visiting is [...]
The “Cry It Out” Method…and Why I Don’t Recommend It
As a parent, you’re probably all too familiar with the challenges of getting your little ones to fall asleep and stay asleep. The bedtime routine can often turn into a bedtime battle, leaving both parents and children exhausted and frustrated. One of the most common sleep problems I see in young children is needing a parent present to fall (or stay) asleep. One regularly suggested solution to this issue is the "cry it out" method (you might also know this as the “Ferber method”). Often this method is synonymous with sleep training. But if you’ve been putting off sleep training because you [...]
Can Netflix Help You Sleep?
A Commentary on Netflix "Guide to Sleep" Headspace, the well-known meditation app, recently partnered with Netflix to release a 7-part series called “Guide to Sleep.” This series promises to help you learn how to sleep better, and while it does contain a lot of great facts if you’re looking for an in-depth docuseries that will teach you more about sleep, this doesn’t quite fit the bill. As a sleep expert, I was excited to watch this series, and even more excited to find that the information presented at the beginning of each episode was data-driven and factually accurate. Each of the seven [...]
I Don’t Wanna Go To Bed!!
Competing Activities at Bedtime Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at the four main causes of most sleep problems and how to fix them. We’ve talked about how to make sure you are tired at bedtime, setting up regular bedtime routines, and finding healthy sleep dependencies. The fourth big cause of many sleep problems for both adults and children is competing activities. This one might seem a little too obvious, but sleep isn’t the most fun or exciting thing in the world (especially for kids), so of course, if there are other more fun things to do at bedtime, we [...]