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 [...]
Sleep Dependencies: Friend or Foe?
Welcome back! The last few weeks we’ve been talking about the four most common causes of sleep problems and what you can do to fix them. This week we are going to focus on sleep dependencies, a common problem that most people don’t even know exists! Sleep dependencies are anything that someone needs to have with them/around them to fall asleep. Sleep dependencies can be things like a pacifier, a blanket, a stuffed animal, a parent, a cell phone, music, noise, silence, or even TV. There are some sleep dependencies that are healthy because they help you to fall asleep fast and [...]
The Bedtime Routine: Your Key to Fixing Nighttime Chaos
The last few weeks we’ve been talking about the four main causes of sleep problems, and what you can do to fix them. This week we are going to focus on problem #2: chaos and unpredictability before bedtime. Not having a predictable bedtime routine can wreak havoc on sleep for both children and adults, but the good news is that it’s a pretty easy problem to fix! This week we will talk about why bedtime routines are important, and what makes a good bedtime routine. What is a bedtime routine? Bedtime routines are a set of consistent and predictable activities that [...]
What To Do When You Aren’t Tired At Bedtime
We’ve all been there- you can barely keep your eyes open all day, but then suddenly when it’s time to get ready for bed you are wide awake and feeling wired. Or maybe you’re a parent and you’ve finally finished all the evening chores, baths are done, teeth brushed….and now the kids are bouncing off the walls. Last week we talked about four of the most common causes of sleep problems and reviewed some reasons you or your child might not be sleepy at bedtime, this week let’s talk about how to fix this frustrating sleep problem! A good, healthy sleeper should [...]