Insomnia

Things That Go Bump In The Night: Bedtime Fears and Anxiety

In the season of all things spooky, the darkness of the night can often stir up fears and anxiety in both adults and children. It's important to acknowledge that fear and anxiety at bedtime are not uncommon. Studies have shown that almost 75% of children have nighttime fears and anxiety, and more than 40 million adults in the US suffer from anxiety disorders, which often affect sleep. In this post, we'll explore the distinction between specific bedtime fears and general anxiety, talk about how to identify triggers and discover practical strategies to combat bedtime fear and anxiety for both you and your child. Fear vs. Anxiety Before we get to fixing nighttime frights, it's important to distinguish between two similar, but distinct problems: specific bedtime fears and general nighttime anxiety. Nighttime fears often take the form of well-defined, tangible phobias. Think of the classic boogeyman or the fear of the dark, which children commonly experience. These fears have clear, identifiable triggers, and whether rational or not, the person can typically tell you exactly what they are afraid of at night. In contrast, general nighttime anxiety is a broader, less defined sense of unease or nervousness about bedtime and sleep. It may not [...]

Things That Go Bump In The Night: Bedtime Fears and Anxiety2023-10-14T03:11:03+00:00

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 who can benefit the most from using it. What is the Bedtime Pass? Picture this: You've finished the bedtime stories, tucked your child in, and just when you’ve settled in to enjoy a little peace and quiet at the end of the night, you hear tiny footsteps. "I need water." "Can you check under the bed?" "One more story, please?" These bedtime encores can be frustrating and take up the little precious time you have for yourself at night. Even worse, middle-of-the-night wanderings can lead to a sleepless night for everyone. The Bedtime Pass can be an effective solution for [...]

The Bedtime Pass: A get out of jail free card to solve your bedtime woes2023-08-28T20:29:44+00:00

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 a great gentle tactic that can help! In my last blog post, we talked about why the “cry it out” method often fails. Rather than just going cold turkey and hoping you and your child can survive the first few nights, there are some gradual and gentle methods you can try instead. One of my favorites is called time-based visiting. In this method, the caregiver does check-ins and provides brief attention, according to a schedule, regardless of the child’s behavior. I’ve found time-based visiting to be incredibly effective, and reasonably easy for parents to implement, but I think it’s essential [...]

Time-Based Visiting: A gentle approach to independent sleeping2023-08-20T02:17:03+00:00

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 episodes begins by covering different sleep-related topics that most adult insomniacs will find very relevant; however, you’ll just get a quick taste of the facts before the episode switches gears into a sleep meditation exercise. Overall, I think this Netflix series does a great job of highlighting some important sleep topics, but if you are a science nerd like me it will probably leave you wanting more details about the facts presented in the series… so let’s dive a little deeper into what you need to know about sleep! Getting enough sleep The series starts out by debunking some common [...]

Can Netflix Help You Sleep?2023-08-09T21:29:37+00:00

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 are likely to choose fun over sleep. For most adults, we at least recognize the importance of a good night’s sleep and understand the impact of our choices if we don’t get to bed on time, but many children don’t yet have the reasoning and planning skills required to make good decisions at bedtime, which makes choosing fun over sleep all the more tempting. Setting Limits at Bedtime One of the best ways to help your child at bedtime is to set clear and reasonable limits, make sure those limits are transparent, and stick to them. Make sure your child [...]

I Don’t Wanna Go To Bed!!2023-08-01T01:45:12+00:00

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 stay asleep, but there are many sleep dependencies that are unhealthy- even though they might help you fall asleep initially, they make you wake up later in the night. What makes a sleep dependency healthy/unhealthy? Sleep dependencies aren’t a bad thing in and of themselves,  so in any sleep treatment, we want to make sure the person has one or two healthy sleep dependencies. But we also have to look out for unhealthy sleep dependencies and when we spot those, we have to figure out how to get rid of them as soon as we can. Healthy sleep dependencies have [...]

Sleep Dependencies: Friend or Foe?2023-07-12T22:16:23+00:00

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 lead up to what we call “behavioral quietude,” the brief time when you lay quietly and fall asleep. These routines act as a signal to your brain and body to start getting ready for sleep, helping you transition from wakefulness to slumber. Establishing a predictable bedtime routine helps you wind down and gets melatonin flowing, making you drowsy and helping you fall asleep faster. Last week we discussed how maintaining a regular sleep schedule is crucial for optimizing sleep. Going to bed and waking up at consistent times helps regulate the body's internal clock, aka the circadian rhythm. Combining a [...]

The Bedtime Routine: Your Key to Fixing Nighttime Chaos2023-07-05T15:24:43+00:00

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 generally fall asleep within 10-15 minutes of getting into bed, so let’s figure out how to get you there!   Solution 1: Make sure you know how much sleep your child needs As children grow, their sleep needs evolve. You might be surprised to learn that there is actually a very specific amount of sleep that individuals need at different ages, and while there is a small amount of variance within each age group, research has shown that we can predict exactly how much sleep people need at each age to function at their best. It’s important to be aware [...]

What To Do When You Aren’t Tired At Bedtime2023-06-28T04:20:29+00:00

The Four Main Causes of Almost All Sleep Problems

Sleep: we all know we need it, we all know it’s vitally important to our health and well-being; but for some adults and children sleep can be so elusive. From difficulty falling asleep, to problems staying asleep, sleep issues can leave you feeling frustrated and exhausted. By the time most people contact me in search of sleep help, they are feeling hopeless. Many sleep-deprived adults and parents of children with sleep problems struggle to get to the bottom of what’s actually causing sleep problems, and often (incorrectly) assume that sleep problems are medical or biological in nature. Luckily, most sleep problems are actually behavioral in nature, and believe it or not, there tends to be only four main underlying issues that cause just about every sleep problem I see in my practice. My goal in this week’s blog post is to help you understand the four main causes of sleep problems so you can identify where your (or your child’s) sleep might be getting off track.   Types of sleep problems (and why it doesn’t always matter what the problem looks like) Sleep challenges can present in many forms, including difficulty falling asleep, middle-of-the-night awakenings, early wakings, insomnia, night terrors, nightmares, restless [...]

The Four Main Causes of Almost All Sleep Problems2023-06-22T02:51:58+00:00

What’s the deal with melatonin?

A good night's sleep is essential for the overall health and well-being of every child. As a parent, you understand the importance of ensuring your child gets enough rest. However, many parents struggle with bedtime issues and are unsure where to turn and in need of a quick fix. Melatonin, a hormone known for its role in regulating sleep-wake cycles, is a popular sleep aid.  It’s often seen as a quick and easy solution for bedtime struggles for adults and children alike. While melatonin can help with some sleep issues, it's important to understand what it is, how it works, and whether it's safe to use with children before deciding if it's right for your child. What is melatonin? Melatonin is a naturally-occurring hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating sleep-wake cycles, as well as many other bodily functions. It is produced by the pineal gland, a small gland located in the brain, and is mostly released in the evening, in response to darkness. It’s your body’s way of staying in sync with mother nature- when the sun goes down, your body and brain start to wind down too! Melatonin helps to regulate our body clocks (aka circadian rhythm) by signaling [...]

What’s the deal with melatonin?2023-06-15T16:12:57+00:00
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