bedtime Archives - Dr Keira Moore, BCBA-D

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 woesKeira Moore2023-08-28T20:29:44+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 sleepingKeira Moore2023-08-20T02:17:03+00:00

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 are worried about having to deal with your child “crying it out,” never fear because there are better ways! In this post, we will explore why the "cry it out" method might not be the best approach and I’ll offer some alternative, gentler strategies that prioritize a more supportive and calm sleep experience for your child. What is the "Cry It Out" Method? The "cry it out" method involves putting your child to bed, leaving the room, and allowing them to cry for a designated period without parental intervention, with the hope that they will learn to self-soothe and eventually [...]

The “Cry It Out” Method…and Why I Don’t Recommend ItKeira Moore2023-08-10T22:19:55+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 ChaosKeira Moore2023-07-05T15:24:43+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 BedtimeKeira Moore2023-06-28T04:20:29+00:00