sleep problems Archives - Dr Keira Moore, BCBA-D

Navigating Bedwetting: A Guide to Nighttime Potty Training

Imagine this: you've just fallen into a deep sleep when your child appears at your bedside and wakes you up with the dreaded phrase “I had an accident!” You bid a good night’s sleep goodbye, and get up to clean up your child, change out the bedding, and start yet another load of laundry. The frustration and concern wash over you, and you wonder, "When will this end?" Bedwetting is a common challenge for many children from toddlerhood all the way up through the double digits. It's problematic for various reasons, from the inconvenience of midnight sheet changes to health and cleanliness concerns. Many parents feel lost when it comes to fixing bedwetting. The good news is that sometimes the solutions are easier than you’d think! In this blog post, we'll explore when and how to intervene on bedwetting and I’ll provide you with a roadmap to navigate this (hopefully short) phase. How Do You Know When It's Time to Intervene on Bedwetting? The journey to conquer bedwetting begins with recognizing when the time is right for intervention. Bedwetting is a common occurrence, and every child is different in terms of when they are physically and developmentally ready for dry nights. To [...]

Navigating Bedwetting: A Guide to Nighttime Potty TrainingKeira Moore2023-11-03T01:23:44+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 woesKeira Moore2023-08-28T20:29:44+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

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?Keira Moore2023-08-09T21:29:37+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

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 ProblemsKeira Moore2023-06-22T02:51:58+00:00