The Sleep Sense Show

It's no secret that new mothers can go through some pretty brutal emotional ups and downs after giving birth.

But that doesn't necessarily make it easier to talk about, or get rid of the stigma that some of us feel when we experience postpartum depression.

My guest today, Courtney Allison, is a wife, mother to two little girls, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, as well as the creator of The Girl Without a Mom, ...

These last couple of months have been trying ones for most people I know, but nobody more so than parents.

The sudden demand for us to step into every role for our children, from parent to teacher to playmate and beyond, has proven to be a tall order, to say the least!

That's a big reason why I'm so happy to bring you this week's episode, featuring an interview with Alyssa Westring, one of the authors of "Parents Who Lead - The Lea...

I've always been a very family-oriented woman. I know I'm hardly alone in this position, but my husband and kids are the center of my universe.

And since I started my business 16 years ago, I've also been captivated with the experience of building something from the ground up and seeing the results that it brings, not just to me, but the families that The Sleep Sense Program helps. 

I find the "mompreneur" life extremely rewardin...

The last month or two have seen some unprecedented changes in our daily lives, due in large part to the stay-at-home directive imposed on a huge percentage of the world's population. And while we all wish we had more time to spend with our kids, spending all day, every day with them stuck in the house presents a lot of new challenges that can leave us feeling overwhelmed at times.

So today I have a few tips to help you navigate th...

When I originally created the Sleep Sense Program 14 years ago, I didn't intend to make a business out of it. It was just my personal solution to the problem of my first-born not sleeping. 

Many entrepreneurs start out this way. They're not looking to start a business, they're just people who've come up with a better way of doing things. 

That's why, at this particularly challenging point in time, I'm delighted to bring you the st...

All of the sharing we do on social media has made this a bit of a strange time to be a new mother.

On the one hand,  we're undoubtedly seeing more understanding and acceptance around the idea of postpartum depression. Mothers who are experiencing it have a number of forums and communities to discuss their feelings with others who have experienced the same situation. 

On the other, it feels like there's never been so much pressure t...

After all my years as a pediatric sleep expert, you might think I'd get a little fatigued talking about the subject, but the truth is, there's never been a more exciting time to be in this line of work. There's a prominent new focus on the value and health benefits of sleep, and with it comes a lot of research and findings, which brings a lot of exciting new conversations.

That's why I'm so pleased to be speaking today with Dr. Ma...

Stress is a part of life, there's no getting around it. No matter our age, gender, or responsibilities, we all feel the pressures of day to day life, and we all deal with it the best we can.

But as parents, how we react when we're feeling overwhelmed can have a trickle-down effect on the rest of our family. Overreactions due to stress can leave our kids confused, and us feeling like bad parents.

Which is why I'm so excited to be sp...

There's a common misconception among mothers, both old and new, that breastfeeding and sleeping well are mutually exclusive. You can sleep well or you can nurse on demand, but you can't do both.

I've worked hard to dispel that myth, but to be perfectly honest, I had a very hard time nursing my babies, and don't consider myself to be the foremost authority on the subject.

That's why I'm so glad to be joined today by Courtney Zentz, ...

As the mother of two teenage boys, I have to admit that, on occasion, I find it hard to connect with them.

I find myself walking a fine line between wanting to show interest in their lives and respecting their privacy. Between showing them love and smothering them with it. Between letting them be themselves and raising them to be good men.

Which is why I was so thrilled to speak with Dr. Michael Reichert this week, the author of H...

How many two-parent families out there can relate to this scenario?

Your little one, who both of you spend plenty of time with and love unconditionally, has grown to a point where they can communicate some basic preferences.

They like carrots, but not as much as they like applesauce.

They like the dog, but not as much as they like their stuffed giraffe.

And they like Dad, but not nearly as much as they like Mom.

And they're not afr...

I'm certainly not a "free-range" parent. I'm just too much of a worrier to let my kids run around unsupervised. But on the other hand, I do think that kids need some amount of authority over their own lives.

Providing your little ones with choices is beneficial on a couple of levels. It allows them to feel like they have some measure of control over things, and it provides some early lessons about the consequences of their decision...

Let's be honest here. (Ha!) Unless you're an exceptionally lucky parent, your child is going to tell the occasional fib.

As a parent, you'll have to decide how when and how to call them out on it, and what the consequences are when they tell a lie.

In today's episode, I've got a few tips for you to help decide on a strategy you can be comfortable with when you find your little one bending the truth, as well as a few insights as to ...

I recently asked my Facebook friends what parenting challenges they needed some help with, and when it came to the parents of toddlers, the overwhelming response was one you can probably identify with; Whining.

It's pretty much guaranteed that shortly after your little one learns to communicate, they'll discover whining as a tactic for getting what they want.

And it can be super annoying!

Parenting experts are quick to tell you tha...

People tend to make light of the sleepless nights that new parents experience when they have a new baby. We all go through it, and so we tend to laugh it off once our little ones grow up and start sleeping through the night.

But sleep deprivation is no laughing matter, and it can have serious effects on your mental health and, subsequently, on your relationship.

In today's episode, I want to look at some of the actual physical chan...

It's not like we don't know that our kids need a lot of sleep. Every parent in the world realizes that babies sleep a lot more than adults, but when's the last time you actually thought about why?

The obvious answer, "They get cranky if they don't sleep," is true of course, but there's a lot of fascinating science behind that fact, and sleep does so much more for our little ones than just regulating their mood.

So today, I'm going ...

Most of the parents I've worked with over the years fall into a very common trap when it comes to their baby's sleep, and it's because it's such a reasonable belief.

"The more tired you are, the better you'll sleep."

Seems like a no-brainer, right? Like food or water, the more your body needs, the more it will accommodate. 

The fact is, this notion isn't just inaccurate, it's actually just the opposite. Because of our bodies' natur...

Taking daytime naps is something we usually associate with babies and toddlers, and for good reason. Young kids need a lot of sleep and tend to get a big chunk of it during the day.

But as more people are realizing, daytime naps are rewarding for adults too. They can be a great tool to regulate your nighttime sleep and stay on top of your game throughout the day.

However, I've heard from a lot of people that they either can't get t...

I know a lot of parents who avoid this problem by simply not traveling, but that's not always an option, and it's certainly not a good solution for those of us who love to travel.

Staying in a hotel room with a young baby presents a whole pile of concerns for parents. Where should she sleep, how do we keep her on a schedule, and of course, what if she cries? After all, it's not just you that she's going to disturb if she spends an ...