Nap transitions are a challenging topic— for parents, pediatricians, and sleep consultants. It’s difficult to predict when children when up a nap, and nap transitions are seldom smooth. A whole cottage industry has evolved around predicting nap timing and transitions. Even knowing this, I was surprised when a short reel from our Sleep Edit napping…
Sleep regressions– a temporary worsening of your child’s sleep– are a common experience for parents. They are also a common reason I hear from worried parents whose children have finally started sleep well after hard work with myself and our team in the Sleep Clinic. Fortunately, they are pretty easy to address (and often you…
Ahh, autumn. Halloween costumes, fall foliage, carving Jack-O-Lanterns and enjoying the crisp bite of a fresh apple. Those of use who live in New England often cite this season as the finest of the year, prior to the long nights and cold days of winter. There is one part of it that I don’t look…
Sleep regressions are a major pain point for parents. I’ve covered there elsewhere What is the first thing parents should do if their child is now having sleep issues? Check and see if your sleep habits have slipped a bit. Is bedtime later or more variable? Are you being lax with your bedtime routine? How…
Nap strikes are a special kind of sleep regression, where your child who used to nap like a champ just starts to refuse to go down for a nap. These occur common around the times that children are transition between various nap periods (For more on sleep regressions, you can read my articles here: Are…
I’m going to be honest here– I don’t love the term “sleep regression” because I feel like the term is imprecise. Eagle eyed readers may note that I put the term “regression” in quotes. Am I throwing a bit of shade on the concept? Maybe. . . but tired parents still need help, even if the…
Pretty soon, the clocks go forward as we “spring ahead” on Sunday, March 95h th at 2 AM. We set our clocks ahead an hour as we re-enter Daylight Saving Time. If you do not have children (and are not working overnight), this is a bit of a bummer and you lose an hour of sleep. If…
As a sleep doctor and parent, I think that permanent daylight saving is a terrible idea for kids. Here’s some information on why this is event being considered. In March of 2022, in a rare bipartisan move, the Senate passed a bill, with little warning or debate, called the Sunshine Protection Act. It’s notable that this…
Pediatricians frequently recommend melatonin for children with sleep problems, or parents might try it themselves. However, the proper use of melatonin is frequently misunderstood. Here is a guide for parents and pediatricians to decide if a child should try it, and to understand how it should be used. A common thread I find in children…
As parents, we all look forward to the peace and quiet which occurs when our children are finally tucked quietly into their beds. However, sometimes kids get up at night and do weird stuff. In a new series, I want to explore some of these weird and wonderful behaviors which we call parasomnias. Quite simply,…
Sadly, I’m not on vacation right now. I hope you are. Dealing with jet lag, figuring out sleeping arrangements, and working around everyone’s schedule can be challenging. I thought that I would share my best sleep travel tips for kids and parents to get more sleep while traveling. Right now I’m about 50 yards from the beach on Long Island, and…
Summer vacation means freedom for most kids. However, sleep schedules tend to fall by the wayside during the summer months. Many parents worry about teen summer sleep. Learn how you can help your child and teen develop healthy sleep habits during the summer months. Sleep schedule changes in the summer months Younger children (think from…
Early morning awakenings are really challenging for tired parents of small children. Here are some strategies for dealing with them.
Room sharing but not bed sharing is recommend in the first six months of life for safe sleep and avoiding accidental death in infants. However, for some parents, this may result in unsafe sleep practices. Here’s what you need to know. In June of 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their safe sleep…
On the surface of it, the timing of falling asleep seems fairly easy to understand. Once you have been awake for a certain period of time, you become tired and eventually go to sleep. The technical term for increasing sleepiness over time is the homeostatic sleep drive, as I explained in a previous post. However,…
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