The Sleep Sense Show

I just want to start off here by saying that The Sleep Sense Program is not what would be considered a traditional cry-it-out approach. But having said that, I think it's time that we took a look at the term and what it really means. Given all of the negativity and false information that has been thrown around about allowing babies to cry, I think new parents are often overwhelmed at the thought of even a few nighttime tears and the damage they might cause. So today, we'll take a look at what we really mean when we refer to the cry-it-out method, the short and long term effects it has on your little one, and whether or not the criticisms that surround it are valid.  

Today, I'm going to try something a little different. I'm going to leave the kids out of the show altogether and focus specifically on you. Because even though we may forget it from time to time, your sleep is every bit as important as your little one's, and grown ups tend to have issues getting to sleep and staying asleep just as often as their babies. So today, I have three easy, effective tips for you that you can implement tonight to start improving your own sleep routine, on a special "Adults Only" edition of The Sleep Sense Show.

After conquering their baby's persistent night wakings, many parents take a "Hey, that's good enough" approach if their little one insists on getting up at 5 in the morning. And if it really is good enough for you, if baby's gotten enough sleep through the night, and you're ready to start your day at 5 AM, power to you. But for those of you who are aching for that one extra hour in the morning, I want you to know that it's possible, and I'm going to tell you everything you need in order to help your baby learn the glorious art of sleeping in.

"There are two things life doesn't prepare you for. Twins." There's no question that twins present a unique challenge to sleep training. Do you keep them on the same schedule, even if they don't seem to want to sleep at the same time? Should you keep them in the same room if one tends to wake the other up? Today, I have (hopefully) all the answers that you're looking for when it comes to sleep training twins. How to synchronize their routines, what to do when one of them starts crying, and everything in between.

How many times have you finished up your little one's bedtime routine, kissed them goodnight, tucked them in, turned out the light, only to see their adorable little face appear in the hallway five minutes later? And then five minutes after that? And again, and again, until bedtime ends in a series of tears and ultimatums. Keeping kids in their rooms is a tricky challenge. We can't just lock them in there, and they are oh so clever when it comes to figuring out which excuses get them a few extra minutes of awake time. But I have a very simple, and very effective, solution to this problem, and it works almost all of the time. I won't lie, it's probably going to provoke a bit of a protest, but it will solve the problem quickly and permanently, and allow you to get back to enjoying your evenings without the surprise visits.

"The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams." So said Oprah Winfrey, one of my biggest inspirations when I decided to start my own business, and she was absolutely right. And although I have realized my dream of being a mother and and entrepreneur, there are still moments that I wouldn't describe as especially dreamy. Combining a family and a small business has been an adventure like no other, and as more and more women are taking the brave, exhilarating steps into the "Mompreneur" field, I thought I would take the opportunity to share some of the highs and lows of the experience in today's episode.

If you have kids and a sense of humor, chances are you're already a big fan of my guest today. Jill Smokler is the creator of the "Scary Mommy" blog, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers, Confessions of A Scary Mommy and Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies). Jill's honest, unfiltered, and hilarious take on parenthood has helped millions of parents, myself included, to accept the less-than-glamorous side of child-rearing with a smile, and reminds us all that we don't need to be perfect parents in order to be great ones.  

Every parent I  know has relied on the magic soothing abilities of a pacifier at one time or another, and for good reason. There's no arguing their effectiveness. Nothing quiets a crying baby faster with as little effort as popping a soother in their mouth. Now, I'm not anti-pacifier, but I do think they should be used in certain circumstances, and that they can have a negative effect on sleep if used at bedtime. In today's show, I'll tell you my thoughts on when is the right time to use them, when you should avoid it, and when is the right time to do away with them for good.

According to a 2013 analysis by the NHIS, nearly 10% of children aged 4-17 were been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives. The trademark symptoms, hyperactivity, lack of focus, and forgetfulness, are easily attributed to the disorder, but my guest today has shown compelling evidence that many kids who display them are actually not suffering from ADHD at all, but actually from a lack of sleep. Dr Vatsal Thakkar, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, and author of the New York Times opinion article Diagnosing the Wrong Deficit, joins me on today's episode to discuss why the two conditions are so easily mistaken for one another, and how a renewed focus on your little one's sleep habits might just be the solution to the problem.

Some parents love the experience of sleeping next to their baby, whereas others end up doing it out of necessity, enduring the inevitable fingers in the nose and late-night kicks to the belly in exchange for an otherwise peaceful night. But at some point, the time comes when your little one has to move into their own room and stay there, which, as many parents know, can be cause for a series of midnight meltdowns. In today's episode, I have a bunch of useful tips for deciding if it's the right time to make the switch, explaining it to your child in a way they'll actually understand and (hopefully) embrace, and setting rules and rewards that will stop those middle-of-the-night visits and get your child sleeping on their own for good.

From one mother to another, that probably sounds a little imprecise. "Besides your kids, of course," I can hear a lot of you thinking. But no, in fact. To me, maintaining a solid relationship with my partner is absolutely at the top of my list. I'll explain what I mean and why I feel it's justifiable in today's episode.

Raising a little one is probably the most important job most parents will have in their lives. The responsibility that comes along with bringing up a child can't be overstated. And nobody in the history of parenting has ever gotten it 100% right. We're all going to make mistakes. We're going to say the wrong thing or overreact in situations, and once we've had a moment to think about it, we're all going to feel a little guilty. Parental guilt is an unavoidable aspect of having a child, but I've learned a few things through raising my kids that have helped me to put it aside when it arises and remember the big picture.

Today I'm delighted to welcome global parenting expert Jo Frost, the screen hit success of International shows such as Supernanny, NannyOnTour and Family Matters. We will be discussing all sorts of Family topics so please tune in, and for those of you who wish to receive Ms. Frost's help, you can do so privately via her Private Family Consultations company where Frost provides a bespoke fee service to help families with all parental/family challenges from baby care to sleep, eating, behavioral issues,tantrums, social development problems for all ages including juggling home and work life. Nothing is off the table when it comes to receiving the help to make the changes you want to see. To reach out go to: www.JoFrost.com and click on the Contact Jo tab.

It's a valid question, for sure. After all the hard work you've put into getting your baby to sleep, now you're concerned that they might be sleeping too well. Will an extra long nap mess with their bedtime or throw their schedule off? What if she's sleeping past the time when she normally eats? Is it ever a good move to wake a sleeping baby? Well, I'm happy to report that this is about as close to a yes-or-no answer as you're likely to get in parenting, and I'll tell you where I stand and where the (very few) exceptions lie in this week's episode of The Sleep Sense Show.

So your baby is managing to sleep a solid 10 - 12 hours at a time. That's great! Or at least it would be, if it was happening at night. This is actually a very common scenario with parents of infants, where their little one seems to have their days and nights mixed up. They sleep almost all day long, then wake up in the evening and stay awake throughout the night. So is it possible for your little one to actually establish a nocturnal sleep pattern, and if so, what do you do to remedy the situation?

Every kid has moments when they lose their cool, whine, pout or otherwise act like a brat. But we all know at least one kid who seems to define the term perfectly. They whine from the moment they get up in the morning, they throw a fit every time they don't get their way, they have to have things exactly how they want them... you've met one, I'm sure. And for a lot of parents, when they see those traits in their own kids, the thought often crosses their mind, "Am I raising a brat?" The uncomfortable truth is, you just might be. Bratty behavior is usually a result of overly permissive parenting. The good news is that you have the power to fix it. I'll tell you how to spot the signs that you might have a bratty kid on your hands, why it might be due to your parenting style, and what you can do to change it, on this week's episode of The Sleep Sense Show.

Twice a year, every year, the powers that be set out to sabotage all the hard work you've done to get your child sleeping on a predictable, reliable schedule. Alright, technically speaking, that's not the actual intention of daylight saving(s) time, but that's pretty much all it accomplishes in the eyes of the parents of a youngster. Hopefully, one day we'll just do away with this obsolescent practice, but until then I have some strategies that will help your little ones adjust to the time change and get back to normal as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

As though the challenges of being a new parent weren't enough, about forty percent of babies will be afflicted with a little something extra, known as colic. Colic, as many parents are unfortunately aware, is marked by extended periods of inconsolable, hysterical crying, and although it's almost always resolved by the fourth month, any parent who has been through the experience will tell you it is a seriously rough ride. So today I have some tips for you, not just for soothing your baby if they're dealing with colic, but for calming your nerves and riding out the storm while your baby is going through it.

Having kids is the most rewarding, inspiring, blessed experience a person can have. No question about it. They're adorable, innocent, and so full of wonder as they discover the world around them. And it's a good thing, because if anyone without those qualities sat at my table, told me my cooking was "gross" and threw a lovingly prepared meal across the room, I can safely say that they wouldn't be invited back. Mealtime can be a real battle with kids in the house, and it's no laughing matter when it gets to be a daily struggle. It can be exhausting trying to balance their nutrition with things they like to eat. So today, I've got some tips for you on how to end the dinnertime disputes, bring peace back to mealtimes, and get your kids trying new foods that you can feel good about serving them.

We all get a little bored from time to time, but kids are especially susceptible to moments of tedium and dullness.  And what's worse, they really like to let us parents know when they're feeling bored. They'll place themselves directly in front of us, lie on the floor, stare at the ceiling, and repeatedly tell us in no uncertain terms how unbelievably bored they are, which can be frustrating for parents who feel like they need to provide entertainment. But boredom isn't necessarily a bad thing, despite what your kids would have you believe, and I'll tell you why it might even be beneficial for their development in today's episode.