The Sleep Sense Show

I've been a mother for a little over 18 years now, and although I wouldn't trade those years for anything, there's no question that raising kids has been a challenge. In fact, in those 18 years, I've never spoken to a single mother who hasn't felt completely overwhelmed at one point or another.  My guest today has a unique perspective on chronic overwhelm. She was already raising three boys when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  Her story is a real inspiration and her message is one that all mothers can benefit from in this time of near-constant uncertainty.  She also has an amazing podcast, called Mom is In Control, "about pursuing the life you crave without sacrificing the parent you want to be." Check it out once you've finished this one!

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, and her YouTube channel is full of videos to help moms learn everything they need to know about mental health, coping skills and self care. Whether you're a new mom or a parent of any stripe, I can't recommend her content highly enough! Check her out on today's episode of The Sleep Sense Show!

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 Leadership Approach You Need to Parent with Purpose, Fuel Your Career, and Create a Richer Life" Alyssa has taken the principles of leadership and applied them to the realm of parenting, and I've got to say, this conversation was one "A-ha!" moment after another.  Check it out, then check out her book! It's one of the most engaging reads I've experienced in a while. 

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 rewarding and I just love hearing the similar, but unique, stories of other moms who have come up with a solution to a common parenting problem and created a business around it.  That's why I'm so excited to be talking today to Katy Mallory and Lou Childs, the creators of the SlumberPod. They're a mother-daughter team who have come up with an amazing product that can help your baby sleep almost anywhere, anytime!  Their story is a truly inspiring example of what can be accomplished with a couple of creative minds, a drive to succeed, and a focus on family. Check it out!

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 these uncharted waters, keep your little ones' schedule on track, and make the most of this time together with our families, even if it is a little more than we might have planned on.

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 story of Cara Sayer, the creator of Snoozeshade. In 2009, Cara was a mum who needed a solution to a problem she had (and knew that many other parents had) - how to get her baby to sleep when they were out and about.  With no experience in retail or manufacture she invented what is now the UK and US best-selling range of baby sun and sleep shades – SnoozeShade – which are recommended by baby experts, loved by parents and have won over 70 awards.  Cara has grown SnoozeShade from one product to thirteen (with versions for strollers, infant car seats and pack'n'plays) and has helped hundreds of thousands of parents worldwide.  I found her story funny, fascinating, and super-relatable. Give it a listen and I'm sure you will too! You can check out Cara's amazing line of baby sleep products at www.snoozeshade.com

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 to put on a brave face and show the world that you've got everything under control. My guest today, Dr. Sudeepta Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the NYU Langone Medical Center, and a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and she's joining me today for a frank and open conversation about postpartum depression, what causes it, how to identify it, and how to ask for help or to offer support to people you love who might be going through it.  Dr. Varma has so much insight and information on the subject, and I think this conversation is an absolute must-listen for any new mother and for the people who love them.  You can find out more about Dr. Varma and her work at her website, or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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. Mary Wilde. A board-certified pediatrician, author, mother of eight (wow!) and the founder of Imagine Pediatrics Behavioral Health & Wellness, Dr. Mary has a unique and innovative approach to child wellness.  On today's show, we're discussing some of the sleep challenges facing kids today and exchanging some thoughts on how current research has reshaped our approach to dealing with them.  You can find out more about Dr. Mary at her website, drmarywilde.com

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 speaking today with Emily Nagoski, researcher, activist, and author of the amazing book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.  Emily has some amazing insights into what causes stress, why we hold on to it, and offers a few simple, practical suggestions for dealing with it in your day to day life. So give it a listen and then pick up a copy of her book. You'll be glad you did, I assure you!  

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, LLC and postpartum doula, who also happens to be a Certified Sleep Sense Consultant! Courtney has some really eye-opening insight into the facts and myths about breastfeeding, why many parents believe babies can't sleep well and nurse well, and how to incorporate proper nutrition and healthy sleep habits into your family's life.

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 How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men. Dr. Reichert has some of the most perceptive and profound insights into parenting that I've ever heard, and I mean that sincerely. If you're raising a boy, or even have one in your life, I just can't recommend this episode highly enough. 

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 afraid to show it, despite the fact that it absolutely breaks the less-favorite parent's heart. Of course, we're grown-ups so we know that our babies love us, and it doesn't matter if they have a slight preference for one parent over the other, right? Well, that may be what we tell ourselves, but of course it stings when your baby prefers someone over you. In today's episode, I'll talk about why kids tend to show more affection to one parent, grandparent, or caregiver over another. And although I may not be able to change your child's behavior, I do have some reassuring thoughts to help you remember that you, as the parent, as by the far the important person in your little one's eyes, even though they may not always show it.

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 decisions. Not to mention the peace and harmony it can help to maintain around the house! Today, we'll talk a bit about how to provide your kids with choices, and the benefits that come along with providing them those options.

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 why children tell lies in the first place.  

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 that if you don't give in to the behavior, your little one will give it up, which is usually true. What they don't tell you as often is how to maintain your sanity when your little one is shrieking for a treat, or pitching a fit in the middle of the grocery store. So today, I have a few tips to help you keep your cool and respond to  your child's whining in a way that will end, or at least minimize the behavior, when your little one resorts to whimpering to get their way.

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 changes that take place in your brain and body when you don't get enough sleep, and talk about how those changes can make you less likely to approach conflicts with your partner in an impartial, rational way, as well as what you can do, starting tonight, to address the issue.

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 to look at the amazing operation going on inside your baby's body and mind while they snooze, and why it's so vital for helping them grow, keeping them healthy, and getting them off to a great start in life.

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' natural response to overtiredness, it causes light, fragmented sleep in babies as well as adults. So how do you avoid that pitfall? The most important thing to keep your eye on is how long your baby is awake between naps. In today's episode, I've got some specific guidelines to keep your baby's "awake window" in the appropriate range for their age, as well as some tips to help you adjust the schedule if you find things aren't going as planned.

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 to sleep during the day, or that naps leave them feeling groggy when they wake up from them, and even that they interfere with their nighttime sleep. I personally am a big believer in the rejuvenating effects of a quick daytime snooze, and I take a nap almost every day. In today's episode, I'll talk about why they're so beneficial, and share a few of my strategies for getting to sleep quickly and waking at the right time to ensure you get up refreshed and energized, and don't impede your ability to get back to sleep at bedtime.

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 hour wailing in the middle of the night. In today's episode, I have a few creative, slightly unorthodox solutions to help make sure that your hotel stay is as peaceful as possible, and that will keep you and your baby from falling back into any bad habits that may have derailed her sleep in the first place.  

If you're raising kids with a partner, it's a pretty safe bet that there's going to be the occasional argument between the two of you, and sometimes, like it or not, they happen in front of the kids. We tend to beat ourselves up when we argue in front of our kids, but the truth is they can learn some important lessons from seeing their parents argue, so long as it's done in a productive and respectful way. In today's show, I've got some suggestions to help you maintain civility and regard for your partner when you argue, and keep you mindful of the example you're setting for your little ones when it happens in front of them.

It's a very rare child who's willing to eat anything you put in front of them. Most kids crave sweets and white carbs, and occasionally protein in the form of chicken nuggets or fish sticks. Not exactly foods your pediatrician would call, "healthy." Getting young children to eat their vegetables can result in some frustrating battles, but you can't just feed them their favorite foods all the time. So what's a parent to do? In today's episode, I have some tips to help you ease the tensions around dinnertime, encourage your kids to try new foods, and a few suggestions for how to prepare nutritious options so your kids will actually enjoy them.

Every mother knows that raising kids is a full time job. Not "full time" in the business sense of 9-5, Monday to Friday, but full time in the literal sense. You never clock out, you never get a vacation, and you never retire. Which is a big part of the reason those of us who choose to pursue a career on top of being moms can often find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by feeling of guilt and inadequacy. My guest on today's show, Jessica Turner, author of the bestselling book, The Fringe Hours and founder of the popular lifestyle blog, The Mom Creative, has a new book on the way. Stretched Too Thin is a compassionate, encouraging guide to help moms lose the guilt, ease their stress, and embrace their roles as working mothers. You can find Jessica's blog on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, and per-order her new book here.

As many of you will probably know if you've listened to my podcast before, my first child started off as a terrible sleeper.  And like any parent in my position, I did a ton of research to try and figure out what the problem was. For some reason, no matter how many people I heard talking about the importance of bedtime routines, I always dismissed them as being inconsequential. But I'm a firm believer now, and today I'll be discussing why bedtime routines are so important for getting your baby sleeping through the night, and what you can do to improve your little one's routine to ensure they're primed and ready for a long, restful snooze.

Audrey Hepburn once said, “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.”  That's great advice, but it's a little sparse on the "how-to" side. We would all love to be happy, but it's not always easy, especially when you're shouldering the responsibilities of a parent. Which is why I'm so excited to be speaking with my guest on the show today. K.J. Dell'Antonia is the author of How to Be a Happier Parent. A practical, thoroughly researched guide to bringing more joy into our everyday lives, not by doing more (please, no) but by doing things differently. This mother of four and former editor of The New York Times' Motherlode blog has some straightforward, effective advice for finding the joy in the otherwise chaotic experience of raising a family. Her book, How to Be a Happier Parent, is available from Penguin Random House Publishing or wherever you find great books.

As much as kids look forward to summer vacation, I have a feeling that parents look forward to school starting again even more. (Even though we may not be allowed to show it quite so openly.) But back-to-school can bring along one substantial challenge for both parents and their kids. During those two months of vacation, we tend to get pretty lenient about bedtime, and when kids suddenly start working on a schedule again, their sleep can get thrown wildly off track. In today's episode, I'll discuss why early bedtimes are so vital to your child's health and success during the school year, as well as some tips to help get them back on schedule before school starts, so they can face that first day well-rested and ready to learn.

As parents, the idea that our kids don't like to be apart from us is not just understandable, the feeling is full-on mutual. The bond between us and our children cannot be overstated. As they get older, some kids naturally start to explore their emerging independence with enthusiasm. Others, not so much. So when it comes time for the first day of pre-school, daycare, or even an afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house, many kids will resist with an intensity that can be downright heartbreaking for both them and their parents. Today, I've got some tips to help you reassure your child that your leaving isn't permanent, ease their anxiety around new people, and help them approach unfamiliar situations with excitement and enthusiasm.

When your baby cries in the night, it usually means they want something in order to help them get back to sleep. Whether it's because they're too hot, too cold, have a wet diaper, or for some other reason can be difficult to tell. For most parents, the first thing they try is a feed. Babies love to eat and it's the most common reason for newborns and infants to wake up in the night. Of course, that's not always the solution, and feeding your baby to sleep every time they wake up can cause an association that will leave them unable to fall asleep unless they're offered a nighttime snack. In today's episode, I'll help you spot the telltale signs of hunger and give you some tips for getting baby back to sleep on those occasions when they're just looking for comfort instead of food.

Sooner or later, your toddler is going to outgrow their crib, and while the switch to a big-kid bed is an exciting milestone, it usually brings on some challenges. Toddlers tend to test their boundaries when they experience the newfound freedom of a regular bed, and you can typically expect a few late-night visits, sleep regressions, and early morning wake ups while they're getting used to their new sleeping arrangements. Today, I have some suggestions that will help you decide on the right time to make the switch, as well as some common mistakes parents make when we're preparing our little ones for the transition.

Starting your baby on solid foods is a fun and exciting milestone, and one you should definitely have your camera ready for! But like everything in parenting, there is a lot of uncertainty about when and how to get started. In today's episode, I'll be talking a little bit about how to recognize when your baby is ready to start eating solid food, and a whole lot about how to go about it. Having struggled with my own son's finicky eating habits, I've learned from experience (as well as a few expert nutritionists) about the relationship that babies and toddlers form with food. So today I have some great tips to help you start them off on the right foot, encourage them to try new, healthy foods, and eliminate the battles over when and what they eat.

I think we can all agree that no sound on this earth is more distressing to a parent than that of their crying baby. And in their early years, nothing prompts a meltdown from your little one quite like the sight of you leaving the room. Separation anxiety is so common among babies that you would probably be more likely to worry if your little one didn't cry a little when you left them alone. The truth is, teaching your baby to trust in your inevitable return when you leave the room is probably harder on you, the parent, than it is on your baby. So today, I'm going to help you understand what's going on in your little one's head when they see you walking out the door at bedtime, or leave them with their Grandma for an afternoon, as well as a few tips to help ease the stress on both of you as you progress through this stage.

As parents, we all strive to do the best we can when it comes to raising our kids. But actions taken with the best intentions can have negative effects, and we may not realize the impact they have until the damage is already done. Today, I'm going to talk a bit about some of the more unhelpful behaviors I've observed in my time as a sleep consultant (as well as some of my own!) and talk a bit about why we're likely to engage in them, why they're not doing what they're intended to do, and what we can use in their place to be the best parents we can be.

I can't tell you how many times I've spoken with parents who were desperate to get their child sleeping through the night, but when it came to actually getting started, they felt like it "just wasn't the right time." Don't get me wrong, they had good reasons for saying so. Baby was teething, baby was just getting over an illness, baby was about to switch to a big-kid bed, and so on. The truth is, there are some situations where I think it's best to put off sleep training for a brief period, but waiting for the "perfect" moment is going to leave you and your little ones exhausted for a long time to come.  

There's a commonly held belief among the devotees of attachment parenting that sleep training isn't compatible with their parenting style. That's not surprising, since one of the founders of the attachment parenting movement, Dr. Bill Sears, amended the core principles of his system to include "Beware of baby trainers." But having worked with parents who subscribe to this approach, I have found that there's plenty of room for compromise. You can stick to every fundamental rule of the attachment parenting model and still teach your baby the skills they need to sleep through the night.  

Tell me if this sounds familiar... You've put baby to bed, they seem to be sleeping peacefully, but when you open the door a crack to check on them, they've pushed themselves into a corner of their crib into what appears to be the most uncomfortable sleeping position imaginable. If your baby doesn't sleep well, or has trouble getting back to sleep after they've woken up, this presents a serious dilemma. Do you go in, try to readjust them, and risk them waking up? Do you leave them in that uncomfortable-looking position and hope that they'll figure it out on their own? It sounds a little trivial, but for anyone who's faced this situation before, you know that it's actually a pretty concerning predicament, and I've got some tips to help you through it in today's episode.

Ben Franklin once said that the only guarantees in life were death and taxes. I think that must have been before he had kids, because he forgot to mention parenting advice. Information comes at you fast and plentifully after your first baby arrives, and although it's always given with the best intentions, some of it is, to be blunt, incorrect. In today's episode of The Sleep Sense Show, I'm looking at five of the most common myths surrounding your baby's sleep. I can't say for sure where they come from, but I can point out the flaws in their reasoning and give you the facts about some of these common misconceptions.

A lot of people new mothers (and old mothers alike) think that breastfeeding and sleeping through the night are mutually exclusive. For all of you breastfeeding mothers out there, I'm happy to report that this is simply not the case. While it's true that breast milk is digested faster than formula, breastfed babies are still capable of sleeping for more than a few hours at a time, and past the six-month mark, they're just as capable of sleeping through the night as their formula-fed counterparts. I'll explain why and give you some hints to help your get little one sleeping soundly and avoid developing a feed/sleep dependency on today's episode.

Don't you just love that blissful moment in the late morning or early afternoon when you put your baby down for their nap? Watching them drift into a restful, rejuvenating daytime sleep is one of the most maternal sensations I know. Which makes it so much more aggravating when they wake up 20 minutes later and refuse to go back to sleep. Then they're cranky for the rest of the day, overtired at bedtime, and the next 24 hours leave you pulling your hair out in frustration. Sound familiar? Don't worry. On today's episode of The Sleep Sense Show, I have 4 easy-to-implement strategies for extending the length of your baby's daytime sleep, and I'll explain why a solid nap during the day can be the most important factor in getting your little one sleeping through the night. What are you waiting for? Nap time is fast approaching and you can start using these methods as of right now!

Toddlers are very curious creatures, as I'm sure anyone who has one already knows, and they are constantly testing to see where the boundaries lie regarding their behavior. Although it may not seem like it, toddlers absolutely crave structure and rules. They test the limits all the time, but they don't actually want to see anything change. But those tests are often accompanied by tears, shrieking, and meltdowns. So how can you enforce the rules while avoiding the temper tantrums? Well, not to sound like an internet ad, but I have one simple trick that, although it may not "solve" your toddler's outbursts when they don't get their way, will certainly help to minimize them. You can hear all about it in this week's episode of "The Sleep Sense Show."

I'm super excited today to have Dr. Keira Barr on the show to tell us all about the role sleep plays in the health and well-being of our skin. As you probably already know, our skin is our largest organ, but you may be surprised at the information it provides into our overall health. You may also be interested (I know I was!) to learn how sleep and our skin are interconnected, and how the benefits of a good night's sleep can show up in a very real and noticeable way, all over your body. You can find Dr. Barr's website at www.chooseresilience.com and you can pick up a copy of her book, The Skin Whisperer: A Dermatologist Reveals How to Look Younger, Radiate Beauty and Live the Life You Crave on Amazon.

I just want to start off here by saying that The Sleep Sense Program is not what is considered a "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 people really mean when they 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 will be 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.