Today I had a playdate with a friend who is also a nanny. She was telling me how every time she tries to put her toddler down, she dims the lights, turns on the sound machine, and creates a cozy environment. Yet, instead of calming down, he keeps running around, playing, and it takes him forever to fall asleep. She also shared that after this struggle, he’s been taking short, fragmented naps—which made total sense to me. So, why does a child keep playing and doesn't settle fo

The reason why your baby might still seem overtired after a good night's sleep is something I’ve learned through years of experience: sleep is cumulative. I’d like to share a real-life recent example involving a baby I’ve been watching. Before we dive in, I want to clarify that it is never my intention to judge parents. I am a specialist, and you don’t need to be. I often notice subtle cues that parents might miss, but this is certainly not a reason for them, or you, to feel

If you feel like you were finally starting to get the hang of this whole “parenting” thing, and then suddenly... bam! Your baby starts waking up every hour, you’ve probably hit the dreaded “sleep regression" (that I actually like to call sleep transition since it's part of the development and not a real regression). Don’t panic. While it feels like a major setback, these sleep transitions are actually a sign that your little one’s brain is doing some pretty amazing work. What

Does your baby wake up crying just 45 minutes after you put them down? You’re not alone! It can be so frustrating to finally get your little one to sleep, only to hear them crying before you’ve even had a chance to sit down and relax. The truth is: this is completely normal, and it's what we call a "false start." Understanding why this happens at different ages can help you make small changes to get everyone better sleep. How do baby's sleep cycles work? To understand why fal