Psst! Scroll to the very bottom to see my screen grabs for easy reference!

Eeek! Daylight Saving Time is ending, but it doesn't have to feel like the end of the world!

I have 2 different plans of action below to help you survive this time shift:

Psst! Scroll to the very bottom to see my screen grabs for easy reference!

Parents tend to get very stressed out about Daylight Saving Time each year. But the good news is that springing forward is much easier on families than falling back! Yay!

In this quick blog (or episode if you prefer to listen) I walk you through the basics with 3 different approaches you can chose from depending on your unique situation. Don't forget to head to the blog link below and get your screen grabs for easy referencing!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure statement for more information.

Option #1 for time change

Who should use this option?

• If morning life for you is pretty laid back and you don't have morning appointments that you need to get up and ready for
• OR if you have a child who is waking earlier than you'd like

This one is real simple. Don't change anything and just let them sleep in on Sunday! I'd still wake them by 8am but otherwise, let them sleep in! (Keep in mind, sleeping until 8am on Sunday will actually feel like 7am to their bodies)

Then go on with your day from there. If you use wake windows, continue to use them like usual. If you have set nap times, you'll need to shift them later according to how late your child slept in the morning. But that's it! Easy breezy!

Option #2 for time change

Who should use this option?

• If you have places to be in the mornings so you can't just let your child sleep in
• Also, if your child doesn't seem to be sensitive to schedule changes
• Or if your child is 18 months or older

This one requires little to no prep. Do everything normally with their schedule leading up to Sunday and the time change. On Sunday, you will wake them up at the usual time (according to the clock). So if morning wake up is usually 7am, you will wake them up at that time- even though to their body, that will really feel like 6am.

Then go about your day like usual. No fuss! Use your usual wake windows or your usual set nap times. *This is what me and my family do!*

Option #3 for time change

Who should use this option?

• If you prefer a more gradual approach to time changes
• If your child is younger
• Or if your child is more sensitive to schedule changes

This is the slightly more gradual approach. We still aren't going to spend a ton of time and energy shifting the schedule because that's honestly just making it more complicated than it needs to be! But we are going to spend 2 days adjusting the schedule to be a bit more gradual.

On Sunday, let your child sleep until 30 minutes later according to the clock. So if your child usually wakes at 6:30am, you will let them sleep until 7am on Sunday. This will make everything on Sunday feel like it's shifted roughly 30 minutes later as well- including bedtime.

Then on Monday, wake your child up at their old, usual wake up time. From my example above, that would be 6:30am. Then the rest of your day will fall into place like your typical daily schedule.

Important Reminder

With the clocks changing, it is going to be light in the evenings at bedtime. You need to ensure your child's room is plenty dark at bedtime. I highly recommend BlackoutEZ Window Covers if you need a better window solution. If you need a cheap, quick fix then aluminum foil works wonders! Tape it up over the windows and it completely blocks out all the light!

Bottom line, we need to block the sun from coming into their room at bedtime or else they may have a harder time falling asleep in the evening.

If you have a toddler or preschooler, you will want to start talking to the now about the time change to prep them. This doesn't need to be a high level conversation but something simple: "Winter is almost over and it's almost spring! Yay! That means the sun will stay out later too."

Then you can have the conversation that even though the sun is out later, it is still bedtime according to the clock. Then hold firm with your boundaries if they struggle to adjust. They will get there!

White noise can make such a difference when it comes to your child's sleep. But with it's use comes a lot of questions and concerns. This post is designed to answer the most common questions I get about white noise so you can make an informed decision for your family.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure statement for more information.

Why use white noise to sleep and not lullabies?

I always recommend true white noise over crashing waves, rain sounds, or even calming music. But why? Because true white noise is meant to block out stimulating sounds. The sound isn’t changing if you use true white noise. But if you use any of those other options, there are changes that you can hear.

Our brains are always processing stimuli, even when asleep. These changes can be stimulating and if your child is in a lighter stage of sleep, these changes may even stimulate their brain enough to pull them out of sleep. That’s obviously NOT what we want! So I always prefer to use white noise so we know that it is working for us and not against us with sleep. 

Is pink noise and brown noise the same as white noise?

Pink and brown noise work just as well as white noise when it comes to sleep. White noise is made by using all the frequencies at once. Pink noise lowers the highest frequencies a bit and brown noise lowers them even further.

Many people actually prefer pink and brown noise over white noise because it sounds less harsh. No matter which color you choose, all will help block out stimulating sounds and help your baby fall asleep quicker and have better quality of sleep.

How loud is too loud for white noise to sleep?

As a parent, this question can be a hard one to find an answer to! Right off the bat, we know that prolonged listening to 85 decibels or higher can cause hearing damage so we want to stay away from that high decibel level.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using 50 decibels of less in a hospital setting. I recommend that you use a decibel level around 60-65. Here’s why:

1. 60 decibels is about the level of normal everyday conversation. Your baby is used to this level of decibels on a daily basis. When you realize that normal conversation happens at this level, you can see how it’s not going to be harmful to the ears. Our ears were designed to communicate with each other frequently!
2. The recommendation of 50 decibels in a hospital setting is just that. It’s meant for hospitals where machines are beeping, people are coming in and out of patient rooms frequently, and there’s lots of different voices and chit chat. That is obviously a very different setting from your child’s quiet room when there is only white noise playing.
3. 60-65 decibels is still far below the upper limit of 85 decibels (which for reference could sound like a hair dryer or blender or lawn mower).

Won’t my child become dependent on white noise to sleep?

Yes, they likely will! But just like with any sleep habit (rocking to sleep, pacifier use, etc) we can make changes. If you don’t want your child to use white noise forever, you can change it at any time! Or you can wait until they are old enough to request to change it themselves.

I hear from parents a lot that they have this fear of dependency for sleep but honestly, it’s not a huge deal. White noise can easily be transported with your family for when you travel. Even if you forget your white noise, I’m willing to bet you’ve got an extra device with you that can play white noise from an app.

On top of that, we don’t seem to place the same fear of dependency on things like pillows and night lights and comfy blankets. So I think it really comes down to whether you believe the research that shows white noise improves the quality of sleep. If you do, then why would we consider it a bad thing to use for sleep?

When should my child stop using white noise to sleep?

Because white noise improves our quality of sleep, even most adults could benefit from sleeping with white noise so you don’t necessarily have to wean your child off! But, if you are really set on weaning your child off of white noise at some point in the future, I recommend waiting until after 3-4 years of age so that you’ve passed most of the big sleep transitions and milestones (toddler sleep, crib to bed transition, dropping naps, new siblings being added, etc). When you get to that point, you can just turn the volume down a little bit each night until it’s gone! Easy breezy.

Can white noise to sleep cause developmental delays or processing problems?

This question is rampant right now online and on social media. But let me ease your mind on this one, there is nothing in the research that shows correlation between white noise use for sleep time and any kind of delay or disorder. And if there isn’t even correlational evidence, then there certainly isn’t causal evidence either.

Most of the studies I’ve seen people incorrectly cite about these concerns are based on rats being exposed to white noise 24/7 and often at a much higher decibel level (85+) than is ever recommended. Of course there would be an issue if your child was subjected to high levels of white noise all the time. This would obviously negatively impact their ability to hear and process language and therefore their ability to communicate effectively. But that is a far cry from using it during sleep time only and at normal decibel levels.

If you see this claim being made, I’d encourage you to ask for the peer-reviewed research, then go and read it, and you’ll see that none of these claims have anything to do with using white noise responsibly for sleep.

Wanna know more about white noise? Check out my other white noise blog: White noise: Why it’s a non-negotiable for sleep. And head here to see the white noise machines I personally use and recommend.

Need more help than just white noise? Check out my resources for various ages:

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure statement for more information.

Looking for holiday sleep tips for baby? You've come to the right place! Holiday season is upon us and I know sleep can be so triggering for many moms because you never know what to expect and how baby will handle the disruptions.

Below I'm sharing some sleep tips for the holidays but first- here's the reminder I needed as a mom to little ones:

Your child's sleep WILL get messed up over the holidays. That's just life with kids and it's going to be okay. Don't let the off days steal your joy.

Yes, you can try all the tips and tricks for sleep. And they may very well help... BUT if they don't help, know that that's completely okay. In fact, that's normal.

Holidays are crazy with travel, wonky schedules, over-stimulation, extra sugar, noise, etc. We can't expect our children to sleep like they do at home on a normal day. And when we do expect that, we often set ourselves up for failure. Which adds extra stress and a dread of the holidays.

Don't let your holidays be dampened by sleep stress. Your child will get back on track after the holidays. I promise, it will be okay. 🫶

There's absolutely a place for planning and holiday sleep tips but first, let's set our expectations realistically. Sound like a plan? Ok, let's get to the sleep tips now!

Get it dark

SlumberPods are great for travel sleep. They set up over the pack n play or toddler mattress and provide some separation and darkness to your child's environment (save 10% with code: ALLTHESLEEPS).

But if you don't have a SlumberPod- you can still make this work! Grab some aluminum foil or garbage bags and tape them over the windows to block out the extra light instead. Works like a charm!

Bring white noise

Bring your white noise from home so you can use it while traveling. Forgot it? Use and extra phone or table and download a free white noise app.

If your family festivities are especially rowdy, place a sound machine in the room with your child, a towel under their door, and then an extra device in the hallway as well. My all-time favorite sound machine is the Lectrofan Micro2 and it's so small and portable that it's perfect for travel sleep!

Familiar smells

Don't go crazy washing the sleep sack or the pack n play sheets before you travel. Instead, keep them smelling like your child and their sleep space so they have that familiarity in the new environment. If you haven't used your pack n play sheets recently (or ever!) I recommend sleeping with it in YOUR bed for a night before you travel so it smells like you.

Follow usual routines

Don't skimp: I know it's tempting to skimp on your bedtime and naptime routines- but don't!

Try to do everything just like your child is used to at home. Take the stuffies, take the bedtime books, don't forget that sleep sack, and anything else you need to complete the steps of your routine.

Prioritize nap 1

When possible, prioritize that first nap of the day. This is typically the longest and most restorative nap.

If you can ensure your child gets a good nap 1, that can help the rest of the day go smoother. After that, do whatever contact or on-the-go naps that you need to do!

Early bedtime

If doable, offer an early bedtime. This can help make up for over-stimulation from the day or crappy naps.

It it's not possible, don't fret! You can get back on track the next day and it will be fine.

Lastly, remember my advice...

Your child's sleep WILL get messed up over the holidays. That's just life with kids and it's going to be okay. Don't let the off days steal your joy.

Have a wonderful holiday celebrating with family and loved ones!

Are your sleep issues bigger than just the holidays?

If you feel like you might be ready to start making sustainable sleep changes in everyday life, you've come to the right place! Here is a link to my scheduler so we can talk through your situation and see if we'd make a good fit to work together.

Spoiler alert, I don't believe in sleep secrets! Okay, well, I wish that I could just hand you a magic wand and you would magically have a great sleeper. It just doesn't work that way. However, I do believe that there are some foundational puzzle pieces that are very important if we're wanting to improve sleep. So in this blog, I'm going to walk you through the four puzzle pieces that I take all of my 1:1 clients through, because they are that important and that foundational.

Now I like to look at sleep as kind of one big puzzle. When I'm helping families troubleshoot their issues, I'm looking at each piece of the puzzle. Is everything in place? It's great to have a piece here or a piece there. But the magic comes from when you put all the pieces together at once and you get that full picture working towards better sleep. So without further ado, let's dive into these four puzzle pieces that we're going to talk through.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure statement for more information.

Puzzle piece #1 for better baby sleep

The very first one is sleep environment. And if you have followed me for any length of time, you know, this is something I harp on. I can get a little annoying, like a broken record. But sleep environment is truly so so important. And I have seen it be so transformational when families are struggling with sleep. Sometimes all it takes is getting that sleep environment ideal and many of their sleep problems just go away. Now, I'm not saying that's going to happen for every family, but I've seen it happen enough that I want to make sure that you have these two non-negotiables figured out.

The first non negotiable of your child's sleep environment is that it needs to be dark. I am talking very dark. I'm not just talking about at night. That room needs to be very dark initially at bedtime, which is going to be more challenging as we get into the summer months here in North America. It also needs to be very dark in the early morning and it needs to be dark at nap time. So if you are walking in your child's room and you are seeing light streaming in or you're able to make the shapes out, it's not dark enough for sleep. You'll need to find a way to make it darker.

Aluminum foil is a great option if you are looking for something cheap and inexpensive and something that you probably have in your home. I LOVE BlackoutEZ window covers if you're looking for something more permanent that looks a little bit nicer. Typically just your regular blackout curtains are not going to do the job because light is still going to sneak in around the edges.

The other non negotiable for sleep environment is white noise. White noise is a great buffer that keeps your child from being disturbed by noises in the house, noises outside, noises from siblings or pets. When we're in a light stage of sleep, it's possible that we hear noises and that pulls us out of sleep. Our brain is always processing stimuli. And if you don't have something masking those sounds, that can disrupt sleep. We also have studies that show us that we fall asleep quicker, we connect our sleep cycles better, and we just have better quality sleep when we sleep with white noise. I love Lectrofan for all your white noise needs!

Puzzle piece #2 for better baby sleep

The second puzzle piece that is very important is the timing of sleep. With this one we're looking at: when you're putting bedtime... is it too early? Is it too late? Is it all over the place? Does it correspond with your child's natural circadian rhythm? We're also looking at things like naps... are they taking the right number of naps for their age? Are they taking too many or too few? Are they awake the right amount of time between naps or are they under tired or overtired?

There's a balancing act going on when we're looking at timing of sleep. Here's a free resource that I have linked for you so you can check that out if you need more help on timing and how many naps for your child's age.

If we're trying to put down a child who's overtired, they're not going to go to sleep easier. In most cases, they're going to fight sleep more. If we're putting down a child who's under tired, they're going to fight sleep more too! So if you don't have that timing ideal that can be a lot of the reason behind the sleep issues you are experiencing.

At the same time, if our daytime schedule is off, that is directly connected to our nighttime sleep. A bad day schedule can absolutely cause more night wakings, more extended long wakings in the night, and early morning wake ups. It is all intimately connected (which is why we're talking about a puzzle here).

Puzzle piece #3 for better baby sleep

The third puzzle piece that can make a huge difference is independent sleep. By this I mean your child's ability to fall asleep without outside help without needing things that are outside of their own control. For example, this would be you being able to put your baby down awake and they drift off to sleep. Then that translates to them being able to settle themselves again at night or after a short nap. If they wake up and there's not a need like hunger or a diaper change, they're able to drift back to sleep themselves without having to signal to you. This also means they don't have to wait for you to come in and do your whole song and dance to get them back to sleep.

It also leads to longer naps because when they wake up after just one cycle (which is around 30 to 45 minutes) they're able to go back to sleep and connect and get those longer naps- which are amazing. In fact, studies show us that babies who are put down awake in their cribs and fall asleep on their own sleep longer. They wake less overnight, they take longer naps and in general they just get more sleep than their counterparts who are helped to sleep and then transferred.

I really like to just look at this as giving them a tool in their own toolbox so that they can regulate sleep themselves. This way they are not fully dependent on outside help from you or anyone else to get them to sleep. They have the tools to do that rather than waiting for someone to come and help them with that skill.

Puzzle piece #4 for better baby sleep

Now with puzzle piece #3, independent sleep can be hard to get to, especially if you're not really sure what you're doing. And that brings us to puzzle piece #4, which is having a plan that you feel confident in and that you feel comfortable with. I talk to many families on a daily basis who desperately want to be putting these puzzle pieces in order, but they just don't know where to start. They're overwhelmed by too much information. They see conflicting things online and they're just not sure where to turn.

Anytime that they may be have tried to change sleep, they end up getting mixed up and confused. They don't know how to handle certain situations. They don't feel confident that the effort they're putting in and the effort their baby is putting in is even making a difference. So they end up giving up and stop.  If you are going to be making sleep changes, you do not want to be making decisions in the middle of the night- which is the worst time. You don't want to be having to think through specifics.

This is where my sleep course comes into play. My Sleep Coaching Crash Course For Babies is geared toward 4-24 months. Within it I walk you through a plan that you can feel confident in and know that what you're doing is a proven system that works.  If you'd like me to quickly take you behind the scenes of my sleep course so you can see each of the modules that are included in it, head to this link and fast forward to the 8:40 mark. At the end of this video, I even give you a nice $15 discount off my course!

Today I'm sharing my short naps checklist with you! I recently received this question from one of my followers:

"Help! My 8 month old only takes 30 minutes naps! Her naps are always 30 minutes, right on the dot! How do I get past these short naps?"

I get this question a lot so I decided to create a checklist to help parents find the culprit of these short naps.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure statement for more information.

#1 Is their napping environment ideal?

⇒Your child's room needs to be dark at nap time. And I mean REALLY dark! It should be as close to pitch black as you can make it. Light signals to their brain that it's time to be awake so we don't want to send those signals if we struggle with short naps.

It takes some effort to get their napping environment pitch black, but I promise, the pay off is worth it! One product that I highly recommend and personally use for blacking out a room is BlackoutEZ Window Covers.

⇒You're child needs continuous white noise playing while they nap. This not only helps to block out the daytime sounds within the house (putting dishes away, walking up the stairs, etc) but it also acts as a great buffer to block out sounds from outside the home (neighbor mowing the lawn, dog barking, etc).

White noise provides a continuous, non stimulating, sound that studies show us play a role in helping us fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and connect sleep cycles.

My go-to white noise company is Lectrofan. We own 4 different Lectrofan sound machines in my house! And you can read more about why white noise is a non-negotiable for good sleep here.

#2 Is your baby taking the correct number of naps for their age?

This is important for many reasons. The ideal number of naps for your child's age helps us to balance their sleep needs with their awake needs. If we are offering too few naps throughout the day, it's likely that your child is going into nap time overtired. This state of over tiredness can increase cortisol and adrenaline within their body which will lead to full wake ups after 1 sleep cycle and voila, you've got a short nap!

If we are offering too many naps throughout the day, it's likely that your child is going into nap time under tired. This means they haven't built up adequate sleep pressure to take a longer nap!

#3 Is the timing of your naps right?

Not only is the number of naps important, but the timing is as well. It's important to find the right amount of time for your child to be awake between each sleep. It may take some tweaking to get right but once you hit that sweet spot, you'll know!

For a month by month breakdown of nap needs, check out my Short Nap Guide. 

#4 Is it age appropriate for your baby to be taking short naps?

I find that short naps can be age-appropriate until 3-5 months. Definitely as a newborn, you can expect short naps and that is okay! If you've got a child who is 3+ months and you're still struggling with consistent short naps (45 minutes or less) then I'd say it's okay to start working on this checklist to troubleshoot.

#5 Does your child know how to fall asleep without help?

This is the most important piece because if your child is taking short naps, that means they are getting through 1 sleep cycle and then unable to connect to the next sleep cycle. It's totally normal for them to wake up briefly between sleep cycles.

But if they don't possess the skill to put themselves back to sleep without intervention (paci, nursing, rocking, being held, etc.) then they aren't going to be able to connect those nap cycles. If your child doesn't know how to fall asleep without help and you are struggling with short naps, you have 2 options:

1. Go in as soon as they wake from a short nap and help them right back to sleep with whatever you've found to be the most effective (nursing back to sleep, rocking to sleep, laying with them, etc.)
2. Or, you can take this opportunity to teach them the skill of independent sleep!

In case you didn't know, we're kind of obsessed with sleep environments around here. As a pediatric sleep consultant, I see firsthand what a difference the right environment can make. As moms, we love our sleep and have learned that an ideal sleep environment lends itself to better sleep for the whole family!

Listen in as Kayla and I break down the science behind our obsession with room temperature, darkness levels, and white noise.

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Episode 9: Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments

Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments
Hi, everyone, and welcome back to sleep talking moms. We are on episode nine. And today we are going to be talking about sleep environment and all those things that can help your baby and child and yourself sleep at the optimal level. So Carianna Yes, take us into this one. I cannot stress enough like, these things are non negotiables when I work with families, because I know how much they help. And while it's not necessarily a magic fix, I can't tell you how many times I've like gotten on the phone with somebody. And before we even started working together, they implemented a darker room for naps or white noise for sleep. And it's made a huge difference. So I just can't I can't stress the importance of this episode. Enough. But I'm sure that you have heard this yourself, Kayla, I often get the question. Well, how long? Do I have to have this like ideal environment for my child to sleep better? I have heard that from both sets of mothers. Absolutely. That was like when I first implemented these things into my children's sleeping arrangement. That was the number one question is like, when are you going to get rid of that? How? How can you continue to do this in all of the places? So I know we will get into those answers later on. Yes, yeah, I want to hold off the answer to that question. I know it's a burning question. I want to hold that off until we've kind of talked through some of the specifics and sciency stuff about sleep environment.
Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments So should we just start off with talking about room temperature for sleep? Yes, let's dive on in. Okay, so an ideal room temperature is going to be 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are Celsius, 20 to 22 degrees Celsius. That is what we're looking for as far as room temperature goes. And honestly, cooler is better than hot when it comes to sleep. Okay, so if we're going to err on one side or the other, we air on the cooler side rather than the warmer side. Okay, so can you tell us why cooler temperatures are better? Absolutely. So our body actually needs a natural dip in temperature in order to release melatonin at bedtime and melatonin we're going to talk a lot about melatonin, but it is our sleepy hormone. So it helps us initiate sleep. And you know, if you think about it, like if we didn't live in homes, in environments where the climate was, you know, so well controlled. You know, if we lived outside like our ancestors, we would experience a natural dip in temperature in the evening. And so that's just what our bodies need to help initiate sleep. This is also you know, oftentimes when you hear about bedtime routines, a bath is included. Or a shower where to the stage now where we're doing showers at night with my boy it's like a whole new world. But that's why we recommend that because if you think about it when you get out of a warm bath or out of the warm shower you actually your your body temperature plummets and gets cooler initially right and so that helps with the sleep onset that helps with the melatonin production. Even
Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments as adults like we will often wash up even if we're not taking a full on shower, like washing our faces. I don't know if you do that before bed, Kayla, but yes, I'm in my 30s so I've got to do a face regimen. Oh, you have a whole face regimen. Wow. I do. I Oh, I'm impressed. Very impressed. I do not you think I would because my mom is the Mary Kay consultant, but I just use water. Ooh, sorry, mom. Sorry mom. I know you're listening. So anyways, we we have our own ways of doing that to where we wash our face with warm water. It helps drop Our body temperature a little bit so temperature is huge cooler is better 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. That's what we want to aim for. Okay. Should we move on? Yeah, I think so. So you talked about temperature. Next let's talk about darkness. Yes, darkness. super important. I can't stress this one enough. We want it pitch dark. Pitch Black pitch dark basically when you're in your child's room, whether it's nighttime I'm early morning, naptime. You don't want to be able to see your hand in front of your face. That's how dark it should be. You should be running into things. Almost And, you know, there's a couple reasons why I would say the reasons are different depending on If we're talking about night Or if we're talking about You know, early morning Time So let's let's talk about night for Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments And again, we're going to talk about melatonin, our sleeping hormone. Okay melatonin production now Not only is it right related by temperature, it's also regulated by light and darkness. So, if your retinas are sensing light, they You're going to send a signal to your brain that it's not time to produce melatonin yet. So, another reason we want to kind of dim lights during the bedtime routine, kind of start lowering the level of light And then for sleep, we want no light so that we are not inhibiting that melatonin production when we're Talking about early in the morning or we're talking about half time, you know we're not having that surgery. Have melatonin like we are at night Okay, so That's not necessarily helping For that, ask But darkness is is still important. So we have to remember that our little ones aren't motive. Good sleepers right Kayla? You You wake up and you look at the clock and it's 4am you don't wake up that early. No you don't wake up that early. You I know you wake up early but you don't start your day better not not afford just now. difference but no, not at four. So if you wake up and you see it's four o'clock, what do you do? I'm going to turn over and go back to bed. Exactly because you know like, I need an extra hour of sleep. I will feel Better I will be happier. I will have this smoother time with my kids right like you can reason through that, yes, our kids Don't think that way so if they wake up they Can't tell time some of them so So that darkness level And making sure that it is pitch black when we want them to sleeping. That is like there. Biggest signal So if they wake up and they're like, Oh, I think I see light I think it's playtime. They're not thinking Oh if I don't go back to sleep, I'm going to be really crabby all day and I'm going to feel like crap. They they're not motivated like we are so that darkness how With early wakings with naptime and just making sure there aren't distracted actions for them and that it's sending that Strong cue to their brain Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments Yeah Can I recommend And something that I'm sure that you do this with you Your families but I know For us what helped, even during like the getting into naptime process, whatever that looks like because I know people have bedtime routines and I know that people often have an naptime routines as well. I know that here I Like shut the blinds and I pull the curtains. So that you know like this 1530 minutes before now Time, it's a little bit darker. I don't really know if that helps out scientifically or biologically with the kid but it helps me And maybe hopefully I'm free to understand like, Oh, it's Getting closer to naptime. Things are darker So if that's if your kid is somebody who's, you know, my kids are both very, very hyper. Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments So if your kids are like that and you think that that might help signal like okay, we're getting close. I totally wrecked doing it because I know that it helps us know I love that idea. I think that's absolutely good. To help because you do that on a regular basis and it is almost It helps bridge naptime and bedtime not that they're gonna think that naptime is bedtime because that's not something that happens once our circadian rhythm is developed around three months. But you are showing them Very strong association that It gets dimmer and then we Do our routine and then we go to sleep. And they're seeing that concern Instantly I think that's awesome. Kayla, you Yay, yay Oh Hey, let's talk about white noise. The third main factor in our sleep environment. Kayla Are you a fan of white noise? Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments I'm a huge fan of white noise and I actually have the ones that you recommend. I know that you will talk about that a little bit later, but The ones that we have are portable and so and they're battery operated and they're rechargeable, so you can use them in the car. If you're on a trip, you can Use them at the hotel room at the Airbnb that you Mother in law's whatever wherever the kid is, you can Move this thing and again Help you no matter where you are Yes, I'm obsessed with white noise. I'm I'm literally obsessed with white noise. I love it. I use it myself. Me too. Me too and I we've recently started that I don't know maybe in the last Each year or a year and a half, so it hasn't always been something that I've done, but I have noticed a difference. I know a Especially for my husband. He is the Lighter sleeper like I'm pretty much dead to the world when I'm asleep. Now you are Don't wait. I am not One of the moms who is like hearing every single sound my kid makes and waking up I'm like dead. But my husband is a very light sleeper and he would go through periods of really having trouble sleeping. And when we added white noise, I think he would say that it has significantly helped. So it's huge not just for babies, you know. So with white noise, what I recommend is We're using true white noise. So we're not using things like oh waves or lullabies or rain sounds. We want that Just a very continuous consistent sound that doesn't have a bunch of up and down stimulating things going on and we want to aim for like 60 to 70 decibels as far as loudness goes, and we want it to play Pretty continuously so we want it playing all night long. Every nap. Basically if you want your child sleeping, we want that to be playing in with all the things that you've talked about temperature during And now with the white noise. What is it about the white noise that makes it It's so important to sleep with white noise. It mainly acts as a buffer, Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments okay, so even when we're sleeping our brain is still Always processing stimuli. And if we happen to be in a lighter stage of sleep, when there's a noise around us, you know whether it's a car door outside of our house or someone washing dishes or whatever a dog barking if our Brain picks up on that and we're in a lighter stage of sleep, there's the chance that it will fully pull us out of sleep and wake us up. So white noise acts as a really good buffer to keep us from hearing those external sounds that we don't need to and you know, we do have studies that show Show us sleeping with white noise decreases the time it takes us to fall asleep. It increases the time we Spend a sleep overnight, and that overall it just improves our quality of sleep. So very much backed by research that that white noise is helpful and again, not just Four little ones for all humans. Honestly, I have a friend too. Even that white noise for her dog and And it how long with Dog Yeah, I mean, it's not just a human thing. Although Don't ask me to show you studies on that, but well, and I was gonna day two. I'm over here. I live in a pretty populated neighborhood. Our houses are pretty close together and the City has been doing road work right in front of our house for like the past two weeks. And if you're like me, I'm a control freak. Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments I'm type A I honestly I'm very proud of that. Should be but one thing like For some reason, they've been starting Like literally five minutes after I put it down For his nap oh oh So I have been like every single time they do it I like you know kind of stress. I feel it in my shoulders, a little bit of tension. And the white noise mixed with I mean, I'm sure mixed with all of these other things, but White Noise especially has been a lifesaver because I don't have to worry as much Because he's not hearing the beep, beep beep when they Back up, they're not hearing the jackhammering He's just out. Yeah, so If you're like me at all And you're concerned about the noise level
in your neighborhood, your apartment complex wherever it may be. This is a huge, huge help to keep them from Waking up so that you can get your stuff done or you can get a nap or do whatever you need to do. But that time Yeah. And another thing that you didn't mention other siblings, right, like, yeah, yeah, I mean, you don't have to worry about trying to keep your older child quiet while baby sleeps when when Campbell my second was a newborn we had white noise In this room and we actually had To sound machines Outside in The hall just because the way our house is set up. The living area where Ethan would always play is actually you know, it's not that far from Campbell's room and I could just turn all three of them on and then I didn't have to constantly be telling Ethan like, you need to be quiet. Be quiet. Your brother's sleeping. I could just kind of let him go more live your life. Yeah, exactly. Okay, so now we should probably get to the question When can I stop using these things for my child sleep. What do you think Kayla? I'm putting you on the spot. Yeah, well, I ain't know the answer to this because one I followed you forever. You're my best friend. We've talked about this before. I mean, optimally never. If it's not broke, don't fix it. So if these things are working for you, then just keep it up. I mean, obviously you're going to see yourself in situations where at Little bit noisier you're in a hotel room and I don't know if there's any hotel rooms that don't have blackout curtains but you know any of those things like sometimes you're going to forget the way noise machine or whatever but I think all Ultimately, if you're giving Your kid the gift of beautiful sleep, then why would we fix it? Yeah, no I agree I'm I'm in the camp of if it's not broke don't fix it. I do think that you You can experiment like if you're really it shouldn't go Add a bunch of light in your child's room for some reason you can experiment with But if you notice, like, Oh yeah, this really makes naps rough. Then I would go back to the basics because there's a reason that we benefit from all of these things and why they help us sleep better. The other thing that I would say is As your child gets older and does start to become more of a motivated sleeper like us adults then When I think you know, it would make the most sense to start messing with these things if you're really wanting to get away from white noise or if you really want them, you know, to, to not have blackout curtains on their room or whatever You know, I would wait until they're three plus years old to really mess with those things when they start figuring out that their body feels good when sleeps and you know We do have more of that. internal motivation Helping them leap instead of them. Just viewing Sleep as you know, the time When the playing stops, which is kind of where we're at for the first several years, they just, you know, they're like, well, I don't want to sleep I want to keep playing and that's totally normal for them to feel that way. But yeah, I think you can experiment with it if you experiment and it goes back Go back to the basics that you know work. There is nothing wrong with using white noise for years and years and years. You know, as long as it's at the appropriate level, there's no issues with that. And it's just biology that we sleep better in the dark and in that ideal environment, but also guys, like don't be afraid to make your house look like a meth lab and put up some aluminum foil. It's okay. It's okay. I'm giving you permission to make your house look like a meth lab. I'm so glad you said I've had clients send me pictures of like their babies window from outside of the house and be like with a loom. tinfoil taped up to block out the light and they're like, yeah, my house looks like a meth lab. Thank you Carrie. Yeah. They continue to do it because it works with sleep. So, you can use aluminum foil in a pinch. I love a blackout easy window curtains are not curtains their window covers that. Velcro up. I love, love, love those for white noise. I love love Your fan. I will link All of the products that I use in the show notes, you can check them out. But I have pretty good Consistently recommended. The same products All along. If you're traveling slumber is a great idea. option. It's like a A privacy pod that goes over the Pack and play or over you know what toddler cot to provide that separation in that darkness. So lots of things you can do even if you aren't in your own home. Firstly we are so glad you joined us for the sleep talking moms. podcast today. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a second to grab a screenshot. Share it in your stories and tag us of all this sleeps See you next time. Why I'm obsessed with sleep environments

Above is a picture of the decibel level of different types of sounds taken from Dr. Harvey Karp’s book, Happiest Baby on the Block. Ideally your child’s white noise would be at a decibel level of 60-65. This is about the sound level of a shower running. 

When testing the decibel level of your child's white noise, you can download any number of free or paid apps that can help you. Be sure to set your phone in the crib and then turn your white noise on and set it in the usual place it will stay. This way you can get an accurate reading of how loud it will be for your baby when sleeping in their crib.

Do babies sleep better with white noise?

Duh! If white noise wasn’t found to improve sleep, then I wouldn’t waste my time writing a whole blog post about it! A study done testing the effectiveness of using a Lectrofan sound machine (my favorite company!) found that the participants who slept with a white noise running all night:

-Fell asleep faster (by 30%!)

-Spent less time awake throughout the night

-Had better sleep quality (by 37%!)

-And felt more rested in the morning upon waking.

The reasoning is simple. Just because you are asleep, that doesn’t mean your brain has stopped processing stimuli. Not only does white noise block out the sounds of the house around your child, but it provides a consistent, non-stimulating sound that their brain doesn’t need to wake up and notice. Basically, there’s no auditory changes that the brain is sensing and therefore, your child can stay blissfully asleep!

Can I just use my old smartphone to play a white noise app?

This answer is a bit more complicated, so bear with me! You CAN use an app or a Hatch rest, BUT this is not the most helpful for your child. White noise period is better than no white noise but I highly recommend springing for a true non-looping white noise machine instead of one where the sounds are stitched together. 

You’re probably asking, why does it matter? Here’s why:

Remember that the white noise is meant to mask any stimuli so that the brain doesn’t come to fully awake mode. But when you use an app or other sounds machines that are looping (Hatch, Homedics, Graco, etc.) they are essentially recordings of white noise being played on a loop. That means that each time the loop restarts, there is going to be slight breaks in the sound and this could actually pull your baby out of sleep!

But I love my Hatch!

I don’t doubt that you do, but I also know that if you are reading my blogs, you may be struggling in the sleep department and if the change was as simple as switching to true white noise, wouldn’t you want to try it? The two companies that I know of that play true non-looping white noise are Lectrofan and Dohm. I personally use Lectrofan in my house and recommend it. My two favorite products are the Lectrofan Micro2 and the Lectrofan Sound.

What if my baby gets so used to white noise that they won’t sleep without it?

Ah. I hear this often as a reason to NOT use white noise. But here’s the deal guys. If white noise helps improve your child’s sleep and they are going to be able to sleep with it a majority of the time, then it makes sense to use it. We want them to have their ideal sleep environment anytime that we can control it because we know that it will help them get more restorative sleep.

Also, white noise machines are extremely portable. If you’re looking for portable, I highly recommend the Lectrofan Micro2 as it can run for over 12 hours without being plugged in and is super easy to throw in your purse or keep in your car. Honestly, I can’t think of many times when you wouldn’t be able to have the Micro2 for a nap on the go!

When should I wean my child off of white noise?

Like I mentioned earlier, even most adults could benefit from sleeping with white noise so you don’t necessarily have to wean your child off! As they become older, you’ll probably notice that they become less sensitive sleepers and need it less.

If you are really set on weaning your child off of white noise though, I recommend waiting until after 3-4 years of age so that you’ve passed most of the big sleep transitions and milestones (toddler sleep, crib to bed transition, nap elimination, etc). When you get to that point, you can just turn the volume down a little bit each night until it’s gone! Easy breezy!

Wanna know more about white noise? Check out my other white noise blog: Common questions & concerns about white noise for baby sleep. And head here to see the white noise machines I personally use and recommend.

Do you use white noise with your children? What brand do you use?

I know you've all been patiently waiting for this list! I'm about to dish on all the products that you could ever possibly buy to improve your baby's sleep. You might be surprised by how FEW items are on my NEED list and which items I advice you not to waste your hard earned money on!

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy and disclosure statement for more information.

1. Velcro Swaddle

The velcro makes it adjustable to size and helps keep your baby from breaking out. These are often sold at Babies R Us, Walmart, Target, and Amazon for $34.99 (3 Pack). Does it get much easier than that?

2. White Noise

One of my favorites is the LectroFan Micro. In fact, I personally own 2! They are small, portable, hold a charge for 12+ hours and pack a lot of sound for their size. But honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the Lectrofan sound machines. Check them out here.

3. Crib

4. Dark Room

Ok, so this one isn't really a product  BUT I'll give you some examples of products that you can use to achieve this dark room. Again, this is a MUST people! That's why it's on the NEED list. Get your baby's sleep space DARK! Whether that is your room because you are room-sharing or your baby's own separate room, this is non-negotiable.

I often want to laugh (is that mean?) when I see beautiful nursery pictures with translucent flowy curtains. I'm sorry, but that is not reality and sooner or later those nursery aesthetics are going to be crushed with black out shades. Getting your windows blacked out doesn't have to make your nursery ugly, but it may cramp your style.

I highly recommend using BlackOut EZ Window Covers. We used them in my house, and I've even written up this lovely review and how-to HERE. We cover them with some beautiful faux wood blinds (which you'll see in the review) and the room looks amazing- and more importantly- it's pitch black.

You can also go the aluminum foil and duct tape route if that's more your style.

Okay! That's it for the NEED section. Told you it was short! Make these top 4 items a priority!

1. Video Monitor

My own personal video monitor is no longer sold, but I'm all about saving money when you can and this VTech Video Baby Monitor is a great option that gets the job done without breaking the bank.

A more expensive option is the Infant Optics video monitor. From everyone I know that's used it, I've heard nothing but amazing things! It's got night vision, room temperature display, remote pan/tilt/zoom, portable, expands up to 4 cameras, sound activated LED, and 2 way talk.

2. Pack 'N Play

If you are a family that travels often and stays with friends and family, you'll most definitely want to invest in a Pack 'N Play so your child can have their own sleep space while traveling. Most hotels keep Pack 'N Plays or cribs on hand so be sure to ask if you are staying in a hotel.

As mentioned above, many Pack 'N Plays come with bassinet attachments so you could absolutely skip the crib and go with a Pack 'N Play for the first several years of your baby's life. I see a lot of families do this when funds are tight or space is limited.

3. Sleep Sacks

I love sleep sacks for their many uses but I'll be honest, I've never used a sleep sack with my own children! They are great as a wearable blanket for colder climates, as a deterrent to climbing out the climb, and solving the issue of baby's legs getting caught in the slats of the crib. Definitely a good idea but this falls under the WANT category simply because I've survived 5 years with good sleepers and no sleep sacks! However, please remember that blankets are a no-no for at least the first year!

4. Snooze Shade

This is a WANT for the baby who will be forced to take some naps on the go due to older siblings schedules, errands that can't be rearranged, etc. The Snooze Shade can be used with your car seat to make their environment pitch black and ventilated to help them sleep on the go. Use this link to take 10% off your purchase!

5. Slumber Pod

This is a portable tent that can enclose your Pack 'N Play while traveling to give your baby that very dark environment they need in hotel rooms! Definitely recommend this for families that do lots of hotel traveling with little ones.

*Use the code ALLTHESLEEPS to take 10% off your purchase!

The aim of this post is to give you tips for making room sharing work for your family BUT I would be remiss if I didn’t also share this with you.

For some families, it is just too tempting to pull their baby into bed with them when they room share. If this is your family, I’d encourage you to consider if moving baby to their own room would be safer.

Yes, room sharing has protective (not preventative) benefits when it comes to the occurrence of SIDS but that is negated if you are simply pulling baby into your bed in the middle of the night or unintentionally falling asleep nursing in bed and waking up hours later still holding your baby.

I encourage you to do a couple things if you are considering ending room sharing earlier than the AAP recommends:

1. Give your pediatrician a quick call and get their input.
2. Check out this article, Why Room Sharing in Infancy Isn’t Necessary for Safe Sleep by Dr. Craig Canapari. He is a pediatrician, author, and the Director of Yale’s Pediatric Sleep Center so he knows what he’s talking about!

So, you’ve decided to continue room sharing but you are STRUGGLING with sleep, now what?