Kind & Rested

08/18/2026

A new 2026 study on parental “bedtime procrastination” found that parents actively delayed their own bedtime on 79% of nights. And surprisingly, of the top 10 reasons researchers identified, only TWO were child related at all.

Caregiving demands are real, and they matter. But this study points to something bigger than a child’s sleep alone: parents have needs, too, and they're going unmet.

The researchers found that things like smartphone use, unmet leisure needs, how rewarding the day felt, and how aware parents were of their own needs were linked to bedtime procrastination.

That late-night “me time” isn't necessarily just a parent choosing their phone over sleep. It can be a very human attempt to reclaim something they didn't have much room for during the day.

That doesn't mean staying up late is the answer. But I also don't think we can look at a parent who stays up late and reduce the whole thing to poor sleep habits or a lack of self-control.

Because rest isn't necessarily the same thing as sleep.

A parent can be sleep-deprived and still deeply under-rested in other ways, too. Sleep matters, but so does having enough space for emotional regulation, sensory relief, mental downtime, social connection, creativity, and simply feeling like yourself again.

When those things don't have much room anywhere else in the day, the last two hours of the night start carrying all of them. And that can feel really, truly unsustainable.

And I don't think the answer is to simply take that time away from you. I'm not here to convince parents that their needs are less important than sleep. I'm interested in being practical about how those needs can have a place in the day, too.

Maybe a question to ask yourself is: “What am I getting from staying up that I'm not getting anywhere else?”
And the more important question: “How do I make room for what I need without sacrificing the sleep my body needs, too?”

Because you shouldn't have to choose.

I wrote more about this research and how you can start making room for the things you need without sacrificing the sleep you need, too.

🔗 Read the full blog post. Link in bio.

06/03/2026

04/09/2026

Bedtime is more than just getting to sleep.

It is a big transition for your child’s little nervous system and an opportunity to nurture relationship, confidence, and a felt sense of safety.

By showing them what to expect through a simple story, a few familiar steps, and your steady presence, bedtime can feel softer, calmer, and more connected.

Social story benefits:
✨Helps children know what’s coming next
✨Supports their nervous system in feeling regulated and safe
✨Builds confidence and independence
✨Deepens connection with you
✨Makes bedtime smoother and less stressful for everyone

04/09/2026

Every family’s sleep journey looks a little different, but the need for rest, support, and reassurance is something so many parents can relate to.

This family came to me in a season of frequent night wakes and a level of exhaustion that really starting to affect their days in a big way.

Together, we made realistic and intentional shifts that supported their child’s sleep while staying aligned with their values around connection and responsiveness. Those changes quickly supported more consistent nights and a more rested, easier rhythm for everyone.

If this feels familiar, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. You deserve rest that feels more sustainable for your whole family.

If you’re needing support right now, I’m here. You can reach out anytime to connect. 💌

03/26/2026

Sleep isn’t just about rest. It’s about nurturing relationship, confidence, and balance for your whole family.

Every parent wants nights and mornings that feel calmer, routines that feel sustainable, and strategies that actually work for their child and their life. But often, the advice out there is generic and one-size-fits-all, leaving you feeling overwhelmed, second-guessing yourself, or unsure what’s best for your child.

That’s where nurtured sleep coaching comes in. It’s not about rigid rules or “perfect” sleep. It’s about helping you:
* Understand your child’s unique temperament and needs
* Create routines and strategies that fit your family’s real life and core values
* Feel confident, supported, and empowered in your decisions
* Build solutions that grow with your child and your family

If you’ve ever wished for guidance that meets you where you are, honors your child, and leaves everyone feeling secure and connected—this is for you.

If this feels like what you’ve been looking for, let’s connect and explore what support would look like for your family.

Follow the link in my bio to schedule a free Discovery Call.

03/26/2026

Join me virtually at on June 1st to explore a holistic, evidence-based, and relationship-centered approach to supporting infant and child sleep.

About the Presentation:

We’ll discuss why sleep challenges are so common, how to assess sleep within the broader family context, and how to move beyond generic, one-size-fits-all solutions. We’ll look at a practical framework for sleep, discuss common red flags that significantly disrupt sleep, and a few real-life case examples. The goal is for participants to strengthen their ability to respond thoughtfully, collaboratively, and effectively to the families they serve in their respective fields. Space for discussion and questions will be prioritized to support real-world application!

Pre-register for this event at www.oregonwashingtonlactation.org !

About the Speaker:

I’m Court Wright, a Holistic Family Sleep Coach and professional educator. I support families from pregnancy through early childhood — including neurodivergent and highly sensitive children — who are exhausted and overwhelmed by sleep challenges. I help parents understand what’s developmentally normal so they can respond with confidence. Together, we create practical, personalized strategies that support regulation and attachment while protecting the parents’ wellbeing and capacity. I also provide advanced training for clinicians and care teams, helping them approach sleep through a responsive, evidence-based framework that translates seamlessly into their practices.

03/26/2026

The language we use in parenting matters. 💛

It shapes how we see our children, how we respond to them, and how they come to understand themselves.

Commonly used words and phrases often position children as adversaries or problems, rather than small humans learning, growing, communicating, and seeking connection.

Without realizing it, we can begin parenting at odds – using language that frames connection as conflict and needs as demands.

Feeding “on demand” or “on a schedule” frame feeding as something to control or tolerate. Feeding “responsively” shifts this perspective. It becomes a relationship.

“Bedtime battles” suggest parents and children are opponents locked in a struggle. But this challenge is often simply a mismatch between tiredness and timing, or the need for connection and the overall evening rhythm.

Reframing these moments invites curiosity, not conflict, and creates space to meet both parent and child needs.

This doesn’t end in infancy. As children grow, their communication expands — but so do society’s labels.

Words like “defiant,” “stubborn,” or “attention-seeking” often replace our earlier understanding of needs.

Yet toddlers are still doing what they’ve always done — communicating, practicing new skills, and seeking connection. Just in bigger, louder, more complex ways.

When we change the words, we change the story. We move from conflict to connection, and begin to see the whole human in front of us.

When we pause to notice the words we use, we realize how much power they hold. Every phrase can either put distance between us and our children or bring us closer together.

By shifting our language, we aren’t just changing words—we’re changing the way we see our children, and the way they see themselves.

This is the heart of responsive parenting: speaking connection into our parenting, one word, one moment, one relationship at a time.

03/26/2026

Does the Ferber Method (also called Graduated Extinction or “controlled crying”) actually reduce night wakings or improve infant sleep?

A randomized controlled trial by Hall et al. (2015) explored this question in infants aged 6–8 months.

Families were randomly assigned to either a sleep intervention group, which included guidance on Graduated Extinction and education about normal infant sleep and bedtime routines, or a control group, which received general safety education but no sleep-specific support.

Sleep was measured in two ways: objectively, using actigraphy to track night waking and total sleep, and subjectively, using parent diaries and questionnaires. This distinction is important because what babies actually do and how sleep feels for parents can be very different.

Parents in the intervention group reported differences in their perception of overall sleep quality, as well as changes in their own stress, mood, and fatigue associated with sleep.

Objectively, however, there was no significant difference between groups: about 97% of infants in both groups woke two or more times per night, and total sleep remained the same. The measured difference between groups was only −0.2%, which was not statistically significant.

The main takeaway is simple but important. Infant sleep itself did not change, but parent perception did. Both of these can be true at the same time. Understanding the evidence empowers parents to make informed, intentional choices about their family’s sleep.

Do study summaries like this help you make sense of sleep? What other sleep topics would you like to see backed by research?

Hall, W. A., Hutton, E., Brant, R. F., Collet, J. P., Gregg, K., Saunders, R., et al. (2015). A randomized controlled trial of an intervention for infants’ behavioral sleep problems. BMC Pediatrics, 15, 181. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-015-0492-7