Kind & Rested

10/08/2026

Let’s normalize admitting that sleep deprivation makes us absolutely ridiculous. 😆😵‍💫

Full disclosure, I forgot how to spell “banana” while writing a grocery list, then stared at the paper for a solid minute waiting for it to autocorrect... It was bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S! 🎶🤦

Now it’s your turn. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done on no sleep? The weirder, the better. 👇

10/06/2026

The questions that keep you up at night… 👀

REAL TALK: feeding and sleep are connected! And there is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to babies and families.

Melissa from and Court from talk through some of the real questions parents are asking about infant feeding and sleep.

Feeding. Sleep. Development. Regulation. Health. Temperament. Your baby. Your family. The whole picture matters.

Have a question you’d love us to answer? Drop it in the comments! 👇

For more support:
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09/25/2026

Read “Notes of A New Dad” by Joshua Turek
Such visceral, and beautiful reminders for new parents.

09/23/2026

🔥Hot take: Your baby isn't waking because you're supporting them. You're supporting them because they're waking. 🔥

And no, it's not because of "bad habits." Feeding, soothing, and responding are some of the most common scapegoats for night waking, and honestly I'm over it for two BIG reasons:

🫶 They're biologically normal, and they help babies settle and return to sleep.

🔍 Blaming them distracts us from what is actually disrupting sleep, and it can pressure parents to remove the very things helping their baby feel safe and settled, even when those things are working beautifully for their family.

And if the way nights are going isn't working for you, that is a completely valid reason to make a change. You're allowed to want more rest, and you never have to stay stuck. You just deserve to understand what's really behind the waking first, so whatever you choose fits your baby and your family and makes a meaningful difference.

So before you change the routine again…

Let’s get curious, zoom out, and look at the bigger picture.

Ask yourself: "What might my baby be needing right now?" Swipe through for 7 places to look, and save this for the next 3 a.m. wake-up. 😴

And remember that ✨ your baby's sleep does not define your success or worth as a parent. Period. ✨

If you’re exhausted or confused by what’s happening at night, comment RESTED or send me a message, and we'll make sense of it together.

09/18/2026

What if your baby’s “sleep association” isn’t a bad habit at all?

Sleep associations, sleep props, or sleep “crutches” are all words people use to describe the very normal things babies rely on to fall asleep.

But there is a MUCH more helpful way to look at these behaviors.

Sleep associations are just different forms of sensory input that help your baby’s nervous system settle and regulate.

And our nervous systems play a *HUGE* role in our ability to settle into sleep.

Feeding.
Rocking.
Bouncing.
Walking.
Bum pats.
Back rubs.
Holding their hand.
Or even holding them to sleep.

These are all *regulation tools*, not “bad habits.” And they’re not necessarily things you need to stop doing if you want better sleep.

If the way you’re supporting your child to sleep is working for your family right now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with continuing to do it.

And if it *isn’t* working, that’s okay too!

But even then, we don’t start with: “How do we get rid of this?”
We start by asking: “What need is this actually meeting for my child?”

Because when we *understand* what that particular tool is providing, we have a much more informed path for making changes.

And we can start exploring *other ways to meet that same need*.

So the goal isn’t to eliminate sleep associations because they’re “bad.”

✨The goal is to understand what helps your child feel calm, regulated, and ready for sleep.✨

And then ask: “Is the way we’re providing that support working for our family?”

If it is? You don’t have to change it.

If it isn’t? We can work together to understand what your child is getting from that support and find a more sustainable way to meet that need.

If you’re looking for baby and toddler sleep support that looks at the *whole picture*, not just generic “shoulds and shouldn’ts,” that’s exactly what I do.

Follow along for more responsive, relationship-centered sleep support designed with your family in mind.

09/10/2026

12 hours overnight isn’t a magic number.

I know how easy it is to see that number everywhere and start wondering if your child is sleeping “enough.” But sleep isn’t just about what happens overnight. It’s about the WHOLE 24-HOUR picture.

A child sleeping 10 hours overnight and taking a 2.5-hour nap is getting 12.5 hours of sleep. That falls right within the recommended range for many children. And it might be exactly what their body needs.

Here are the recommended sleep ranges from the National Sleep Foundation:
✨0–3 months: 14–17 hours✨4–11 months: 12–15 hours✨1–2 years: 11–14 hours✨

And children with lower or higher sleep needs may fall just outside of these ranges.

Sometimes, when we keep trying to stretch the night because a schedule or app says our child *should* be sleeping longer, more sleep challenges can pop up.

😑 Longer bedtimes.
😵‍💫 More night wakings.
🫩 Early morning wakings.

Two really helpful questions to ask are:
✅ “How much sleep does MY child actually need?”
✅ “And how is that sleep adding up across the whole day?”

Your child doesn’t have to sleep exactly like the chart to be sleeping well. They’re their own person, with their own individual sleep needs. 💛

And *better sleep* isn’t always about getting them to sleep *more.*
Often, it’s about making sure their routine actually matches their needs.

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. 💌