Starlight Sleep Coaching

02/10/2022

Fantastic article on the importance of naps. They may be hard, but your baby needs them!

Neuroscientists have long known that shut-eye helps consolidate memories in adults. Napping may play an equally crucial role in infants and young children.

01/11/2022

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/cnn-underscored/best-travel-crib

A portable crib can be an incredibly important accessory for traveling with your child. Here are 18 that are easy to collapse, comfortable and safe for your child.

01/11/2022

"Persistent fatigue may be the main complaint of sleep-deprived people. But beneath the surface, growing evidence indicates that disrupted or insufficient sleep can have widespread damaging effects on their physical and mental health."

Finding that slumber sweet spot can be helpful for fending off a range of mental and bodily ills.

01/11/2022

I love, love, love Alice Callahan. Check out her book and blog, The Science of Mom, for great evidence-based insight and information about your baby's first year.

No, breast milk is not always better than infant formula.

03/09/2020

"It bears repeating (over and over) that we are the only developed country that does not have mandated paid parental leave. This lack of leave is directly tied to a mother’s struggle with safe sleep choices, because she’s forced to go back to work so soon after her baby is born."

Far too many mothers are left unsupported and exhausted, desperate for sleep.

01/19/2020

My son suffered from severe social anxiety when he was younger. The support we got in therapy was invaluable, but I always felt that the biggest impact came from my work with the therapist, not his. The way we respond to our kids is powerful. It shapes their perception of us, of themselves, and the world. If there are behavioral and/or communication challenges in your home, get help! Small tweaks can yield big changes.

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/npr/2019/04/15/711213752/for-kids-with-anxiety-parents-learn-to-let-them-face-their-fears/?fbclid=IwAR3GGoJ2fPUNDZHy3HCh4mUyIYD1m4TH005kf9zkXnuOxqkBYZRRBKD7B5w

11/07/2019

Dr. Osborne said society tends to dismiss postpartum sleep issues as being par for the course in early motherhood. “People don’t talk about these things,” she said. “And that silence perpetuates suffering.”

Everyone knows that having a baby can ravage your sleep, but researchers are just starting to examine what happens to your dreams.

09/29/2019

So important.

New research highlights an issue that many women already know too well.

08/02/2019

Sing to your littles at bedtime! It makes them feel safe and secure, and is so good for bonding. Sing, sing, sing!

It may once have been seen by parents as a staple of the bedtime regime - but now it seems that lullabies are falling out of favour as younger parents eschew the ritual.

05/10/2019

The Rock n' Play is not the only baby sleep device to fade into history. There are some pretty choice ones here!

Generations of parents have relied on contraptions, both clever and crazy, to give their infants—and themselves—some rest

04/19/2019

Love this.

What science tells us about breast-feeding, sleep training and all the agonizing decisions of parenthood.

11/26/2018

There's a lot to like in this article, especially about the pressure and judgment heaped on mothers, but here is my favorite:

"Children are very different, right from the beginning, and a single measure like longest duration doesn’t necessarily tell you what is going on in the home, or what the family’s night is really like, or how the parents are doing."

In a nutshell, this is why I love doing the work I do. Babies are different, parents are different, families have different circumstances and needs. There is no single answer and it's my job to support them while they navigate it all - not just the sleep, but what it means for what's going on in their home and how the parents are doing.

Parents often feel bad if their babies aren’t good sleepers, but a new study suggests there’s a lot of variation, even at a year old.