​We’re all willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that our babies are properly nourished, obviously, but as anyone who’s been through this glorious journey of motherhood will tell you, kids are shrewd. They’re unimaginably clever. They will find ways to get what they want, and they will repeat them relentlessly.

Which is not their fault, obviously. They’re just working off of instinct. They know what they like, and at a young age, they like mom— a lot.
I’m talking all mom, all the time. You are to your baby what Pinterest is to middle-aged homeowners. Too much is never enough.

And given the fact that they really only have one method of communicating, if Mom’s not around and they don’t think that’s cool, they fire up their lungs, and they let out a cry.

However, obviously, they don’t only cry because they want Mom. They cry because they’re uncomfortable, or because they’ve got a dirty diaper, or because they’re too hot or too cold, and they cry because they’re hungry.

So when they wake up in the middle of the night and start crying, it’s tough to determine whether they need to eat or just want to see Mom back in the room.
​

​I’m not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t respond to your baby’s crying. You know your baby better than anyone, and I imagine you can tell when something needs to be addressed based on the decibel level, intensity, pitch, and duration. But having said that, if your baby is waking up seven or eight times a night and insisting that you come in and rock her back to sleep, which can have a profound impact on everybody’s sleep, including hers.

​
Many babies have developed a dependency on nursing, rocking, sucking, and so on in order to get to sleep, and it’s not something they can overcome in 15 or 20 minutes. Solving that issue requires some real work and a firm commitment from you, but we can discuss sleep training in a minute.

First things first, here are a few things to consider when you’re trying to determine this oh-so-prevalent parental riddle.

• IS BABY UNDER SIX MONTHS OLD?
Up until about the six-month mark, babies typically require at least one nighttime feeding. Their tummies are small, they haven’t started solid food yet, and formula and breast milk digest fairly quickly, so there’s a good chance they’re going to get a case of the munchies during the night.
​
This isn’t the case for all babies, obviously. Some infants sleep through the night without a feed from a very early age and then pig out during the day, but generally speaking, you can expect to be summoned for a
nighttime feeding up until babies hit about six months.
​

​• DOES BABY FALL ASLEEP INDEPENDENTLY?
Here lies the linchpin. The cornerstone of the whole equation is right here. Can your baby fall asleep on their own?
If you can put your baby down in her crib while she’s still awake, leave the room, and have baby fall asleep without any help from you, without a pacifier, or any other kind of outside assistance. In that case, those nighttime cries are far more likely to mean that she genuinely needs a hand with something when she wakes up crying at night.

Determining whether your baby’s hungry at night is obviously a complicated situation. Calories are vital, but so is sleep, so we typically end up paralyzed trying to balance the importance of the two. This tightrope is immeasurably easier to walk once you’ve taught your baby the skills they need to fall asleep on their own.

Once the habit of feeding to sleep is broken, you can feel much more confident that their requests for a nighttime feed are out of necessity, not just a way to grab a few extra minutes with mom.

And, as always, if you’re looking for some help teaching your little one those essential sleep skills, I’ve got you covered.

- Erin Neri, BA. Psychology, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Infant Mental Health, Integrated Feeding Specialist
​

​So, again, I’m not trying to make anyone paranoid by writing this. Still, out of all the conversations I’ve had with parents, I would have to say that mouth-breathing ranks somewhere below “abducted by aliens” on the list of parental concerns, so I wanted to call some attention to it.

Facial deformities and TMJ disorder aren’t really my area of expertise, but when it comes to sleep, I know my stuff, so allow me to expand a little on why snoring can ruin an otherwise wonderful, rejuvenating night.

As you probably already know, we all sleep in cycles. We transition from a very light sleep into deeper sleep, then deeper still, and finally into the dreaming stage, commonly known as REM sleep. During that first stage of light sleep, as well as in the REM stage, we’re very easily woken up. The cat jumped on the bed, your partner rolling over, or involuntary muscle twitches can startle us out of our glorious snoozing session, and then we’re back to the starting line, trying to get back to sleep.

In adults, these cycles last around 90 - 110 minutes, but in babies, they’re closer to 45, so the opportunity for them to wake up occurs more frequently throughout the night. (Which, I’m sure, isn’t news to anyone reading this. Every parent knows all too well how often babies tend to wake up during the night. Most delivery drivers probably know it as well, given how many mothers they’ve seen with the death- stare in their eyes after ringing the doorbell at the wrong time.)

And what causes baby to wake up in those light stages of sleep? More than anything else, noise. Barking dogs, garbage trucks, washing machines getting thrown off balance during the spin cycle, and quite often, the sound of their own snoring.

That’s not the only reason for waking up, mind you. If their airway is obstructed to the point where they temporarily stop breathing, what’s known as obstructive apnea, the body tends to startle itself out of sleep. (And I’m sure we’re all happy for that little fail-safe, even if it does lead to nighttime wake-ups.)

Now, I could rehash all the points I’ve made in my blog posts about the benefits of solid, consolidated sleep, as well as the detriments of sleep deprivation, but I’ll leave it to the National Institutes of Health and their extensive study on the subject if you need a refresher. Suffice it to say, your baby needs a lot of sleep, and it’s bad for them in a whole lot of ways if they don’t get it. Therefore, if your baby (regardless of age) is snoring, you should take immediate action.

That brings us to the question that every person who has ever slept next to a snorer has asked themselves. “How on earth do I stop this person from snoring?”

The first thing you should do is grab your phone and record your little one breathing while they sleep.

The second step is to take that recording to your pediatrician and play it for them. Just going to the doctor and telling them your baby’s snoring might not spark a lot of concern on their part, but being able to demonstrate the severity of the issue can light a little fire under their butts and prompt them to refer you to a respiratory specialist.
​
Removal of the tonsils and/or adenoids is often the next logical step if their airways are significantly blocked. Don’t panic, though. The process isn’t nearly as intense as it might sound and is performed over half a million times a year in the US alone.

If your little one’s snoring isn’t severe enough to warrant surgery, however, you might benefit from some nasal strips, which you’ve probably seen advertised. They’re just thin strips of metal in a cotton sheath with adhesive on the back that sticks to the outside of the nose, gently pulling open the nasal passageways. It’s not the most elegant solution, but it does solve the problem temporarily.

​Just a final note to add here. If your baby is sick or congested, don’t jump to the conclusion that their snoring is permanent. A slight nasal congestion due to illness can cause baby to snore, but it should clear up when they recover. Try using a nasal bulb to suck the ickiness out of their nose and then a saline solution to clear up the passageways.

I know that, as mothers, we’ve got plenty to worry about without throwing unnecessary concerns into the mix. Still, if your baby’s snoring, it can have some serious consequences, and you should take it seriously. It’s preventable, and a better night’s sleep is waiting on the other side of the solution for your baby as well as the rest of your family.

- Erin Neri, B.A. Psychology, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Infant Mental Health, Integrated Feeding Specialist

​Have you ever woken up to the sound of a crying baby and thought to yourself, “That’s it. This week, I’m taking some action. This week, we’re going to start teaching that baby some sleep skills.”


Then, sometime in the early morning, when your third cup of coffee starts to kick in, you find yourself second-guessing the idea. Maybe you feel like things aren’t that bad yet, or you get into the “I knew what I was getting into when I decided to have a baby” mindset, or maybe someone told you that this wasn’t really the right time since your baby was just about to go through a big developmental milestone, and makes a reference to The Wonder Weeks.


For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, The Wonder Weeks is something of a Farmer’s Almanac for babies. The husband-and-wife team of Frans Plloji, a behavioural scientist, and Hetty van de Rijt, an educational psychologist, developed it. 


The concept goes something like this: Starting at five weeks old and continuing through the 20-month mark, babies go through 10 mental development stages or “leaps” as the authors refer to them. According to the book, these leaps take place at very specific points in a baby’s life, starting at five weeks and continuing through the 20-month mark. 
​
“Sunny weeks,” during which baby is typically happy and agreeable, are followed by “stormy weeks,” during which baby is fussy and inconsolable due to neurological development, and then comes the “wonder week,” where the new skill or development is mastered, and baby goes back to being “sunny” again.


Many, and I mean many parents, absolutely swear by this book and its popular companion app. (The original book has sold over 2 million copies across 25 languages.) Some people even claim that it tracks their little one’s development to the day as opposed to the week. 


Others will tell you that the science it’s built on is flawed and that what the authors are doing is essentially a form of pediatric astrology, making vague predictions based on norms and averages and reassuring its followers that good things are perpetually just over the horizon.


There are a couple of things to consider for your data-driven types out there. The 1992 study that The Wonder Weeks is founded on used a sample size of just 15 participants and relied almost exclusively on questionnaires filled in by the mothers as opposed to direct observation from the researchers. Dr. Plooij’s counterargument for the small sample size, stating that if you find behaviour in two individuals, “then you already have proof that the phenomenon exists and is not due to luck or chance,” doesn’t do much to shore up his credibility.


In the mid-1990s, Dr. Plooij’s Ph.D. student, Dr. Carolina de Weerth, attempted to replicate the findings from the original study with an even smaller sample size of four babies and failed to reach the same conclusions. Dr. de Weerth claims Plooij pressured her to find correlations supporting his original research. When she refused, he attempted to prevent the publication of her findings. (A claim that Plooij denies.) Plooij’s contract with the University of Groningen wasn’t renewed following the incident, and he subsequently left academia altogether.


Suffice it to say, there’s still controversy and debate over its legitimacy. But hey, that’s nothing new when it comes to the world of parenting. Is anything ever written in stone when it comes to babies?


If parents take comfort in being able to predict when their baby will be cranky, I think that’s just fine. If it helps them through a prolonged period of crying to think, “This is just her developing as she’s supposed to,” then high fives all around. Parents need all the support they can get, and I say take your mental health boosts where you can find them. 


The potential downside I see is that parents might put too much stock in the accuracy of the book or the app and develop some unnecessary concerns if things don’t go according to schedule. If there’s one thing parents don’t need, it’s unrealistic expectations based on inaccurate research, telling them that their little one has failed to hit a developmental milestone on time.


And that brings us to the reason why I wanted to speak on the whole Wonder Weeks subject today in the first place. 
At what point in a baby’s development should you start putting a priority on their sleep?


Should we wait until after some of these milestones have been cleared? 
If so, which ones? What can happen if we get started too early or too late?


So, let me state this unequivocally. Outside of a diagnosable health issue, there is absolutely no “wrong time” to teach your baby to sleep well.
Right before a “sunny week,” right at the tail end of a “stormy week,” or smack dab in the middle of a “wonder week” are all perfect times to get the ball rolling. There are no developmental milestones, specific weeks, or times in a baby’s life that could be considered the wrong time to get them to sleep well.


I’m confident you’ll never find a pediatrician who contradicts me on that statement. It’s not controversial among the scientific community or medical professionals. We’re all in agreement that adequate sleep is essential to the health and well-being of everyone in the family unit and that teaching your baby some independent sleep skills is safe and effective, whether it’s week fifteen or week fifty-five. 


There are situations where I’ll tell parents to hold off for a few nights, say if they’re going on holiday within a week or so. I tend to recommend that they get started on a night when they don’t have to work early the next day, as night one can be a little on the turbulent side. Still, you should never delay your plans to help your baby develop their sleep skills due to some upcoming milestones. Those will keep coming, week after week, and your baby will have a happier time progressing through them if they get the sleep they need.
​

As a pediatric sleep consultant and a mom of two boys who were both severely tongue-tied and lip-tied, I can say this with absolute certainty: tongue and lip ties are not something to be ignored.

These often-overlooked conditions can wreak havoc on a baby’s ability to feed, settle, and sleep well—and the long-term consequences of undiagnosed or untreated ties can extend far beyond infancy, into childhood, adolescence, and even adulthood.

What Are Tongue and Lip-Ties?
A tongue tie occurs when the thin band of tissue that connects the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is too tight, too short, or improperly positioned—restricting the tongue’s range of motion. A lip tie is similar but affects the upper lip, making it difficult to flange or move naturally.

While they might seem like minor anatomical quirks, they can have major impacts on everything from feeding and digestion to sleep and speech development.


How Tongue & Lip Ties Affect Babies
When a baby has restricted oral function due to a tongue or lip tie, it can:

• Make breastfeeding or bottle-feeding difficult, inefficient, or even painful for both baby and parent
• Cause the baby to gulp air or struggle with latch and suction, leading to gas, bloating, reflux, or symptoms often mistaken as “colic”
• Lead to frequent night waking, short naps, and overall poor sleep because the baby is uncomfortable or never truly full
• Result in poor weight gain or failure to thrive in more severe cases
• Cause clicking sounds, dribbling milk, or milk leaking from the corners of the mouth during feeds

I've worked with over 50 families where babies showed classic symptoms of reflux, colic, and sleep disturbances—only to find out, often after multiple missed diagnoses, that the root cause was a tongue and/or lip-tie. Once revised, their demeanour, feeding efficiency, and sleep improved dramatically. I was able to recognize the symptoms as more than just a lack of independent sleep skills and recommend an appropriate specialist to have baby assessed for oral ties. I am proud to say that I have been right every time. 


Misdiagnosis Is Shockingly Common
This is where my personal story hits home.

Four different specialists for each of my sons missed their ties. One child had his ties revised at 13 months (after over a year of struggle), while the other was revised at 9 weeks. And although our experiences were very different due to the class of the ties and the timing of treatment, what was consistent was the dramatic improvement that followed. We had different breastfeeding difficulties, different temperament challenges, other feeding difficulties, and one of my sons was even put on reflux meds he did not need. It was a challenge getting a proper diagnosis, even though I had healthcare nurses, lactation consultants and pediatricians at the hospital and weeks after birth advising on both of their care. 

So many well-meaning pediatricians, lactation consultants, and even ENTs may not be trained to properly assess tethered oral tissues. And this is why I always advocate for families to see the right specialist—often a pediatric dentist or ENT trained in diagnosing and treating ties with laser revision. 


Long-Term Consequences of Untreated Ties
If a tongue or lip tie is left untreated, the effects don't simply “go away” with time. Instead, they can evolve into more complex challenges:

• Speech delays or articulation issues
• Feeding difficulties as they begin solids
• Sleep-disordered breathing or even pediatric sleep apnea
• Picky eating or gagging/choking on certain textures
• Mouth breathing or poor oral posture
• Orthodontic issues, including narrow palate or misaligned teeth
• Persistent digestive issues due to inefficient chewing or swallowing

And in adulthood, these issues can persist as TMJ dysfunction, tension headaches, neck pain, and even sleep apnea.

What You Can Do If You Suspect a Tie
Trust your instincts. If feeding has never felt easy, if your baby is gassy, refluxy, unsettled, or waking every hour overnight—don’t accept “this is just colic” or “they’ll grow out of it” as the final word.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Document the symptoms you’re seeing (feeding behaviour, weight gain, sleep struggles, etc.)
2. Get an evaluation by a provider with specialized training in oral restrictions (preferably a pediatric dentist who uses laser treatment and works alongside bodywork professionals)
3. Consider a team-based approach that includes lactation support, craniosacral therapy or chiropractic care, and follow-up after revision.

Sleep and Feeding Go Hand-in-Hand
When a baby can’t feed efficiently, they don’t sleep well. When they don’t sleep well, their bodies can’t digest properly, grow efficiently, or regulate emotions. Everything is connected.

If you're in the thick of sleepless nights, reflux struggles, or endless crying—and nothing seems to help--it may be time to look deeper. In many cases, tongue and lip ties are the missing piece of the puzzle.

Having my sons lip-ties and tongue-ties revised via laser revision was the best decision that I could have made for each of them. It changed their little life for the better almost instantly. It saved my breastfeeding relationship with my second son and he was finally able to get the calories that he needed to thrive at 9 weeks old. My first son was unable to eat anything outside of puree at 13 months old and his speech was already behind. On the way home from the revision he "talked" me ear off, using his tongue in so many new and exciting ways he never could before! He also had a huge growth spirt and gained weight he had been missing because breastfeeding and puree does not provide enough calories for a 13 month old. 

I've also helped dozens of families navigate this, and I’m here to help you too.

Need Support?
If you suspect your baby may have a tongue or lip tie—or you're dealing with constant sleep challenges—I offer sleep coaching that looks at the whole picture. Let's connect and find the root cause of what's keeping your little one from getting the restful sleep they deserve.

​Book a free sleep evaluation call with me here.

Do you yell at your kids? 

Because, hey, full disclosure, I yell at my kids. I lose my patience sometimes. My kids can push me to the point where I snap. 
I’m never proud of it because I know I’m a better parent when I keep my cool. Yelling can be effective, no doubt, but it always leaves me feeling like I dropped the ball. It’s the polar opposite of that wonderful feeling I get when I manage to resolve a situation through a calm, rational analysis of the problem, followed by a few suggestions on how to solve it. My child quickly settles down and starts considering the potential solutions I’ve offered, and before you know it, the situation is entirely under control. 


Aren’t those moments just the best? Isn’t that just the hole-in-one of parenting?  ​

​There’s a lot to be said for keeping calm around our children, and it goes well beyond making us feel like we’re good parents.

A 2014 study in Psychological Science, conducted jointly between researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, and New York University, separated mothers and their infants for a brief period of time, then exposed the mothers to some mild negative stressors. Upon being reunited with their babies, the infants embodied the same negative stress their mothers had experienced. It’s not known exactly how those emotions were transferred, but even without being exposed to the stressor itself, the infants sensed that their mother was stressed and emulated those emotions.

Another study from the University of California, Riverside, showed that parents who remained calm while helping their kids undertake a frustrating laboratory challenge helped their kids stay calm and focused.

So what does that mean in layperson’s terms? It means that whether you’re stressed or calm, you’re probably passing those feelings onto your little one. Your emotions are, quite literally, contagious. 

​Now, stress is a part of a parent’s life. There’s no avoiding it. Unless we’re blessed with some kind of superpower, we’re going to go off on our kids once in a while. I’m not suggesting you should beat yourself up in those moments, only that we should strive to minimize them. We should always be aspiring towards those hole-in-one moments.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re either in the midst of teaching your little one to sleep through the night or you’re thinking about getting started. If that’s the case, it’s a good bet you’re already sleep-deprived yourself. When we’re not getting enough sleep, we’re short-tempered, easily agitated, and more likely to raise our voices and give in to feelings of frustration. In short, we’re likely to be a little bit stressed out, and as we’ve seen, that stress permeates our kids, which stresses them out, which cranks up cortisol production, and there you have it. We’ve barely gotten started, and we’re already throwing up obstacles.

I’m not saying it’s easy, but before you even start the process of teaching your baby to fall asleep independently, I recommend you get yourself into a headspace where you commit to yourself that, no matter how tough things get, you’re going to try your absolute hardest to stay calm, cool and collected. Practice deep breathing exercises, meditate, do a little yoga, and do anything else you can think of to put you in a calm, tolerant, accepting state of mind. During sleep training it is so important to remain calm, cool, collected, a boring lump of confident zen with a little business sprinkled in.

​If you’re working with a partner, I suggest you do all of this together and discuss ahead of time who’s taking what shift so there’s no arguing during the night. And remember, if things go as expected, most babies start showing huge improvement by around night three, so relief is just on the other side of that hill.

And when the dust settles, and your little one is sleeping through the night, and you managed to get through the process without giving in to feelings of frustration and guilt, you’re not just going to feel like you hit a hole-in-one. You’re going to feel like you just won the World Parenting Championship. You’ll feel like the undisputed heavyweight champion of motherhood. 

Sleep-filled nights are right around the corner, mama! So be patient, be calm, cool and collected and it’ll all be behind you soon. 
​

It’s happened.  Your child has discovered that sucking her thumb is even better than her favourite stuffed cat and Winnie the Pooh blanket when it comes to comfort. She sucks her thumb while falling asleep while watching TV, when she’s scared, when she’s upset.  And maybe it hasn’t been an issue until now, as she was only using it for a few minutes to soothe herself, but now you think it’s time to try to cut this habit out.


While it’s perfectly reasonable to want your child to stop, it might be helpful to know that some of the perceived dangers of thumb-sucking might not be based on fact. Here are some common misconceptions:


The myths about thumb-sucking

1. My kid will still be sucking his thumb when he’s 12!
Not likely. Statistics show that less than 9% of children who suck their thumbs continue over the age of 5, with the vast majority breaking the habit between the ages of 2 and 4. And of those kids still sucking their thumbs at 5, most will stop as they start to identify with their peer groups and don’t want to be the only one in kindergarten with their thumb in their mouth at storytime.


2. It will ruin her teeth.
This can be true, but only after the kids get their permanent teeth, which will start to happen between 6 and 8. In older kids, prolonged thumb sucking can begin to change the shape of the oral cavity. But luckily, the vast majority of kids will have stopped on their own by then, anyway.


My own little guy was an avid finger sucker when he was a baby. I mean, he had those two fingers in his mouth ALL the time, day and night. He was extremely late to the game as far as getting his first teeth goes. So when he got his first 2 top teeth around one year old, it created an owie on his fingers, and he stopped sucking his fingers cold turkey.



3. He’s using it as a crutch.
While it’s true that young children who discover their thumbs do use it for comfort, this doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be able to learn coping mechanisms for dealing with stress or self-soothing later in life.


4. A pacifier is a better choice.
Many parents tell me they would rather their child use a soother because at least they can take it away. But in my experience, lots of parents say this and then don’t take it away! If the soother is their child’s sleep prop, and they use it for comfort, then it becomes just as challenging to take away from the child.


Many parents let soother-use linger on way longer than planned. A Colleague had a client who confessed that she still let her 5-year-old sleep with his soother because of this very reason.


My second little one had a soother stuck in his face literally from the day he was born. I was unaware that newborns were even capable of keeping a soother in their mouths for longer than 30 seconds; I know my first son could not keep it in. But his little brother was a champion soother sucker, and you’d think this would mean that he was a champion sleeper! But ya, NO!! He is the reason that I became a sleep consultant!


I needed to help him learn his sleep strategies, and he was waking every hour and a half all day and all night to be near me. So, because I didn’t actually know any better, I did my sleep training while letting him keep his soother. He only ever used it in his crib. But like I said, it absolutely never fell out; he never woke up for the soother to be replaced, so it ended up not being an issue once he was sleeping his consolidated 13-14.5 hours at night.


Then he turned three years old, and the dentist said: “It’s time to get rid of the soother; his palette is getting higher, and his teeth are crowding.” So it was time for the ‘Soother Fairy’ to come and scoop up his two soothers to bring them to a new baby who needs them more”. It was a couple of tough nights with a new stuffy from the ‘Soother Fairy,’ and he went back to sleeping like a champ!


So, with these common fears out of the way, there really is no right or wrong, only a personal preference of the parents. Just like some mothers use bottles and others breastfeed, or some parents use time-outs and others don’t, there are many different ways of doing things. If you’ve decided that thumb-sucking needs to go, here are some ways to help your child give it up for good. These tips are designed for kids three years and up.
 
The key to solving thumb sucking is getting to the heart of why your child sucks her thumb. Every child is different; some might only use their thumb when trying to sleep, others only when upset, and others at every opportunity! In each case, it has become a habit; as we all know, habits are hard to break.  One really useful tool is the reward system. Offering a benefit to NOT sucking their thumbs is sometimes all the encouragement kids need.


But first, it’s essential to determine why and when your child turns to her thumb.
 
Step 1. For the first week, keep a pen and paper handy and write down every single time you see your child’s thumb in her mouth. At the end of the week, go through your list and see if there are any consistencies. Does she always suck her thumb around 4 p.m. while watching her favourite show? Does he suck his thumb around the other toddlers at the playgroup because he’s nervous or shy?
 
Step 2.  Identify what the payoff is for your child. For example, if you
notice that she sticks her thumb in every time she hurts herself, then a
conclusion would be that her thumb helps her deal with pain. If you notice that the thumb goes in whenever she’s watching TV, then the thumb is being used when she’s idle.
 
Step 3. Remind and distract: Now that you know what she’s using it for, you can offer her something in exchange for the thumb. For example, if she’s about to watch her favourite show. Offer her a bowl of grapes to eat while the show is on. If he sucks his thumb when he gets hurt and he just tripped on the stairs, you can rush over and offer him a long hug followed by a quick distraction like a game or a favourite toy.
 
Step 4. A reward chart for a day completed with no sucking can be helpful. You can offer your child a treat or small toy at the end of the day if she’s successful. I also find that the more immediate the reward, the better the outcome. If your child is old enough, suggest that she tell you whenever she feels like sucking her thumb and doesn’t so that you can offer up a reward. It doesn’t have to be a big treat, just one M&M or gummy bear for each time she resists the urge.


Nighttime thumb-suckers: Bedtime tends to be a very popular time for thumb-sucking, so you will need to find another alternative that can be just as comforting. Tying a ribbon around the thumb or a light pair of gloves can work as a reminder, so when your child brings his thumb to his mouth, he gets an instant reminder about what the goals are. You can also buy your child a new sleep toy that has a texture that he can rub his thumb against instead of sucking it. 

Remember that bad habits are hard to break, so take time and encouragement. I don’t find punishment or nagging works well when discouraging a habit. Children are notorious for power struggles; you don’t want to turn it into a battle of wills.


If the child is old enough, you can sit him down and tell him about a habit you tried hard to break (drinking coffee or nail-biting, for instance) and make it clear why you’d like him to stop this behaviour. If you can think of a way to make it about him rather than you, you’ll have better success. So, for example, if you’re worried about his teeth, you could say how great it would be if he had the best smile at soccer pictures next week. This will help internalize the process.


Once your child sees that there are other things she can do to self-soothe and has been reminded enough times to take her thumb out of her mouth, she’ll stop sucking her thumb before you know it!

​By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the stories surrounding essential oils and aromatherapy. Suppose you’re living on this planet and have access to the internet. In that case, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the headlines about peppermint oil being a miracle cure for nausea or oregano oil’s powerful antifungal properties. Many of us have at least one friend from high school who tried their hand selling doTERRA oils, and it’s easy to see why. The global essential oil market was expected to reach almost $12 billion USD by 2022. (That’s not a typo, folks. Twelve billion. With a “B.”)
​
Essential oils are big business, and people who like them like them a lot. 


What are essential oils used for? 
It would be a much more efficient approach to list the afflictions that essential oils aren’t said to remedy. If you ask the Essential Oil advocates, almost every affliction in the book seems to have an essential oil solution.


Doctors and researchers might be more likely to refer you to the success stories of tea tree oil for acne prevention or citrus oil’s ability to prevent bacterial growth since those are more scientifically established. But just for the sake of brevity, I can tell you that Essential Oils, as well as some of their individual components, possess antimicrobial, antiviral, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties as well as purported psychogenic effects such as relieving stress, treating depression, and aiding with insomnia.

Do essential oils work? 
It’s hard to say. Most studies involving essential oils haven’t been extended to clinical trials yet. People who use them will swear up and down that they’re effective. However, peer-reviewed scientific studies are still on the fence, largely because it’s challenging to study the effectiveness of many essential oils because they don’t contain one specific component. In an individual oil, up to 400 substances can be identified.


Are essential oils safe for babies? 
Sorry to keep being so ambiguous. That really depends on how the essential oils are used. So far, it appears that there are very few adverse side effects from essential oils when they’re used as directed. However, it’s important to note that, in the US, they do not require approval from the FDA.

​One notable exception is the estrogen-like effects noted for lavender and tea tree oils, which have been linked to breast enlargement in prepubescent boys when applied over long periods of time. 


Will lavender oil help my baby sleep?
I mean, maybe? Much like any other aromatherapy remedy, it might help a little, it might help a lot, or it might have no effect whatsoever. It depends on the baby.
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​What HAS been proven to help your baby sleep more soundly through the night is the development of their independent sleep skills. Babies who can get themselves back to sleep when they wake up at night sleep for longer stretches at a time and have lower proportions of active sleep and higher proportions of quiet sleep.

So, by all means, if you’re comfortable with using essential oils safely and you find them effective, then go to town. But suppose your baby needs a thorough, comprehensive approach to help address the root causes of their sleep issues. In that case, I’m ready to help with a step-by-step approach and all the support you need while they master those independent sleep skills. 
Better nights are right around the corner!
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When we think about healthy sleep for children, we often focus on bedtime routines, sleep environments, and consistent schedules. However, one critical factor frequently overlooked is the role of nutrition—specifically, iron levels. Emerging research highlights a fascinating and important connection between iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and sleep disruptions in infants and young children.


What is Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA)?
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common single nutrient deficiency worldwide, affecting an estimated 20–25% of infants. This occurs during a crucial time of brain growth and development when the body’s demand for iron is exceptionally high. Infants with IDA not only face physical health challenges but also experience disruptions in sleep patterns, which can have long-lasting effects on their cognitive and behavioural development.


How Does Iron Impact Sleep?
Research conducted by the University of Chile and the University of Michigan sheds light on the complex relationship between iron and sleep. Key findings include:

• Sleep Spindles: Infants with IDA have been shown to have altered sleep spindle activity. Sleep spindles, which are brainwave patterns seen during non-REM sleep, are vital for memory consolidation and motor activity regulation. In IDA infants, spindles are fewer and less frequent, indicating potential disruptions in brain development and sleep quality.
• Sleep/Wake Patterns: IDA infants tend to nap longer during the day, have more restless sleep at night, and spend less time in deep sleep (quiet sleep or NREM). Despite iron therapy correcting anemia, some differences in sleep patterns persist into childhood.
• Motor Activity: Actigraphy studies revealed that IDA infants display higher motor activity during sleep, increased nighttime waking, and reduced quiet sleep. These fragmented sleep patterns may hinder cognitive and emotional development.

Long-Term Effects of Iron Deficiency on Sleep
Even after iron levels are corrected, former IDA children may continue to exhibit altered sleep organization:

• REM Sleep Differences: At age four, children who had IDA in infancy show differences in the timing and duration of REM sleep episodes. REM episodes in the early part of the night are longer. In contrast, those in the later part are shorter, disrupting the natural progression of sleep cycles.
• First Sleep Cycle: These children often have shorter deep sleep (SWS) and NREM2 stages in their first sleep cycle, along with a shorter latency to REM sleep, which may indicate long-term impacts on how their brains regulate sleep.

Why This Matters
The connection between iron deficiency and sleep highlights how nutrition can influence physical health, the quality of sleep, and brain development. Poor sleep in early childhood has been linked to issues such as:

• Irritability and mood swings
• Short attention spans
• Hyperactivity
• Learning and memory challenges

Addressing iron deficiency early can help set the stage for better sleep and healthier development.


How to Support Healthy Iron Levels
To ensure your child is getting enough iron to support both their physical health and sleep:

1. Focus on Iron-Rich Foods: Include lean meats, spinach, lentils, beans, and fortified cereals in their diet. Pair these with vitamin C-rich foods like oranges or tomatoes to boost absorption.
2. Monitor Symptoms: Look for signs of iron deficiency such as fatigue, pale skin, or irritability, and consult your pediatrician if you have concerns.
3. Consider Supplements if Needed: In cases of diagnosed IDA, your doctor may recommend iron supplements. Always follow professional guidance to avoid potential side effects of excessive iron intake.

The Bottom Line
Iron plays a critical role in your child’s growth, development, and even their ability to get a good night’s sleep. If your little one is experiencing sleep disturbances, it’s worth considering whether iron levels might be a contributing factor. By addressing this essential nutrient, you can help your child build a foundation for better sleep and a healthier, happier future.
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When I partner with a family, this link between iron and sleep is something that I am actively looking out for in their child. There have been several times that I have been able to pinpoint low iron as a reason for continued sleep disturbances in infants and children. Sometimes, the last step in the sleep plan is having the child assessed by their Pediatrician and then put on iron supplements when it’s warranted. These supplements make a huge difference for these children, and along with their newfound independent sleep skills, they are now getting the sleep that they need to be happy and healthy.

Reference
Peirano, P. D., Algarín, C. R., Chamorro, R. A., Reyes, S. C., Durán, S. A., Garrido, M. I., & Lozoff, B. (2010). Sleep alterations and iron deficiency anemia in infancy. Sleep Medicine, 11(7), 622–629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2010.03.014