Enter any keyword(s) to search our Blogs.
Parenting Advice for Toddlers
No one in this family was getting enough sleep! Nanit and Divya had a 6.5 year old and and 1 year old who was waking up every couple of hours. They had struggled with their older child for years and had to hold him to sleep. With the younger child, they decided they needed to get help earlier and not just "wait this out". Many parents have this belief, child will “grow out of bad sleep habits”, but unfortunately, sleep skills are learned and it is never too late to teach sleep skills. I work with families from 6 months to 10 years of age.
Parenting advice for toddlers
This couple reached out to friends and family for help and thanks to a referral from a friend, this family found me at Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching to help walk them through the process. Now their son has a routine and sleeps 7pm-6am!--11 hrs consolidated, restorative, independent sleep! Yes, this can be your life too!! This family has experienced a Total Family Sleep transformation!
Namit wants everyone to know:
"Joanna guided us through our whole process and definitely "held-our-hands" through the process. Now, our son is sleeping beautifully. He has a wonderful routine. Working with Joanna was a GOD SEND send and we are so happy and thankful to you. I have referred her to so many of my friends. I know how it is to go through sleepless nights and working with Joanna was so helpful. Please continue to do your awesome work, Thanks again."
Are you struggling with your child's sleep?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Impact of 1 Choice
Who doesn't love looking back on decisions you made that turned out to be SO good (even if you were skeptical at first)?!
It's amazing the impact 1 choice can have on your life.
That one choice for Brent & Megan was choosing to work with Joanna on Guilt-Free, Gentle Sleep coaching! Thinking back to when their 1 year old daughter was still waking up multiple times a night. What their life was like before sleep coaching was full of pain and effort getting their child to sleep and left little time for themselves.
It's so common for parents to be hesitant to sleep coach their child.
How is someone who doesn't know their child going to help them sleep better via zoom?
I know it sounds crazy, but with 13 years experience, helping thousands of families all over the country, I can create a customized sleep plan and guide you through it “day-by-day and step-by-step”.
What do you have to loose when 1:1 sleep coaching packages come backed by my Sleep Success Guarantee?
Trust me… guilt-free, gentle sleep coaching works!
This family experienced a TOTAL FAMILY SLEEP TRANSFORMATION and although they "only" wanted their child to sleep through the night they got so much more. Sleep coaching is on the agenda for baby #2 when he gets old enough!
Don't just take my word for it, Watch the Sleep Success Story below to hear Brent & Megan's story!
Child was 11 months old at time of guilt-free and gentle sleep coaching
Is your child not sleeping? Wondering what you are doing wrong? Is any help out there?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
What To Do When Your Baby Is Gassy!
When babies are crying we go through the mental checklist - are they hungry? tired? need a new diaper? gassy? Teething?
Baby screaming in pain from gas
Gas can be a natural by-product of digestion, no matter what you do, it can be something your baby struggles with because of the immature digestive system.
It can be hard to distinguish gassiness from over-tiredness, if your baby is suffering from gassiness.
I realize how challenging it is to tend to a baby that is clearly uncomfortable. In the video below I address the causes of bouts of gas and what you can do to help your baby.
What is gassiness
What causes gas
How to help baby gas at night
How to help baby relieve gas
How to determine gassiness from over-tiredness
How to reduce gassiness in babies
If you are interested in any of the gas products, I mentioned check out my recommended gas products.
Here are my fav picks:
Are you struggling with your child's sleep?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Unveiling the Truth: Debunking Common Sleep Coaching Myths!
I’m here to clear the confusion around some common sleep coaching myths. You know, the ones that make you second-guess the effectiveness of gentle sleep methods. Today, I'm putting on “my myth-busting mindset” to address a couple of these misconceptions.
Myth #1: The "Chair Method" means silent nights with no response whatsoever.
Ah, the Chair Method confusion! I hear it all the time – the idea that you sit there like a statue, offering no comfort or connection. Well, let me set the record straight. For over 25 years, The Sleep Lady Shuffle, has been a beacon of gentle, responsive sleep coaching. Yes, you sit in that chair, but it's not a vow of silence. The parent coach can Shush, coo, hum, and offer the warmth of touch – it's all encouraged! This method is about gradual steps, moving the chair away over time while still offering both sound and touch as reassurance. It is very supportive because the parent does not have to “withhold” their love.
Myth #2: The Chair Method or the Shuffle is "basically crying-it-out while sitting next to your child".
No, no, no! It's not a solo act of crying-it-out while you awkwardly sit there. Picture it as a beautiful dance of support and gradual independence. We're right there, side by side, creating a comforting rhythm until your child masters the art of settling and soothing to sleep without the need of a sleep crutch. It's not a sudden leap, but a graceful transition of sleep responsibility from you to your child. One gentle step at a time. Usually it takes about 2 weeks for the nigh-time sleeping to become beautiful, blissful sleep.
Myth #3: Gentle sleep training methods don't work; only crying-it-out is proven.
Hold the phone! This one is a classic mix-up. Gentle methods, like the parental fading technique, are likely more effective than the cry-it-out approach because a parent is in the room to witness all the learning and support their child through the sleep skills learning process. Parents start with lots of help and gradually loosen up as the child learns the skills of sleep. It's all about finding the right balance between assistance and independence. In fact, I find that many families try “cry-it-out” and it only works for a short period because the child never really learned sleep skills, they simply learned how to “crash out” at bedtime, instead of settling and soothing to sleep.
Join me on a mission to debunk common misconceptions about sleep coaching and The Sleep Lady Shuffle, ensuring parents receive accurate information empowers them to make informed decisions for a restful night's sleep without compromising the vital parent-child bond. Let's spread the word together!
Click HERE to read the full article from Kim West herself
Check out my Instagram, Facebook and Linked-in because over the next couple of months, I will be debunking the myths around sleep coaching.
And if you are curious about wanting help from a Gentle Sleep Coach, you can download this handy check-list that will overview when it is time to engage some expert sleep support.
Unveiling The Truth: Debunking Myths about The Sleep Lady Shuffle and Gentle Sleep Coaching
Today I want to address some misconceptions surrounding The Sleep Lady Shuffle—a sleep coaching methodology meticulously crafted by Kim West, LCSW-C, nearly three decades ago. It's essential to set the record straight, emphasizing that The Sleep Lady Shuffle is rooted in sound sleep science and is a gentle, effective method for cultivating healthy sleep habits and maintaining a strong parent-child bond.
The Sleep Lady Shuffle, also known as The Shuffle, SLS, or The Chair Method, has been a trusted solution for families worldwide for over 25 years. As a family therapist, Kim West, designed the Sleep Lady Shuffle method based on sleep science, attachment theory, and behavioral science, prioritizing the mental, physical, and emotional health of the child with emphasis on maintaining a strong parent-child bond.
Contrary to recent interpretations, this technique is NOT about leaving your child in distress with no response. If done correctly, The Sleep Lady Shuffle, involves placing a chair next to your child's crib while simultaneously encouraging physical and verbal reassurance, such as shushing, patting, humming, and even picking up to soothe your little one.
Join me on a mission to debunk common misconceptions about sleep coaching and The Sleep Lady Shuffle, ensuring parents receive accurate information empowers them to make informed decisions for a restful night's sleep without compromising the vital parent-child bond. Let's spread the word together!
Click HERE to read the full article from Kim West herself on the true tenants and benefits of The Sleep Lady Shuffle.
Check out my Instagram, Facebook and Linked-in because over the next couple of months, I will be debunking the myths around sleep coaching.
And if you are curious about wanting help from a Gentle Sleep Coach, you can download this handy check-list that will overview when it is time to engage some expert sleep support.
Are you looking for alternatives to cry it out methods? Could you use support?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Nap Training Tips
In this video titled “Get Your Life Back... It Starts With Sleep”, we talk about what is possible to do to help a 5 month to 6 month old baby to have better night sleep and do better at Nap Training!
When is baby ready for sleep training
When we are looking at sleep training baby who is 5.5 months old, we need to first look to see if this child is showing readiness for independent sleep. You want to ask yourself 3 questions and you want a YES to all three.
Has your child gone through the 4-5 month milestone that usually accompanies a sleep regression. If you want to know more about milestones, you will definitely want to get THE WONDER WEEKS BOOK and APP that will guide you how to manage milestones so you can help you child move through them with ease and success.
Can your child roll front-to-back and back-to-front?
Have you ever seen the baby go back to sleep without any sleep crutches (rocking, patting, cosleeping) or sleep support like a bottle, paci replug etc? ?
When to start nap training baby
It is not advised to nap train your child until your child has learned independent sleep skills at bedtime and are linking arousals in the middle of the night, without any need for sleep crutches or sleep support. So, once your child is sleeping independently at night, then you can create the right circumstances and use the right timing for your child to practice these same sleep skills at nap time. Babies need to be able to regulate, settle and soothe themselves to sleep at the onset of sleep at bedtime and middle of night. Once they have nailed those sleep skills at night, it is much, much easier for them to be able to use those same settling and soothing behaviors for nap onset and arousals at naps.
Watch the hot seat coaching below to get nap training tips! This mom has a nearly 6 month old baby that she is interested in nap training and she is looking for all the tips.
Remember, you want to understand when your baby is in a milestone because you never want to night train or nap train during this time because they are already do massive cognitive and physical development. So you definitely want to get the Wonder Weeks APP as well as hard-copy Wonder Weeks book.
Important to know, if your child is in a “milestone madness” they will have horrible day and night sleep and in that case you are probably experiencing a sleep regression because of the milestone. So here is a guide to help you through some regression behavior.
In the meantime, these are some of the topics I cover in the video.
how long should a 6 month old nap
how to get 6 month old to nap
sleep training 6 month old breastfed baby
how to get baby to nap longer than 30 minutes
how to get baby to nap without being held
Are you struggling with your child's sleep?
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!
Happy New Year! I'm gifting you my # 1 International Best Selling Book
As a heartfelt thank you for your ongoing support and as a gesture of holiday cheer, I'm excited to gift you a copy of The One Thing Every Mom Needs to Know.
When I decided to team up with 25 leading experts in the fields of sleep, nutrition, mindset, and more to create the book I set a goal to reach 100,000 moms with this accurate and reliable information.
Why? Because I believe this book can change mom’s lives.
Your copy of THE ONE THING EVERY MOM NEEDS TO KNOW is available now, click below and receive this #1 International Best Seller. Download available on January 1, 2024.
And I also want you to have the audio chapter on Baby Sleep Skills available today.
This chapter is devoted to unpacking how restful sleep originates not from having a ‘good baby’ or a ‘fussy baby’…but from acquiring the skills of sleep.
Skills you can teach your child— which will last a lifetime.
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Happy New Year and may you have Blissful Sleep in 2024 and beyond!
Merry Xmas or Happy Holidays!!! I'm gifting you my # 1 International Best Selling Book
As a heartfelt thank you for your ongoing support and as a gesture of holiday cheer, I'm excited to gift you a copy of The One Thing Every Mom Needs to Know.
When I decided to team up with 25 leading experts in the fields of sleep, nutrition, mindset, and more to create the book I set a goal to reach 100,000 moms with this accurate and reliable information.
Why? Because I believe this book can change mom’s lives.
Your copy of THE ONE THING EVERY MOM NEEDS TO KNOW is available now, click below and receive this #1 International Best Seller. Download available on December 24 and 25, 2023.
And I also want you to have the audio chapter on Baby Sleep Skills available today.
This chapter is devoted to unpacking how restful sleep originates not from having a ‘good baby’ or a ‘fussy baby’…but from acquiring the skills of sleep.
Skills you can teach your child— which will last a lifetime.
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Happy Holidays and may you have Blissful Sleep in 2024 and beyond!
Harming Parents' Happiness
The Huffington Post featured a great article "The 1 Thing That Therapists Say Harms Parents' Happiness Most" .
The article covers:
The Pressure To Be Perfect
Rigid Expectations Of Your Child
A Feeling Of Shame
Social Media
As someone who works with parents daily, I had to share this article with you because I see these themes showing up with the families I work with.
The following article resonated with me because it is the exact situation many families are in when they try Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sleep coaching. Many families do something I call “sleep-train on the edges”. Imperfect DIY sleep training looks like googling some sleep suggestions, reading bits and pieces of books, and half-watching the videos on youtube. All these resources give you confusing and contradictory advice. Consequently, there is systematic incremental approach to learning sleep skills, but instead just confusing attempts fueled by the thought… “I hope this works” or “why dont we try this instead”. This scattered approach only leads to more tears and more protest for both child and parent. Sleep does not improve and the parent feels like a failure or that their child is doomed ot be a bad sleeper. This leads to much unhappiness…as the article perfectly states:
"Instead of feeling happy, we often feel defeated, or like we have failed. Repeated attempts to do something and then having it not work out can lead to a sense of “learned helplessness,” Bren explained, in which “we stop believing it’s possible and we give up."
When all we see on social media is “picture perfect” moments, it's hard to not feel alone like you feel you are the only one struggling.
It's hard not to experience overwhelm and relentless self-judgment when you have tried DIY sleep coaching and your child is STILL not sleeping.
I want all sleep deprived families who have tried and failed at DIY Sleep Training to know that hope and help is available to solve ALL your sleep struggles.
It is NEVER too late to teach your child the skills of sleep (I work with kids 6 months to 10 years of age).
Here is why you don’t have to feel helpless. The mastery of healthy sleep habits is a vitally important life skill. As parents, we coach our children on fundamental skills such as walking and reading, and so it is natural to safely and gently coach your child on learning the "skills of sleep”, which are self-settling and self-soothing to sleep without the need of sleep crutches.
Unfortunately, good sleep isn’t a milestone that most children reach by themselves. In order for parents to enjoy the benefits of calm bedtimes, peaceful nights and reliable naps, parents must purposely decide how and when to "teach the skills sleep."
I know you want to help your child learn these vitally important life skills for their proper health and development. You’re here because you’re searching for answers, support, and a solution that gets you—and your family—better sleep, and more of it. You’ve read the books, you’ve done your research, and sought information from family, friends, and your child’s pediatrician. All that information can be conflicting and confusing, especially when you’re exhausted.
There is absolutely no need to live life in a confused and sleep-deprived haze when there is hope and help available. It’s perfectly OK to ask for HELP in teaching your child these vitally important life skills.
I am always so honored when a family trusts me to solve their child's sleep struggles especially after many failed attempts. A Total Family Sleep Transformation leads to well-rested family and especially your happiness.
If you want to hear from families that have tried and failed and reached out for expert sleep support and tell their sleep success story.
Are you done doing DIY Sleep Coaching? It’s time to talk to Joanna.
The first step to see if I can help you achieve beautiful, blissful sleep is to schedule a 60 minute ZOOM sleep strategy session. Go to this link and complete the contact me form and I will be in touch within 24 hours with directions on how to schedule your Sleep Strategy Session.
If you are still wondering if I can help, please know I do NOT advocate 'cry-it-out'. I am a Gentle Sleep Coach. If you want to learn about my guilt-free and gentle process, please go to these links.
The Blissful Baby Stairway to Sleep
Please join my Sleep is Bliss Tribe in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn so we can stay connected and you can continue to get amazing resources on sleep and family wellness.
Sleep is Bliss, Let's Get you more!