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Craig Canapari MD

Pediatric sleep Expert

I'm a pediatric sleep doctor, author, and in my day job I run the Yale Pediatric Sleep Center. I've been writing about pediatric sleep issues for tired parents since 2012. Join my newsletter to get the best information about sleep problems (and solutions) in children.

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Featured Post

Our first "Ask Us Anything" episode tackling YOUR sleep questions

Arielle and I were especially excited to record this episode where we tried to cover all of your most pressing questions about the sleep of your little ones. There were a lot of interesting questions from you-- my readers. We covered: Pacifiers Room sharing Jet lag Autism Melatonin Napping And a lot more. . . Whether you sent us a question or not, I think there's something for everyone in this episode. If you have future questions, we have a special mailbox here you can send your questions...

25 days ago • 1 min read

Hey there, As a parent, I know firsthand how challenging it can be when your child struggles with sleep. That's why Arielle and I are excited to share our latest podcast episode, where we dive deep into the topic of anxiety and sleep issues in children. In this episode, we're joined by pediatric psychologist Dr. Danielle Garay, who offers invaluable insights on nighttime fears, tantrums, and separation anxiety. We discuss the role of psychology in treating pediatric sleep difficulties and...

about 1 month ago • 1 min read

Daylight savings time begins on Sunday, March 10th. This was a bummer before I had kids, as it meant losing an hour of sleep. I would feel pretty cruddy for about a week afterwards. Then, my kids were early risers, so I liked it. Why? The beginning of DST shifts their apparent wake time a bit earlier. So a kid who was waking up at 5:30 AM was getting up at 6:30 AM literally overnight. (A "later" bedtime was the cost of this but I'm not a morning lark, so it was a fair trade-off). However, I...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Hey there, Navigating the tangled web of pediatric sleep advice can feel like an endless quest, especially when you're up against a barrage of myths and misinformation. That's precisely why Arielle and I decided to tackle some of the most pervasive sleep myths head-on in our latest episode of "The Sleep Edit," aptly titled "Sleep Myths." We dive deep into the misconceptions that might be sabotaging your child's sleep, from the misunderstood concept of wake windows to the contentious debate on...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Dear parents, This morning we released a new podcast episode digging into the complex topic of cry it out and sleep training controversies with my cohost, pediatric sleep consultant Arielle Greenleaf. As both a pediatrician and parent myself, I understand this is an emotional issue impacting families. I think you’ll find the conversation very balanced and informative as Arielle and I unpacked the research around cry it out methods together. We also discuss the importance of tailoring your...

2 months ago • 1 min read
Snowy day with incandescent bulb on

I recently recorded a new episode of The Sleep Edit where Arielle and I interviewed Dr. Danielle Garay (which will come out in a month or so. In preparation, I reread Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli Lebowitz. It’s a terrific book if you have a child who struggles with these issues. It’s also a wonderful parenting book in general, because it gets into the concept of parental accommodations. Understanding this idea is key to addressing sleep issues in older children. Many children...

2 months ago • 10 min read

In this information-packed episode of The Sleep Edit podcast, I spoke with my good friend and sleep consultant Arielle Greenleaf to tackle one of the most common pediatric sleep challenges - night wakings. There was so much to cover this is actually the second part of our series on this topic. As a pediatric sleep specialist and author, I see many tired parents struggling with frequent overnight awakenings, early morning rises, and losing sleep themselves trying to soothe their kids back to...

3 months ago • 1 min read

I’m excited to announce the launch of my new podcast, The Sleep Edit, co-hosted with my friend Arielle Greenleaf, a noted sleep consultant. In this podcast, we'll explore common sleep issues affecting children of all ages, helping both kids and parents achieve better sleep. Our first episode, now available, tackles the perpetually tricky topic of getting children to sleep through the night. Since it's such an expansive issue, we've split the episode into two parts. This episode covers • The...

3 months ago • 1 min read
Children camping out on the beach

Camping out sleep training (also known as the Chair Method or the Sleep Lady Shuffle) is a gentler method of sleep training than cry it out (or CIO). I like this method a LOT for Parents who want to minimize crying Toddlers and preschoolers I just updated my article on how to perform this technique with A LOT of details. If you have any questions let me know. If you find this useful, please share it with your friends! Craig

9 months ago • 1 min read

I hope you having a great summer, and perhaps have a cool vacation ahead of you. Summer can be a tricky time for parents and kids in terms of sleep, so I want to share a few articles I wrote on this topic. Vacation “Sleep”: Remember when vacations were restful, relaxing affairs? Me neither. Here are some tips on how to survive and keep your child’s sleep on track. Our Accidental Screen Free Vacation: In which I recount the time we forgot to bring our kids devices on a trip to the beach. It...

9 months ago • 1 min read
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