New Episode Alert: Navigating the Challenges of Newborn Sleep


So my brother just had his first child a few weeks ago, so Arielle and I wanted to cover newborn sleep in the latest episode of The Sleep Edit.

This is a challenging topic-- as newborns are pretty disorganized in terms of feeding and sleeping in the first few weeks. Fortunately, sleep tends to improve fairly quickly.

In this episode we cover:

  • The natural evolution of sleep in the first three months of life
  • The period of PURPLE crying
  • Safe sleep
  • How modern sleep technology can help or hurt baby and parent sleep
  • Red flags in baby sleep (or lack thereof)

So please take a listen! And if you find is useful, please share the podcast with a friend with a new baby (or someone who is expecting).

Thanks!

Craig

Craig Canapari MD

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.

Read more from Craig Canapari MD

When parents think sleep training, the often think about extinction or CIO sleep training. Although CIO sleep training works well for infants and younger toddlers, I prefer gentler methods for older toddlers and preschoolers, especially if they are anxious. The “Excuse Me Drill” and “Taking a break” are two simple, gentle techniques which work well for children two and up who need their parents to fall asleep. These are two of my favorite techniques, and in my book It’s Never Too Late To...

When parents think of sleep training, they are often just imagining extinction sleep training (commonly known as "cry it out" or CIO). Thus, they imagine lots of crying, tantrums, and battles when trying to change the status quo. The fact is, CIO doesn't work well for older kids anyway. That's why I love the Bedtime Pass. A simple yet effective tool for managing nighttime interruptions. Instead of battling wills, your child can use a "Bedtime Pass" for a trip out of their room or to call for...

It just got hot here in the Northeast, and the kids are at camp (one is a counselor, the other is a counselor in training) at our local day camp. There are a lot of things I like about camp for kids in the summer, especially if there is a bit outdoor component. The kids come home tired but happy. They have a lot of great stories of funny things that happen throughout the day (ESPECIALLY from my boy who is a counselor) They sleep terrifically well. Now, some kids have a less busy schedule...