The Responsive Family Sleep Podcast

Kimberly Hawley
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting sleep information; frustrated by sleep advice that felt wrong; or searched for a truly gentle, responsive alternative to sleep training, then you are in the right place. In each episode I’ll be answering your most pressing baby and toddler sleep questions, dispelling common sleep myths, deepening your understanding of biologically normal sleep, and encouraging you to trust your intuition. And because sleep is rarely just about sleep, you may just find some responsive parenting, lactation, or self-care tips sprinkled in along the way.I’m your host, Kim Hawley, MA, MPH, IBCLC Holistic Sleep Coach, Lactation Consultant, Peaceful Parenting Educator, and mom. My specialty is truly holistic, developmental, attachment focused sleep support – no hidden sleep training here!

  1. 23h ago

    Reducing Decision Fatigue in Nighttime Parenting

    There are so many decisions we parents make every single day. It’s exhausting. And trying to make decisions in the middle of the night adds an extra layer of exhausting. Should we wait a few minutes, or go in right way? Is it ok to feed again? Who should respond? These are questions I hear from parents all the time. Sometimes nighttime needs are high, and there isn’t a clear and easy path towards lowering them in the immediate term. However, we can strategize ways to reduce that nighttime decision fatigue. That is what this week’s episode is all about. Having a plan and thinking through things ahead of time makes a huge difference! Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

    Reducing Decision Fatigue in Nighttime Parenting

  2. Sep 24

    Big Body Play for Better Bedtimes With Heather Boyd

    Is your little one super wiggly at bedtime? Do they have a hard time settling down and relaxing into sleep? Parents often think these littles need more calm (and sometimes that’s a factor) but they can also use more big body play. In this episode, my good friend, sleep coach, and OT Heather Boyd and I are talking about big body play for better bedtimes. We are digging into the reasons movement matters so much when it comes to settling down for sleep, and how sensory needs, regulation, and connection needs can all be met through big body movement throughout your evening.  We also have a new guide on this topic we’ve collaboratively written. It was so much fun working together on this project, and we are so excited to share it with you!  Get A Guide to Big Body Play for Better Bedtimes Here: https://intuitiveparenting.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1197922/?action=signup And if bedtime is a real struggle, I encourage you to also check out my comprehensive bedtime guide here: https://intuitiveparenting.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1197923/?action=signup These guides compliment each other, with the big body play guide a deep dive on a topic summarized in the comprehensive guide.  About Heather  Heather is a private practice occupational therapist from Niagara, Ontario, Canada and the mother of three boys.  She provides online support to families who are experiencing challenges with infant sleep, parenting, and infant development.  Heather takes a developmental- and attachment-based approach to supporting families by helping parents change perspectives and change the sleep environment, rather than change the nature of the child.   Connect with Heather Website: https://familysleep.ca/ Instagram: @familysleep.ca Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

    Big Body Play for Better Bedtimes With Heather Boyd

  3. Sep 17

    10 Tips for Falling Back Asleep After a Night Wake With Your Baby

    We are taught to focus on reducing the number of night wakes to improve our sleep. And there is certainly a level of waking where bringing those wake ups down is going to help most parents sleep better. But an equally (if not sometimes more) important part of parent sleep is how quickly you are able to fall back asleep after responding to a night wake. In this episode I’m sharing 10 tips to help you fall back asleep more quickly and get better rest. Some are nighttime specific, and some take a bigger picture view.  Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

    10 Tips for Falling Back Asleep After a Night Wake With Your Baby

  4. Sep 10

    Nighttime Feeding Intervals and Protecting Your Breastmilk Supply

    Most parents want longer sleep stretches at night, and yet most sleep info on improving nighttime sleep doesn’t take into account protecting breastmilk supply. Balancing sleep goals and feeding goals is a big part of the work I do with families. And the truth is, there isn’t one solid answer to the question – how long can I go overnight between feeds (or milk removals) without negatively impacting my supply. It depends on your own biology, breast storage capacity, and feeding history. It depends on your feeding goals, your baby’s age, and whether we are talking a regular occurrence or a night here and there. In this episode I talk you through some of the factors I consider when trying to protect parents’ sleep and milk supply. There isn’t a consensus or evidence-based answer to this question, which is why you may see varied advice on the internet or from professional to professional. If you are an IBCLC listening in, I’d love to hear from you and how you talk parents through this balancing act. Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

    Nighttime Feeding Intervals and Protecting Your Breastmilk Supply

  5. Sep 3

    Let’s Make Sleep Easier!

    Sleep is an expression of so many factors. Babies and children have differing needs, capacities, and temperaments. Parents have differing needs, capacities, and temperaments. Goals aren’t the same from family to family and phase to phase. So, in this episode, I am talking you through my framework for how to make sleep easier in your family no matter your needs, capacity, temperament, or goals. This is the framework I use with the families I support across a range of goals because it helps keep us centered on your child as an individual, stay grounded in connection and developmental norms, and intentionally work through all the factors that shape sleep in your family. Let’s make sleep EASIER!  E - Expectations  A – Attachment focused and developmentally based   S – Sleep biology, regulation, and sensory needs I – Intentionally optimizing your environment, rhythms, and routines  E – Encouraging parental well-being and sleep quality  R – Responsive strategies for making changes  I hope you find this framework helpful as you are thinking about your own family’s sleep situation Connect with Kim  Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc Learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/

    Let’s Make Sleep Easier!

  6. Aug 7

    Is This Sleep Advice Breastfeeding Supportive?

    So many commonly held sleep beliefs developed without any thought to breastfeeding needs and norms. As a result, a lot of common advice can complicate or undermine your nursing relationship or your milk supply. In this episode I’m talking you through some of the common signs that sleep info isn’t lactation informed or supportive. I hope it helps you spot strategies and beliefs that can hurt breastfeeding so that you can make informed decisions about both your sleep and feeding goals.  Connect with Kim  Grab a free sleep myth busting guide and learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc

    Is This Sleep Advice Breastfeeding Supportive?

  7. Jul 30

    7 Questions to Ask When a Sleep Change With Your Baby or Toddler Feels Hard

    Everyone tells you to be consistent, but how do you know if it’s time to call quits on a change or strategy? Sometimes we jump from strategy to strategy too quickly and other times we feel pressure to push through, even when we know it feels like too much. In this episode, I’m talking you through 7 questions to ask yourself when you are deciding to  push through or make a change in approach. The questions are: What do I mean by hard?Is the timing right?How long have I tried this?Does it feel out of my child’s cope?Does it feel out of my ability to support my child through it?What is my motivation for this change? Is it aligned with my parenting valuesI hope these give you some clarity to be more intentional if you feel like a change is hard. There isn’t always a clear right or wrong answer when it comes to supporting sleep changes.  Connect with Kim  Grab the free guide busting common sleep myths and learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc

    7 Questions to Ask When a Sleep Change With Your Baby or Toddler Feels Hard

  8. Jul 23

    What Is Crib Play?

    Getting a baby or toddler used to a new sleep space can be tricky, especially for more sensitive littles. Whether it’s the transition from bassinet to crib, crib to toddler bed or floor bed, or any other shift in sleep set up, crib play is a strategy I often recommend. In this episode, I’m talking you through the key points of crib play.  What is crib play?When should I use crib play?How do I do crib play?I hope this episode gives you some practical tips to support your next sleep set up transition.  Connect with Kim  Grab the free guide busting common sleep myths and learn more about working with Kim: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/intuitive_parenting_dc Facebook:  facebook.com/intuitiveparentingdc

    What Is Crib Play?
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About

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting sleep information; frustrated by sleep advice that felt wrong; or searched for a truly gentle, responsive alternative to sleep training, then you are in the right place. In each episode I’ll be answering your most pressing baby and toddler sleep questions, dispelling common sleep myths, deepening your understanding of biologically normal sleep, and encouraging you to trust your intuition. And because sleep is rarely just about sleep, you may just find some responsive parenting, lactation, or self-care tips sprinkled in along the way.I’m your host, Kim Hawley, MA, MPH, IBCLC Holistic Sleep Coach, Lactation Consultant, Peaceful Parenting Educator, and mom. My specialty is truly holistic, developmental, attachment focused sleep support – no hidden sleep training here!

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