How to Get Your Child to Sleep in Their Own Bed: Expert Tips on Child Sleep Anxiety from Dr. Jessica Meers
Let me guess - you’ve tried the bedtime stories, the lavender spray, the “one more hug,” and the 37-minute tuck-in routine that feels like a hostage negotiation.
And still… your child is afraid to go to sleep.
They’re clinging to you, melting down at bedtime, and tiptoeing into your bed at 2:00 a.m. saying those heart-piercing words: “I’m scared.”
You are not alone. This is one of the most common concerns I hear from parents - and it’s the reason I invited pediatric sleep expert Dr. Jessica Meers onto this week’s episode of the Educated Parent podcast.
She’s here to give us real solutions to child sleep anxiety, including step-by-step guidance on how to get your child to sleep in their own bed - even if they’ve been struggling with nighttime fears for weeks (or months).
Let’s dive into the tips that every parent needs in their sleep-deprived back pocket.
Why Kids Are So Often Afraid to Go to Sleep
Before we jump to solutions, let’s sit with the root issue: for many kids, nighttime isn’t restful - it’s terrifying.
When your child says, “I’m afraid to go to sleep,” it’s not just about the dark or the monsters. It’s about nighttime fears that feel real in their body: What if I have a nightmare? What if something bad happens? What if I can’t find you?
Dr. Meers reminded us that dreams and nightmares are signs that the brain is working properly - processing emotions, making sense of the day. But to a child, that doesn’t feel reassuring. It feels overwhelming.
And when parents get stuck in cycles of reacting - pulling the child into bed, skipping the routine, trying to “fix it” - it actually makes child sleep anxiety worse.
So what do we do instead?
Dr. Meers shared three powerful strategies.
Step 1: Set Them Up for Success
If your child is afraid to go to sleep, your first job isn’t at bedtime - it’s earlier in the day.
Here’s how to create the right conditions for sleep:
Avoid scary or upsetting content in the hours before bed. That includes intense movies, YouTube videos, even overheard arguments or news stories.
Keep bedtime and wake time consistent, even on weekends. Inconsistent sleep schedules can make nightmares more likely.
Make their sleep space comforting and safe. Think soft lighting, favorite stuffed animals, a cozy blanket, and a predictable wind-down routine.
These small changes reduce child sleep anxiety before it escalates. When kids feel safe and regulated, they’re less likely to develop intense nighttime fears - and more likely to fall asleep (and stay asleep) in their own beds.
Step 2: Normalize the Fear Without Overreacting
This one’s crucial.
When your child has a nightmare and tells you they’re afraid to go to sleep, don’t jump to “You’re fine” or “That’s not scary.” Also don’t panic or rearrange your whole life.
Instead, validate their fear:
“That dream felt really real. I can see why that would scare you.”
Then gently reframe:
“Even when we have bad dreams, we’re safe. Nightmares don’t mean something bad will happen.”
It’s not about dismissing or dramatizing. It’s about showing calm, steady leadership.
Dr. Meers emphasized that when we respond with emotional regulation ourselves, we teach kids that nighttime fears are survivable. And that helps them build resilience.
Step 3: Don’t Be Reactive - Stay the Course
Here’s where things often unravel.
Out of desperation (or sheer exhaustion), it’s tempting to say: “Fine, just sleep in my bed.” But if your goal is to figure out how to get your child to sleep in their own bed, this short-term relief can backfire fast.
Why? Because it teaches the brain: “My bed = unsafe. Mom’s bed = safety.”
That reinforces child sleep anxiety, even if you don’t mean to.
Instead, Dr. Meers recommends:
Offering extra hugs and comfort in their room
Repeating a simple phrase like, “You’re safe and I’m close by”
Walking them back to bed consistently
Holding the line with empathy - not fear
This isn’t about being rigid. It’s about giving your child the confidence to handle discomfort, not avoid it.
But What If They’re Still Afraid to Go to Sleep the Next Night?
That’s normal.
Dr. Meers reminded us that child sleep anxiety doesn’t vanish after one good night. But if you’re consistent with the steps above, your child will begin to feel less threatened by bedtime.
It also helps to:
Preview the night (“Tonight, you’ll sleep in your cozy bed again just like last night.”)
Empower them with small choices (light on or off? 1 or 2 bedtime stories?)
Practice relaxation skills before bed (deep breathing, calming music)
And most importantly? Stay calm yourself.
Kids absorb our nervous system energy. If you’re anxious about bedtime battles, they’ll feel it. If you show up grounded - even if they’re melting down - they’ll borrow your calm.
What If I Accidentally Created the Problem?
Deep breath. You’re not a bad parent.
Most of us have, at some point, responded in a way that unintentionally made nighttime fears worse. That doesn’t mean you’ve messed up forever.
What matters is what you do now.
Start today. Follow the three steps. Be consistent. Remind yourself that child sleep anxiety is treatable, temporary, and incredibly common.
And if you need backup? Experts like Dr. Meers are just a call away.
Final Takeaway: You Can Change This - One Night at a Time
If your child is afraid to go to sleep, dealing with intense nighttime fears, or you’re stuck wondering how to get your child to sleep in their own bed - you are not alone. And you are not powerless.
Here’s what to remember:
Sleep struggles are common, not catastrophic.
Your response matters more than the “perfect” routine.
Small consistent actions beat big dramatic fixes every time.
Start with prevention. Validate the fear. Stay steady. That’s the formula.
Because the truth is: you can reduce child sleep anxiety. You can help your child feel safe enough to sleep in their own bed. You can make bedtime peaceful again.
You’ve got this. And I’m cheering you on.
Want the full expert breakdown?
Listen to this episode of The Educated Parent:
How to Get Your Child to Sleep in Their Own Bed: Expert Tips on Child Sleep Anxiety from Dr. Jessica Meers
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Let’s connect:
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!
Connect with Dr. Jessica Meers:
-
[00:00:00] Leah Clionsky: Welcome to the Educated Parent Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Leah Clionsky, and I am so excited about the guests that I'm bringing on today because she's going to solve a problem every single one of us have when it comes to sleep. How many of you have had your child have a nightmare and then be afraid to sleep in their own bed?
[00:00:20] Leah Clionsky: Everyone has nightmares. This applies to every one of us. So Dr. Mes is here to tell us what to do about it. You are listening to Educated Parent the Parenting Podcast, where I teach you realistic expert parenting hacks to solve your everyday parenting problems. So that you can reduce your stress, build your confidence as a parent, and raise thriving children.
[00:00:46] Leah Clionsky: My name is Dr. Leah Clionsky and I'm a licensed clinical psychologist, owner of Thriving Child Center and PCIT experts, child psychology practices, and a real life parent of two young children. I am the same as you. I am invested in being the best parent possible. And raising thriving children. I also get overwhelmed.
[00:01:07] Leah Clionsky: I make mistakes and I forget what works. I do have three unique parenting advantages that you may not have a PhD in. Child clinical psychology. Over 15 years of clinical experience working with families and a network of other experts that I can text for parenting advice. Whenever I'm lost. I'm here to bring my expertise.
[00:01:27] Leah Clionsky: And my expert network to you so that we can solve your everyday parenting dilemmas together. I am so glad you're here. So Dr. Jessica Meers is a licensed clinical psychologist and nationally recognized expert in behavioral sleep medicine. She specializes in treating insomnia and other sleep difficulties using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, C-B-T-I-A Gold standard evidence-based approach.
[00:01:56] Leah Clionsky: With over a decade of experience, Dr. Meers helps people untangle their relationship with sleep, whether the struggle started in childhood during postpartum, or in the midst of a high stress season of life. She's also the founder of Rhythm Wellness, where she offers in-person and virtual care, educational content, and digital programs designed to make high quality sleep support more accessible.
[00:02:19] Leah Clionsky: Her work blends science, compassion, and practical strategies to help people of all ages rest better and live better.
[00:02:26] Jessica Meers: Yay. I'm so glad you're here. Jessica, welcome to the show. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here and nerd out on sleep. It's my favorite topic.
[00:02:34] Leah Clionsky: I could have used you last night when I was up at 2:00 AM What would Jessica do?
[00:02:38] Leah Clionsky: I should have been on your Instagram. That would've been useful to me.
[00:02:41] Jessica Meers: That works too.
[00:02:43] Leah Clionsky: Yeah. That would've been helpful. At least I wasn't texting you at 2:00 AM Thank you for that. I do appreciate that. You're welcome. So I am so glad that you're gonna talk to us about. Sleep and kids, because it's such a challenging issue if your kid won't sleep.
[00:02:59] Leah Clionsky: If you're struggling with getting them to go to bed, it sort of ruins your whole life sometimes.
[00:03:04] Jessica Meers: Mm-hmm. If your kid's not sleeping, you are not sleeping, and if the whole family is unrested, it sets the stage for a really bad day.
[00:03:12] Leah Clionsky: Oh, absolutely. It is. The most stressful thing I can think of honestly is kids not sleeping.
[00:03:18] Leah Clionsky: I feel like I'm still slightly traumatized from when my kids were newborns and very bad sleepers. I think I am too. That's why I see a lot of postpartum parents too, because it's really, really hard. It is. It is. So, I mean, you know this stuff. You're an educated parent. How is it going with your kids and sleeping?
[00:03:37] Jessica Meers: It's a mixed bag even for me. So I have twin toddlers. They're two and a half. And even last night was rough for us. They have a little bit of cold and they've got congestion and coughing, and so in the middle of the night you hear, mommy, so I'm not immune. It's still a struggle for us. I'm just lucky to have the textbook knowledge to be able to navigate some of these issues, but it's not like they don't come up for us.
[00:04:06] Jessica Meers: And having twins is its own. Special type of difficult because none of the textbooks taught us what to do with multiples. So I'm still kind of learning as well as all parents are and we're just figuring it out.
[00:04:21] Leah Clionsky: Yeah, it's so true. It's like everyone thinks that if you have all the education you can.
[00:04:26] Leah Clionsky: Immediately solve your own problems. And it's hard when you have to be a human. It's your own children. Mm-hmm. It can be hard to use that clinical knowledge For sure.
[00:04:34] Jessica Meers: Yes. So I understand when parents are coming to me and they're like, this is so hard. I'm like, yep. It is so hard. I'm so sorry. We'll figure it out.
[00:04:43] Leah Clionsky: I love that you can have that perspective. I think it really helps working with kids and families when you've been through it yourself. It is. It's totally different once you've had your own. Can you tell us a little bit about what makes a sleep psychologist different from a sleep coach? I feel like this is something where.
[00:05:00] Leah Clionsky: There's a lot of confusion and you have just so much expertise.
[00:05:03] Jessica Meers: Yes. So a sleep psychologist. So I'm a clinical psychologist, which means that I am my PhD in clinical psychology, so I'm a therapist and a researcher. We do all types of, we really understand and help people understand how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors get in their way.
[00:05:24] Jessica Meers: And how to make changes that they want to make in their lives. Usually this comes in the form of treating anxiety, depression, those types of disorders. But a sleep psychologist kind of takes that a step further and is a little bit more nuanced. So I take all those problem solving skills that we use for other types of disorders, and I focus it entirely on sleep.
[00:05:48] Jessica Meers: So in addition to my PhD, I went on and did some further training to get board certified. So I had to have additional clinical hours and then take a really hard test. And so that's additional on top of my PhD. So I have a a little bit more experience or expertise in actual sleep in terms of the biology of sleep, the psychology of sleep, and how that interacts with each other.
[00:06:17] Jessica Meers: Versus a certification program that you can obtain online and just anyone can get, I think sleep coaches have their place, but if you're talking about real sleep problems or disorders, then you probably wanna see a psychologist for that.
[00:06:32] Leah Clionsky: Yeah. And you probably wanna see someone who's board certified in sleep.
[00:06:36] Jessica Meers: Yes, yes. It was a lot of extra training, so please use my training.
[00:06:40] Leah Clionsky: Yeah, I would not be as helpful as Dr. Meers if someone comes to me and their primary problem is sleep. I'm referring out, even though I'm a child psychologist, I would want someone to get that specialized help. For sure. Yeah, and I'm really glad you are here and in my expert network, because I don't know what to do.
[00:07:00] Leah Clionsky: About the nightmare problem, that problem we all have when a kid has a nightmare.
[00:07:05] Jessica Meers: Yes. And then
[00:07:06] Leah Clionsky: they're like, I'm afraid to sleep in my own bed. Like it's so tough.
[00:07:10] Jessica Meers: It's so tough because it's so hard to explain to a young child what a nightmare is. Right. 'cause honestly, many of us, we don't really truly understand.
[00:07:20] Jessica Meers: I maybe have better knowledge than others, but as adults we're even like, well, what was that experience? Where did those thoughts and feelings come from out of the blue in the middle of the night? So if you think about, for a child, it's really, really difficult to understand. What's happening, why these things are happening and what to do about it.
[00:07:43] Jessica Meers: So it's an extra challenge for kids for sure.
[00:07:46] Leah Clionsky: I mean, nightmares feel real, like probably like most of us, I've had nightmares when, where my husband made me angry and woke up feeling angry with him and having to figure out why am I mad at you today? Yeah. Oh yeah. The nightmare version of you was kind of a jerk.
[00:08:00] Jessica Meers: Yes. And that's, in a sense, it was very real. So. The things that are happening in our brain during the day are the same things that are happening. Not exactly the same, but a lot of the same things are happening at night when we're dreaming. Me. And so all of those emotional and cognitive, the the thinking, all of that is very real.
[00:08:22] Jessica Meers: It's really happening in the brain. It's just happening when our muscles are paralyzed and it's not happening in the real world. But in a sense it feels very real because it is.
[00:08:33] Leah Clionsky: Yeah, it makes sense that it's scary to have a nightmare. And then it would be scary to think you might have a nightmare again.
[00:08:38] Jessica Meers: Yes, very scary. But I have to say that dreaming in general is a sign that our brains are doing what they need to do during sleep. So dreams are really actually important for us in terms of our ability to remember and store knowledge for later. So we kind of rehash what happens during the day, in the middle of the night, and then our.
[00:09:03] Jessica Meers: Brains do this really cool thing where it takes that information of what happened during the day and integrates it with the old knowledge that we have, and kind of stores it away so we can remember it for later. So all that to say that the dreaming and nightmares are a part of our brains learning how to remember things.
[00:09:21] Leah Clionsky: So it can be uncomfortable, but also good for us.
[00:09:24] Jessica Meers: Yes. Yeah. Indicator of health. Exactly. And it helps us to process the emotions. Over past events so that they don't continue to cause big emotions. And so a lot of times it's actually good to have the dream so that you can separate the emotion from the memory.
[00:09:44] Jessica Meers: And so bad things don't always feel so bad.
[00:09:47] Leah Clionsky: Oh, I love this reframe. It's interesting how we think about the things that happened to us. Even the uncomfortable things that happened to us can really change like our perspective on that experience even after the fact.
[00:09:59] Jessica Meers: And to normalize. Everybody has nightmares.
[00:10:02] Jessica Meers: Everyone does. Everybody dreams, everybody has nightmares. And so it's not something to be feared.
[00:10:07] Leah Clionsky: In a second, I'm gonna jump into asking you for some strategies, but before I do that, I'm going to give it the disclaimer that we are not talking about strategies for helping kids with a nightmare disorder and severe trauma, right?
[00:10:21] Leah Clionsky: Like if they're, if someone is having. Horrible pervasive nightmares every single night related to terrible things that have happened to them. This what we're about to talk about is not what we would do. Right? Right. Then you wanna see Dr. Meers or work through like trauma with a specific trauma specialist.
[00:10:40] Leah Clionsky: So this is not an a normal parenting concern, but we're about to talk about a situation where your child wakes up and they have a nightmare, and the next day they say to you, I'm afraid to go to bed. You've had this happen, haven't you? Everyone's had this happen. Mm-hmm. Can't go to bed. What if I have a nightmare again?
[00:10:56] Leah Clionsky: How are you gonna handle that? How are you gonna be there for them emotionally? But then also help them get back into a healthy sleep routine?
[00:11:04] Jessica Meers: So where we should always start is setting kids up for success. And we really wanna be thinking about setting kids up for nighttime success even during the day.
[00:11:15] Jessica Meers: So kind of planning ahead. And the biggest factor is avoid upsetting and scary things in the couple hours before bed and. Really think about for your kid. What would be scary or upsetting? It might be different for different kids, but for the vast majority of kids, the thing that starts the nightmare is what they, something that they've seen or heard during the day, either on social media, on videos, or even like negative interactions with the family.
[00:11:49] Jessica Meers: So maybe tense arguments at home in the hours before bed or hearing something on the news just in passing. That was really scary. So really paying attention to what your kid is seeing and hearing right before bed.
[00:12:02] Leah Clionsky: Yeah, I mean, I could see how if you're not paying attention, it would be easy for your child to see something on YouTube.
[00:12:07] Leah Clionsky: Kids you're like, oh, I think this is safe.
[00:12:09] Jessica Meers: Mm-hmm. But there
[00:12:10] Leah Clionsky: are some things on there that are not good for kids to see in general, and it could be upsetting. For that child. I can think of things my daughter has seen that I didn't realize she would find upsetting.
[00:12:20] Jessica Meers: Yeah.
[00:12:20] Leah Clionsky: Like in a movie, but she has been upset by those
[00:12:23] Jessica Meers: things.
[00:12:24] Jessica Meers: Yeah.
[00:12:24] Leah Clionsky: So I know she's sensitive
[00:12:26] Jessica Meers: and every kid is different. So we just pay attention to those things and make sure that we're not making it worse by bringing them back up if it's something that, you know, pay attention to what's scary to them and just take note of it. And make sure that it's not happening in the hours before bed.
[00:12:43] Leah Clionsky: Yeah, that makes so much sense. Yeah. Good prevention, right there we're oxygen right
[00:12:48] Jessica Meers: there.
[00:12:48] Leah Clionsky: Yeah. We're gonna, we're gonna set them up for good sleep and we're gonna avoid scary things. Exactly.
[00:12:53] Jessica Meers: And to top that off, we also wanna make sure that we're keeping the sleep timing really consistent. So consistent bedtime, consistent wake up time.
[00:13:05] Jessica Meers: Because if we get really off schedule, if kids get really off schedule, they'll be more prone to nightmares. So really regular bedtime routine, a regular wake up time. And then on top of that, making sure the bedroom is a comfortable, safe environment. They have their ies, they have their blankets. It's cozy, it's comfortable.
[00:13:25] Jessica Meers: They like being in there. All of that sets a kid up really nicely for success at night.
[00:13:30] Leah Clionsky: So it's a mixture of avoiding scary things or things that, that child thinks will be scary and upsetting. Mm-hmm. And also making sure that you have a comfortable sleep environment and also making sure that your routine is the same so that you have like predictability and safety around them built in essentially.
[00:13:48] Jessica Meers: Exactly. That's exactly right. It's, it's all these little things building up to set them up for. Success. It doesn't mean that they will entirely avoid nightmares, but we're gonna make sure that they're happening as least often as they can.
[00:14:03] Leah Clionsky: Okay. Makes sense. All right, so number one strategy is setting them up for success.
[00:14:08] Leah Clionsky: What's the second thing we should be? Doing when they're afraid to sleep in their own bed because of a nightmare last night.
[00:14:14] Jessica Meers: So like we were just talking about before, everybody has nightmares and everybody's to different degrees, but we've all had a nightmare before and we really wanna validate. How scary that is for the kid, but normalize it so everybody's felt scared in the middle of the night.
[00:14:33] Jessica Meers: Mommy and daddy have, we don't like it, but it's not inherently dangerous. It's not something that means that they are unsafe. We talk about how bad dreams are just a part of life sometimes, and let them know everybody has it. But that they are things that aren't dangerous to us. And it doesn't mean that anything's wrong with us, it's just something that happens.
[00:14:58] Leah Clionsky: Hmm. So it's like, I can understand why you would be really upset after having a nightmare. 'cause you dreamt about something scary and that's really hard. Mm-hmm. And it doesn't mean that you're not safe in your room. You're still safe. Right. And everybody has nightmares. So everybody is miserable when they're happening.
[00:15:17] Leah Clionsky: And everyone is okay in the end.
[00:15:19] Jessica Meers: Right, exactly. And so there's two key parts of that, like validate. So we're not saying that wasn't scary, we're not telling them you shouldn't be scared. It makes sense that you're scared when you had that dream, but I want you to know that you're safe and it's a normal part of life.
[00:15:37] Leah Clionsky: Yeah. If you want more tips on validation, go back and listen to the episode. About how to deescalate your kid when they're angry, because that episode is all about validating well, or if you're sitting there thinking, I am confused by validation, that's a good episode for you to listen to.
[00:15:53] Jessica Meers: That's great.
[00:15:54] Jessica Meers: That's great advice.
[00:15:56] Leah Clionsky: Okay, so what's our third strategy?
[00:15:58] Jessica Meers: Okay, the third one is arguably the most important, and this is don't be reactive, so we want to make sure that while we're normalizing this, we're also not letting this change. Everything that we're doing in terms of the nighttime routine. So not, we're not gonna overreact when a kid is nervous.
[00:16:23] Jessica Meers: We're of course gonna give them reassurance and tell them that they're okay, that they're safe, give extra cuddles, extra hugs. But we don't want to let that completely derail the nighttime routine, either in the middle of the night or at the beginning of the night the next night. So. In response to a nightmare, they might come get you and say, mommy, I'm scared.
[00:16:47] Jessica Meers: You give them hugs, you give them love, and then you walk them back to their bed because we want them to know that. They are safe and that they are capable of coping with a bad dream here and there. The opposite is if we pull 'em into our bed and kind of say, oh no, that's terrible that that happened here.
[00:17:07] Jessica Meers: Come to Mommy. It can actually kind of send a message that something is wrong and that they can't cope by themselves, and then we get this kind of spiral where suddenly kid can't sleep in bed alone and they can't fall asleep at night alone anymore. They're waking throughout the night needing mom and dad, and they lose their independence at night for sleep.
[00:17:30] Jessica Meers: And we don't really, that's a slippery slope. And then you really need somebody like me to come help and reprogram that a little bit. So we wanna provide reassurance, but then settle them back into their own bed. And then the next night, even if they're still scared, we're gonna give 'em reassurance, but we're gonna make sure that they're back in their staying in their own bed.
[00:17:50] Leah Clionsky: So it's like really trying to show them like, I think that you are safe. Mm-hmm. Like I'm showing you that this is safe. Yes. Is there an age range where you would let them sleep in the bed or at any age you would be putting them back?
[00:18:03] Jessica Meers: Any age I'd be putting them back. Even with my young ones, I'm making sure that they're.
[00:18:08] Jessica Meers: Finishing the night in their own bed because for anyone, it can become a slippery slope, whether they're three years old or whether they're nine years old. Any kid, after about six to nine months, depending on the kid, can sleep independently. And if that's your goal, if your goal is. For kids to be in their bed at night on their own.
[00:18:32] Jessica Meers: Then we wanna make sure that we're always encouraging that if your goal is to co-sleep, then ignore what I'm saying. Every family is different, but if your goal is for them to be independent sleepers, if you want to have your bed for you and your spouse or whoever, and separate that, then we don't want to go down this slippery slope of letting them into our bed.
[00:18:52] Leah Clionsky: No, I love that you're highlighting that, like how different family cultures and also different cultures have different belief systems around sleep.
[00:18:59] Jessica Meers: Yeah.
[00:18:59] Leah Clionsky: You know, because it, it does change the way that you would approach that last step. It sounds like the first two steps are applicable to literally anybody.
[00:19:06] Leah Clionsky: Mm-hmm. And the last step really has to do with. Do you wanna make sure your child is still sleeping independently or are you a co-sleeping family and it's fine with you?
[00:19:15] Jessica Meers: Yeah, and really it's whatever works best for your family. I can't highlight that enough. Take every piece of advice with a grain of salt, whatever works best for your family.
[00:19:26] Jessica Meers: But oftentimes what I see is kids have been, parents are frustrated, they're tired, they want to be able to sleep through the night, but they can't because their kid is coming and getting them and disturbing them. And so that's usually what I see, and most parents' goals are for them to sleep independently, and that's where I come in.
[00:19:46] Jessica Meers: Other people, if they're not wanting to sleep independently, they don't need me usually. So everybody's different.
[00:19:52] Leah Clionsky: Right. It's like the difference between like making an intentional decision to co-sleep versus. Like feeling a lot of guilt and fear that like maybe you're being a bad parent. Yes. If you want your child to independently sleep and then you're angry with your child for doing something that you are accidentally kind of reinforcing that they do.
[00:20:10] Leah Clionsky: There you
[00:20:10] Jessica Meers: go. Yeah. It's more about being proactive versus reactive. Usually we don't make the best decisions when we're reactive and so we wanna be really intentional with how we respond to sleep Disruptions. So that they don't become a problem just because we're just trying to get through and we're just trying to cope with prior decisions that we've made.
[00:20:33] Jessica Meers: And so if it's your intention to sleep independently, then we wanna always be fostering that.
[00:20:39] Leah Clionsky: I love what you're saying. I love the nuances you're discussing. I'm so excited that families will now know that you exist and that you can help them. Because having a child who does not sleep is. So incredibly difficult for parents.
[00:20:55] Leah Clionsky: Mm-hmm. Can you tell everyone how to reach you, how they can get more information about you and contact you?
[00:21:01] Jessica Meers: Sure. Yes. So I'm on Instagram and my handle is, she talks sleep. And you can also find me on my website. It's rhythm-well.com. So rhythm, well, W-E-L-L.com.
[00:21:17] Leah Clionsky: Those resources are in the show notes.
[00:21:19] Leah Clionsky: So if you are struggling with sleep, if your child is struggling with sleep and you're like, I don't wanna go through this anymore, definitely reach out to Dr. Meers. I refer to her all the time when we have kiddos who need that extra help. And I'll probably be bothering her myself.
[00:21:34] Jessica Meers: I'm always here.
[00:21:36] Leah Clionsky: You're always here.
[00:21:38] Leah Clionsky: Good. Jessica, thank you so much for coming on the show. I really appreciate you. This was so helpful to our families.
[00:21:44] Jessica Meers: Thank you for having me. It was a lot of fun.
[00:21:48] Leah Clionsky: Thanks again for spending time with me on Educated Parent if this episode helped you feel more confident and handling those parent curve balls.
[00:21:57] Leah Clionsky: Hit follow. So you never miss an episode. Know a parent who's stuck in the endless cycle of conflicting advice. Send this their way because we all deserve parenting strategies we can actually trust. And hey, if you have a minute, leave a review. Your support helps other parents find real expert backed solutions instead of just another opinion online.
[00:22:19] Leah Clionsky: One last quick reminder. This podcast offers general advice, but every family is different. The advice offered in this podcast is not medical advice and is not appropriate for every family. If you need personalized parenting support, connect with an experienced clinician at Thriving Child Center or PCIT experts.
[00:22:40] Leah Clionsky: That's it for today. Thanks for the. Listening and I'll talk to you next time.