Q&A: Co-sleeping, Sleep Associations, and Older Kids – EP 20

Podcasting is great because we basically get to opine on whatever topic strikes our fancy. But we’ve committed to periodically do reader/listener Q&A episodes to ensure that we’re hitting topics that are also interesting to you. While we get more questions than we can possibly answer, we’ve culled some great ones here that I particularly love because they’re so relatable and, frankly, funny. Sometimes, when you’re in the thick of it, it can feel like everybody else has figured out all this stuff and you’re the only one silently struggling in the middle of the night. But I promise – you aren’t. There are thousands of people listening to this podcast who are exactly where you are, as perplexed as you are, and who will breathe a brief sigh of relief to hear your story and know that they aren’t alone.
In this episode Ashby and I answer questions that deal with some fairly ubiquitous challenges including:

* What to do when you want to stop co-sleeping with your older baby (:44)
* How to break out of a situation where baby will only sleep with an “insane amount of bouncing” (5:45)
* Why your toddler is suddenly fighting sleep at bedtime (11:33)
* Why your 6 month old demands to nurse 10x a night (18:23)
* What to do when you want to stop co-sleeping with your preschooler (23:15)
* How to night parent an independent sleeper without undoing the independent part (29:44)
* How to not get turned into a puddle when your partner is AWOL and sleep is a mess (34:55)

As mentioned in the episode many of these questions relate to a common core issue: sleep associations. Although the questions demonstrate how sleep association issues can manifest in vastly different ways, it is almost always the root issue. And often the answer is this.
Take a listen and let us know what you think! Got a question for a future Q&A episode? Fire away at [email protected].
Podcast Sponsor
And we want to give a shoutout to our new podcast sponsor, the Reverie power bed! After you have kids your bed turns into a home base: the place you sleep, night parent infants, read books with older children, gather for family movie night, etc. The Reverie power bed can make your existing bed more comfortable for sleep. You can raise the head of the bed for easier night feeding/nursing. You can adjust the bed to aid in C-section recovery. Got swollen ankles? Raise your feet while you sleep. There are loads of ways this can help make your bed more comfortable and more functional for your whole family.
Check them out to learn more or follow them on Twitter or Instagram!