About Our Guest:
Erin Junker is the founder of The Happy Sleep Company and is a professional infant and toddler sleep consultant.
She writes: I am passionate about children’s sleep. I firmly believe that a well-rested family is a happier, healthier family. I am committed to working with tired parents to help them help their little ones get the healthy rest they need – that means getting amazing, uninterrupted nighttime sleep, and taking proper, restful naps, all within a supportive and guided two-week program!
The tools and knowledge gained through a Master’s Degree in health communications and a Certificate in Infant & Toddler Sleep Consulting have allowed me to help hundreds of families gain amazing, healthy sleep for their children. I also have more than 10 years’ experience in the field of health communications.
Here’s the most important part: I’m a Mom. So, I’ve been there. I am the Mom of an amazing little girl, who wasn’t always such an amazing little sleeper (long before I became a Sleep Consultant!). I have seen, first-hand, the difference that healthy sleep can make to a child and to the entire family unit. When naptimes become easy, bedtimes become joyful, and nights become full of restful sleep, this makes an incredibly positive difference in the overall health, happiness, and well-being of families.
About the Episode:
In this episode, Dr. Whitney talks with Erin Junker, founder and owner of
The Happy Sleep Company
about practical strategies to help parents get their babies to sleep deeper and longer. Sleep is such an important part of having joy in the home, whether you’re an adult or an infant!
Episode Takeaways:
- There is no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep or to parenting in general. Every single family has different backgrounds, experiences, and expectations around what their home and culture will be around their family. So each solution is going to look different, based on what you want your family to be like. Co-sleeping might be what you envisioned, but it’s not working for your family. So sleep coaching comes alongside family when what they’ve been doing no longer works for them or they’re wanting something different. Is what you’re doing sustainable? Maybe something that worked for a while for you and for a moment in time is no longer how you want to move forward.
- Great foundations of good sleep habits have to be built first, and that’s what allows you to have the flexibility in the future for naps on the go, napping at other people’s houses, etc… But you must put in just a few weeks of dedicated time to really get those foundations laid first, so when things come up that are out of the norm, it’s not as big of a deal to deviate from the original “plan.” You still want to be able to live your life, but it does require some upfront effort.
- Healthy sleep habits can look different for everyone. For some, rocking their baby to sleep can be exhausting and frustrating. For some, it’s the best part of their day. So what’s healthy for one, might be debilitating for others. The biggest piece of early sleep habits are removing “sleep crutches”: things or routines that make it so babies can ONLY fall asleep being rocked, held, etc… When those things help the baby get drowsy, but they are falling asleep on their own, then they are able to get back to sleep on their own when they wake up mid-nap or in the middle of the night.
- If you are going to have an on-the-go nap, try to make it a later in the day nap. The first nap of the day is the most important, usually the longest, and usually the easiest. So, if you can, don’t jeopardize that one. And try to limit your on-the-go naps to only a couple days of the week. Your baby is more likely to get less restful sleep when they are not in their crib, once they’ve already established their sleep foundations.
- For naps at other places, try to simulate as many of the conditions from your home as possible. Portable crib, portable black out curtains, and a portable sound machine all help babies sleep deeper and longer. Which allows you to enjoy wherever you’re at, rather than just getting a 20 minute nap on you. These are all excellent things to have on your baby registry or to get on the Marketplace! Even try to go through the same bedtime routine, bath, songs, etc…
- More resources from The Happy Sleep Company:
- Website: https://thehappysleepcompany.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappysleepcompany/ (@thehappysleepcompany)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehappysleepcompany/
- Podcast: Sleep Cues: The Everything Baby Sleep Podcast on Apple and Spotify
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