Expect to Sleep Again Sleep Consulting, Boston, MA (2026)

Helping families get the rest they need through proven strategies and unwavering support through the process.

09/03/2026

Baby sleep advice is everywhere. But not all of it is evidence-based, and it definitely isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Wake windows, night weaning, “never wake a sleeping baby,” overtiredness, cortisol… these ideas are often presented as universal rules when baby sleep is far more individual than that.

Your baby’s 24-hour sleep needs, sleep pressure, circadian rhythm, feeding needs, development and temperament all matter.

After 10+ years as a pediatric sleep consultant, this is what I want parents to know: your baby doesn’t need to fit the chart. The sleep advice needs to fit your baby.

Share this with a tired parent who needs to hear it. 💙

08/30/2026

I’ve got nap transitions on my mind! I’ve got one client going through the 3-2 nap transitions and another who may be dropping the nap completely.

But nap transitions don’t have to be scary!

The key is understanding your child’s individual sleep needs. Often parents are aiming for naps that are far too long and end up leading to shorter nights.

Nighttime sleep > daytime sleep

Naps do serve an important purpose but nighttime sleep is the most restorative. Despite what you may see online, it’s perfectly normal for an infant as young as 5 months to need only 2 naps if their 24h sleep needs are on the lower end of normal!

There are some signs to look out for:
• skipped naps
• shorter naps
• early mornings
• new night wakings/split nights
• bedtime suddenly taking forever

The first step is to track your child’s sleep for a minimum of 7 days and see what their average total sleep is in a 24h period. From there you can disperse their needs throughout the day and night.

Need help? I have a free guide to walk you through this at the link in my bio.

08/17/2026

Normal baby sleep has a 4-hour range. Most parents have never been told that. It changes everything. 👇

The AAP recommends 12–16 hours of sleep per 24-hour period for infants.

That means a baby who needs 12 hours requires a completely different schedule than one who needs 16. (One needs wake windows that amount to 12 hours, the other only needs 8 hours of awake time!)

But almost every sleep schedule you’ll find online was built for an average baby, not yours specifically.

Swipe to see what happens when the schedule doesn’t match your child’s actual sleep needs, and what to do instead.

Save this if you’ve ever wondered why your baby fights sleep even when you’re doing everything “right.”

And grab the free 24-Hour Sleep Guide in my bio — it walks you through exactly how to figure out YOUR child’s number. 🔗

08/10/2026

These photos are difficult for me to look at because I remember everything that was happening outside the frame.

On the outside, I looked happy. In reality, I was locking myself in the bathroom to cry, living with constant anxiety, and losing weight so rapidly that people commented on how well breastfeeding must be working.

Even when I reached out for help, I was told it was just the baby blues.

It wasn’t.

Sleep deprivation was one of the biggest triggers for my postpartum anxiety and depression. My sleep consultant did more than help my baby sleep. She helped me sleep. She saw how much I was struggling, and I can say without exaggeration that she saved my life.

That experience is why I became a pediatric sleep consultant.

The conversation surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial here in Massachusetts has brought perinatal mental health into the spotlight in an incredibly painful way. Her story was the final push that led me to pursue additional training in perinatal mental health.

Our experiences are not the same, and postpartum anxiety and depression are not the same as postpartum psychosis. But every perinatal mental health condition deserves to be recognized and taken seriously. When a mother says something is wrong, she deserves to be believed.

I am not a mental health clinician, but I can recognize when someone may need additional support. I can listen. I can take a struggling parent seriously. I can understand the role sleep deprivation may be playing and help connect them with appropriate care.

If sharing this helps even one person feel less alone or recognize that they need support, then sharing this part of my story was worth it.

You are not failing. You are not a bad mother. You deserve to be heard.

For free, confidential support, call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA. If you are in immediate danger or may harm yourself or someone else, call or text 988.

08/07/2026

Back to school and daycare often means one big adjustment no one talks about enough: sleep.

Summer schedules tend to drift. Bedtimes get later, mornings get slower, routines loosen up, and honestly, that’s part of the fun.

But if your child needs to be up earlier for school or daycare, don’t wait until the night before to suddenly move bedtime and hope for the best.

Start by gradually shifting morning wake-up time earlier, get outside into morning light, bring back a predictable daily routine, and stay consistent with meals, sleep, and boundaries.

Your child’s body clock needs time to adjust. A little preparation now can make those first school mornings much easier.

And remember: the goal isn’t a “perfect” schedule. It’s getting your child back to a sleep schedule that meets their individual sleep needs and works with the reality of school or daycare.

Save this for the back-to-school transition, and share it with a parent who is about to start waking their child up way earlier than they have all summer. 😅

08/04/2026

Apparently, babies have agreed to a very specific schedule of chaos: 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks, then 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months.

Convenient. Scientific? Not so much.

On Episode 19 of The Sleep Edit, Craig Canapari M.D. and I discuss the viral “3-6-9 rule,” Wonder Weeks storm clouds, rigid wake-window charts, and our collective desire to explain every sleep disruption with a neat little timeline.

I understand why parents believe these rules. When your baby suddenly starts waking more, fighting naps, or acting completely different, you want an explanation. The problem is that babies are people, and people are far too complicated to follow an internet infographic.

Your child’s age can offer context. It cannot tell you exactly what they are experiencing, how much sleep they need, or what schedule will work for them.

Before blaming the latest “leap,” look at the whole child: their development, health, sleep patterns, environment, and individual 24-hour sleep needs.

Because your baby is not a calendar notification.

Share this with a friend who needs permission to ignore the latest viral baby sleep rule.

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Boston, MA

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http://expecttosleep.com/

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