All it Takes is a Plan

What does the vagus nerve have to do with sleep? More than you might think.

In this episode, I’m joined by Amanda Armstrong of Regulated Living to talk about the vagus nerve, nervous system regulation, and the connection between our nervous system and sleep.

We talk about what the vagus nerve actually does, how our nervous system responds to stress, and why regulation can play such an important role in our ability to settle, rest, and sleep.

Amanda also shares practical ways to support nervous system regulation, including breathing, movement, time outside, and creating an environment that is more supportive of our biology. We also talk about why there isn't one magic trick for regulating your nervous system, and why understanding your own body and what helps you feel settled is so important.

And while much of this conversation applies to adults, there's a lot here for parents, too. The way we regulate ourselves can have a direct impact on the people around us, including our children.

This is Part 1 of my conversation with Amanda. In Part 2, we'll dive much more specifically into nervous system regulation with kids, including practical ways parents can support their children—and why our own regulation is such an important part of that process.

Amanda Armstrong is the founder of Regulated Living, a mental health coaching practice focused on anxiety, depression, and nervous system regulation. She is also the author of Healing Through the Vagus Nerve and host of the Regulate and Rewire podcast.

Is your baby or toddler waking up in the middle of the night and staying awake for hours? If so, you may be dealing with a split night.

In this episode, we’re breaking down what a split night actually is, why they happen, and most importantly, how to fix them. We’ll talk about the most common causes for split nights, including a lack of independent sleep skills and/or a schedule issue.

Snag our FREE schedule guide for babies!

If you’re exhausted from being awake with your child for hours every night, this episode will help you understand what’s happening and give you practical steps to start getting those nights back on track.

And if you need more help, learn about how we can do that here.

In August of 2022, our oldest daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with cancer. Just 9 days before her 5th birthday, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Her main tumor was in her jaw muscle, and she had a handful of tumors in her lungs, as well.

Two weeks ago, I shared all of the details of Olivia's diagnosis: what led us to the ER that day and what those initial days and weeks looked like as we got more information and treatment started.

Last week, I shared about what her 40 weeks of frontline treatment looked like, including chemo and radiation. I also shared the many ways we were supported and loved on during her treatment.

This week, I'm sharing all about Olivia's relapse treatment, why we switched hospitals and chemo regimens, and surgery. And I'm also sharing a bit about what life looks like now, post-treatment!

In August of 2022, our oldest daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with cancer. Just 9 days before her 5th birthday, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Her main tumor was in her jaw muscle, and she had a handful of tumors in her lungs, as well.

Last week, I shared all of the details of Olivia's diagnosis: what led us to the ER that day and what those initial days and weeks looked like as we got more information and treatment started.

This week, I'm sharing all about her frontline treatment - what our day-to-day and week-to-week looked like for 40 weeks of chemo, as well as radiation. I also share the many ways we were loved on and supported during treatment.

In August of 2022, our oldest daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with cancer. Just 9 days before her 5th birthday, she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Her main tumor was in her jaw muscle, and she had a handful of tumors in her lungs, as well.

In this episode, I'm sharing all of the details of Olivia's diagnosis: what led us to the ER that day and what those initial days and weeks looked like as we got more information and treatment started.

In this episode, I'm answering YOUR questions! Here's what we're walking through:

1. How do we adjust our sons' sleep schedule (ages 9 and 6.5)? We want them to go to bed later at night and wake up later in the morning. We've pushed bedtime later, but they're now waking up even earlier in the morning.
2. Is my toddler (2 years 7 months) ready to drop her nap or should we push bedtime back later?
3. Should we give our 2.5-year-old a toddler clock or is he okay without it? Sometimes he wakes up in the morning and wants out of his crib right away, whereas other mornings he's content to play in his crib by himself!
4. How can I stretch my 5-month-old's wake windows? He struggles in the morning, especially.
5. Do you have any tips for juggling multiple nap schedules/bedtimes with multiple little ones, while still trying to have a life? I feel like I’m trapped in the house playing "musical kids all day."
6. What are your tips for transitioning a toddler from a crib to a bed?

And here are the FREE resources I mentioned in the episode:

• FREE sleep schedule guide for babies
• FREE bedtime boundary cards for toddlers

One of the questions I get most often from families preparing ot travel is: "How do we all sleep when we're sharing a hotel room?"

If you're nervous about sharing a hotel room with your baby or toddler, you're not alone. In this episode, I'm sharing practical tips we've used with our own family and the strategies I recommend to clients for making hotel room sleep easier.

We'll cover everything from creating separation in a shared space and packing the right sleep essentials to wake-ups and maintaining realistic expectations while you're away.

Travel sleep doesn't have to be perfect to be successful. And a few simple adjustments can make a big difference!

Make sure you snag our FREE packing list here!

The SlumberPod is our favorite product when traveling with kids. And you can use the code "VIAGRACESPOD" for a discount!

Check out our comprehensive travel guide that will help you navigate not only hotel stays but also time change, airplane travel, naps on the go, adjusting back home, and more.

And finally, if sharing a hotel room is the least of your worries, because restful nights aren't even the norm at home right now, we would love to help! Learn more about what that would look like here.

In this week’s episode, I’m sharing something a little different and more personal — our family’s experience with homeschooling.

I talk about why we chose homeschooling, what we’ve come to love about it, and also the parts that have been genuinely hard. From slower mornings and family rhythms to the challenges and sacrifices that come with it, this episode is just an honest conversation about what homeschooling looks like in our home right now.

Whether you homeschool, send your kids to school, or are simply curious about why families make different educational choices, I hope this episode feels encouraging, relatable, and freeing as you navigate what’s best for your own family.

If your toddler suddenly starts fighting their bedtime routine, or they start freaking out when you go to lay them in their crib or tuck them in for the night - and before this, sleep has been pretty smooth - separation anxiety may be playing a role.

But it’s not always the whole story.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

• When separation anxiety most often shows up in toddler sleep
• Why it's actually happening developmentally
• Signs that separation anxiety is impacting your toddler's sleep
• Practical ways to support your toddler without unintentionally creating new sleep struggles

I also share a bit about how to know when something else may be affecting your toddler's sleep.

If you find yourself stuck, not knowing if this is separation anxiety or how to help your toddler sleep anymore, check out our personalized sleep training plans here.

If your baby suddenly cries the moment you walk toward the crib, or bedtime feels like more of a fight, or the nap and bedtime routine have gotten tougher, separation anxiety may be playing a role.

But it’s not always the whole story.

In this episode, I’m breaking down:

• When separation anxiety most often shows up in baby sleep
• Why it's actually happening developmentally
• Signs it's impacting sleep
• Practical ways to support your baby without unintentionally creating new sleep struggles.

I also share a bit about how to know when something else may be affecting sleep.

If you find yourself stuck, not knowing if this is separation anxiety or how to help your baby sleep anymore, check out our personalized sleep training plans here.