TPP 412: Kim West and Macall Gordon on Why Kids Won’t Sleep, and What to Do About It
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
46 min
1 speaker
5 chapters
transcribed 15 hours ago
Transcript
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Yeah. We never had problems with bedtime resistance, but boy, she just couldn't calm that active brain down. And it would go fun places, ideas, questions, thoughts, ideas for s the story she wanted to write tomorrow. But it would also you know at times go into not great places. So a little rumination and spinning about something she saw, some social dynamic on the playground that wasn't great or whatever. And that would prolong bedtime just 'cause she couldn't. Calm down. And you have to have strategies for that in terms of setting limits and really teaching them deep breathing, mindfulness, how to have activities where you I say put the thoughts away for the day. You actually say, These are all great.
We're gonna talk about them tomorrow. Let's write 'em on a slip of paper. We'll talk about 'em tomorrow.
I'm Debbie Rieber, and welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. When my child was little, one of the most common sleep training methods was the cry it out approach. We tried it briefly and it felt absolutely terrible for all of us. I know that many of you guys out there can relate to the feelings of desperation and overwhelm that come when a child just Is not sleeping. I wish I'd known back then about sleep coaches McCall Gordon and Kim West, Kim is also known as the sleep lady, who've developed a gentler, effective approach to changing sleep patterns. Their approach, which is based on years of research and experience with thousands of families, is especially suited for children who are more alert, intense, and persistent than their peers, and who put up a bigger fight at bedtime.
Sound familiar? Then this episode is definitely for you. In their new book, Why Won't You Sleep: A game-changing approach for non-stop, super alert, big feeling kids, Kim and McCall present a fresh take on sleep training rooted in understanding a child's unique temperament. In our conversation, we cover those common sleep struggles, misconceptions about sleep training, and why a gradual approach is empowering. Empowering for both parents and children. They also share tips on setting limits for early risers and managing transitions that encourage peaceful nights. A little bit about today's guest, McCall Gordon, a researcher and certified gentle sleep coach, specializes in the link between temperament and sleep and has an MA in applied psychology.
She's also a featured provider on the women's telehealth platform Maven Clinic. Kim West, aka The Sleep Lady, has helped over 20,000 families worldwide gently teach their children to fall asleep without tears. With over 25 years of experience as a child and family social worker, Kim has appeared as a child sleep expert on shows like Dr. Phil, Today, and Good Morning America. If you are the parent of a child who struggles to fall or stay asleep, I hope you find comfort and practical tips in this episode that lead to more restful nights. Here is my conversation with McCall and Kim. Hey Kim and McCall, welcome to the podcast. Thanks. Thank you. Thanks for having us. Yeah, as always, I'm looking forward to this conversation.
I feel like I say that at the beginning of every episode, but I really am. This is another topic that is just such an issue for all parents, but especially parents who are listening to this show, because we're going to be talking about sleep. lack of sleep or all the impacts of challenging sleep on our life. So I've read your formal bios, but because I have the honor of having both of you on the show, co-authors of this new book, Why Won't You Sleep, and also you're both experts in this space, would you take a few minutes and do a little personal introduction for yourselves?
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–7:35
2
Why do traditional “cry‑it‑out” methods feel terrible for families of intense, alert kids?
7:35–10:46
3
How do Kim West and Macall Gordon define “gentle sleep coaching” for nonstop, big‑feeling children?
10:46–17:38
4
What role does a child’s temperament play in successful sleep training?
17:38–38:03
5
What are the common sleep‑training misconceptions that keep parents stuck?
38:03–46:09
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids