At Least They Sleep
As I mentioned in our About section, sleep is probably the one area of parenting where we actually “got it right” (eventually). It wasn’t easy—there were plenty of headaches, frustrations, and middle-of-the-night wake-ups—but both of our kids are now solid sleepers (knock on wood). Bedtime isn’t stressful. No battles, no tears. The kids go to bed, they fall asleep, and they stay asleep until morning. Even when one wakes up early, they just hang out quietly until it’s time to get up.
All credit goes to Pam. I just followed directions—she was the sleep captain.
Why Sleep Matters for Us
Like most parents, we desperately wanted some “us” time back—time to work out, relax, or just sit on the couch without being asked to read a book or eat a pretend piece of cake. Having kids who sleep well is our mental reset. It’s the reason we can function like semi-normal humans.
The Background
Our daughter was what people call an easy baby. She slept through the night almost from day one. Aside from the occasional regression (ugh, those stupid leaps), she was solid. She started in a bassinet in our room for three months, then moved to her nursery with no issues.
Our son… was not that.
When we brought him home, he refused to sleep unless he was being held. I had to work, so that burden mostly fell on Pam. She spent a month sleeping upright on the couch with him. I’ll never forget how hard that was on her. And I’m not scared to share, that some nights I cried out of guilt because I knew how hard it was on her. When I could, I’d trade places with her, but those nights were brutal.
Eventually we moved him to his room and his crib. But, he also woke up constantly to eat—three, four, sometimes five times a night. We were running on fumes. Something had to give.
Enter Taking Cara Babies
Pam had followed Cara’s Instagram since our daughter was born. It’s where she first learned about sleep schedules, wake windows, and all that good stuff.
One night, after a particularly rough night, I was doom-scrolling and came across her page. Out of pure desperation, we bought the 5–24 Month Sleep Training Course—$249.
At the time, it felt insane. Who spends that much on online baby sleep videos?
We bought the course on August 4, 2024, and started the program on August 7, 2024, and by the third night, our son was sleeping through the night. The. Third. Night. I was floored. If I’d known the results in advance, I’m embarrassed to share the sums I’d have paid. Whatever magic Cara is teaching—it works.
And for the record, this isn’t sponsored. We’re just seriously grateful customers. If you’re struggling with baby sleep, this was absolutely worth it.
How We Do It Now
These days, our household runs like a well-oiled bedtime machine.
Our daughter sleeps 8 p.m. → 6:45 a.m. (school mornings), and our son 8 p.m. → 7:15 a.m.
Consistency. One word. That’s it.
The Routine
Daughter
Dinner: 5:45–6:15/6:30
Bath/Shower: 6:30–7:00
Pajamas + Family Time: 7:00–7:30
“Power Down” (teeth, potty, into bed): 7:30
Asleep: 7:35 (like clockwork)
Son
Dinner: 5:45–6:15/6:30
Walk: 6:30–6:45
Bottle: 6:45–7:00
Family Time: 7:00–7:30
Bath: 7:30–7:45
Bedtime: 7:45–8:00
Asleep: 8:00
Every. Single. Night.
The Trade-Off
Weeknights? Easy. Weekends? More complicated. When friends invite us over, we still try to be home by bedtime. If we’ve already eaten, we skip the dinner part—but the rest stays the same. We both handle bedtime—Pam takes our daughter, I take our son. It’s a team effort. We’re not completely inflexible, but exceptions are rare (New Year’s Eve, for example).
Some parents might mock or roll their eyes at that level of structure (our friends certainly do). And that’s fair—it’s not for everyone. But for us, it’s been worth the sacrifice. Our evenings are calm, our kids sleep well, and our sanity remains (mostly) intact.
How do you handle bedtime routines? Are you team schedule or team chaos?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments—I’m genuinely curious.
