Better Sleep for Kids AND Parents: Let’s Talk About It with Majo

Let’s be honest—nobody warned you that bedtime would be the thing that broke you.

Not your kid throwing a tantrum in Target. Not your marriage feeling a little off. Not even the existential dread that hits after you yell when you swore you wouldn’t.

Nope. It’s bedtime. The quiet hour that never is.

That’s why this episode was such a breath of fresh air. I sat down with Majo Piedra de Buena, parent coach and child sleep consultant (and mom of two who totally gets it), and we talked about the messy middle of sleep, co-sleeping, resentment, short naps, and what’s actually realistic when you’re just trying to survive the night without losing your damn mind.

Majo lives in Argentina, works with parents all over, and specializes in helping families figure out how to support their babies' sleep—without shame, without impossible routines, and without crying it out if that’s not your thing. And trust me, that’s not my thing.

We got real fast. Like, “my toddler won’t sleep unless her hands are down my bra” kind of real.

Here’s what we unpacked.

NOTHING IS Broken. Sleep Is Just... Complicated.

One of the first things Majo said that hit me hard was that sleep isn’t just about babies. It’s about us. It’s about how we show up when we’re sleep-deprived, overstimulated, and still expected to do all the things. Parenting, working, cleaning, healing, cooking, regulating, and then what? Sleeping? Yeah, right.

When we’re not sleeping, it’s not just our bodies that are tired. It’s our relationships. Our patience. Our nervous systems. And no, you’re not the only one rage-breathing through a bedtime routine that should have taken 15 minutes but took two hours and ended in tears—yours, not the baby’s.

Sleep deprivation doesn't just make you tired. It makes you doubt yourself. It makes you snappy with your partner. It makes you resent your kid for needing you. It brings up stuff you didn’t even know you were carrying.

And we need to talk about it more.

You Don’t Have to Do Cry-It-Out (Unless You Want To)

Majo was super clear: your baby will cry when something changes. That’s not trauma, that’s life.

But “cry it out” as a method? You don’t have to do that to get sleep back. You don’t have to leave your baby alone in a dark room sobbing if it doesn’t sit right with you. There are ways to support your child through sleep transitions without abandoning your own instincts.

The crying that happens isn’t punishment. It’s resistance. And resistance is normal. Your baby didn’t ask for change. You did. Because you’re tired. Because what’s happening right now isn’t working. And that’s valid.

So when your baby resists? Of course they will. Change is uncomfortable. Even for us. That doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means you’re doing something new.

Everyone’s Sleep Goal Looks Different—and That’s Okay

This part felt like a giant exhale.

One family’s dream might be their baby waking only twice a night. Another might be panicking because their baby wakes up once. Some parents want to transition to a crib. Others are good with co-sleeping but want better naps.

Your goal is yours. Not your friend’s. Not your pediatrician’s. Not that influencer who swears her 9-week-old sleeps 12 hours on their own in a Montessori floor bed (uh huh, okay).

What matters is what you need. Not the pressure to match someone else’s version of rest.

Control Is the Illusion That’s Making You Lose Your Mind

This one slapped.

Majo said the most common issue she sees isn’t “bad sleepers.” It’s exhausted parents trying to control the uncontrollable. She told me, “Your job is to bring them to a safe space at the right time. Their job is to fall asleep.”

Let that sink in.

You’re not in charge of how long they sleep, or when they finally let go and drift off. You’re in charge of setting the conditions. That’s it.

And yeah, it’s hard. Because control feels safer than surrender. But the harder we try to force sleep, the more anxious bedtime becomes. For everyone.

It’s actually an act of control to stop trying to control so much. Majo’s words, not mine—but damn, they hit.

Social Media Is Lying to You (and You Know It)

We talked about how social media warps your expectations. You see the baby content and think—why is their bedtime routine so calm? Why does her toddler nap like clockwork? Why does that mom have energy at 8pm?

But those snapshots don’t show the screaming before the video. The short nap that wrecked the day. The fact that even sleep consultants have rough nights.

Majo used to post “day in the life” clips showing her own kids struggling with sleep. Not because she was doing it wrong. Because that’s normal. Kids are people. Not robots. And when we believe the curated version, we set ourselves up to feel like failures.

You’re Not Just Tired—You Might Be Resentful (and That Matters)

We went there. That lowkey, creeping resentment that builds when you’re doing everything and nobody sees it. Especially at night.

When your partner doesn’t wake up.

When the baby only wants you.

When the toddler crawls in your bed and your husband “accidentally” falls asleep with them instead of coming back.

That silent weight is real. And it’s not about blaming anyone. But if you’re noticing yourself snapping more, sighing louder, needing space but not getting it—that’s not just exhaustion. That’s unmet needs. And those matter too.

Earlier Bedtimes Can Actually Fix More Than You Think

This was probably the most practical shift that surprised me.

Majo’s clients in Argentina usually push back on early bedtime. But she sees a massive difference when families adjust. Because kids, even older ones, need 10–12 hours of sleep. And you can’t put them down at 10pm and expect them to wake at 8 and feel okay. Their bodies just don’t work like that.

Earlier sleep = less resistance, fewer wake-ups, and a smoother next day.

I know, it feels impossible some nights. But even moving bedtime up by 20–30 minutes can change the game.

3 Things You Can Do Tonight

Majo left us with this:

Tell your kids you love them.
Snuggle them for real, not just as a task.
And put them to bed before they hit overtired. Because overtired kids aren’t just cranky—they’re impossible to settle. If you’ve ever seen your kid go from full-blown meltdown to “I love you so much, Mommy” in a five-minute swing... that’s what she’s talking about.

You can’t fix sleep in a night. But you can shift the energy you bring to it. And that matters.

If your bedtime routine feels more like a battleground than a bonding moment, you’re not failing.

You’re not too much. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just tired. And you’re doing your best.

That’s enough.

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