When you make sleep a priority life will really change for the better. -Dr. Whitney Roban

I’ll be honest: I’ve never had a consistent bedtime routine.

I teach kids to cook real food, I help families get healthier… and yet when it comes to sleep? Total kryptonite. That’s why I knew I needed to bring in a real expert—someone who doesn’t just say, “You should get more sleep,” but actually shows us how.

Dr. Whitney Roban is a clinical psychologist turned sleep consultant who works with families, schools, and even corporations to teach the why and the how of better sleep. And friends, her tips are not only practical but wildly doable, even if your current sleep situation feels like a disaster.

She breaks down:

  • how to figure out your (and your child’s) ideal amount of sleep
  • the real reason your teen can’t fall asleep before 11 p.m.
  • what you should (and shouldn’t) do right before bed
  • the surprisingly simple “test” to know how sleep deprived you are
  • how to rewire your habits without overhauling your entire life
  • what’s sabotaging your melatonin (hint: it’s probably in your hand right now)
  • how sleep deprivation hurts more than just your mood
  • and why it’s never too late to start respecting sleep in your household

This conversation was such a conviction for me and maybe it will be for you, too.

You’ll hear me admit my own struggles with sleep, the late-night screen time I know I shouldn’t do, and the tiny changes I’m working on. (I even share a little “mom guilt” about bedtime routines and my husband… can you relate?)

So if you’ve been meaning to “get better sleep” but have no idea where to start – or you’re just tired of being tired – this episode is your permission slip to pause and reset.

Let’s solve our sleep one baby step at a time!

(Just a note that this was recorded in 2020, so there are a lot of references to the pandemic and that time frame!)

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No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes!

These time stamps align with the video and not the audio podcast, but they should be pretty close!

Healthy Sleep Video Time Stamps

  • 0:15: We talk a lot about food on the Healthy Parenting Handbook, but today we’re talking about healthy sleep which is equally important to our health!
  • 0:39: I’m speaking with Dr. Whitney Roban who is a sleep specialist.

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  • 1:24: Dr. Whitney started off as a cognitive-behavioral psychologist. She shares how she transitioned to sleep consulting.

Am I Sleep Deprived?

  • 2:42: Adults and children alike struggle with sleep. Before the COVID pandemic, 40% of the population in the US had clinical sleep deprivation, now it’s up to 78%! 😮
  • 3:35: Dr. Whitney works with families, educates kids about healthy sleep, and consults in corporate settings. She tells us a bit more about what she does in each of these areas.

Kids want to learn about sleep. -Dr. Whitney Roban

  • 5:40: One of my silver linings during this shelter in place time has been that my kids have gotten really good sleep without an early morning wake up for school. It was really interesting to watch how my kids, especially my 15-year-old, responded.
  • 6:37: I’m terrible at getting enough sleep! It’s been an ongoing goal of mine to get more sleep. We talk about how many hours of sleep adults need, and a practical experiment to see how much sleep you need.

No matter what life throws at our kids, we need them to be resilient.

This free download will give you some practical and actionable steps to improve brain health and resilience.







Tips for Healthy Sleep

  • 8:22: Going to bed at the same time is important as well as going to bed at the right time for your circadian rhythm.
  • 8:53: Teenager’s circadian rhythms shift a bit making them stay up a bit later (but not til 3am!) and need about 9 hours of sleep.
  • 10:26: We all know we should get enough sleep, but most of us don’t. Dr. Whitney shares some good motivation!

If it only affected our physical health that would be reason enough to get enough sleep. -Dr. Whitney Roban

There's nothing that healthy sleep can't have a positive effect on. -Dr. Whitney Roban

  • 12:16: Sleep deprivation is cumulative. You might not notice the effects on the first day after a night of short sleep, but after a couple of days it will catch up with you.
  • 14:32: Dr. Whitney shares her most practical tips for healthy sleep. They are: keep a consistent sleep schedule, us an appropriate bedtime routine, prepare your sleep environment, watch your daytime behaviors that affect sleep and prioritize sleep. Listen in here for more details!

We’re not light switches, we don’t click off the switch and just go to sleep. -Dr. Whiteny Roban

Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.

Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)






Or find out more about the free knife class here.

  • 17:04: Many of us don’t consider what we’re doing prior to going to sleep, but expect that we’ll just fall asleep with the flick of a switch.
  • 17:30: Everyone will have different elements of their bedtime routine, but no screens is an important aspect for everyone to add. Blue blocker glasses can help if you have to do computer work before bed.

When you make sleep a priority life will really change for the better. -Dr. Whitney Roban

  • 19:04: If this all seems overwhelming, pick one new thing to do tonight before bed. Then pick another one in a few days. Consistency is key, don’t just try something for a couple of days before dismissing it.
  • 19:32: Design your bedtime routine so that you’re looking forward to it and you enjoy bedtime!

Resources We Mentioned for Healthy Sleep

Dr. Whitney RobanDr. Whitney Roban is a Family, Educational, and Corporate Sleep Specialist, and the founder of Solve Our Sleep. She is also the author of the Devin & Evan book series, as well as a sought-after presenter on sleep to corporations and schools. Dr. Roban’s mission is to provide the sleep education and support parents, teachers, students, and employees need to succeed. Dr. Roban’s unique and invaluable education and training as a Clinical Psychologist paved the way to her success as a leading sleep expert.

Healthy sleep for the whole family