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If you have a child who seems to fight sleep with every ounce of their being . . . you’re not alone. While some kids easily drift off, others — especially those who are highly sensitive, alert, and intense — struggle with winding down, leaving parents exhausted and desperate for solutions. In this episode of Chick Chat, I sit down with sleep expert Macall Gordon to discuss why traditional sleep advice often fails these “livewire” children and what parents can do instead. With years of research in infant mental health and temperament-based sleep strategies, Macall shares science-backed insights to help parents navigate bedtime battles with compassion, patience, and a plan that actually works.
Who is Macall Gordon?
Macall Gordon has a masters degree in applied psychology from Antioch University in Seattle with a research-based specialization in infant mental health, sleep advice, and parenting culture. She also has a bachelor of science in human biology from Stanford University. Macall has conducted and presented her own research on temperament, sleep, and parenting advice at infant and child development conferences around the world and she is a certified Gentle Sleep Coach as well as a featured provider on the women’s telehealth platform, Maven Clinic. She is also the author of the new book Why Won’t You Sleep?!: A Game-Changing Approach for Exhausted Parents of Nonstop, Super Alert, Big Feeling Kids. Macall comes to this work because she had two sensitive, alert, intense children, and she didn’t sleep for 18 years.
What Did We Discuss?
In this episode, I chat with Macall about sleep strategies for children with alert temperaments. We know that every child is different. However, when it comes to sleep, parents of highly sensitive kids aren’t always prepared for what bedtime might bring. That’s why we had to get the scoop from Macall. Here are several of the questions that we covered in our conversation:
- Please tell us about your journey with getting your children to sleep.
- What’s a “livewire,” and how do these temperament traits impact sleep and parenting?
- How does current sleep training information and research fail to consider temperament?
- What are some necessary workarounds to consider in working on sleep with “livewires”?
- Tell us about your “big four strategies” for sleep success.
- How can parents create a step-by-step plan for their child using a time-tested, evidence-based approach that doesn’t require leaving children alone to cry?
- We know that sleep training (or sleep teaching) can be exhausting for parents. Can you recommend any tips for tired parents going through the process?
- What are some of the perks of having a “livewire” child?
Sleep challenges with highly sensitive and intense kids can be beyond frustrating, but understanding how temperament affects sleep is a game-changer. As Macall Gordon explained, these children aren’t choosing to resist sleep. Rather, their perceptiveness, persistence, and big emotions make it harder for them to settle. With the right approach, parents can support their child’s natural sleep needs without endless battles or forcing a method that doesn’t work. We’re so grateful that Macall could share her insights with us in this episode!
Macall’s Resources
Mentioned in the Episode
Thank you for listening to our podcast! If you found this episode helpful, be sure to share it with another tired parent who could use some encouragement. And, as always, be sure to subscribe to Chick Chat: The Baby Chick Podcast for more empowering conversations like this one, leave us a review, and follow us on our podcast Instagram page @thebabychickchat for more inspiring content. Cheers to a restful night’s sleep!
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