My “Jesus Take the Wheel” Sleep Strategy Doesn’t Mean I’m a Bad Mom

The sun is setting before 6pm, and my kids think the party is just getting started.

Here in New Hampshire, the nights are getting longer... and as a sunlight person, that’s rough. When it gets dark, I want to crawl into bed. But my kids get a second wind.

I still remember the panic of our first daylight savings time when my baby was 6 months old. I was already a sleep-deprived mess, and the thought of losing more rest was terrifying.

So I did what I do best: all the research.
I found four-week prep plans. One-week guides. The "Jesus take the wheel" approach.
I decided to try a very gentle method that involved shifting bedtime five minutes a night.

Did it work? Not really.

What I learned: in my house, sleep is chaos. And the more I tried to control it, the worse I felt.

But then I found Hey Sleepy Baby, and everything clicked. Rachael’s advice felt like it was made for moms like me... moms with babies who just don’t follow the plan. Rachael’s advice was the first thing that felt compatible with my actual experience. While my approach to sleep is super chaotic, her approach is logical, grounded in research, and full of compassion.

With the time change coming, I had to have her on the podcast.

Because when our kids just don’t sleep (and let’s be honest, this isn’t just a newborn thing), it can feel like a reflection of our parenting or our worth. But it’s not.

In this week’s episode of Mom’s Guide to Finding Herself, Rachael Shepherd-Ohta and I talk about:

• Why sleep struggles feel like personal failures (they’re not)

• How the “good baby” myth messes with our confidence

• What to do when the time change throws everything off

• And what it really means to protect your mental health when sleep is unpredictable

If you’re feeling like a failure because your kid isn’t magically falling asleep after one bedtime story and a kiss… this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen to Episode 2: https://www.momidentityproject.com/baby-sleep-struggles-rachael-shepherd-ohta

Sending you big hugs,
Krissy 💛

P.S. A couple things you won’t want to miss:

📅 Free workshop coming up:
Becoming More Than Mom
🗓 11/13/25 at 8:00 PM ET
RSVP & more info → Auggie Event Page