About Alexis
I’m Alexis Dubief and I have over 15 years of experience working in technology and have a degree in Technical Writing from Carnegie Mellon and an MBA and MS Finance from the University of Colorado. And 5 years ago I was so tired I would have happily chewed off an arm and then eaten it in exchange for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
I’ve learned a lot since then and through a bizarre twist of fate, ended up helping local families with sleep problems. I read a ton, consult with local pediatricians and pediatric sleep specialists, and try to stay current on research related to kids and sleep. Mostly I write about kids, babies, sleep, and parenting. Or anything else that strikes me as interesting. I will happily take requests and am always open to new ideas.
Ten Things You Probably Want to Know About Me
I’m big on kids and sleep.
It’s not sexy but it’s true. Helping your kids get enough sleep is the single most important thing you can do to help them thrive. And it also helps you get more sleep. Want to be the world’s greatest parent? Get more sleep. It really is that simple.
I know of what I speak.
I’ve worked closely with 50+ families to resolve frustrating sleep problems from 6 week old babies up to stubborn 6 year olds. I’ve read every sleep book worth reading (and many more that weren’t). So I’ve learned a thing or two and I’m happy to share.
I am not now nor do I ever intend to be a professional “sleep lady.”
This baby sleep thing has been a strange detour in my life, and while it’s really rewarding to help sleepy families out of a jam, I will not be writing books, talking about babies on The View, etc. Although if Oprah calls, I’m always available.
There are times when CIO really is the answer.
I know some people feel that CIO is baby torture and that only the worst of all parents would even consider it. I am not one of them.
I live with and love 3 men.
However 2 of them are under 5.
I’m addicted to adventure racing.
Technically I’ve only done the Spartan Beast but I’ve signed up for 2 more. You should too. They’re crazy awesome.
I read a ton.
Mostly literature but I have a shameful romance, fantasy, sci fi habit which I refuse to admit to. And also…
I love Joss Whedon.
That is all.
I’m a terrible soccer player.
But oh how I love it so. Really, I do.
I love the funny.
If you are funny and I’m not reading your blog, let me know and I will remedy that.
Why I Created TroublesomeTots.com:
While there are some great books about kids and sleep there are unfortunately many more that are not so good, sending exhausted parents down the wrong path or worse, making them feel guilty for their inability to successfully make things better. Further, trying to wade through a medical sleep book while desperately sleep deprived yourself is an almost impossible task.
I’ve also found an appalling lack of credible sleep resources available online. As a result I created troublesometots.com to help tired and frustrated parents self-diagnose their specific situation, provide practical “how-to” guides on how to resolve it, and provide experience-based advice on how to successfully help your baby and preschooler to sleep in a respectful but effective way.
Brush with greatness – meeting Dr. Karp
For newborns (birth to 3-6 months) you can do no better than Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp and much of what is discussed here for newborn sleep strategies will be based heavily on this work. Other primary sources of medically-based sleep information for TroublesomeTots.com include:
- Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems – Richard Ferber M.D.
- Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child – Mark Weissbluth M.D.
- Sleeping with Your Baby: A Parent’s Guide to Cosleeping – James J. McKenna, PhD
- Various pediatric research journals (Pediatrics, Journal of Sleep Research, etc.)
- Interviews with pediatric sleep specialists and leading sleep researchers
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Jackie Peterson on 
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