Ep. 51: What is 'Uspavani' and how can it help us support our children's sleep?

Evolutionary Parenting Podcast

When you think about your child's sleep, what are the words that often come to mind? I know in Western cultures, we often hear "independence", "self-soothing", "needy", "manipulative" and so on. The way in which we speak about something has a profound impact on how we conceptualize and approach it. In the realm of sleep, the language of independence and manipulation has led to the flourishing of sleep training and perceived sleep problems for many families. But what if we had culturally-approved and accepted language that focused on supporting our children during sleep? What difference could that make? The word Uspavani embraces just that. Unlike in our Western world, in the Czech Republic, they do have language that focuses on embracing the support our kids need. Joining me today is Mrs. Lenka Tinkova, a Czech sleep expert and graduate student who is exploring the very issue of how language and concepts like Uspavani support families in helping their children. If you've ever felt alone in your sleep journey or like you're doing something wrong by helping your child, it may be time to learn about and embrace Uspavani in your family. Mrs. Lenka Tinkova: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/lenka-m-tinkova/ Prosim Spinkej (Czech sleep site): https://ProsimSpinkej.cz Mrs. Tinkova's books: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/18740980.Lenka_Medvecov_Tinkov_ Article on Language and Sleep: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721821002254