The Follow-Up: Motherhood Insomnia

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Kids & Family, Health & Fitness, Parenting

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you’ve ever spent the whole day dreaming about going to bed, only to climb under the covers and lie wide awake, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. I’m joined by sleep psychologist Dr. Shelby Harris to talk about the tired-but-wired cycle so many mothers fall into and why it’s more common than you think. We unpack the real reasons your brain won’t shut off at night, from revenge bedtime procrastination to the mental load that follows moms everywhere. Dr. Harris explains how habits, overstimulation, and our constant push to “catch up” all get in the way of rest, even when we’re desperate for it. And most importantly, she shares the science-backed strategies that actually work for an overwhelmed parent who needs sleep but can’t find the off switch. Whether you’re dealing with the occasional rough night or months of broken sleep, this conversation brings clarity, relief, and doable steps that don’t add more pressure to your already full plate. In This Episode, We Cover: ✔️ Why moms feel exhausted all day yet can’t fall asleep at night ✔️ The psychology behind “tired but wired” ✔️ Revenge bedtime procrastination and why it hits mothers so hard ✔️ How over-stimulation and unfinished to-dos keep your brain awake ✔️ Simple sleep hygiene habits that truly help ✔️ What to do when your phone is sabotaging your nights ✔️ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I): who it helps and why ✔️ When to consider medication and what that process looks like ✔️ How our own sleep habits shape our kids’ sleep long term Want more? Listen to the full, original episode. Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠! And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the follow-up, where we revisit a favorite episode of the Pete's Doc Talk
0:06.7	podcast in less time than it takes you to fall asleep after insisting you're exhausted all day.
0:12.3	I've been there.
0:13.2	It's Dr. Mona, and if you're listening around the holidays, you might be feeling this topic in your bones.
0:17.4	Before we get into it, make sure you pause, subscribe, and download because don't you know
0:21.8	that this is how the show continues to grow? I know I say it all the time, but those downloads
0:25.8	matter. Now, this season is joyful, yes, but it also takes a lot out of you. I don't know about
0:31.3	you, but I am not sleeping well. More mental load, more late nights, wrapping, planning,
0:36.4	parties, whatever, and more pressure
0:38.1	to make things feel magical. And that combo is the perfect recipe for what so many parents deal with.
0:43.5	Tired all day, wired at night, and then wide awake when your head finally hits the pillow.
0:49.1	Today we're bringing back my conversation with Dr. Shelby Harris, clinical psychologist,
0:52.6	and sleep medicine expert to help
0:55.4	unpack motherhood insomnia. We talk about why this happens. The tired but wired cycle,
1:01.2	sounds like babies, simple ways to wind down without medications, and the signs it's time to
1:06.1	bring in a specialist. If this quick hit makes you feel less alone or gives you one thing to try
1:11.2	tonight, make sure you download the full episode and share this follow up to your stories.
1:16.5	Tag at the Peds Doc Talk podcast, Peds Doc Talk, and at Sleep Doc, D-O-C, Shelby, S-H-E-L-B-Y,
1:24.0	so we can see what speaks to you. Let's get into it.
1:31.4	Thank you. Let's get into it. One of the things that I just find so fascinating, it's not really a joke, but it's like I did a reel about it. And I just think it's funny is how we are so tired all day as moms, right? I think everyone can attest to the fact that you wake up and you're just tired, tired, tired, you want to take a nap, you want to go to bed. And then when it's time to lay down to go to sleep, you can't sleep. Why does this, I mean, I'm sure you've heard this. Why does this happen? I think I understand, but some psychology behind, why are we just so, so tired all day? And then when it's finally time to get that sleep that we
2:01.5	so desperately need, we can't shut our minds off and go to bed. Well, I always say the phenomenon I say
2:07.0	it's tired but wired, right? So when you get into bed at night, a lot of times as new parents,
	...

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