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Mar De Carlo | Sleep . Coaching . Business

@mar_decarlo

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followers

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Pioneer of Holistic Sleep Coaching
Founder, @parentinghealthinstitute
Trained nearly 4,000 professionals
3 decades • 73 countries • Certifications ↓

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Today I’m sharing something personal and powerful:

My new podcast, Parenting Relief, is officially live.

Episode 1 is called: When Parenting Hurts (You’re Not Failing) and this short clip is from that first episode.

Because there’s a kind of pain that comes with parenting that isn’t always easy to admit: the pressure, the guilt, the emotional exhaustion… even when you love your kids more than anything.

Parenting can be deeply meaningful… and also emotionally intense in ways people don’t always talk about. Many parents carry guilt, overwhelm, and constant pressure while trying to “do it right,” often without enough support.

In this episode, I explore:
• why parenting can feel heavy even when you love your kids deeply
• how guilt and shame get triggered
• what “survival mode” looks like in everyday parenting
• how to shift into relief, clarity, and growth (without chasing perfection)

And I share 4 practical tools you can start using today to feel more grounded and supported in real life.

🎧 Available now on Spotify + Apple Podcasts
📌 Link in bio to listen + follow

This episode is also the foundation for my upcoming book:

When Parenting Hurts: Why You’re Not Failing: A Guide to Relief & Transformation (coming soon)

And if you want support you can use right now, my guide is available:

2026: A Compassionate Reset for Parents in my store in my bio.💛

If you’re a parent, or you support parents professionally, I’d love to hear what resonates. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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9 months ago

If you’re overgiving in your coaching practice…
this is your wake-up call.

Boundaries don’t push clients away.
👉 They build trust.�👉 They create safety.�👉 They elevate your work.

In this episode, I break down:
✨ The real reason coaches struggle with boundaries�✨ How to structure your business so overstepping stops�✨ Exact scripts you can use immediately�✨ How to hold boundaries without losing aligned clients

🎧 Available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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6 months ago

If you’re a coach, there’s a high probability you’re missing one of the most valuable tools for client transformation.

Most coaches were trained in WHAT to teach…

But not what to say when:

* a client shuts down
* avoids accountability
* becomes emotionally overwhelmed
* fears change
* seeks reassurance
* resists the process
* tests boundaries
* spirals in self-doubt

And yet…

The language you use can either:
✔ regulate or dysregulate
✔ create trust or resistance
✔ support empowerment or dependency

That’s why I created:

The Coach’s Language Manual™

A practical coaching communication digital guide filled with:
✨ scripts
✨ reframes
✨ nervous-system-aware language tools
✨ boundary-setting support
✨ emotional regulation communication
✨ helping vs. saving distinctions
✨ real-world coaching responses

Because transformational coaching is not just about information.

It’s about:

how your words land in someone’s nervous system.

If you’re a:

* coach
* sleep consultant
* wellness professional
* therapist
* mentor
* helping practitioner

…and you’ve ever thought:
“I know what I want to say, but not always how to say it in the moment…”

This guide was created for you.

✨ Introductory pricing: $47
📌 StanStore Link in bio taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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5 months ago

Sometimes, the smallest steps represent extraordinary moments.

In this touching video, a little boy receives his first prosthetic leg, carefully fitted by a specialist as his mother stays close beside him.

And then comes the moment that makes this video so special.

With encouragement and assistance, he begins taking steps.

His expressions, curiosity, and the support surrounding him make this a beautiful reminder of what becomes possible when children have access to the care, resources, and opportunities they need.

But there’s something important worth recognizing beyond this heartwarming moment.

For children born with limb differences or those who experience limb loss, pediatric prosthetics can provide additional opportunities for mobility, exploration, play, and participation in everyday activities.

And while every child’s developmental journey is different, early access to appropriate healthcare, rehabilitation, and family-centered support can make a meaningful difference.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we believe supporting healthy child development means recognizing the whole child.

Their physical development.
Their emotional well-being.
Their individual needs.
Their relationships.
And the environments that support their growth.

This video is also a beautiful reminder of the people who make a difference in children’s lives: parents, caregivers, healthcare professionals, therapists, and specialists working together.

Because childhood isn’t about reaching milestones on someone else’s timeline.

It’s about giving every child opportunities to explore, develop, and thrive in their own way.

Every child deserves to feel supported, included, and celebrated for who they are.

Credit: Video attributed to Brazilian prosthetics specialist Fabrício Bolzan, @ fabricio_proteses.

Shared for educational and inspirational purposes. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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5 hours ago

Is sleeping with your dog really ruining your sleep? New research is challenging what we’ve been told about sharing our beds with our four-legged companions.

For years, some sleep experts have warned that dogs in bed can disrupt sleep. But a 2026 University of Toronto study tracking 25 adults and 38 dogs over approximately four weeks found no significant association between bed-sharing and reduced human sleep duration or efficiency.

Here’s the surprising part: Among human-dog pairs whose nighttime movements were correlated, humans moved before their dogs more often than the reverse.

Could we sometimes be the ones disturbing them?

A separate 2025 study found indicators of better sleep in dogs when their owners were present. Dogs are also polyphasic sleepers, meaning they naturally sleep in multiple periods throughout the day and night.

And there’s an emotional dimension worth exploring: 72% of participants in the 2026 study reported feeling safer with their dogs.

Perceived safety, comfort, stress, and the sleep environment can all shape our experience of sleep. But feeling safer doesn’t automatically mean sleeping better.

Importantly, earlier research has linked dogs sleeping on the bed with reduced human sleep efficiency. The newer studies don’t prove that bed-sharing improves sleep, and individual experiences vary.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), our Holistic Science of Sleep Method™ encourages us to consider the whole picture: physiology, emotional well-being, environment, and the needs of both humans and animals.

For some, sleeping beside a dog brings comfort. For others, it means more interruptions. Neither experience should be dismissed.

Does your dog sleep in your bed? Do you feel you sleep better together?

Sources: University of Toronto (2026); Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2017); canine sleep study (2025). taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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14 hours ago

During a Mother’s Day activity at a school in Brazil, a mother identified as Carol Modesto was blindfolded and asked to recognize her son, Dimitri, among several boys.

One by one, she gently touched the children, feeling their shoulders, arms, and faces.

Then came the moment that made this video so moving.

She recognized her son.

And as he realized his mother had found him, his emotions became overwhelming.

But perhaps the most beautiful part of this story isn’t that a mother recognized her child without seeing him.

It’s what that moment may have meant to her son.

She knows me. She recognizes me. Even among others, I am uniquely hers.

For children, feeling seen, understood, and emotionally connected to their caregivers is fundamental to their developing sense of security and belonging.

Developmental research consistently highlights the importance of responsive caregiving, affection, and emotional attunement in supporting healthy parent-child relationships.

And sometimes, those connections are communicated without a single word.

Through a familiar touch.
A reassuring embrace.
A moment of undivided attention.
A parent who notices when something isn’t quite right.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we emphasize that parenting goes beyond meeting a child’s physical needs.

Children also need emotional connection, responsiveness, and opportunities to feel valued for who they are.

Of course, recognizing a child while blindfolded isn’t a measure of parental love or attachment. Every parent-child relationship is unique.

But this beautiful moment reminds us of something worth reflecting on:

Children don’t just need to know they are loved. They benefit from experiencing that love in ways that feel meaningful to them.

Sometimes, the smallest moments of connection leave the deepest impressions.

And sometimes, being recognized means more than we can put into words.

🎥 Credit: @ Carol_Modesto_ taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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a day ago

Should we really be rewarding children for sleeping?

Sleep is a biological function, not an achievement.

During today’s live mentoring class in our Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program, I discussed why I encourage professionals to reconsider using rewards, prizes, and incentives for children’s sleep.

I’m not against rewarding children, nor am I criticizing parents who use sleep reward charts.

But there’s an important distinction between rewarding a child for participating in a bedtime routine and rewarding them for actually falling asleep.

One is a behavior. The other is a biological process that cannot simply be commanded.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we encourage children to develop awareness of their body’s signals rather than making sleep primarily about following external instructions.

Can they recognize when they’re tired? When they’re overstimulated? When their body is beginning to relax? What helps them transition naturally toward sleep?

This awareness is connected to interoception, our ability to recognize and interpret internal bodily signals.

And there’s an interesting parallel with nutrition.

Think about how many adults have intellectualized eating and sleeping.

Follow this diet. Eat at this time. Sleep at this hour. Follow this formula.

While structure and guidance have their place, we can become so focused on external rules that we overlook what our bodies are communicating.

Are we hungry? Full? Tired? Restless? Overstimulated?

These are signals worth understanding, not simply overriding.

Although research has not established that sleep reward charts undermine bodily awareness, our approach at IPHI encourages professionals to consider the long-term relationship children develop with sleep.

Because our goal isn’t simply to get a child to sleep tonight.

It’s to help children develop a healthy, connected relationship with their bodies and sleep that can support them throughout life.

Excerpt from Class 6 of IPHI’s live mentoring component of our Holistic Pregnancy & Child Sleep Consultant Certification Program. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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2 days ago

It takes a village to raise a child. And sometimes, that village includes someone standing at a crosswalk. ❤️

For approximately eight years, auxiliary police officer Song Weilin has reportedly helped schoolchildren safely cross the street in Tianshui, Gansu Province, China.

But what makes this story so touching isn’t simply his dedication to keeping children safe.

It’s the relationships he’s built along the way.

Instead of walking past him, children eagerly approach him for high-fives, hugs, and playful interactions.

And their excitement speaks volumes.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we recognize that children’s development is influenced by far more than what happens inside their homes.

The relationships children form with teachers, neighbors, caregivers, community members, and other trusted adults can contribute to their sense of belonging, connection, and emotional well-being.

Children benefit from communities where they feel seen, valued, respected, and supported.

And sometimes, the smallest daily interactions can become meaningful moments in a child’s life.

A familiar smile.

A warm greeting.

A moment of playfulness.

Someone who remembers them.

Someone who makes an ordinary part of their day feel special.

These moments remind us that nurturing children isn’t exclusively the responsibility of parents.

It’s also about creating communities where kindness, connection, and care extend beyond the family.

Because raising children has never been something we were meant to do entirely alone.

And perhaps that’s what makes this video so beautiful.

He’s helping children cross the street. But he’s also showing us what it can look like when a community shows up for its children.

Sometimes, being part of a child’s village doesn’t require a grand gesture.

Just showing up, consistently, with kindness.

What a beautiful reminder of the difference one caring adult can make.

🎥 Credit: Original footage reportedly captured by CCTV, China. Please DM for credit or removal. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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2 days ago

Your teenager may be struggling with sleep for reasons that go far beyond screen time.

A 2026 study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that 51.5% of adolescents surveyed reported technology-related sleep disruption.

Researchers surveyed 472 U.S. teens ages 13–17, examining negative experiences across 20 digital platforms.

The findings raise important questions about what teenagers are navigating online.

Nearly 45% reported witnessing harassment, online or offline. Others encountered unwanted sexual images and content encouraging self-harm.

But here’s something worth considering:

When teenagers put down their phones, the emotional impact of what they’ve experienced doesn’t necessarily disappear.

A hurtful comment. Social rejection. Cyberbullying. Pressure to respond. Disturbing content.

These experiences may contribute to stress, emotional arousal, and difficulty winding down for sleep.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we encourage families and professionals to look beyond sleep behaviors and consider the whole child.

Adolescent sleep is influenced by biology, emotional well-being, relationships, developmental changes, daily routines, and the environment.

Healthy technology boundaries matter. But boundaries without understanding may overlook what a teenager is actually experiencing.

Instead of focusing exclusively on screen time, consider asking:

“How do you feel after spending time online?”

“Is anything happening digitally that’s making you uncomfortable?”

“Do you feel safe talking to me about what you see?”

Sometimes, supporting healthier sleep begins with a conversation.

Through IPHI’s Holistic Children & Teen Sleep Coach Certification, we go beyond traditional sleep hygiene to explore social media, cyberbullying, digital safety, emotional well-being, family dynamics, and healthy technology boundaries.

Learn more at ParentingHealthInstitute.com

Source: JAMA Pediatrics (2026), Adolescents’ Experiences of Online Harms by Platform. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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3 days ago

He thought he was rushing to break up a student fight. What happened next was something he never expected.

At Lakeview–Fort Oglethorpe High School in Georgia, students came together to organize an unforgettable birthday surprise for their principal, Bobby Davis.

Their plan? Stage a fake fight in the school hallway to get his attention.

When Principal Davis rushed over to intervene, the students suddenly stopped and erupted into a chorus of “Happy Birthday!”

What appeared to be a moment of conflict became an extraordinary display of appreciation, laughter, and love.

But perhaps the most meaningful part of this story is WHY the students wanted to surprise him.

One student who helped organize the celebration shared:

“He single-handedly changed me for the better, and he knows I could never take it for granted.”

Those words speak volumes.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we believe that the relationships children and teenagers develop with the adults in their lives can have a profound influence on their emotional well-being, confidence, and sense of belonging.

And those relationships extend far beyond the home.

Teachers, principals, coaches, mentors, and other trusted adults can become important sources of encouragement, stability, and inspiration.

Sometimes, the greatest impact an educator makes has little to do with academics.

It’s about making a young person feel seen, heard, respected, and valued.

And when young people experience that kind of connection, they often carry it with them long after their school years have ended.

This wasn’t just a birthday surprise. It was a reminder that the way we show up for young people matters.

To every educator making a difference, even when you don’t realize it: Your influence may be greater than you know. ❤️

What’s one teacher, principal, or mentor who made a lasting difference in your life? Share your story below.

🎥 Video credit: Lauren Cantrell / @ lfo_warriors taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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3 days ago

Somewhere along the way, many of us forget how to celebrate life like this. 🥹❤️🎂

No holding back.

No worrying about who’s watching.

No wondering whether she’s being too loud, too excited, or too expressive.

Just a little girl completely immersed in the joy of her birthday. 🥰

And there’s something beautiful about that.

Children remind us that happiness doesn’t always need a reason beyond simply being present in the moment.

Their excitement, curiosity, laughter, and spontaneous expressions of joy are all part of how they experience and engage with the world around them.

💛 And here’s something worth remembering as parents and caregivers:

Childhood isn’t just about teaching children how to navigate the world.

It’s also about creating opportunities for them to explore, express themselves, celebrate, connect, and experience the wonder of being alive.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we recognize the importance of supporting children’s emotional, social, and developmental well-being through responsive, holistic approaches to parenting.

Because raising children isn’t only about preparing them for adulthood.

It’s also about honoring the childhood they’re experiencing right now. 🫶🏽

And sometimes, our children remind us of something we may have forgotten ourselves:

Life is worth celebrating.💫

May this little girl never lose that beautiful enthusiasm for life! ❤️

What’s one thing children have taught YOU about happiness?👇🏽

🎥 Video credit: @ mireinabonita_20Shared for appreciation and parenting education. DM for credit or removal. taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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4 days ago

Can we talk about concerns surrounding baby sleep training without shaming mothers who have tried it?

It’s a question I often hear from sleep consultants, parenting professionals, and mothers worldwide.

My answer begins here:

We can question a practice without questioning a parent’s love.

Conversations about infant sleep shouldn’t be competitions over who’s parenting correctly. They should create opportunities to educate, understand, and support.

At the International Parenting & Health Institute (IPHI), we encourage families and professionals to look beyond “Does sleep training work?” and ask:

What is a baby’s sleep behavior communicating?

How do biology, development, emotions, and environment influence sleep?

How can we support healthy sleep through connection and responsiveness?

How can we educate without guilt, fear, or shame?

Parents deserve more than conflicting advice and pressure to follow a method. They deserve compassionate education and informed choices.

Babies deserve support that respects their development, needs, and relationships.

After nearly three decades in holistic health and parenting education, I’ve learned that meaningful conversations begin with curiosity, not judgment.

When we choose compassion over correction and education over confrontation, we make room for understanding and meaningful change.

We don’t need to shame mothers to advocate for babies.

And we don’t need to silence important conversations about sleep training to protect parents from judgment.

We can examine the evidence AND lead with empathy.

Let’s create a world where infant sleep is supported through understanding and connection, not control.

Explore IPHI’s holistic approach to infant and child sleep and our professional certification programs.

ParentingHealthInstitute.com taken in Worldwide by @mar_decarlo

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5 days ago