Every parent I  know has relied on the magic soothing abilities of a pacifier at one time or another, and for good reason. There's no arguing their effectiveness. Nothing quiets a crying baby faster with as little effort as popping a soother in their mouth.

Now, I'm not anti-pacifier, but I do think they should be used in certain circumstances, and that they can have a negative effect on sleep if used at bedtime.

In today's show, I'll tell you my thoughts on when is the right time to use them, when you should avoid it, and when is the right time to do away with them for good.

According to a 2013 analysis by the NHIS, nearly 10% of children aged 4-17 will be diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives.

The trademark symptoms, hyperactivity, lack of focus, and forgetfulness, are easily attributed to the disorder, but my guest today has shown compelling evidence that many kids who display them are actually not suffering from ADHD at all, but actually from a lack of sleep.

Dr Vatsal Thakkar, Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, and author of the New York Times opinion article Diagnosing the Wrong Deficit, joins me on today's episode to discuss why the two conditions are so easily mistaken for one another, and how a renewed focus on your little one's sleep habits might just be the solution to the problem.

Some parents love the experience of sleeping next to their baby, whereas others end up doing it out of necessity, enduring the inevitable fingers in the nose and late-night kicks to the belly in exchange for an otherwise peaceful night.

But at some point, the time comes when your little one has to move into their own room and stay there, which, as many parents know, can be cause for a series of midnight meltdowns.

In today's episode, I have a bunch of useful tips for deciding if it's the right time to make the switch, explaining it to your child in a way they'll actually understand and (hopefully) embrace, and setting rules and rewards that will stop those middle-of-the-night visits and get your child sleeping on their own for good.