Welcome to my baby sleep advice blog! If you’d like to help your baby to sleep through the night, or for longer stretches, and take good naps, have a look at my blogs below.
Why is my child scared of the dark?
Over the years, the number one question I’ve been asked by toddler parents is “why is my child scared of the dark”?
In this blog, we delve into the psychological aspects of the “fear of the dark” and share how to address and alleviate your child’s anxieties.
The Wonder Weeks: everything you need to know
What are The Wonder Weeks? The idea goes something like this. Starting at 5 weeks old, and continuing through the 20-month mark, babies go through 10 mental development stages or “leaps”. “Sunny weeks,” during which baby is typically happy and agreeable are followed by “stormy weeks,” where baby’s fussy and inconsolable due to the neurological development. And then baby masters the new skill or developmental milestone during the “wonder week” and goes back to being “sunny” again.
Bedtime with a baby and a toddler
Bedtime with a baby and a toddler, where to start? Bringing a new baby home is a glorious, exciting, terrifying time. Especially when you have one or two already, and it can bring up a whole lot of questions. How are the older children going to react to their new sibling? Are they going to embrace the role of older brother or sister? And maybe most concerning, how is this going to affect the older child’s bedtime?
When is the best time to sleep train?
When is the best time to sleep train? Like many big decisions though, there are times that are ideal and times that are less so.
Today, I’d like to offer some tips to answer the question, “when is the best time to sleep train my baby”? This is based on baby being medically well and at least 6 months old.
Baby standing up in the cot
If you’re reading this, you’ve likely got a baby standing up in the cot at bedtime. Or you’ve heard it can be an issue and want to learn how to deal with it ahead of time. Either way, I’m here to help!
So your baby has learned to stand! Congratulations on this wonderful milestone!
How do I help my baby to sleep at nursery?
A question I’m often asked by parents is “How do I help my baby to sleep at nursery?” Whether you’ve worked on their sleep at home and want to maintain it in childcare, or your little one is due to start and you want to ensure they sleep well, read on for my best advice!
A new sibling: keeping sleep on track
So you’ve either just welcomed a new sibling into the house for your older child, or you’re about to shortly. There’s often a period of adjustment for every family with the arrival of a new baby. And there are things you can do to keep sleep on track.
Why a snoring baby may not be so cute
If you’ve noticed that your baby snores or breathes through their mouth even when they don’t have a cold, it’s worth getting them checked out by your GP. There are a few reasons why nose breathing is better for you than mouth breathing, and they’re not minor benefits….
Split Nights
If you’re experiencing split nights, you’re not alone! In this blog I’ll take you through an explanation of why they’re happening and what you can do to prevent them, and help your baby to have a more solid night’s sleep.
False Starts
In this blog, I cover the 3 main causes of false starts when your baby falls asleep. I also cover the steps to take to remedy them, and get your baby sleeping for longer.
Top tips on creating harmony in a nursery
In this guest blog, Harriet Turley, Creative Director of children’s interior design company, Lola & Masey, shares her top tips for bringing together an amazing sleep space for your child.
Breastfeeding & Sleep Training
So many parents think that their breastfed baby will never sleep through the night, and that sleep training can’t be done with breastfeeding. Spoiler, it can! Most of the babies I work with are breastfed, and I’ve explained it all in this post.
8 month sleep regression, is it a thing?
I’m often asked if babies go through an 8 month sleep regression. There’s no doubt that babies can experience difficulty sleeping as their sleep consolidates at around 4 months. But more often than not after that point, sleep disturbances are related to development.
Three benefits of sleep for your baby and their development
How sleep helps your baby to learn, improves their mood and supports their help.
Sleep Training: Is it for me, and does it involve crying?
I know how exhausting the sleepless nights can be, and how nervous making changes can make you feel.
In this post, I talk about what the experience involves.
Guest blog: taking better photos with your phone
Would you love to know more about taking better photos with your phone?
Shelly from Little Surrey Photography has shared some top tips for taking better photos with your phone….
Will white noise help baby sleep better?
As a baby sleep consultant, something that I get asked a lot, is “will white noise help baby sleep better”? And the answer is yes, it can!
You might be tempted to try and create a silent room and creep around so baby doesn’t get disturbed. But babies aren’t actually used to silence…..
5 baby sleep myths every parent should know
When it comes to baby sleep, there’s a lot of information out there. I can clearly remember, like most mothers I’m sure, the moment Kian arrived in the world.
I was absolutely buried in feelings of love and happiness. And then, some hours later, I was equally buried in information and advice……
Is my baby waking from hunger?
When it comes to babies waking in the night, many parents ask themselves, “is my baby waking from hunger?”
We’re all willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that our babies are properly nourished, that’s a given. But as anyone who’s baby wakes in the night will tell you, it can be tough to always know why they’re crying….
Moving your toddler from a cot to a bed
A topic I’m often asked about by parents, is the right time to move your toddler from a cot to a bed. Many parents are eager to move their child into a bed, often to free up the cot for a younger sibling. But when it comes to this transition…..
How do I help my baby sleep well while teething?
Have you ever found yourself thinking that every challenge parenting throws you is related to teething? She didn’t eat well today, it must be teething. She’s so grumpy today, her gums must be bothering her. She was up all night because she’s teething…..
Why your baby will never sleep through the night
So I bet you’re surprised to hear this coming from a sleep consultant, but it’s true – your baby will never sleep straight through the night. And neither will you, for that matter. In fact, pretty much anyone who isn’t heavily sedated before going to bed can expect to wake up…..
Dealing with the four month sleep regression
As a sleep consultant, I hear the term “regression” used with regard to just about every imaginable circumstance. Essentially, if baby doesn’t sleep well for a couple of nights, the ‘R’ word starts to creep in. Some people subscribe to the idea that there’s an 8 month…..
Eight tips for easing separation anxiety
Separation anxiety is one of the stages in a baby’s development that causes upset for babies and parents alike.
In this age of social media and easy access to information, as parents, we’re easily overwhelmed with feelings of guilt.
How to maintain a good sleep routine over Christmas
With Christmas approaching, many parents who have recently worked on their baby’s sleep are worried that they might regress a little over the festive period. Between the travel, the excitement, the constant attention and then travel all over again, it’s easy to see how things can get…..
What do I do when the clocks go back?
It’s that time again – the clocks are changing on Sunday. At this time of year, it’s not so bad when they “fall back” and (supposedly) we get an extra hour in bed – the kids will, most likely, have different ideas though! Needless to say, every year I get lots of questions about the…..
Balancing your needs with your baby’s naps
One of the trickiest things once you have your baby in a good nap routine is finding a balance between naps and your own needs, when you need to get out of the house to a class or get things done. It can be even more challenging if you’ve got a toddler too, because they need…..
5 tips to extend short naps
One of the questions I am asked most often is how to extend short naps. I see a lot of parents who have babies sleeping 20-30 minutes for each nap, and then waking up grumpy because they could really do with more sleep. When a baby doesn’t get enough sleep during the day…..
6 tips to help your baby sleep well in the heat
So here we are, mid-heatwave, and I’m struggling already! While we try and make the most of the long awaited sunshine, here are some tips to try and make night times more comfortable for your little ones, when it’s just too darn hot…..
How do I get my sick baby to sleep?
Cold season is now in full swing, which means we are all exposed to more germs on the daily commute, in the office or when we’re out and about. The same is true for our children when all sorts of colds and bugs are doing the rounds at nursery and school. It’s quite common…..
Sleep on the go with SnoozeShade
Now that the weather has turned for the better and summer is starting to peep around the clouds, more of us are beginning to venture out of the house for pram walks and days out. And why not? We need to make the most of the warmer months while we can and being outdoors has…..
Parents’ guide to surviving the clocks going forward
British Summer Time starts this weekend, and you’re no doubt as delighted as I am to be losing an hour of sleep on Sunday. Every year I get lots of questions asking for the best way to handle the clocks changing and minimising the impacts on children’s sleep. So here it is…..
How do I get my baby to sleep later?
An issue that often crops up with babies and toddlers, once they have started sleeping through the night, is early wake ups. There are a few things to look at in your child’s sleep environment and routine that could make all the difference…..
NCT Magazine Newborn article
The first few weeks of your baby’s life are a whirlwind – for you, your partner and your baby. It’s a wonderful time, which comes with extremes of emotions, as you try to settle into a routine, and work out how on earth you will find time to sleep. In the beginning, try not to worry…..
When can I give up night feeding?
One of the most common issues parents want to solve with their baby’s sleep is how to stop night waking. It’s a very good question, particularly when you are several months down the line and your baby is still waking once or more in the night for a feed. Before we get to the…..
How do I get my baby to nap in the cot?
As a general rule, naps are more difficult to crack that night time sleep. When I work with clients, the pattern that babies follow 99% of the time is to start settling well at bedtime, then sleeping better through the night, and naps will typically fall into place as the final piece of the…..
6 tips for travelling with babies and toddlers
Travelling with young children can be a daunting experience, especially when thinking about how to manage their sleep.The good news is that it’s possible to have children who travel really well, if you keep a few things in mind…..
Baby Sleep advice blog
Baby sleep advice blog
Slumbertots Sleep Blog