Brand New Little People

If you’re the parent of a toddler who’s had ongoing sleep difficulties since birth, chances are you’re battling extreme, unrelenting fatigue. How can parents possibly begin to make changes to their little one’s sleep, on the back of months of their own sleep deprivation? Especially when the sleep deprivation has contributed to increased depression and anxiety symptoms. This week we discuss strategies parents can use to manage their own fatigue when working towards improving their little one’s sleep. Tune in to episode 69 of Brand New Little People, to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) unpack parental fatigue and answer parent questions, including: How do I manage my high-needs baby? How can I help my 7-week-old get used to falling asleep in their cot? How can I stop my baby pulling their dummy out? Is it ok to only work on cot settling at the beginning of the night? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs 🎁 Enter the competition: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/win 🧠 If you’re worried about your mental health, call the PANDA helpline: https://panda.org.au/ ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

Are sleep associations real? Data from thousands of babies, children, and adults concludes that they absolutely are. So why has there been a recent increase in anti- sleep association sentiment on social media? Sleep associations are the things we need present in order to fall asleep and these tend to gradually shift across the lifespan. Tune in to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) unpack the science behind sleep associations, and the impact sleep associations might have on your baby or toddlers sleep. You’ll also learn how to help your little one adjust to the start of Daylight Savings Time. Parent questions are also answered, including: Should my 11 week old be able to link sleep cycles together? What’s the best way to deal with early morning wake ups? Why does my baby treat bedtime like nap time? When should I begin to settle my baby in their cot? Is it best to work on cot settling before or after unswaddling my baby? How can I help my toddler settle more easily for their dad? The following research paper is discussed in this episode: Sadeh A, Tikotzky L, Scher A. Parenting and infant sleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2010;14(2):89–96. ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

Many new parents have to navigate the influx of unwanted advice offered by extended family members. This can be amplified when extended family lives with you or comes to stay for an extended period. Like our anonymous listener, whose mother and sister in law constantly entered the bedroom when she was settling the baby, to tell her how she could be doing things differently. Setting clear boundaries with extended family, early on, can help set expectations and minimise hurt feelings. You are the parent and you set the rules. Tune in to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) discuss practical strategies for setting clear and reasonable boundaries with your extended family. Parent questions are answered including: How do I identify my baby’s unique sleep needs? Should I reintroduce a nap that I recently dropped? Does it matter if my baby changes between 4 and 3 naps per day if the total amount of sleep is still the same?  How can I make nap settling easier? What do I do if my baby struggles to resettle during the night? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

There are plenty of people who will try to convince you that the only right way to settle your baby for sleep, is their way. They often describe cot settling as being harmful for babies, and when they try to use research papers to back up their opinions, they cite papers that don’t even examine sleep (or infants!) or papers that are purely theoretical and which don’t report on data from families. It creates an unnecessary minefield for parents and leads to feelings of shame and exhaustion. Tune in to hear why Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) are pro parent choice, believing that families are best placed to make their own decisions about how to settle their baby for sleep, and learn why there is no shame in cot settling. Parent questions are answered including: How do I navigate the change from 2 naps to just 1 nap for my toddler? Will cosleeping during travel make it harder for my baby to sleep in their cot once I get home? Why did my baby have a random tricky night in amongst other great nights? Is it ok if my baby snoozes during day time feeds? My baby’s sleep requirement has been gradually declining – when will it plateau? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

When you try a new approach for settling your baby, it’s important to persist for a while so you can see if it works for them, and for you! Knowing when to ‘pull the plug’ and try something different, will depend on several factors, including how your baby is responding, and how you feel about continuing. There is usually some trial and error when it comes to settling a baby, and that’s ok. You and your baby are learning. Tune in to episode 65 to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) describe the factors parents should consider when deciding whether to persist, or change settling approaches. Parent questions are also answered, including: My baby hates the car, how can I help them get used to it? How can I phase out feeding to sleep? How long should it take my baby to fall asleep in their cot? How can I manage tricky settles? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

What should you do if your childcare centre refuses to support your baby or toddler's typical sleep patterns or settling preferences? And what is the best way to approach these tricky conversations? Babies and toddlers often surprise their parents by settling with minimal fuss at childcare, and often sleeping great long stretches with ease. But for some babies and toddlers, this makes their nights very challenging. Tune in to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs, Sleep Practitioners) discuss how to manage sleep and childcare. Parent questions are also answered including: Why does my baby wake 45 minutes after bedtime? What's the best way to drop night feeds? How can I stop early morning wake ups? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

There is no job more demanding or exhausting, than raising a child. Yet sometimes parents focus more on protecting the sleep of the parent who is in paid work, than the sleep of the parent in charge of keeping the little ones alive and thriving. It’s not always possible to perfectly split the labour of child rearing, but it’s important that whatever the division of labour, both parents’ health and wellbeing is protected. After all, that’s what genuine partnership is all about! Join Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs, Sleep Practitioners) as they explain what you can do to ensure equity in your partnership as you set out to be the very best parents you can! Parents questions are also answered, including: If I give my baby fewer naps are they more likely to length their naps? Should I assist my baby to sleep longer after a cat nap? How can I teach my baby to knit 2 or more sleep cycles together? What factors should I consider if my child wakes very early? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

In this episode Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) unpack five key factors to consider when addressing your baby or toddler's sleep difficulties. With each of these factors accounted for, you’ll be on the path to more restful nights! Tune in to the full discussion in episode 62 of Brand New Little People, as Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) answer questions from parents including: Should I persist with my current settling approach or is it time to try something new? How can I help my toddler, who has separation anxiety, settle to sleep confidently and independently? Should we take turns settling our toddler, or is it best from one parent to take the lead? How can I stop feeding my toddler to sleep at bedtime when they nod off so quickly? How can I tell if my baby's sleep difficulties are to do with sleep pressure or how they're falling asleep? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/    ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

This week, Dr Laura (PhD) tells us about a family who were carrying a lot fear and guilt surrounding their baby’s sleep, and how they overcame these fears and improved sleep for the entire family. Many parents report feeling upset and conflicted about their child’s sleep because they’ve been told that their child’s extreme sleep difficulties are normal, that any number of night wakes or tricky settles is acceptable, and that their job as parent, is simply to endure. These parents are often burdened with guilt for seeking support for their child’s sleep difficulties. They’ve been told that trying to change how they settle their child, no matter how gentle and respectful, will cause irreparable damage to their child. This is, of course, not true. But for many families the damage is already done. In this illuminating episode of Brand New Little People, Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) unravel the guilt and fear surrounding sleep during infancy and toddlerhood, giving parents permission to fearlessly pursue gentle cot settling when they feel ready to do so. Parent questions are also answered, including: Is it ok to leave my baby’s bedroom before they fall asleep? How can I manage toilet training & bedtime? How can I get my toddler to go to bed earlier in the evening? How can I resolve my baby’s false starts? My toddler keeps standing up in their cot, what can I do? ❤️ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts  ❤️ Subscribe on Spotify  🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/ If you feel distressed about your baby's sleep, or are struggling to cope, please speak to your GP, health nurse, or call LIfeLine 13 11 14 or https://www.lifeline.org.au/ 

Most little babies love to take some day naps in the arms of a parent, because it feels snug and warm. Contact naps can be blissful in the early days, but often become challenging as babies become heavier and parents need more hands-free time to get things done. In this episode Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) talk about factors parents should consider when deciding if contact naps will stay or go. As with most parenting decisions, there is no clear right or wrong approach, but having all the facts will empower you to make the best decision for you and your baby. Parent questions are also answered, including: Will my baby ‘grow out’ of contact naps? How can I tell if my baby is hungry or just looking for comfort? If I wait long enough will my baby spontaneously sleep through the night? How can I extend my toddler’s day nap? How can I support my toddler through moving house? How can I stop feeding to sleep without support from a non-feeding partner? ❤️ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts  ❤️ Subscribe on Spotify  🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

Some toddlers are VERY reluctant to stop having milk feeds overnight, even when they no longer need to feed due to hunger or to meet their nutritional requirements. In this episode Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) discuss what you can do to ease this transition for your toddler, including signs they might not be ready, and tips on how you can support your child to cope with their big emotions during this change. Parent questions are also answered, including: Do I need to stop offering my toddler milk overnight? Is it normal for my toddler to react so strongly when I try to resettle him without a feed? Is the 9 month sleep regression real? What can I do if resettling my baby overnight takes more than an hour? How can I stop false starts? Is my baby overtired or undertired?  ❤️ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts  ❤️ Subscribe on Spotify ❤️ 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/    ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

Developmental ‘leaps’ have been blamed for unsettled infant behaviour and sleepless nights for over 30 years, all because of one small, flawed study conducted in the early 90’s. But what does the research evidence really tell us about leaps? And why is the idea of leaps so pervasively trusted by today’s parents? Tune in to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) dissect the science behind leaps and learn why parents shouldn’t dismiss all unsettled behaviour or persistent sleep difficulties as being due to leaps. Parent questions are also answered, including: Should I stop contact napping? What should I do if my baby is tried and grumpy? Why is my baby so noisy in their sleep? How does bedtime change as my child gets older? My baby’s daily rhythm changes drastically day to say – where do I start? What do night terrors look like in toddlers? ❤️ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts  ❤️ Subscribe on Spotify ❤️ 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/

If you could only nail those wake windows sleep would be perfect…right? Wrong! Following set wake windows might work for some families but for many they don’t work, and may even worsen sleep. Every baby has their own unique sleep requirements and the amount of sleep a baby or toddler might need at any age could vary as much as 5 hours from child to child! This means babies and toddlers can have vastly different amounts of time awake yet can still have good sleep health. Tune in to hear Dr Fallon and Dr Laura (PhDs) discuss the lack of science behind wake windows, plus learn what you can do instead of watching the clock! Parent questions are also answered, including: Should my baby be calm and drowsy before I put them in their cot? Should the first or second nap be the longest? Should I feed my baby in a dark or light room before bed? Is it ok for my baby to take powernaps during feeds? Do extended night wakes always mean a sleep pressure problem? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/ ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1

All humans wake multiple times overnight, and we usually don’t remember – we do a quick ‘systems check’ and then return to sleep in just a few seconds. Some babies & toddlers feel very confident and secure in their cots and upon waking at night will happily fall straight back to sleep – but others wake up very upset or startled, and can’t resettle themselves without parent support.  Night waking in older babies and toddlers, tends to become problematic when night wakes are prolonged, require intense support, and parents are becoming increasingly exhausted. Tune in to hear Dr Fallon and Dr Laura (PhDs) discuss normal night waking, problematic night waking, and the many variables that can make night waking difficult for parents to manage. Parent questions are also answered, including: Should I follow my baby’s lead, or start to work towards some predictability each day? How do I manage my little one’s sleep during illness? I tried to drop my toddler to just one nap but it didn’t work out, what now? Can sleep requirements increase? Can my 3 month old sleep in her own bedroom? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/ ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1 

Social media is full of baby sleep advice and amongst the good advice is some truly alarming and potentially harmful misinformation. Tune in to hear Dr Fallon & Dr Laura (PhDs) debunk misleading advice around baby sleep and answer parent questions including:  How can I help my baby overcome jet lag? What can I do if my baby won’t sleep in anyone’s arms but mine? How does day sleep impact night sleep? How to avoid sneaky pram naps that impact my toddler’s night sleep? Should I stop feeding my baby to sleep? ❤️ Listen on Apple Podcasts https://loom.ly/zui5kX8 ❤️ Listen on Spotify https://loom.ly/ZuBk3N0 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube https://loom.ly/JhNkXPs ❤️ Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infant.sleep.australia/ ✅ If you’re ready to resolve your baby or toddler’s sleep and settling difficulties, join Sombelle! Members can submit questions to be answered on the podcast each week: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/  ✅ For FREE help with toddler sleep, join the Toddler Sleep Mini Series: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/toddler-sleep-mini-series  ✅ For FREE help with baby sleep, download our ebook: https://sombelle.infantsleep.com.au/opt-in-1