The Sleep Mums

Comforters are an essential part of a sleep routine. We all have things we do before sleep that set us on the path to the land of nod, we know some of them are useful and some of them are not so much. In this episode we'll explore what a comforter is and answer some of your most common questions including: 1 - Is a swaddle is comforter? 2 - How do I transition my baby out of a swaddle. 3 - How can I introduce a dummy/soother? 4 - How can I get rid of a dummy/soother? 5 - Is my baby just sucking on their hands for comfort?  

It's bedtime, everyone's calm and settled and suddenly 40 minutes later your baby is fast, fast AWAKE!  In this podcast we'll help you get to the bottom of this ready steady wake routine.  We'll cover: 1 - What is a False Start? 2 - Why do they happen? 3 - What can I do about them? 4 - Why are they more common at night? 5 - Do False Starts just happen to babies? Plus, we answer one of your questions about why a toddler consistently wakes after they've gone to sleep.

It's the middle of the night, you've just got back to sleep and suddenly you hear a whimper, then it turns into a cry. You have just got your baby to sleep, they can't possibly be up…  The loop of exhaustion, frustration and disappointment that can come with regular night wakings is very real. We're here to help you out of it. 1. Why does my baby wake every hour at night? 2. What can I do? 3. Are regular night wakes related to hunger, lack of activity, or illness? 4. How do I deal with each wake up?  5. Talk me through a plan Plus, we'll answer your question about a 12 week old who is waking every hour from 2am.  

People talk about baby and children's bedtime routines but what about a morning routine? At it's simplest, a morning routine is a few steps that you take you from nighttime to daytime. But it's not just a process, having a positive morning routine can have a biological effect and help to reset you and your child's circadian rhythm.  1. What is a morning routine?  2. Is it something we need to do forever ? 3. What does a good one look like? 4. What are the benefits? 5. It is just a trend? Plus, we'll answer your listener question about an early waking 4 year old who plays in his room and the impact it has on their morning routine.

Contact napping is where a baby, toddler or child spends their nap with all or part of their body in contact with their parent or caregiver. It's lovely, its necessary, it's part of parenthood but it can also be intense and tiring too. In this podcast we discuss: 1 - What is contact napping? 2 - When it works 3 - Is there a point it's not so good? 4 - How can you move away from contact napping?  5 - Is it an all or never kind of thing? Plus, we answer one of your questions about moving away from being nap trapped.

  Growth Spurts are an essentially exhausting part of childhood. There's no set in stone way how to predict how and when your baby will grow. Sometimes a growth spurt hits overnight and a sleepsuit that fitted the day before suddenly wont snap (sometimes they last much longer). We're here to help you through answering all this 1 - When and What are Growth Spurts?  2 - How Do I Know it's One?  3 - Will they Mess Up my Routine?  4 - Are they All the Same?  5 - What Can I Do? Plus, one of your questions about whether you have a super hungry baby or it's just a growth spurt.

Sleep is a big topic in the baby days and then you hit the toddler years and it feels like it all goes quiet. However, as your baby has grown into a wild and wonderfully wilful toddler they have become more keyed into the world, so things like changes to their routine, separation anxiety, illness and teething can all add up to make sleep more challenging.  That's why you need our Toddler Sleep Tool Kit!

Boundaries are such an important tool to help our children feel secure in their surroundings and with other people, but they're also really important for us as parents.  If we want to show our children the importance of them, we need to model them ourselves and one place they can really come in handy is sleep. We'll also answer our listener Laurie's question about putting boundaries back in place after the kids have been at the grandparents. 1 - What are boundaries and making a plan  2 - Discipline? 3 - Routine 4 - Goals and rewards 5 - Results

‘They don't come with a manual'. If you're a parent it's likely you've heard this more than once. The reason they don't is because there is no one right way. So, in place of a manual we have created a Baby Sleep Tool Kit. We are your biggest sleep supporters, however, as they say ‘it takes a village' so as well as us, here are some of the most useful things  to help your baby to sleep better.  

Sleep is generally not something associated with New Year - it's all about counting down the minutes to staying up late.  But once the holiday hangover, be that from too much mulled wine, mother in laws or mince pies, subsides everyone is all about making a fresh start. A change in routine isn't a resolution, though, a good routine grounds you, giving you stability to deal with the mountain of other shit we have to do on the daily as parents. In this podcast, we'll help you to make a plan to get there.   1 - Here and Now 2 - Where to start 3 - Getting Back on Track 4 - Reaching Milestones 5 - I've not slept in three years, surely a routine can't change that?

December can be an exciting time but it can also be really exhausting and if you're already parent-level tired, the overwhelm of making it through can make it feel a lot less merry and bright.  In our holiday episode we talk about why and how the holidays can be tough, some tips on how to manage them and bring you a wee bit of festive cheer. As always, we hope to give you the gift of better sleep, that's top of our list!   1 – Pack Your Sack 2 – Home Comforts 3 – Festive Naps 4 – Selection Box of Treats 5 – Just one day

Settling is the word we use to talk about how to help your baby to sleep; all the time… but especially when it seems like they really don't want to! This episode will arm you with a tool belt of settling techniques you need to help your baby get to sleep, firstly with you and then ultimately by themselves. Well also give you some coping techniques to get you through the toughest of nights as well as answer our listener Hannah's question about settling her baby without feeding her. 1 – What is settling? 2 – What is cry it out? 3 – Settling techniques  4 – Settling techniques by age  5 – How to survive a settle

Is anyone else suffering from parent guilt right now? Parent guilt is this gross, uncomfortable ache that lodges itself in your heart and creeps into your head, often in the middle of the night. It can keep you from sleeping, almost as much as a newborn. This episode isn't directly about sleep, but we care about finding ways to help everyone sleep better and that includes you as well as your children.   1 – Try not to compare 2 – Ask for help 3 – Change one thing  4 – Be your own best mate 5 – Let S*it Go  

What is sleep like when you first bring your baby home?   Non-existent? Glorious? Broken or anxious?   In our very first podcast episode we look at The First Two Weeks. Share our most important guideline from our book and how, if you're ready, to start laying the foundations for better baby sleep.   We'll also answer a listener question from someone you might just recognise!   1 – The Most Important Thing  2 – Hormoans 3 – Sleep Foundations  4 – Feeds  5 – 4th Trimester   

The most important piece of baby sleep help you'll ever hear? This week's episode is all about The Sleep Mums Golden Rule. We know some of you don't like rules when it comes to parenting but this one will give you more freedom, not less. We'll answer our listener Kerry's request for help on moving her 4.5 month old baby from her Moses basket to a cot. This whole episode is a gold mine of baby sleep chat! 1 – Sarah's Favourite Word  2 – The Sleep Mums Golden Rule  3 – Coping with Changes  4 – Staying on track  5 – The Golden *Golden* Rule   This is an updated episode in 2022

One of the hardest things about baby sleep is that there is so much information out there. It can feel like everyone reckons they are a baby sleep expert and it doesn't help that not all of the information they're sharing is true! Our myth busting episodes are some of our most popular so it's time to put some more of these sleep untruths to bed - forever - in our brand new Sleep Myths Part 3!   1 – Total Quiet Please 2 – Just a Bad Sleeper 3 – I'm Just Not Meant to Sleep 4 – Solid Food Solid Sleep 5 – Your Baby Will Hate You If…

All of us have bad days. Every single one of us: parents, babies, children… even that lassie on socials. So, it's not the having the bad days, it's how you cope with them and in the midst of having one it can feel impossible to do so. We're here to help you through, give you support and ideas for managing them. We'll also answer one of your questions about what happens if you need to put your baby to bed early after a bad day and be there in solidarity with you if you need to go and have a scream in the cupboard.   1 – What to do if you have a bad day 2 – Bad Sleep Day 3 – Piece of Cake? 4 – Flexibility or Consistency? 5 – But can we not all just have a lie in?

Has your child pleaded for you over the other parent? Or begged for them instead of you? Then you may have experienced parent preference. At first, being the favoured parent might feel flattering but it can quickly stop feeling like a win. And, whilst not being the preferred parent can be hurtful, what does it actually mean? In this podcast, we'll explore parent preference, what it looks like at different ages and how to cope – and manage - being the chosen and the not so chosen one.   We'll also answer your Listener Question about how to manage bedtime when a child refuses to go to one parent.   1 – What is Parent Preference? 2 – Why does it happen? 3 – The Chosen One 4 – The Not Chosen One 5 – Split and Share

Clock changes can give parents the fear, you feel you have everything in a delicate balance, you're getting some sleep, they nap and then the time bandits come along! You find yourself doing mental leaps, counting on fingers and trying to work out when on earth they ‘should' go to bed. In this podcast we'll share what will really help, give you some practical tips and, hopefully, stop any alarm bells ringing about the clock change. 1 – Before 2 – After 3 – Doing Nothing 4 – Practical Tips

Juggling sleep with a baby and a toddler can be difficult. You might be pro at coping with a poonami, be able to butter toast one-handed and manage a meltdown but working out nap and bedtime with two (or more) can floor even the most experienced parent. Meeting the needs of two - sometimes screaming – children who have very different demands is challenging and, particularly where sleep is concerned, exhausting. In this episode we look at ways to help you through, what to do at naptime, bedtime and night wakings and how to find rest for you. We'll also answer one of your questions about doing bedtime alone with two.   1 – Help! 2 – Bedtime 3 – Naptime 4 – Night Wakings 5 – Rest for You

Is it time for a big kid bed? Most toddlers transition to a big kid bed somewhere between the ages of 2 -3 ½. That wide age-range can mean that parents spend a lot of time trying to work out when is the right time. It can be abig change for little ones, one that results in night wandering, fears, and worries… and that's just the parents! In this episode we'll look at making a plan for the move, how to be consistent, what you might need in your toolkit and how to make it work for the whole family. Plus, we'll answer your question on bedtimes having become more difficult since making the move from cot to bed.

‘Fed is best' is so reductive (like any parent doesn't know that!). We believe informed and supported are best, in whatever way that might be for you, and why we are passionate about sharing your questions, particularly when it comes to feeding. All of parenting is individual but perhaps nothing more so than our feeding journeys – even within a family each baby is different. We can share our expertise and our experience but it's much more important to hear what you have to say and help you with advice that makes sense in your lives.   In this episode we'll cover helping baby to take a bottle, settling without feeding, dream feeds and night weaning when still sharing a room.

  Split Nights are when your baby or toddler suddenly starts waking for an extended period of time during the night. It can feel like they have forgotten how to sleep, and no amount of persuading will get them back there. Split Nights can be one of the most challenging things to deal with in terms of baby and toddler sleep, particularly for the adult who doesn't get to nap during the day. But what are they? Why do they happen and what is the best way to deal with them? Plus, we'll answer one of your questions about how to approach a Split Night with a ready-to-party 10 month old.   1 - What are Split Nights 2 - Why do they happen? 3 - Are they bad? 4 - Are they a new 'Thing'? 5 - How can you prevent them?

Are you struggling to get your baby to take a bottle? Or have they taken a bottle and are now fussy breastfeeding? If so, you may have heard or Googled the term Nipple Confusion. And possibly panicked. I did. Can too many teats spoil the baby? In this episode, we'll look at whether nipple confusion is real, and if there's anything you can do about it.  Plus, we'll answer one of your questions about how to help your baby take a bottle. 1 - What is Nipple Confusion 2 - Is it real? 3 - Nipple Confusion confusion? 4 - When to introduce a bottle 5 - When to introduce a dummy/soother

There are a lot of opinions about Co-Sleeping from those who swore they'd never do it to those that question those who don't. We're judgement-free here on The Sleep Mums so we wanted to chat through the reasons to do it and those not to, how to do it safely and what to do if you're ready to switch it up. We'll also answer our Listener's Question about how to continue co-sleeping safely with her 6 year old once a new baby arrives.   1 - What is Co-Sleeping? 2 - To Co-Sleep or Not to Co Sleep 3 - Safety 4 - Is it All or Nothing? 5 - How and When to Stop

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In this festive episode we'll share 5 tips to get you through the holidays. At least where baby sleep is concerned! December can be an exciting time but it can also be really exhausting and, if you're already parent-level tired, the overwhelm of making it through can make it all feel a lot less merry and bright. In this bonus episode we'll talk about why and how the holidays can be tough, share some tips on how to manage it all with both little and bigger kids and as well as all that we hope to bring you a wee bit of festive cheer! Santa might not bring you sleep... but we hope we can!   Happy Holidays!   1 – Pack Your Sack 2 – Home Comforts 3 – Festive Naps 4 – Selection Box of Treats 5  – Just one day

You and your questions are at the heart of everything we do. We want our advice to be accessible, real and always practical.  In our Sleep Mums podcasts we have always included your Listener Questions, relating in some way to the topic we're discussing. We believe (and you've told us!) it really helps to put whatever tips and ideas we've given to practice in real life. In your lives. You asked and we listened… literally! So, we've created a series of episodes that just focus on your questions and a sleep topic. This week, it's all about routines.   1 - Help Baby Sleep Not on You 2 - How to put baby down awake 3 - How to change a feeding routine 4 - Help with the Bedtime Routine

Do you feel unmumsy or undadsy or unparenty? Or maybe you did when you first became a parent? We're often sold an idea of being an adult with small people that looks quite different from the reality. This can mean that when we have a baby we end up feeling like we're massively failing. You're not alone, though. And that is exactly why Sarah Turner, aka The Unmumsy Mum, started her unbelievably successful blog.  In this brand new A to Zzz episode we chat to the award-winning blogger and multi Sunday-Times best-seller who's releasing her first fiction book, Stepping Up, March 2023 about the pressures of parenthood and social media, how much she loves sleep… and what she could have been called!

Your baby has likely been next to you since they were born, moving them into their own room might only be next door but it can feel like a big step. It's understandable to worry about this change but it's also understandable to feel ready to reclaim your bedroom (and not to feel guilty about it). In this episode we go through all the feelings, when the right time is and when best to go about it. As ever, some of what we talk about it practical but there's also a big emotional element to it too, so we'll cover tips to cope with the feelings too. Plus, we'll answer your questions about whether moving a noisy baby out of the room will help everyone get more sleep.   1 – When is the right time? 2 – Is it as bad as I think it might be?3 – How to do it 4 – What if it makes sleep worse? 5 – What about if we have to share a room in the future?

Hypnobirthing, will it make me run around like a chicken or moo like a cow during birth? Probably not… In this episode, we talk to midwife, Doula and Hypnobirthing practitioner Lynsey McGillivray about misconceptions, how it works and why it's not just for people who want incense and whale sounds at their birth. More and more parents are coming to Hypnobirthing but there are still a lot that feel unsure about (the mooing, for example!). Lynsey is pretty unique in her wide range of experience and expertise on hypnobirthing, for all kids of birth - including C-sections to VBACS - and in this fascinating episode, she puts the record straight.

When people talk about babies and toddlers dropping a nap it sounds as though you simply chuck it on the floor and shove it under the bed with the long forgotten toys. It rarely feels that simple though. Do they need a nap? Don't they? Is it making overnight sleep worse? Or Better? What if I take the nap away and it changes everything? What if I take the nap away and it changes nothing! In this brand new episode we're here to answer all these questions and help you drop a nap without losing sleep over it. Plus we'll answer our listener Emma's question about whether dropping a nap will impact overnight sleep.   1 – When do babies drop a nap 2 – What are the signs? 3 – Nap drops by age 4 – Power naps 5 – Trouble-shooting naps.

Parenting is a massively emotional experience, you can go from feeling endless love to boundless frustration in an instant. It's daunting and exhausting because the feelings can be so powerful. There are no right or wrong emotions though: there's just a lot of them! In this episode we talk to psychotherapist Sarah Wheatly from Birth and Beyond who launched Parent Kind after experiencing PND after the birth of her son. We chat through the rainbow of feelings you can have as a parent, how to cope, when to seek help and how it can impact partners.

This is the chapter that I wish had been in my baby books, the realness, the rawness and the practical stuff we so often don't think about preparing for a new baby. Each week in pregnancy you focus on your growing bump and developing baby but what about what comes next? What is the stuff they don't tell you in the baby classes or the things you can't just buy with one click in the middle of the night? What do you really need to know?   1 - What to buy?  2 - Birth Expectations 3 - What about sleep? 4 - Parent Skills Required? 5 - How to Survive When Baby Arrives?

There isn't a magic spell that can help your baby sleep - although this podcast comes pretty close! – but whilst there might not be magic, there IS witching… The 'so-called' witching hours, when your lovely baby suddenly becomes more than a little bit spirited. So as we're getting close to Halloween we thought we'd re-share this fantastic episode when we go through some of the things that can help you through your baby's unmagical witching hour… or two (without casting a spell on them!)

There have been a lot of bizarre baby sleep hacks doing the rounds recently, because when you're looking at the clock… or Tik Tok, you'll try anything once! However, if you're looking for some baby sleep hacks with proper staying power have a listen to this reep of our really popular episode Baby Sleep Hacks. We cover some tried and tested methods to help baby sleep better, for longer. They're not all quick fixes... but they really can work.

Fertility: why is it still so hard to talk about? The process of conception isn't always as fun or easy as we're lead to believe. It can be long and heartbreaking, full of fear (and monthly disappointment) that parenthood may never happen. From peeing on sticks, to taking temps, the anger and frustration when you see blood, miscarriage and the agony of ttc afterwards. It's all so much and, often, all so silent. This week, The Sleep Mums: A to Zzz is Paul and Louise's story. It's a reminder that the path to parenthood isn't a smooth one…   [although theirs has a bit of a surprising ending involving a giant wooden penis!]

In this episode we are going to help you get your evenings back. We often focus on night-time sleep or when we've focused on night-time sleep, daytime sleep… but evenings and having some ‘grown up time' is important too. Strangely, it's not a topic that's often approached by sleep experts or books …. But that is why we are here: to go where others won't! We'll also answer our listener Scott's question about whether they can get their evening back with a 10 week old.   1 – Why is it important 2 – How early can you do it? 3 – How does it work with older kids? 4 – How to go about it 5 – Making it work for you.

This week's guest on The Sleep Mums A to Zzz is Charlotte Stirling Reed to  take us through W for Weaning. Charlotte has made a huge impact on parents food journeys, helping to take it from food fight to food fun. She is a baby and child nutritionist, an author and an expert. She's worked with Joe Wicks on Wean in 15 and has her own excellent weaning book too. In this episode we cover when and how to wean, the guidelines (and how much you should stick to them!), allergies and Charlottes do's, don'ts and favourite recipes!    

In today's podcast we're going to be talking Dream Feeds; are they the dream or can they sometimes be the opposite?  We'll start with the meaning of the dream feed - FYI it's not where you dream that you have fed or are feeding your baby, only to wake up on the loo! We'll also cover where it can really help, where it can't and, something that is often missed from conversations about dream feeds… how to stop, when you and baby are ready. Plus, we'll answer our listener Katy's question about whether a dream feed could be affecting weaning.   1 – What is a dream feed ? 2 – Why do people recommend it? 3 – Is it always a good idea? 4 – How do you stop? 5 – Are there alternatives to a dream feed?

Why are people still tongue tied about tongue tie?   In this brand new episode we meet midwife, infant feeding specialist and tongue tie expert Samantha Tanak. We discuss what it is, how to recognise the signs, how to deal with the tongue tie journey and what solutions there are, plus so much more.   The lack of understanding when it comes to tongue tie could be impacting many parents experiences of feeding. We hope to shed some light and give some support.  

We're kicking off this new season with something that can disrupt sleep for years: teething.  Teething can start any time in baby's first few months and, usually, goes on until they are nearly 3 years! However, one of the hardest things about teething is that you often can't tell why your baby is so sad and grumpy until the tooth finally pops out.   In the first episode of our new season we tackle teething and the impact it can have on sleep. We'll talk making it through the teething years, the best remedies and coming back from a bout of teething (which can often be just as hard!).   Plus, we'll answer our listener Kelly's question about how to tell if baby is actually teething or just chewing their hands for comfort.   1 – How do I know? 2 – When does it happen? 3 – What can I do about it? 4 – Teething & Sleep 5 – Coming back from teething

We kick off this brand new series of The Sleep Mums A to Zzz with M for Motherhood.  From surviving on 45 minutes sleep to being ok with not ever being 'good enough', in this new episode we cover ALL the shades of motherhood: from the privilege to the pains in the ass! Therapist and author Anna Mathur also shares some fantastic tips on how to cope and brilliant advice for us all to stop living like we're being chased.

⚡️NEW SERIES ⚡️STARTS TOMORROW ⚡️   Tune in tomorrow 25th August wherever you get your pods and SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode.   In our first episode of the new series we talk M for Motherhood with Anna Mathur: what it's like to survive on 45 minutes sleep and why it's ok to not be good enough.

Are we nearly there yet...? Travelling is exciting and going places an adventure, but sometimes the journey, especially with kids, isn't always so thrilling.  Our letter this week in our bonus Sleep Mums A to Zzz is T for Travel. We talk to Carly and Dan from kids travel company @keepemquiet, their genius kids activity packs have won awards, are loved by celebrities, The Royal Family and us! They really know travelling with little people and share some excellent tips and tricks. Plus they have the down-low on the best gizmos and gadgets to help make holidays almost as relaxing as they were before kids!

In this episode we'll cover the best baby travel hacks for any trips you might take with your little one.   We're a wee bit out of practise of going… well, anywhere right now, so these travel hacks and tips should help you feel more comfortable and confident: whether it's a staycation, a trip to see family or you're managing to go further afield, then this podcast is for you.   Plus, we'll answer our listener Amanda's question about babies and jet lag.   1 – Sheets 2 –  Hack the Routine 3 – Packing 4 – Climate and Environment  5 – Local Cuisine

Around 40% of our babies suffer from Reflux but parents can still face an up hill battle to be listened to and their baby diagnosed.  So, in our brand new episode of The Sleep Mums A to Zzz we talk to @the_gp_mum Dr Stephanie Ooi to get the lowdown on reflux, what it is, how the guidelines have changed, what help is available and how it can impact sleep. Reflux matters because often both the baby's and parent's health is at its heart.

This podcast is about something that is a little controversial, particularly when it comes to sleep: we're going to talk habits in babies. There is a lot of pressure from society and those around us to do ‘parenting right' and this idea of creating or continuing bad habits in our babies and children can make you feel like you're doing something wrong. So in this episode we get to the bottom of bad habits; do they exist; what are they and can you change a habit of a little one's lifetime?   Plus we'll answer our listener Maike's question about changing how she feeds and trying to get into a routine.   1 – Can Babies Have Bad Habits? 2 – What is a Habit? 3 – When Does Something Become a Habit? 4 – How to Make Changes 5 – Any to Avoid?

Our next guest on The Sleep Mums A to Azz is Sam Avery, dad joke provocateur, award-winning blogger and author of parenting guide The Learner Parent. In this brand new episode we chat about why laughter is so important, what it means to be a Learner Parent - we're all just learning this gig – and… poo. We've had lots of amazing guests on the show but chatting with Sam, Sarah and I were literally, rolling on the floor. But, as we talk about, that doesn't mean laughter is a joke: in fact, as a parent, it's often the one thing that gets you through. Come have a giggle with us in L for Laughter.

We want to talk about feeding, the different ways of feeding and how that can impact sleep. As we always say, we're all different. Our babies are different and our families are all different; that should always be celebrated, which is why The Sleep Mums is zero judgement.  You might choose to listen to all three of our feeding episodes that we're but we wanted to give you the chance to listen to what you need, whether that's one, two or all three. In this episode we're going to talk about breast and bottle feeding, a method of feeding that sometimes falls beneath the radar of feeding conversations: combination feeding.

We want to talk about feeding, the different ways of feeding and how that can impact sleep. As we always say, we're all different. Our babies are different and our families are all different; that should always be celebrated, which is why The Sleep Mums is zero judgement.  You might choose to listen to all three of our feeding episodes that we're but we wanted to give you the chance to listen to what you need, whether that's one, two or all three. In this episode we're going to talk about bottle feeding, some useful guides, bin some myths and chat through how you can maximise sleep through bottle feeds.