2 year old won't stay in bed, sound familiar? “We can’t get our 2 year old to stay in bed at night. She turns into a flip flopping manic that suddenly has so many things to do or need 25 bedtime stories (not helped by the fact she can reach light switches and open doors herself). It’s been taking over an hour to get her to sleep the last few weeks.” 2 year olds not staying in bed  easily become over tired, hyperactive and fight sleep. They are experts in delay tactics, and their communication is often very well advanced and they are pro’s at making requests. What's inside this blog on 2&n ..read more

The 4 month sleep regression Just when you thought you had your baby's sleep routine down, the 4 month sleep regression hits. Your baby who was sleeping long stretches starts to wake more frequently, maybe every 2 hours, and their naps fall apart. During the 4 month sleep regression naps are shorter, settling feels harder, what did work with your newborn, your baby has outgrown, waking occurs every 45 minutes, and overnight, they may wake up every 2 hours. Exhausting! Let's navigate the 4 month sleep regression together! What will I cover in this 4 month sleep regression article? Whats g ..read more

When thinking about baby temperament, we all know, all babies are different. In a group of parents and babies, you will see one baby who will easily go to anyone in the group—the angel baby temperament. They barely grizzle when hungry or tired. Then there is the baby who cries 0-100 in 10 seconds because their feed is 5 minutes late or a dog barks. That's the mystery of becoming a parent, you never know which attributes your baby will inherit to make up their temperament from their parents. According to world-famous baby whisperers and psychologists, there are 5 main temperaments, made up ..read more

Why Babies Wake Every 2 Hours at Night: Understanding and Overcoming Frequent Wakes As a parent, you might be familiar with the frustration and exhaustion that come with your baby waking every two hours at night. This can be especially perplexing if your little one has just gone through the 4-month sleep regression, yet still seems to struggle with sleeping longer stretches. While it’s easy to worry that something might be wrong, it's important to know that frequent night waking is biologically normal for babies. However, it is often linked to their developing ability to self-settle. Let's div ..read more

New Born Sleep Research: A look at what works and how it got me here You guys have been there… First time mum, trying to figure out newborn sleep and feeling like you’ve got no idea what you’re meant to be doing. And if you haven’t been there, I commend you (and would be keen to hear your secret to your newborn sleep tips) For me, it was 2007. I was living in Whanganui and my first wee girl had entered the world. I thought I was prepared; my mum was a midwife, and I’d read the book ( ‘The Contented Baby’, ). I could appreciate the merits of a routine, but – at three weeks old when my little lo ..read more

 As the day draws to a close, many parents find themselves grappling with what is often referred to as the "witching hour." This is the time in the late afternoon or early evening when babies become unusually fussy, making it challenging to navigate the final hours before bedtime. Understanding why this happens and how to manage it can make a world of difference in your family's evening routine. What is the Witching Hour? The witching hour refers to a period, typically in the late afternoon or early evening, when babies and toddlers become unusually fussy and difficult to soothe. This beh ..read more

If you have a 2 year old, you might be wondering if you are in the thick of the 2 year sleep regression. Maybe you just worked through the 18 months sleep regression (or you were lucky enough to have skipped it?!), your child is well settled into their (new) routine of having 1 big middle of the day nap, bedtime is mostly straight forward and you’re all enjoying a good night’s sleep… And there it is: the 2 year sleep regression- for some creeping up slowly, others are hit with force by it!  And here you are, wondering (again): WHY? ….and WHAT to do about it?   In this 2 year sleep r ..read more

6 months- what a milestone, right!? While nobody wants to wish their child’s life away, when it comes to the 6 month old sleep schedule, improving night sleep, and nailing naps, 6 months is the sweet spot. From 6 months onwards changes slow down a bit. (take a breath!)   Neurologically speaking your child’s biological clock (hormones that influence sleep etc.) is now fully developed, which is supportive when establishing a more predictable 6 month old sleep schedule.   In this article you will find: How much sleep does a 6 month old need in the day vs night? At this age we roughly ai ..read more

Self Soothing  Teaching your baby to self soothe means they can put themselves to sleep independently, which is strongly linked to being able to also go back to sleep unaided by you. Self soothing is what creates longer naps and longer nights, making self-soothing the holy grail when it comes to better sleep. Once your baby has nailed self-soothing, you can kiss goodbye to those 2 hourly night wakes and 45-minute naps. Self-soothing can also help with early morning wakes, coping with illness, and sleep regressions. It is the one skill that most sleep consultants will focus on to help you ..read more

2 year sleep regression 6 months fly by and you've survived the 18 month sleep regression, your back to sleeping all night, then suddenly you have a 2 year old! Welcome to the 2 year sleep regression. Symptoms of the 2 year sleep regression include your toddler completely skipping there nap, and wanting you to stay in their room while they fall asleep. 2 year olds can take up to 40 minutes to fall asleep, and while 100% normal, this is very frustrating for busy tired parents at bed time.   Survival tips for the 2 year sleep regression A common mistake is for parents of 2 year olds to qui ..read more