toddler sleep – Sarah Ockwell-Smith

When (and How) Should you Drop a Nap?

It may surprise you that actually nobody knows how long babies and toddlers should nap for and how many naps they should have per day. If you have followed recommendations from a book or chart it’s important you know that the figures they contain are completely most likely based on nothing more than personal opinion and random guesswork.

Let’s Talk About Bad Habits (and Baby and Child Sleep)

Bad habits. Rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep, cuddling to sleep, bedsharing…there are so many potholes and pitfalls to be avoided as a new parent. If you commit any of these heinous sins you are sure to end up with a child who is unable to sleep alone and you’ll still be rocking or breastfeedingContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Bad Habits (and Baby and Child Sleep)”

How Long Should Babies and Toddlers Sleep For? (Infographic)

The following infographic provides a realistic look at baby, toddler and preschooler sleep. Including average night waking, need for night feeds, sleep regression and average amount and timings of naps.

One simple way to improve your baby or child’s sleep today!

baby brain development, self soothe, self settle, sleep training, baby won't sleep

Did you know that millions of parents around the world are making one very simple, but huge, mistake that is potentially inhibiting their child’s sleep (no matter their age) and contributing to difficult bedtimes and frequent night waking. This mistake is perpetuated by thousands of nursery product manufacturers around the world. In fact when youContinue reading “One simple way to improve your baby or child’s sleep today!”

Ten Common Toddler Parenting Myths You Likely Believe (and Why you Shouldn’t!).

There are so many parenting myths in circulation in society. I’m sure you’ve come across many yourself. Many are obviously myths and therefore easy to ignore. Others however seem far more ingrained and sound far more plausible. The plausibility and popularity of some of the top parenting myths cause a great deal of misunderstanding, and oftenContinue reading “Ten Common Toddler Parenting Myths You Likely Believe (and Why you Shouldn’t!).”

How to gently night wean a breastfed baby or toddler

Breastfeeding is an amazing tool to help settle children at night. As a mother of four I have found that by far the easiest way to get my children to sleep at night was by breastfeeding them (well into the toddler years). Similarly when my children woke at night breastfeeding was by far the quickest and easiestContinue reading “How to gently night wean a breastfed baby or toddler”

The Great Sleep Obsession (The Problem of Modern Day Life versus the Primitive Infant)

Sleep No other word can generate such an emotive response in so many parents of young children. The ‘baby sleep industry’ is worth millions of pounds, a myriad of products from pharmaceutical to musical, mechanical and material adorn the shelves of the high street luring in tired new parents with the promise of peaceful nights.Continue reading “The Great Sleep Obsession (The Problem of Modern Day Life versus the Primitive Infant)”

Parenting Woes – Whose Problem Is It Really?

This post has been whirling around my head for more than a year now and I have debated whether it should stay there many a time, why? Because I know this post is going to be contentious, I can only anticipate the comments it will get and the possibility that I might offend many parentsContinue reading “Parenting Woes – Whose Problem Is It Really?”