An article on a The New York Times’ blog was published this week and with a title like “Sleep Training at 8 Weeks: Do You Have the Guts?’ it was always destined to go viral. Having received comments and emails about it, seeing many comments across social media claiming that the article is about child abuse and finally a very popular gentle parenting expert baying for the blood of ‘sleep trainers’ I thought it was time to make our position on this article crystal clear.

Most families that come to us with child sleep problems have tried some form of sleep training on their own and it hasn’t worked. They often feel like they have tried everything and think that it will take a miracle from us to get their little one sleeping soundly when really they’ve just had their own attempts derailed by one of the common mistakes that we see every day. The Baby Sleep Company is doing a special blog series on the common pitfalls of DIY sleep training. 

by Dr Caroline Hendry (PhD Developmental Biology)

There’s no denying it, we live a fast-paced life. There’s everything from instant meals to instant tan and even instant drugs. We expect results, stat. So when it comes to falling asleep, it’s no wonder that a little tossing and turning has a lot of Australians reaching for a quick fix. One of the most popular sleeping drugs for adults is melatonin, and an increasing number of parents are also giving it to their children. But do we really know what we’re doing? And is it safe? 

by Dr Caroline Hendry (PhD Developmental Biology)

The thought of babies dreaming is irresistibly cute. Where might their little brains take them at night? Perhaps flying over gushing waterfalls of sweet milk, or clambering over soft, warm skin that smells like Mummy. All that activity – the twitching, the eye movement, the sighs and exclamations – suggests something is going on. But can babies really dream the same way we do? And if they do dream, what are they seeing?

by Dr Caroline Hendry (PhD Developmental Biology)

There are quite a few studies that report a link between screen watching and subsequent sleep patterns in children and teens^2,3,4,5. The consistent conclusion from these studies is that watching a screen prior to sleep, whether it be TV, computer or any other type of screen can be bad for sleep. It may mean that the amount of sleep is less, and/or it might take longer to fall asleep. Importantly, if this occurs often enough, it may lead to increasing feelings up tiredness for months, or even years.