Infant Sleep Consultants

Has your nursery told you your child must nap due to Ofsted guidelines? This is something we hear more often than you might think and it’s a great example of how sleep information can be misinterpreted or miscommunicated.

Recently, a client came to us feeling stuck. Their child was napping at nursery, then taking a long time to fall asleep at bedtime and waking early the next morning 😵‍💫. They’d been told this was “required” but something didn’t quite add up…so we looked into it! 👀

We checked the latest EYFS guidance, spoke with childcare professionals and reviewed what’s actually expected.

Here’s the truth:
✔️ Yes, guidance has been updated with a focus on safer sleep practices and reducing screen time for under 2s.
❌ No, there is no rule that every child must nap, regardless of their needs.

In fact, guidance clearly states that sleep routines should be:
👉 Individual
👉 Developed in partnership with parents
👉 Based on each child’s unique needs, routines, and circumstances

Which means this…
✨ You are the expert on your child. ✨

If a nap is impacting bedtime or early mornings, it’s absolutely appropriate to have a conversation with your nursery or childminder. Sleep isn’t one-size-fits-all and it shouldn’t be treated that way.

A collaborative approach is key because well rested children (and parents!) benefit everyone.

💾 Save for future reference

The scenario: They’re sharing a room OR your baby recently started doing better stretches of sleep…then one night, one of them wakes…& now you’re all awake & wondering what to do?! This post is for you!

When they fall asleep at the worst possible time… here’s what to do next!

The scene: You’re heading home for lunch and they nod off in the car or pushchair.

The problem:
Nodding off for even a few minutes can take the edge off their sleep pressure.

And if you were to get home and try to move them from the pushchair/car to their bed, the process will wake them and probably lead to lots of stress as you try to get them to go back to sleep.

What to do instead:
Accept it is what it is and let them continue to nap in the car or pushchair until they’re ready to wake up.

If they haven’t slept for long enough:
📌 Remember, a pattern is what occurs over many days, not just one.
Try to stick to similar timings for milk and meals as this supports their circadian rhythm.
Accept you may need to bring the next nap forwards or let them have a power nap mid afternoon to keep the end of the day routine on track.

You’ve got this!

😴 💤

Are early wakings starting to creep in in your households?

Longer, lighter days bring a welcome relief after a cold, wet winter. BUT the increase in natural light can also mean our little ones are more likely to wake early. Can’t win, can we?!

Please remember, babies and young children are unable to tell the time so need to see the difference between calm, dark nights and light, chatty days. These differences in your response show them sleep and wake cues.

Let us know what is or isn’t working in your households?

We know the temptation to search the internet for answers and if these commonly searched questions have been you, you aren’t alone.

Is my baby teething?
How long does teething last?
Teething and sleep problems?
Teething baby won’t sleep unless they’re being held.
How to help teething baby sleep?
Can teething cause sleep regression?

If it really is teething, it is a short term dip and once that tooth has popped through, they will be themselves again.

If not, get in touch, we can help!

We know how much a short nap can derail your day so here are some tips so you can work out why your little ones aren’t napping.

We recommend doing some naps at home and some out and about so it doesn’t feel like you are always trying to get them to sleep.

Little ones do need to nap as it’s a great mood booster but it isn’t as restorative as our night time sleep, where all the healing magic happens.

What we know: Between 3-4 months old, there is a change in how babies sleep and they start to sleep in waves/cycles like we do. This can sometimes cause a short term disruption to their nights…and panic to their parents!

What we also know: Parents are told this will happen at other stages along the way to reinforce that feeling of panic. Sleep is not linear and there may be dips in sleep coinciding with developmental changes but to forecast it will definitely happen at a specific age is fake news y’all!

To avoid this, parents analyse every variable and make sure the lighting is just right, any floorboard creaks have been dealt with, the sound machine is always on and set at the perfect volume, the dog won’t bark, Amazon won’t ring the doorbell…you get the picture! But it isn’t the lights, the dog, the white noise, it’s just an unpreventable dip and it will pass.

The truth is, the best way to ensure that any dips in sleep are short term is to remain consistent. The more you change things, the more your child will pick up on it and become unsettled. By contrast, we know that having the same bedtime routine sends your child sleep cues so they understand what happens next.

📌 Familiarity sends a message of safety to children so they can relax into sleep and keep practising the skill of knitting those sleep cycles together.

There has been a heartbreaking story in the press, reporting the unexpected death of a four-month-old baby from SIDS. The baby boy, son of a former Leeds Utd player and grandson of football manager Steve Bruce, was placed to sleep on his front after following the advice of a maternity nurse hired to care for him. Advice that went directly against NHS safe-sleep guidance.

During the inquest, his parents shared that they would never have chosen this unsafe position had they not trusted the “expertise” she claimed to have. The senior coroner warned that the “purported expertise” of untrained individuals poses a real risk to all children - a message every parent deserves to hear.

First and foremost, our deepest condolences go out to the family. No parent should ever experience such unimaginable and untimely loss.

This tragic case once again reveals a vital truth: the people you trust with your baby must be properly trained and using evidence-based practice. In a world full of online advice and self-proclaimed experts, choosing qualified support isn’t just important - it’s protective.

📌Evidence-based, safe-sleep reminders:
Always place your baby on their back to sleep.
Keep the sleep space clear of sleep positioners, loose bedding, pillows, or toys.
The safest place for your baby to sleep is in their own cot, not in your bed, arms or on the sofa. Exhaustion is real and accidents can happen in seconds.
Check the qualifications of anyone you hire to support your family. Don’t rely on a polished social media presence - look for robust training, recognised credentials and real professional experience.

Parents deserve guidance they can trust and that guidance must always come from trained, experienced professionals.

NewParents BabySleepSafety ReduceTheRisk ParentingSupport

The clocks spring FORWARD this weekend which means we gain longer light filled days (whoop whoop!) but we lose an hour’s sleep…whose idea was that?!

For those of you who love a plan, we have shared tips in our blog so head over to the website to read it.

For those of you who can’t face adjusting timings and prefer to go with the flow, that is absolutely fine. Our captions cover how to approach the following day.

There may be a few days of disruption but they will adjust in no time.

✨If you have any questions, let us know in the comments below.

Progress, whether sleep related or otherwise, isn’t a straight line - it twists, stalls and sometimes even feels like it’s going backwards.

If you’re clawing your way back to feeling vaguely human after a tough winter of bugs, you might be wondering if things will ever improve.

And honestly… what’s the point of investing in something that won’t last? (she thinks, draining another cup of lukewarm coffee…)

Come closer, my cynical friend - let me share something with you.

We don’t give you a quick fix. We give you a toolkit - one you can use whether your child is 8 months, 18 months, or 8 years old.

Because yes, there will be dips and curveballs and teething and jet lag and Tonsillitis - all of it!

But here’s the clincher: once they have the skill, it builds. It sticks.

Just like riding a bike… you don’t forget how to sleep.

Your toolkit becomes your “how-to” - the thing you come back to, again and again, when life throws the unexpected your way.

The path may not always be straightforward, but you are still moving in the right direction.