Mini Sleepers

20/10/2026

15/10/2026

What can we take from this new research when looking at a baby’s sleep?
Researchers analysed parent-recorded sleep logs from over 175,000 babies aged 3–18 months, collected through the Napper app.

Daytime sleep reduced with age, averaging around 3 hours 46 minutes at 3 months, 2 hours 7 minutes at 12 months and 1 hour 41 minutes at 18 months.
These are averages, not amounts every baby should be having.
Around nap transitions the remaining naps generally became longer. However, they didn’t fully maintain the previous daytime sleep total. A transition can therefore involve both a redistribution of sleep and a reduction in daytime sleep.

The move from two naps to one showed the greatest variation in timing. The median was approximately 13.2 months, but this isn’t a deadline for dropping a nap.
More daytime sleep was associated with later bedtimes and shorter bedtime to-morning intervals.
This doesn’t prove that cutting naps improves nights. The study couldn’t establish cause and effect, or whether more daytime sleep led to shorter nights, or vice versa.

Bedtimes became more consistent with age, with a greater change before 9 months. The authors interpreted this as consistent with circadian development. However, they didn’t directly measure biological circadian rhythms, and family routines could also contribute.

An important detail is time awake overnight wasn’t subtracted from the totals. The overnight figures describe the interval between bedtime and morning waking, rather than actual sleep. They cannot tell us exactly how much sleep the babies got or needed.

The middle column in these slides is my practical interpretation. The study didn’t test an ideal routine, nap restriction or sleep training.

For transparency, the sample consisted of Napper app users and one author is employed by Napper. This doesn’t invalidate the findings but it is relevant when considering how widely they apply.

The reason I chose to share this research is in its value in explaining familiar advice more clearly, rather than presenting a major new discovery.

09/10/2026

If I could change just one thing to help improve a child’s sleep, it would be to anchor their morning wake-up time.

We often focus so much on bedtime but what happens in the morning is just as important.

Our body clock (circadian rhythm) thrives on consistency. Waking at roughly the same time each morning, alongside exposure to natural daylight helps anchor our internal clock and regulate our sleep-wake cycle.

When wake-up times vary significantly from day to day, it can throw our body clock out of sync, a bit like experiencing jet lag without actually travelling anywhere!

This can make it harder to fall asleep at bedtime and leave children feeling groggy, irritable and struggling with emotional regulation.

It's sometimes referred to as social jet lag particularly when sleep schedules shift between weekdays and weekends.

Aim for a fairly consistent wake-up time, ideally within around 30 minutes, whilst making sure your child is getting enough sleep overall.

sleep

03/10/2026

🚩 Snoring in children

When we think about sleep difficulties in children, it’s very easy to focus on bedtime, night waking or behaviour.

A recent article on paediatric obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an important reminder that regular snoring, noisy breathing or pauses in breathing shouldn’t simply be dismissed as something children do.

And the signs aren’t always obvious.

Things worth paying attention to can include:

• Regular snoring or noisy breathing
• Pauses, gasping or struggling to breathe during sleep
• Mouth breathing
• Restless sleep or unusual sleeping positions
• Sweating during sleep
• Frequent waking
• Bedwetting
• Night terrors
• Morning headaches

But some of the signs may actually show up during the day.

Children with OSA can present with difficulties with concentration, memory and learning but they may also appear hyperactive, impulsive, irritable or dysregulated. In some children, the presentation can even resemble ADHD.

As a sleep specialist, I don't want to jump straight into changing sleep habits without considering whether there could be something else contributing to that child's sleep difficulties.

Behavioural strategies have their place but they cannot fix an obstructed airway.

If your child regularly snores, has pauses in their breathing, struggles to breathe during sleep or has other concerning symptoms, speak to your GP or paediatrician about whether further assessment is needed.

Sometimes improving sleep starts with looking beyond sleep itself.

Article: Obstructive sleep apnoea in children: Why snoring and breathing pauses should not be ignored – Open Access Government.

25/09/2026

One of the most useful points in this new study is what “no one size fits all” means in practice

A new study interviewed 10 breastfeeding mothers who stopped using behavioural sleep strategies after a residential or inpatient stay. Many felt the approach hadn’t taken enough account of their baby’s temperament, their own values or practical realities such as settling twins.

Researchers highlight the importance of understanding the whole picture before deciding on an behavioural approach.

This reinforces why I start with an assessment, not a method. I establish what it is that the family are hoping to change? What might be contributing to the waking? Are there health or feeding concerns? How much sleep does this baby seem to need?

Then we agree on a goal and an approach that fits the family. And we keep checking in. Is the plan helping? Is it manageable? Does anything need to change?

This study reflects the experiences of mothers who discontinued support. It doesn’t tell us that behavioural approaches are unsuitable but it does teach us why sleep support must be goal led, client centred and responsive to what happens once a family starts the sleep support plan.

Van Zanden et al. (2026), Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology.

24/09/2026

⭐️There are so many different approaches to supporting families with their little one’s sleep, and my approach (and *me*) may not be for everyone and that’s absolutely okay. What matters most is finding someone who is qualified, ethical, and evidence-based.

Unfortunately, some “sleep consultants” have little to no training, make false promises or share unsafe advice online. With so much misinformation out there it’s more important than ever to know what to look out for.

As for me:

✨ I never make false promises
✨ I never give advice outside my training or remit
✨ I always follow best practice

🚩 Red flags to watch for when choosing a sleep consultant:

* Giving advice on medication without medical qualifications
* Guaranteeing results within a specific timeframe
* Providing generic, one-size-fits-all routines
* Advising you to wean your baby early
* Stepping outside their scope of practice
* Encouraging you to do something that doesn’t feel right for you or your family

Trust your instincts — they’re usually right.

My qualifications: BSc Hons Psychology, PgDip Occupational Therapy, OCN London level 6 advanced paediatric sleep practitioner ( including other sleep related courses)

23/09/2026

Toddlers are brilliant, funny, fiercely independent and suddenly have very strong opinions about bedtime!

If bedtime has become a nightly battle these things may help:

⭐ Keep the bedtime routine calm, predictable and around 30 minutes in length. The same steps each night act as familiar cues that sleep is coming.

⭐ Offer small choices where you can "Blue pyjamas or red?” “One story or two?” This gives them some control, while you keep the boundary around bedtime.

⭐ Be consistent in how you respond. If the response changes each night, your child is more likely to keep testing to find out where the boundary is.

⭐ Avoid screens for around an hour before bed and choose quieter activities instead.

⭐ Keep the bedroom dark, calm and boring. If they need a light, use a dim red or amber one rather than a bright white or blue light.

⭐ Look at their daytime sleep and overall 24-hour sleep. A nap that is too long or too late may reduce the sleep pressure needed at bedtime.

⭐ Check the timing. If your child regularly takes a long time to fall asleep bedtime may simply be earlier than their body is ready for.

And remember bedtime boundaries can still be reassuring and loving. Your child may not like the boundary but that doesn’t mean the boundary is wrong.

Please share this with a parent currently negotiating with someone who has very strong opinions ! 😂

ParentingAToddler MiniSleepers

10/09/2026

A child can be tired and still not be ready to sleep 💤

🤔That’s because sleep isn’t controlled by tiredness alone. Sleep pressure and our circadian rhythm work together to influence when we’re biologically ready to sleep and wake.

This is why simply putting a child to bed earlier doesn’t always result in more sleep. If there isn’t enough sleep pressure or bedtime isn’t well aligned with their body clock, you may instead see a long time to fall asleep, bedtime resistance or lots of chatting and playing in bed.

Then there’s night waking. Waking during the night is normal adults do it too. What can be more useful is looking at what happens after the wake. How long are they awake? Can they return to sleep? Do they need the same conditions they had when they initially fell asleep?
This is where terms such as WASO (wake after sleep onset), sleep associations and sleep efficiency help us build a much clearer picture of what’s actually happening overnight.

Sleep associations aren’t automatically something that needs to be “fixed”. If feeding, rocking, a dummy or parental presence works for your family there may be no reason to change it. It becomes relevant when it’s no longer working or is making sleep difficult to maintain.
Children’s sleep is rarely about one isolated bedtime or night wake. Understanding the processes behind sleep helps us work out what may actually be contributing to the difficulty rather than just trying to make a child sleep more.

Please like , Save for later and share if you find this useful.

Mini Sleepers - NHS & Private Sleep Consultant
sleepeducation

08/09/2026

When we talk about children’s sleep, it’s easy to focus on bedtime, wake time and how many times they woke overnight. But those things only tell us part of the story.

When I assess sleep, I’m looking at the whole 24 hours. What time did they actually fall asleep? How long did it take? How much did they sleep during the day? How
much time was spent awake overnight? And, importantly, how much sleep does this particular child seem to need?
That’s where terms like sleep onset, sleep onset latency, total sleep time and 24-hour sleep need become really useful.

For example, if a child is put to bed at 7pm but regularly doesn’t fall asleep until 8pm, simply moving bedtime earlier probably isn’t going to give them more sleep. That hour tells us something about their sleep pressure, their routine and whether the sleep opportunity we’re offering actually matches their sleep need.

The same applies to sleep recommendations. They are helpful ranges but not a target every child needs to hit. Two children of exactly the same age can have different sleep needs and both be perfectly within normal variation.

This is why I’m much more interested in the pattern of sleep across 24 hours than one individual bedtime, nap or night wake.

Once i understand what sleep is actually happening, i am in a much better position to work out what might be contributing to the problem and what may need to change.

Swipe through for Part 1 of sleep terminology parents should know

Part 2 is coming soon 💤

Mini Sleepers - NHS & Private Sleep Consultant