Be Your Own Sleep Coach - Building Better Sleep for Babies and Toddlers

Be Your Own Sleep Coach: Building Better Sleep for Babies and Toddlers (4 to 18 months)

You’re not doing anything wrong. Baby sleep is hard, and most of the advice out there doesn’t fit real babies.

This guide holds everything I’d work through with you in a one-to-one consultation, in one place you can read at your own pace, on your phone, at 3am if you need to.

If you’re exhausted and fed up with conflicting, one-size-fits-all advice, wake windows and routines, this guide gives you a clear, step-by-step way to understand your baby’s sleep and change it.

Who it’s for

Every parent who wants to make a change, whatever kind of parent you are. There are options from very gentle changes, where you stay with your baby the whole time, to quicker methods. You choose the method and the pace, and a section called “Short on time? Start here” shows you where to begin.

What’s inside

• How baby sleep works. Sleep pressure, the body clock, and why most “regressions” aren’t what they seem.
• Your baby’s own 24-hour sleep budget. Work out how much sleep your baby actually needs and build a day that fits them, not a chart. This includes temperament, bedtime routines to suit sensitive, high-energy and easygoing babies, naps and nap transitions, and how to make bigger changes to a routine.
• Night feeds, dream feeds and night weaning.
• Your baby’s sleep space, and safe sleep guidance based on NHS and Lullaby Trust advice, including when to speak to your GP or health visitor first.
• Getting ready. Choosing a start date, looking after yourself, and making sure you and your partner are on the same page.
• Seven settling methods, from gentle to quicker. From support layering and gradual retreat to timed checks and fixed rhythm, with clear steps and help choosing the right one. This includes moving from co-sleeping to a cot.
• Honest about crying. Every method changes how your baby falls asleep, so some protest is likely even when your baby is in your arms. The guide tells you what to expect and how to tell protest from genuine distress.
• A step-by-step action plan.
• Twelve worked sample plans. Real-life situations, such as early wakes, split nights, short naps and night feeds, with routines and step-by-step plans.
• Troubleshooting and answers to common questions. Early waking, teething, travel, clock changes, growth spurts, premature babies, twins and more.
• Easy to navigate: tap the contents page or the ‘Short on time? Start here’ section to jump straight to what you need, then tap ‘Contents’ on any page to come back

About the author

Louise Garrett is an OCN Level 6 qualified sleep coach and the founder of The Sleep Architects.

Good to know

• Instant PDF download, designed to be read on your phone.
• This guide is general information and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. If you’re worried about your baby’s health, speak to your GP or health visitor