The Sleep Mums

Guide to The Holidays

December can be an exciting time but it can also be really exhausting and if you’re already parent-level tired, the overwhelm of making it through can make it feel a lot less merry and bright. 

In our holiday episode we talk about why and how the holidays can be tough, some tips on how to manage them and bring you a wee bit of festive cheer.

As always, we hope to give you the gift of better sleep, that’s top of our list!

 

1 – Pack Your Sack 2 – Home Comforts 3 – Festive Naps 4 – Selection Box of Treats 5 – Just one day

How to Settle Your Baby

Settling is the word we use to talk about how to help your baby to sleep; all the time… but especially when it seems like they really don’t want to!

This episode will arm you with a tool belt of settling techniques you need to help your baby get to sleep, firstly with you and then ultimately by themselves.

Well also give you some coping techniques to get you through the toughest of nights as well as answer our listener Hannah's question about settling her baby without feeding her.

1 – What is settling? 2 – What is cry it out? 3 – Settling techniques  4 – Settling techniques by age  5 – How to survive a settle

Parent Guilt

Is anyone else suffering from parent guilt right now?

Parent guilt is this gross, uncomfortable ache that lodges itself in your heart and creeps into your head, often in the middle of the night. It can keep you from sleeping, almost as much as a newborn.

This episode isn’t directly about sleep, but we care about finding ways to help everyone sleep better and that includes you as well as your children.

 

1 – Try not to compare 2 – Ask for help 3 – Change one thing  4 – Be your own best mate 5 – Let S*it Go

 

The First Two Weeks

What is sleep like when you first bring your baby home?

 

Non-existent? Glorious? Broken or anxious?

 

In our very first podcast episode we look at The First Two Weeks. Share our most important guideline from our book and how, if you’re ready, to start laying the foundations for better baby sleep.

 

We’ll also answer a listener question from someone you might just recognise!

 

1 – The Most Important Thing  2 – Hormoans 3 – Sleep Foundations  4 – Feeds  5 – 4th Trimester 

 

The Sleep Mums’ Golden Rule

The most important piece of baby sleep help you’ll ever hear?

This week’s episode is all about The Sleep Mums Golden Rule. We know some of you don’t like rules when it comes to parenting but this one will give you more freedom, not less.

We’ll answer our listener Kerry’s request for help on moving her 4.5 month old baby from her Moses basket to a cot.

This whole episode is a gold mine of baby sleep chat!

1 – Sarah’s Favourite Word  2 – The Sleep Mums Golden Rule  3 – Coping with Changes  4 – Staying on track  5 – The Golden *Golden* Rule

 

This is an updated episode in 2022

Sleep Myths PT. 3

One of the hardest things about baby sleep is that there is so much information out there. It can feel like everyone reckons they are a baby sleep expert and it doesn’t help that not all of the information they’re sharing is true!

Our myth busting episodes are some of our most popular so it’s time to put some more of these sleep untruths to bed - forever - in our brand new Sleep Myths Part 3!

 

1 – Total Quiet Please 2 – Just a Bad Sleeper 3 – I’m Just Not Meant to Sleep 4 – Solid Food Solid Sleep 5 – Your Baby Will Hate You If…

Coming Back from a Bad Day

All of us have bad days. Every single one of us: parents, babies, children… even that lassie on socials.

So, it’s not the having the bad days, it’s how you cope with them and in the midst of having one it can feel impossible to do so. We’re here to help you through, give you support and ideas for managing them.

We’ll also answer one of your questions about what happens if you need to put your baby to bed early after a bad day and be there in solidarity with you if you need to go and have a scream in the cupboard.

 

1 – What to do if you have a bad day 2 – Bad Sleep Day 3 – Piece of Cake? 4 – Flexibility or Consistency? 5 – But can we not all just have a lie in?

Parent Preference

Has your child pleaded for you over the other parent? Or begged for them instead of you? Then you may have experienced parent preference.

At first, being the favoured parent might feel flattering but it can quickly stop feeling like a win. And, whilst not being the preferred parent can be hurtful, what does it actually mean?

In this podcast, we’ll explore parent preference, what it looks like at different ages and how to cope – and manage - being the chosen and the not so chosen one.

 

We’ll also answer your Listener Question about how to manage bedtime when a child refuses to go to one parent.

 

1 – What is Parent Preference? 2 – Why does it happen? 3 – The Chosen One 4 – The Not Chosen One 5 – Split and Share

Clock Changes and Sleep

Clock changes can give parents the fear, you feel you have everything in a delicate balance, you’re getting some sleep, they nap and then the time bandits come along! You find yourself doing mental leaps, counting on fingers and trying to work out when on earth they ‘should’ go to bed.

In this podcast we’ll share what will really help, give you some practical tips and, hopefully, stop any alarm bells ringing about the clock change.

1 – Before 2 – After 3 – Doing Nothing 4 – Practical Tips

Sleep with Baby and Toddler

Juggling sleep with a baby and a toddler can be difficult.

You might be pro at coping with a poonami, be able to butter toast one-handed and manage a meltdown but working out nap and bedtime with two (or more) can floor even the most experienced parent. Meeting the needs of two - sometimes screaming – children who have very different demands is challenging and, particularly where sleep is concerned, exhausting.

In this episode we look at ways to help you through, what to do at naptime, bedtime and night wakings and how to find rest for you.

We’ll also answer one of your questions about doing bedtime alone with two.

 

1 – Help! 2 – Bedtime 3 – Naptime 4 – Night Wakings 5 – Rest for You