Sleep Challenge Library

Nearly 100 short videos of Lyndsey working through real sleep challenges, grouped by age and topic. Find the one your client needs.

Lyndsey explains each clip covers a common challenge, likely contributors and non-prescriptive options, encouraging co-created, achievable plans tailored to each family.

Practise short put-downs, check tiredness and comfort, lower legs first or roll side to back, and seek feeding review if lying flat is never tolerated.

Check whether baby prefers closeness or can't lie flat, then build back-lying practice gradually; sleeping on a sleeping adult isn't a safe substitute.

Agree a clear goal, then reduce movement gradually (walking to swaying to sitting), try pauses, a sling or another carer.

Make safety the immediate priority: find another adult to give protected sleep or shifts, and create a specific, realistic safety plan.

Newborns lack a mature body clock; check feeding and weight, use daylight by day and dim, quiet nights, and seek review for red flags.

Clarify what 'not settling' means, check feeding and weight, recognise normal cluster feeding, and try skin-to-skin, movement or another carer.

Check whether the family truly wants change, then try gradual experiments like one cot nap a day, a sling, pram or another carer.

Check baby is comfortable lying flat when awake, then adjust put-down timing and technique, mattress temperature and tiredness, without blaming parents.

Lower bottom and legs first, try side-to-back rolling, keep contact briefly, use sleep pressure and change one thing at a time.

If it suits the family, no change is needed; otherwise reduce movement gradually, share movement naps, and follow car-seat and sling safety.

Check whether pram or car naps are needed, troubleshoot comfort, feeding timing and environment, and consider travel sickness; avoid driving around for sleep.

Home naps are fine if they work; otherwise try one nap away, familiar items, quieter settings and gradual exposure to busier places.

Feeding to sleep is normal; separate feeding and sleep goals, find what's really bothering the parent, and try small changes alongside feeds.

Clarify what the parent wants to change, then reduce or swap bouncing for gentler rocking, touch or shushing, adapting slowly if baby is distressed.

Treat sudden change as a clue: rule out illness or pain, review recent changes and the cot set-up, then rebuild positive cot associations.

Check whether wakes follow the parent leaving, then try waiting longer, brief pop-outs, sitting nearby or another carer, at a manageable pace.

Distinguish mild protest from rising distress, check readiness, hunger and discomfort, and try a simpler routine or another carer before changing timing.

Sleep inertia can cause crying on waking; check whether picking up calms them, offer gentle contact, and review persistent or intense distress.

Quick sleep onset can be normal; look at 24-hour sleep, feeding and alertness, and seek review if baby is hard to rouse or feeding poorly.

Use the sleep diary to see whether baby is over-scheduled, uncomfortable or dysregulated, cap settling attempts at about 15 minutes and reduce stress.

If baby isn't falling asleep, they're not tired enough or not regulated; check timing, naps, routine length and daytime activity.

Clarify the change, distinguish frustration from dysregulation, rule out medical causes, and agree gentler options, distress thresholds and pause points.

Agree the family's goal, then let the other parent gradually take parts of the routine and develop their own settling style at baby's pace.

Check whether it's separation or lack of practice, build trust through daytime contact, practise at calm times and avoid the primary parent 'rescuing'.

Greater awareness can increase wakings; check naps, bedtime, feeding, illness, new skills and stimulation, and share night care while explaining what's happening.

No single regression explains it; assess new motor skills, separation awareness, nap and feeding changes, then support with practice, timing tweaks and responsive settling.

Frequent wakes may be normal arousals in a 'signaller'; assess pattern, hunger, illness, environment and responses, then aim for small realistic improvements.

Gather the full feeding and sleep history, check discomfort and bedtime sleep pressure, seek review for feeding concerns, and share night care.

Sleep gets lighter later in the night; check hunger, temperature, light, noise and nappies, and arrange shifts so one parent gets a stretch.

Progress isn't linear; pinpoint when waking increased and what changed then, such as illness, childcare or a sibling, and address that first.

Independent settling doesn't guarantee long sleep; review feeds, environment, daytime connection and naps rather than repeatedly changing settling methods.

Discuss whether the family wants fewer feeds or more options, check day feeding and growth, then add other settling strategies or carers.

A false start is waking 20–40 minutes after bedtime; use the 4D framework to find causes, as an earlier bedtime can perpetuate it.

Check whether split nights recur, review naps, bedtime and daytime activity, keep night interactions calm and low-key, and seek review if persistent.

Define 'early' for the family, check 24-hour sleep, whether the day is anchored early and external triggers, then shift timings gradually.

Check baby has fully recovered, prioritise comfort while unwell, then gradually reintroduce familiar settling; parents aren't to blame for extra comforting.

Short naps are often normal; check 24-hour sleep and daytime mood, and if needed try shifting, adding or dropping naps or occasional contact naps.

Distinguish quick resettles from long wakes, check 24-hour sleep, hunger and daytime cues, then try shortening or shifting naps and bedtime.

Nap timing and distribution are usually the issue; try later naps, short bridging naps, an occasional earlier bedtime or alternating days.

Identify what's happening and whether it causes real problems, check settling-in time, key worker and environment, and work collaboratively with the nursery.

Different carers and routines change sleep; check total sleep, feeds and stimulation, and accept sleep needn't look identical in both places.

Focus on 24-hour sleep and daytime functioning, discuss earlier or shorter naps with staff, and simplify the evening routine at home.

Compare nursery and home days with a simple record, then approach staff collaboratively about an earlier or shorter nap trial.

There's no universal maximum nap; judge by age, feeding and 24-hour sleep, and shorten or retime naps if they cause late bedtimes.

A 9pm bedtime isn't automatically wrong; look at total sleep, naps and daylight, and if moving earlier, shift the whole day over weeks.

Usually around 7–9 months; shift the first two naps later, alternate two- and three-nap days, and use earlier bedtimes or power naps.

Often around 14–16 months; move the morning nap later, trial an earlier single nap, tweak bedtime and keep two naps on busy days.

Timing varies from about two to five years; check readiness, use quiet rest, alternating days and earlier bedtimes, and support sensitive children.

Sudden refusal is often a phase; check consistency, 24-hour sleep and daytime coping, and try shorter or later naps before dropping it.

Check age, growth and total intake, reduce daytime feeding distractions, seek support if intake falls, and remember night feeds often soothe rather than satisfy hunger.

Work out if refusal is bottle-specific, rule out illness or teething, try calm short attempts, paced feeding and different teats, and seek support.

Feeding to sleep is a settling method, not automatically the cause of wakings; clarify goals, try small changes and expect short-term disruption.

Check whether refusal affects all feeds, rule out illness, teething or flow changes, avoid forcing, and seek prompt feeding support if intake falls.

Assess age, growth and day intake, change one waking at a time, offer comfort first and reduce volume gradually; never dilute formula.

Ask which part of night feeding is hard, protect milk supply, and try one small change such as another carer taking a waking.

Overnight bottles beyond infancy risk teeth, jaw development, weight and iron levels; move milk to a cup, give milk before toothbrushing and reduce gradually.

Night weaning reshapes night-time comfort; decide which feeds to keep, remove one at a time, add non-feeding comfort and be ready to pause.

Separate sleep from feeding goals; breastfeeding can continue, but phase out bottles from about one year, checking intake, eating and growth first.

Outcomes vary from days to months or no change; check wakings, illness and family impact, add daytime contact and keep timelines realistic.

Sudden breast refusal isn't automatically self-weaning; consider illness or flow changes, offer the breast when calm, protect supply and ensure adequate intake.

Acknowledge sadness or guilt, clarify what 'stop' means, separate sleep from feeding issues, and support whatever the parent decides, including changing their mind.

Explore what each parent wants and why, review who settles at night, and agree a small time-limited trial with a review point.

Assess 24-hour sleep, recent changes and separation anxiety, then try a later bedtime, shorter routine, active play and predictable 'now/next' cues.

Review the whole evening, count demands and transitions, offer a snack, connection and genuine choices, and stay close when the child is overwhelmed.

Prioritise safety: lower the mattress, use a sleeping bag, consider a floor or toddler bed, childproof the room and find out why.

Move only for safety, not age alone; prepare the child with role play and choices, keep the routine and expect some resistance.

A floor bed suits some families; do a whole-room safety check, place it mid-wall, allow airflow, and remember it's an arrangement, not an intervention.

Find out why they leave bed, adjust timing and evenings, offer settling support and respond consistently and kindly while holding limits.

Check timing, then try sitting beside the bed or a stepped approach with a settling cue, using brief check-ins if the child is distressed.

Check whether leaving causes the wake; if change is wanted, move to a chair, practise pop-outs, never sneak off or leave them distressed.

Check whether the family is happy co-sleeping; if not, explore why the child wakes and tailor options while preserving comfort and connection.

Night breastfeeding can continue, but routine night milk in a bottle or cup isn't advised from about 12 months; shift intake to daytime gradually.

Identify the exact trigger, validate feelings, demystify the room in daylight and try a night light, open door, comfort object or parent nearby.

Work out whether the child is thirsty, needs reassurance, isn't ready or is stalling, then set limits in advance and stay close.

Check whether the fear is new, make the room feel safer, and use gentle steps; sleeping alone isn't a required milestone.

Gather the backstory, agree the real goal, then use gradual steps such as another carer, sitting nearby, the ribbon trick or pop-outs.

Look at timing, overstimulation, movement, worries and the bedroom; move active play earlier and use audiobooks, meditations or lullabies.

Check whether worry is sleep-specific or broader, talk in the daytime, keep a predictable routine with brief reassurance, and seek help if severe.

Nightmares wake a child from REM sleep in the later night; reassure calmly, look for daytime triggers and seek support if frequent.

Night terrors come from deep sleep early in the night; stay close, prevent falls, don't wake or question them, and seek advice if frequent.

Gifted children may be prone to insomnia and night waking; identify the issue, use a calm low-demand routine and seek specialist organisations' support.

Ask more questions, involve the young person, look beyond the bedroom, use consistent wake times and daylight, and refer for worrying symptoms.

Split the goal into where the child sleeps, how they fall asleep and what happens on waking, then take staged, safe steps.

Assess each child's needs, design a one-adult routine with staggered bedtimes and shared elements, and give the older child a predictable independent activity.

Regression is normal; keep part of the old routine, offer predictable one-to-one time, involve the older child and temporarily increase support.

Separate disagreement about how to respond from who gets up, map current night roles and aim for a fair, pragmatic compromise.

Clarify what 'independent sleep' means and whose expectations drive it, explore fears about crying, and offer gradual options parents can pause.

The issue may be the parent's own sleep or mental health; offer protected rest and practical support, and refer if insomnia persists.

Reduce risk first: arrange protected sleep and practical help, avoid sofa sleeping, and get urgent clinical support before any new sleep plan.

Assess barriers such as illness, work, money or exhaustion, and co-create simple short-term options, with permission to pause or revise plans.

After moves, separation, illness or loss, understand what changed for the child, keep familiar bedtime elements and seek support if distress persists.

Record exactly what changed, test one adjustment for 3–5 nights, analyse wake patterns and revisit the hypothesis rather than persisting with one fix.

Clarify the goal, check intake and growth, monitor what really changes, and reduce support gradually from feeding to rocking, holding and pop-outs.

Clarify routines and the family goal, make one gradual change at a time, keep the preferred parent nearby if needed, and pause if distress escalates.

Re-check the diary for subtle gains, review assumptions and how the plan was followed, allow realistic timelines, then tweak one element or refer.

Explore what drives shifting goals, such as conflicting advice or exhaustion, check readiness and non-negotiables, and treat clarity itself as a useful outcome.

Explore what broke down when they tried, see returning to old methods as information, and offer one manageable step or a new goal.