Sleep Success Isn't Linear: Why the Blips Are Normal

Ever had a wonky week and thought, where has my baby gone and who have they replaced it with? This one's for you.We'd just got off our morning Camp Snooze coaching call when one of our mums told us she thought you just sleep train, fix the problems and that's it forevermore. So we're talking about why baby sleep isn't linear. That's true in the active phase of sleep training and it's true from newborn to three, four, five plus years. Regressions, milestones, starting childcare, sickness and travel all crop up. It's not because the sleep work didn't work. It's because that's the real life nature of baby sleep.Bec shares her daughter Harlow's two year nap refusal (day 17, sweating bullets). Sally explains why she sees sleep as a daily practice, still with a four and a seven-year-old. We talk about the urgency to fix, why we hold steady, the magic phrase and why it is never too late to get better baby sleep.Subscribe to Nap Trapped so you never miss an episode and find more at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWhat You'll Learn:- Why baby sleep isn't linear, in active sleep training and from newborn to five plus years- The real life moments that crop up: teeth, childcare viruses, travel, schedule changes- Why an otherwise well rested baby with great sleep skills will often skip a more stereotypical regression- Why holding steady usually beats the urgency to fix- How going back to your original sleep training technique gets you back on track- Why it can get a little bit worse before it gets better- How a reassuring phrase becomes the settling techniqueChapters:00:00 Welcome back, Nap Trappers00:45 Baby sleep isn't linear12:52 The urge to fix vs hold steady17:03 We don't anticipate a seamless run24:33 The magic phrase28:58 A little pep talkABOUT:We're Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre), two sleep consultants who have worked with thousands of families. Nap Trapped is where we talk baby and toddler sleep in plain language: the why, the how and the real life moments in between. We don't strive for perfect baby sleep. We strive for consistently great sleep for your whole family.Links:Sally on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/

Sleepy D's is back and we hear you. Well, we heard all two comments, and who are we to deny you? This week we're on the case with four of your questions. We've got a few A plus listeners in the mix.Isabella's nearly 14 month old self settles on a 10 to 10.30 and 2 to 3.30 nap schedule but has started waking at 6am. Bec explains why we put the one to three nap where we do, because we're future proofing you. Sally looks at the wake window into a 7pm bed. Then the question everyone asks: if he falls asleep at 10.15, do you wake him at 10.30?Adrian's 11 month old sleeps 11 to 12 hours but is stuck on a 6pm bed and a 5 to 6.30 wake. She doesn't call it early rising. She knows she's in a dicky schedule. Bec makes the case for the transitional schedule at 11 months and Sally walks through rescuing the nap, then nap training the second half. Midway through, breaking news lands from Camp Snooze.Emma's 10 week old won't nap past 30 minutes and nights have gone from almost sleeping through to waking every half an hour. We talk swaddles, three hourly feeds, a properly dark room and why one sleep cycle is totally enough at this age. And Talia asks about pushing the pram early for that third nap at six months.Subscribe, rate and send us your questions at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWHAT YOU'LL LEARN- Why the one to three nap sits where it does on the transitional schedule- Whether to wake at 10.30 when the first nap starts late- How to get out of a 6pm bed and 5am wake on a dicky schedule- When the second nap needs some formal nap training- What to try first for a 10 week old with short naps and broken nights- Whether to cap the third nap at six months and when to start the pram walkCHAPTERS00:00 Sleepy D's is back00:48 Isabella's transitional schedule09:08 Adrian's dicky schedule16:38 Emma's 10 week old24:32 Talia's pram timing26:51 Off to swimming and footyABOUTNap Trapped is a baby sleep podcast with Sally Woods of The Sleep Concierge and Bec Maher of The Sleep Centre. Evidence based sleep advice in plain language, realistic expectations and no empty promises, for tired parents who want a plan. Sleep Detectives drops every week alongside our main topic episode.LINKSSally on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Website: www.naptrappedpodcast.com

Subscribe to Nap Trapped wherever you listen and find every episode at www.naptrappedpodcast.comDummies Anonymous is in session. Bec is team dummy. She can count the number of times she's ditched a dummy in less than two hands over twelve years. So when we made the active choice to drop the dummy for a five and a half month old halfway through the second week of Camp Snooze, it warranted a debrief.This little one came to us after previous sleep training. He still had very short naps, very short breastfeeds and lengthy resettling sessions overnight. The unique bit was that he was taking almost a day's worth of calories overnight. We kept the dummy at first because it helped stretch those overnight feeds while we shifted calories into the day. Then we'd get great nights followed by crazy town all over again, with the dummy replugged over and over. One Monday morning we both read the sleep log and thought the same thing. The dummy's gotta go.What You'll Learn:- Why we're far more inclined to keep the dummy from eight months and why it's a hard no at 14 months- What keeping the dummy realistically looks like overnight if your baby can't replace it yet- How we redistribute calories without doing anything cold turkey- Why a lot of sleep work is throwing informed spaghetti at the wall, then a process of elimination- How object permanence at six months gives you a window to keep or drop the dummy- Keeping the dummy for naps while dropping it overnight- Why it's not linear and why we work over two weeksChapters:00:00 Happy Nap Trap Day02:00 Dummies Anonymous is in session08:09 Back to the case study15:56 The dummy's gotta go23:04 Use the tools available to you32:25 Off to replug some more dummiesABOUTNap Trapped is hosted by Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre). We're two sleep consultants who organise sleep, read a lot of sleep logs and work in collaboration with families so you understand exactly why you're doing what you're doing. Almost a hundred babies have come through Camp Snooze this year. If you want a 2026 spot, jump in quick.Links:Sally Woods, The Sleep Concierge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec Maher, The Sleep Centre on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Nap Trapped website: www.naptrappedpodcast.com

Happy Sleep Detectives Day to all who celebrate. Bec held all the power this week. Sally hadn't seen a single question, and we worked through five cases straight from our question box.We start with the big one: what's the first thing you'd change if everything was all over the place? We both said feeds and environment. Snap. You'll hear about the $18 blackout hack a client's dad built from Bunnings with black core flute and Velcro dots. Sally also tells us about the Hong Kong hotel blinds behind some of the best sleeps of her life.Then we get into an 11 week old in the no man's land of baby sleep and an 18 month old stuck on an hour and a half nap. There's also a 19 month old awake for an hour and a half overnight (listeners will know Bec hates split nights). We finish on whether you rescue naps once you've dropped to one.Lots of cases solved. Lots of nap homework given.Subscribe and never miss an episode: www.naptrappedpodcast.comWHAT YOU'LL LEARN- Why we'd start with feeds and environment when everything feels all over the place- How to get the room nine to ten out of ten dark, even if it doesn't look pretty- The one sleep association we'd steer clear of at 11 weeks, and why the rest are okay to get the nap done- How the delay delay method helps an 18 month old link sleep cycles, and how long to give it before you reassess- What's usually behind a so called split night and how to become so boring there's nothing worth waking for- Why rescuing naps for two to three days after dropping to one is a sideways step, not a backwards oneCHAPTERS00:00 Happy Sleep Detectives Day02:09 Feeds and environment first10:18 Eleven weeks, no man's land19:01 Stretching the toddler nap27:51 Split nights at 19 months37:37 Rescuing the one napABOUT NAP TRAPPEDWe're Sally Woods from The Sleep Concierge and Bec Maher from The Sleep Centre. Every week we bring you realistic, evidence-based baby and toddler sleep advice in plain language. No empty promises and no rod for your own back, just a lot of sleep detective work. Keep your eyes peeled on our socials for the next Sleep Detectives question box, and feel free to DM us or comment a question.LINKSSally on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Website: www.naptrappedpodcast.com

A mum on TikTok put it perfectly: maybe mums who sleep train don't want their baby to cry. For us that's not controversial at all. It's the take that needs to be shouted from the rooftops.Sally stumbled across the video and commented straight away: yes, yes, yes, this is what I hear from families daily. Her five and a half month old was waking every one to two hours, needing so many cuddles and crying with every settle. After a week of sleep training with five minute time checks, he rolls his head from side to side and goes off to sleep. He's doing a seven hour stretch, waking happier and crying less than he did in all the months she spent trying to avoid tears.We get into why everyone is crying when nobody's sleeping and why the families we work with have already done all the rocking, cuddling and co-sleeping. Bec explains productive tears (and the polyester trousers that had her crying in her car at lunchtime). We also share a Camp Snooze ten month old who needed to be woken at 7am this week, and why no one can tell you exactly how long your baby will cry.Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and find everything Nap Trapped at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWhat You'll Learn:- Why some mums sleep train because they don't want their baby to cry- Why sleep training doesn't stop night wakings and what changes instead- What we mean by productive tears and how they're different from the crying you're already living with every night- Why rocking, cuddling and co-sleeping work for some babies and not for others- Why no one can tell you exactly how long your baby will cryChapters:00:00 Back in the couch room06:41 The controversial take16:28 A whole comment section20:37 Productive tears and the suit queen25:24 They've done all these things31:22 Everyone be niceABOUTWe're Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre). Nap Trapped is our baby sleep podcast: evidence-based sleep support in plain language for tired parents, with real families, real sleep logs and realistic expectations.Links:Sally on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/*thesleepcentre/The TikTok we talk about (@rachannie*): https://www.tiktok.com/@rachannie_/video/7692235165585935636

Happy Sleep Detectives Day to all who celebrate! We open the Nap Trapped question box and answer your real-life baby sleep questions, from mum versus dad at bedtime to a 23 month old who's started climbing out of the cot. And a mum from our Spotify comments wrote back to tell us her twelve month old has slept through the night two nights straight, one and a half weeks into night weaning and modified Ferber. Case solved. Case closed.Subscribe and catch every episode at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWhat You'll Learn:- Why babies settle differently for mum and dad and how to get both of you confidently resettling- How to avoid feeding to resettle when it isn't feed time- When we start waking babies from naps and why a consistent 7am start matters so much- Why we move a one year old off wake windows and onto a clock-based schedule- How to handle daycare naps and extra night wakes in those first few weeks- How much teething really disrupts sleep and how to tell teething from habit or regression- How long to stay on the transitional schedule and why early rising is rarely a sign to drop a nap- How to hold onto three naps at seven months and whether settling time gets added onto a capped nap- What to try before you move a cot climber into a big bedChapters:00:00 Case solved, case closed03:10 Mum, dad and resettling11:46 Waking babies and clock schedules23:29 Daycare naps and teething35:48 Holding steady on naps46:08 The lucky last cot climberABOUTNap Trapped is the baby sleep podcast hosted by Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre). We're two sleep consultants who work with real families every day, giving you evidence-based advice in plain language. On Sleep Detectives we answer your questions and solve your sleep crimes, one case at a time. Hold steady.Links:Sally Woods, The Sleep Concierge, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec Maher, The Sleep Centre, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Nap Trapped: www.naptrappedpodcast.com

Welcome back to part two of our 100th episode with That Sleep Doc, Dr Sujay Kansagra. He's a child neurologist and sleep medicine doctor at Duke University and the inventor of the Lullabee smart crib mattress. This half is where Bec finally gets to ask about a real bugbear of hers, low sleep needs, and Sally asks Sujay to diagnose her. We get into what actually decides how much sleep our babies need, why six hours of naps won't give you a twelve hour night, whether overtiredness is really a thing and how Sujay copes with the trolls in his comment section. Then it's a very slow fast five, the Lullabee versus the Snoo and the biscuit question we promised you.Missed part one? Listen here: https://www.naptrappedpodcast.com/p/ep-100-what-is-sleep-training-that-sleep-docSubscribe and catch every episode at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWHAT YOU'LL LEARN- Why genetics set our sleep needs and how rare truly low sleep needs are- Why a low sleep needs label doesn't mean you can't improve sleep- How stacking too much day sleep can look like low sleep needs- What the science does and doesn't say about overtiredness- Why toddlers get wired, not sleepy, when they're short on sleep- Sujay's take on Wonder Weeks, swaddling, melatonin gummies and sleep consultants- How the Lullabee weans itself out and why it's the polar opposite of the SnooCHAPTERS00:00 Welcome back, Nap Trappers00:20 Bec's bugbear: low sleep needs11:16 Is overtiredness real?21:06 Trolls and the comment section28:57 A very slow fast five36:18 We're a good teamABOUT NAP TRAPPEDWe're Sally Woods from The Sleep Concierge and Bec Maher from The Sleep Centre. Nap Trapped is our baby sleep podcast for tired, time-poor parents who want evidence-based answers in plain language, with realistic expectations and no empty promises.ABOUT DR SUJAY KANSAGRASujay is a child neurologist and sleep medicine doctor at Duke University, aka That Sleep Doc, and the inventor of the Lullabee smart crib mattress.LINKSSally (The Sleep Concierge) on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec (The Sleep Centre) on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Part one: https://www.naptrappedpodcast.com/p/ep-100-what-is-sleep-training-that-sleep-docDr Sujay Kansagra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsleepdoc/Dr Sujay Kansagra on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsleepdocDr Sujay Kansagra website: https://linktr.ee/thatsleepdocDr Sujay Kansagra on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thatsleepdoc

We made it to 100 episodes and we couldn't think of a better way to celebrate. Sally's heart was beating the whole time 'cause she's that much of a fangirl.Our guest is the one and only Dr Sujay Kansagra, known to so many of you as That Sleep Doc. He's a child neurologist and sleep medicine doctor at Duke University, where he directs the child neurology sleep medicine program. Sally DM'd him on the seventh of December 2024, before Nap Trapped even existed. It was left on unread. A hundred episodes later, here we are.In part one we rip the band aid and ask what sleep training actually is, whether sleep associations are real and how you tell a sleep association from a baby seeking connection. Sujay walks us through the learned helplessness research, attachment, night feeds and breastfeeding, parent guilt and why a well rested parent is a safer driver. He also tells us why he invented what he calls the most expensive crib mattress in the world and still says sleep training is safe and effective.Then we get into the hard bit: the crying. How Sujay coaches families through it, the two methods he reaches for and why even he found sleep training his own kids hard. Sally shares the early rising that finally shifted once she sent her husband to the gym. Bec's famous line gets a run too. Hold steady.If you've been fear mongered out of getting help, this one's for you.Subscribe to Nap Trapped wherever you listen and find every episode at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWhat You'll Learn:- Why there's no formal definition of sleep training and how Sujay defines it- How sleep cycles and normal night wakings bring sleep associations into play- How to tell if a sleep association is actually a problem for your household- What the 1960s learned helplessness experiments do and don't tell us about sleep trained babies- What the research says about sleep training and attachment- Why night feeds and breastfeeding can sit alongside sleep training- The two types of crying and how Sujay matches a method to a family's tolerance- Why having someone in your corner through the execution makes such a differenceChapters:00:00 Happy 100th, Dr. Sujay05:01 So, What Is Sleep Training?19:31 Busting the Sleep Training Myths37:26 Coaching Families Through Crying45:45 Part Two Next WeekABOUT:We're Sally Woods from The Sleep Concierge and Bec Maher from The Sleep Centre. Nap Trapped is our evidence-based baby sleep podcast for tired parents who want real answers without the fear mongering. Dr Sujay Kansagra is a child neurologist and sleep medicine doctor at Duke University and the creator of Lullabee. You'll find him on social media as That Sleep Doc.Links:Sally, The Sleep Concierge: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec, The Sleep Centre: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Dr Sujay Kansagra, That Sleep Doc: https://www.instagram.com/thatsleepdoc/That Sleep Doc on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsleepdocThat Sleep Doc on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thatsleepdocAll of That Sleep Doc's links: https://linktr.ee/thatsleepdocCamp Snooze intakes: joinsnooze.comNap Trapped: www.naptrappedpodcast.com

We're back in the Sleep Detectives hot seat answering your real baby sleep questions — bottles, naps, toddler boundaries, split nights, daycare schedules and a very important Fiji trip. Subscribe and never miss an episode at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWhat You'll Learn:- When to drop the morning and before-lunch bottles (the exact ages)- How to protect your toddler's sleep when a new baby arrives — and what NOT to change- The transitional schedule explained: why it doesn't have to look textbook- Early rising vs. actually early rising — and why we almost never make a nap drop off an early rise- Split nights: what they actually are (and what's just a resettle going nowhere)- How to audit a 1am wake with a sleep trained 13 month old- The pilot analogy from Dr Becky that reframes holding a boundary with a toddler- Why six months is prime time for sleep shaping- Daycare schedules with fixed bottle and nap times — how to make it work- Fiji with a five month old: do you stay on Sydney time or just get on Fiji time?Chapters:00:00 – Welcome to Sleep Detectives00:33 – Dropping bottles: before-lunch and morning bottle ages02:00 – Protecting toddler sleep when a new baby arrives06:40 – 12 month old on transitional schedule: one and a half hour afternoon nap11:22 – 18 month old on one nap: should I wake at two if she'll sleep till three?12:31 – 14 month old: early waking and 20 minutes to self-settle — time for one nap?17:18 – 1am wake with a sleep trained 13 month old — split night or resettle?25:50 – Dr Becky's pilot analogy and holding boundaries with toddlers31:07 – Six month old: when to start waking from naps to get on a schedule34:20 – Eight month old in daycare five days a week: adapting nap and feeding advice39:45 – Five month old trip to Fiji: Sydney time or Fiji time?41:02 – Wrap upABOUT NAP TRAPPED:Nap Trapped is hosted by Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre) — two sleep consultants, two mothers, one podcast dedicated to evidence-based baby and toddler sleep support in plain language. No empty promises, no guilt, just real answers for tired parents.Links:Instagram Sally: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Instagram Bec: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Website: www.naptrappedpodcast.com

Is the two-nap schedule wrecking your nine-month-old's sleep — or was something already brewing before you made the drop? This week we work through a real DM case study: a nine-month-old who moved to two naps and promptly hit the fan with short naps, false starts, lengthy middle-of-the-night wake windows and reactive co-sleeping creeping earlier and earlier.We unpack why the nap drop is rarely the villain, what the clues in this mum's own message tell us about what was already in the mix, and exactly what we'd do first — including why we'd put the third nap back in (yes, really) and why early rising needs to be sorted before any nap transition happens.We also share a Google review that genuinely made Sally tear up on mic, and Bec drops a quick winter temperature check that could explain a lot of what's creeping back into your nights right now.Subscribe and find all our resources at www.naptrappedpodcast.comWhat You'll LearnWhy the 3-to-2 nap drop is rarely the root cause — and what usually isThe one thing that must be sorted before any nap transitionWhy cot-side settling and early-morning co-sleeping have a shelf lifeHow the eight-month sleep progression creates a perfect stormWhy we'd bring the third nap back in strategically and what that looks likeThe room temperature check Bec wants every southern hemisphere family to do right nowHow Camp Snooze would approach this exact scenario in two weeksChapters00:10 Welcome back and a Google review that made Sally cry06:18 What is Camp Snooze?07:27 The case study DM: nine-month-old, two naps, everything hits the fan09:15 Was the nap drop really the problem?11:23 What was already brewing before the drop13:32 Our fix: bring the third nap back and here's why14:20 Strengthening self-settling skills at this age15:50 The co-sleeping shelf life conversation17:46 How Camp Snooze would handle this over two weeks20:25 Bec's winter temperature tidbit for early risers22:02 What to do if you're still on three naps and have sleep issues22:55 Wrap upAbout Nap TrappedNap Trapped is hosted by Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre) — two Australian sleep consultants keeping it real for tired parents everywhere. Evidence-based, warm and zero fluff.LinksSally: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/Bec: https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/Everything else: www.naptrappedpodcast.com