The Holistic Baby and Toddler Sleep Podcast

Sleep for parents with 2 year olds is really challenging because: 
-children often push back on sleep at this age
-there is a lack of boundaries around sleep
-or sleep has been hard for a long time for some families and now as you try and address it, your child is old enough to push back! 
You might be experiencing some of the common challenges for 2 year olds and their sleep:
 nap duration issues (eg too much day sleep) 
still doing dummy runs 
parents taking out of their cots too soon 
reliant on feeds/co sleeping or rocking for sleep 
sibling and other changes like starting childcare
stalling at bedtime 
challenging behaviour
sleeping in different care environments
reliant on milk/removal of milk 
lack boundaries around sleep 
fussy eating behaviour 
parents unsure how to deal with pushback and big emotions around their child's sleep 
This episode deep dives into why these challenges are so hard for families and a step by step framework for you to implement so everyone in your family gets more sleep. 

SHOW NOTES 
If you are still struggling and need sleep, the next step is having a 30 minute Complimentary Discovery calls to chat about your goals, issues and how Georgina can support you can resolve your 2 year olds sleep. Just fill in Contact — The Holistic Sleep Project
"The Ultimate Feeding and Sleep Guide" is an excellent place to start to learn when youre child's naps should happen/the duration/bedtime and wake up times for all ages from Birth-3 years old Ultimate Sleep & Feeding Guide — The Holistic Sleep Project
Dont forget to Rate this Episode and Subscribe to this podcast so more families can be exposed to this sleep support in the form of this podcast

Do you feel anxious as bedtime approaches? 
Does your stomach drop when your child wakes up after 30 minutes from a nap? 
Do you get overwhelmed as you spend ages getting your child TO sleep and back to sleep? 

This episode is for you! Mumma, you are not alone. I was you. In this episode I share my personal story of anxiety, PTSD, baby loss, parental loss and how all of these traumas led to excessive anxiety around my child's sleep. 

No village, unable to sleep myself, checking on my baby repeatedly, missing my parents, having no in-laws, dealing with the loss of 3 babies was all too much. 
But it led me to prioritising my child's sleep and having a plan to get him sleeping, gaining a sense of control and sleep for myself. 

If you have ever been anxious or are feeling that way now, this episode will resonate with you.  The episode also gives heaps of practical tips which will support you during stages of minimal sleep so you can come out the other side with a sleeping child, more well rested and of course less anxious! 
Listen here!

SHOW NOTES 
These episodes linked below are from mummas who were struggling, feeling vulnerable and who were on the edge. Their stories illustrate how sleep transformed their babies, themselves and their entire family unit. Listen below. 
Episode 31 "Rhiannon was suicidal because her baby hadn't slept in 18 months" https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Bapsx0EA1CA9Kq8Fixp5y?si=ma2Pm7moROmGaxSpagmSFg

Episode 34 "Jess had worked with 3 sleep consultants and still wasnt getting any sleep!"https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Tp4YxIv2tPcdJ6lG4lygn?si=_Ap7uPCGRFa-bt8WKfUuRQ

Episode 29 "Megan's baby was only sleeping 15-20 minutes at a time" https://open.spotify.com/episode/3UHxMgjBDVF5USkoND4w5a?si=kRCFDniaS8WNhPCrw7EZTA
Trigger Warning-this episode mentions PND, PTSD, Suicide and Anxiety

* Correction the Podcast of the Year award was won in 2024! 
“What is the 1 thing that will improve my child’s sleep?”
I get asked this ALL the time from strangers when they ask me what I do! They say "So what is the secret to getting a child to sleep or improving my child’s sleep?"
There are so many elements which need to align perfectly to get great lengthy and quality sleep for your child. And because it is so complex..parents are confused about where to start and how to pivot when the online , sleep school, friend or other SC advice doesnt work!
However, if i had to choose 1 thing that will help you TODAY!
The answer is…DO NOT let your child get overtired!
Thats right, if you can prevent this on a daily basis with your baby or toddler you will see many benefits. These benefits are:
-they will go to sleep more easily for naps
-there will be less or no bedtime resistance and bedtime will be enjoyable and smooth
-you will experience less night wakes
-you will say goodbye to Early Rising
How amazing does this sound!? Easy, stress free bedtimes, more sleep, easy settles, no early rising! Hooray..
Now the next question you would be thinking is…how do i actually prevent overtiredness Georgina??
Listen to the episode to learn more about preventing overtiredness for your child and you will get 6 practical tips that will help prevent your child from getting overtired and ultimately get more sleep! 

Still struggling? Check out the show notes for more support options 

Show Notes:
To grab your Ultimate Feeding and Sleep Guide to crack the code of routines and optimal sleep durations for your child which will solve their night wakening and early rising head to Ultimate Sleep & Feeding Guide — The Holistic Sleep Project/
Still can’t solve your child’s sleep challenges? Let’s chat! Discovery Calls are an incredible way to get to know each other and see if my work is for you. Book your Complimentary 30 minute Discovery Call by emailing [email protected]
We are now posting more videos of sleep support on Tik Tok! Follow us @theholisticsleepproject and we have been on Instagram a long time. That's where you will find heaps of videos and resources and you can reach out to me there www.instagram.com/theholisticsleepproject

I am sure you have heard the term, “never wake a sleeping baby”. However, this my friends is not correct!
If we allow a child to sleep as long as they want to for some nap/s it can affect other elements to a successful 24 hour sleep cycle. A child can only sleep a certain amount (depending on their age and their own sleep needs), and just because we may enjoy the 2 hour break in the middle of the day it doesnt mean they are capable of sleeping that duration of nap AND a full 12 hours over night.
If your child is above 4 months old and you are wanting to start establishing a regular feeding and sleep routine OR if you are having issues with night waking, early rising or long naps…listen up!
Too much day sleep can result in: 
-difficulty settling your child at bedtime
-experiencing night wakes
-or early rising 
But how do you fix these issues?! This can be the tricky part. 
You may not know the optimal and correct nap times, nap durations, awake times, bedtime for your child's age. 
Dont worry! I have an epic download designed just for you and for these problems which so many parents experience. Its in my affordable guide Ultimate Feeding and Sleep Guide!  

Show Notes
To grab your Ultimate Feeding and Sleep Guide to crack the code of routines and optimal sleep durations for your child which will solve their night wakening and early rising head to Ultimate Sleep & Feeding Guide — The Holistic Sleep Project/
Podcast Episode referred to during this episode which is useful if you have a child on 1 nap or you think needs to be transferred to 1 nap. Listen to Episode 5 "7 common mistakes to avoid during the 2-1 Nap Transition" is  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1b8ZINDjzRXkY6NSUd95n6?si=HnbN8JD8R-6KG55emLWLTg 
Still can’t solve your child’s sleep challenges? Let’s chat! Discovery Calls are an incredible way to get to know each other and see if my work is for you. Book your Complimentary 30 minute Discovery Call by emailing [email protected]

My baby is asleep! Phew! That's enough right? 

Not really! If you are experiencing: 
short naps 
struggling to get your child to sleep (and stay asleep sometimes) 
not knowing when to feed 
snack feeding 
what looks like "fussy eating" or less than optimal amounts of solids 
night wakes 
early rising 
grumpy moods
The placement of naps is KEY to avoiding all of these less than desirable parts of your baby or toddler's sleep experience.  Your child's naps need to be placed at particular times of day and be for particular duration of sleep in order to have a: 
-well rested child 
-make feeding easy and straight forward 
-to make settling easy 
-to achieve long rejuvenating naps 
-avoid night wakes 
-say goodbye to early rising 

In this episode we explore the concept of "nap placement" and why you need to know this and implement it into your child's sleep for their development and your anxiety and energy levels! 
Listen here! 

SHOW NOTES: 
-DM me over on Instagram to book in a 30 min Discovery Call to discuss how I can get your more sleep! Or email me at [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/theholisticsleepproject/

-Book your 30 min or 1 hour of Power Consult here if your child can already self settle 100% of the time but you need something else remedied with your child's  sleep https://www.theholisticsleepproject.com/store/p/hour-of-power-consultation

-Grab the Ultimate Feeding and Sleep Guide (discussed in this ep) so you know the routine for your child from Birth to 3.5 years old. https://www.theholisticsleepproject.com/store/p/ultimate-sleep-feeding-guide

-Check out the other 47 episodes for this National Award Winning Podcast for more sleep, parenting, health support here!