Advice We'd Give You If We Weren't Afraid of Hurting Your Feelings
Look, we're people pleasers. Terrified of hurting feelings. But sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is rip the bandaid off and tell you what's actually getting in the way of better sleep. So today, we're following the trending format: advice we'd give you as sleep consultants if we weren't afraid to hurt your feelings. Spoiler: we're still afraid. But we're saying it anyway.In this episode, Sally and Bec tackle monitor obsession (turn the sound off, seriously), the "I've tried everything" myth, building your threshold for crying, why some gentle sleep consultants are actually the biggest source of shame, and the difference between demand feeding and using feeds to quieten every fuss.What You'll Learn:• Why staring at your monitor might be creating problems that don't exist• The truth about "trying everything" (hint: if you haven't tried sleep training, you haven't tried everything)• How to increase your threshold for crying without sacrificing attachment• Why some gentle sleep consultants are actually the biggest source of shame in baby sleep• The difference between demand feeding and using feeds to quieten every fuss• How to tell if your confidence is lacking or if you genuinely need to adjust your approachChapters:00:00 Intro - We're scared but doing this anyway04:22 Fan mail: A success story from Kayla06:09 Topic 1: Step away from the monitor15:08 Where to find all episodes15:24 Topic 2: If you haven't tried sleep training, you haven't tried everything18:44 Topic 3: Getting comfortable with crying (the two-minute threshold)27:20 Topic 4: The gentle sleep consultant shame problem37:42 Topic 5: Demand feeding vs quietening your baby48:25 Wrap-up & outro🎙️ ABOUT NAP TRAPPEDNap Trapped is your weekly dose of sleep sanity from consultants Sally Woods and Bec Maher. They take the toughest baby sleep questions and turn them into practical, evidence-based solutions—no shame, just support (and Aldi chocolate).Links📩 Get updates + exclusive tools: Subscribe www.naptrappedpodcast.com📸 Follow Sally & Bec on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Want to subscribe to every ep and enjoy FREE sleep tools? 👉 www.naptrappedpodcast.comYou know that moment when you've tried everything and you're left thinking: am I doing this wrong? This week's Sleep Detectives is for you. Sally and Bec tackle nine real parent questions about the tricky stuff—swaddle transitions, early rising, feeding to sleep overnight, nap schedules that feel off, sleep training techniques, and the great dummy debate.They break down when to unswaddle (and when to delay it), why 5:30am wake-ups need the early rise protocol, whether feeding back to sleep overnight is actually fine (spoiler: it is, with one caveat), and how to tell if your baby needs the transitional nap schedule. Plus, they explain why Ferber can work beautifully for clingy, sensitive babies—and why sometimes doing less is exactly what your baby needs.What You'll Learn:• How to transition from arms-down swaddle to arms-out without chaos• Why your 10-month-old's 5:30am wake needs a 9:30am first nap• The difference between feeding to sleep and feeding back to sleep overnight• Signs your 14-month-old is ready for the short-long transitional schedule• When to turn off bounce/motion functions during sleep training• Why 45-minute settling at night one might need troubleshooting• How Ferber creates pattern and space for sensitive babies• Whether to keep or ditch the dummy at 4 months (team Bec vs team Sally)• How to handle sleep when your toddler has hand, foot and mouthChapters:00:00 Intro & question preview03:10 Swaddle transition: arms down to arms out05:36 Nap schedule for 10-month-old waking at 5:30am08:25 Feeding to sleep vs feeding back to sleep overnight (4-month twins)12:19 Signs your 14-month-old needs transitional nap schedule14:55 Should you turn off auto bounce function during sleep training?20:09 10-month-old taking 45 minutes to settle (troubleshooting)25:27 Does Ferber work on clingy, sensitive babies?32:26 Dummy crazed at 17 weeks—how to wean or keep?39:24 Getting back to sleep after hand, foot and mouth🎙️ ABOUT NAP TRAPPEDJoin sleep experts Sally Woods and Bec Maher as they tackle real parent sleep struggles with warmth, science, and zero BS. Nap Trapped makes baby sleep less mysterious and way more manageable.Links📩 Get updates + exclusive tools: Subscribe www.naptrappedpodcast.com📸 Follow Sally & Bec on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
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18 Month Sleep Regression: Boundary Testing & How to Handle It
Your toddler's been a great sleeper for months. Then one night they start demanding more books, more cuddles, more everything. You're trapped in the room for two hours wondering what happened to your independent sleeper. This is the 18 month sleep regression, and it's less about sleep and more about boundaries.Sally and Bec break down why this regression happens right when toddlers learn to use words to influence their world. They explain why giving in to one more book turns into 17 books by night three, how to hold clear limits without negotiations, and why it can still take two hours even when you're doing everything right. Plus the strategies that work throughout the day to fill their cup so you can hold firm at bedtime.What You'll Learn:• Why the 18 month regression is about boundary testing, not self-settling• How language development triggers bedtime battles• The exact bedtime routine strategy: verbal cues for last book, last cuddle, last kiss• Why bore-to-reassure works better than negotiations• Realistic timeline: 2-6 weeks regardless of your approach• What happens when you try to max them out with long wake windows (spoiler: it backfires)• Micro-moments of connection and choice throughout the day• How to avoid creating new sleep associations while navigating the regressionChapters:00:00 Intro and scheduling queen banter04:22 What is the 18 month sleep regression08:19 Setting clear verbal boundaries at bedtime11:47 Realistic expectations: how long it actually takes15:44 Why connection matters but boundaries hold21:01 This isn't sleep training, it's limit setting26:41 What NOT to do: extending wake windows30:21 Filling their cup throughout the day34:00 Wrap up and encouragement🎙️ ABOUT NAP TRAPPEDSally Woods and Bec Maher are baby sleep consultants who believe exhausted parents deserve real answers, not judgment. Each episode of Nap Trapped breaks down one sleep challenge with evidence-based advice and a healthy dose of humor.Links📩 Get updates + exclusive tools: Subscribe www.naptrappedpodcast.com📸 Follow Sally & Bec on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcastspodscan_iUuGjmVySs0SbIO2kTBujJmNhawXVV6d
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Sleep Detectives: 3-Year Olds, Early Wakes & Nap Transitions
Want to subscribe to every ep and enjoy FREE sleep tools? 👉 www.naptrappedpodcast.comYou've been sending questions and Sally and Bec are answering them all. This week's Sleep Detectives covers everything from sleep training older toddlers to fixing stubborn 5:30am wakes to figuring out if your baby actually needs medical tests. If you've been stuck on when to drop a nap or how to handle a baby who treats their cot like a playground, this one's packed with practical fixes.Sally and Bec tackle seven different parent questions with their usual mix of evidence and humor. They explain why extinction bursts happen with toddlers (not just babies), how to tell if early rising is a schedule problem or a behavior problem, and when iron or B12 tests are actually worth pursuing. Plus the definitive answer on when to drop to one nap and why your 7-month-old probably still needs three naps even if everyone says otherwise.What You'll Learn:• How to sleep train a 3-year-old (yes, it's still possible)• Why your toddler's extinction burst is different from a baby's• The fix for 10-month-olds standing in the cot during naps• How to treat 5:30am wakes like overnight wakings (delay, delay, delay)• When Sally and Bec refer families for iron or B12 testing• Why your 7-month-old on 2 naps probably needs 3 naps instead• The exact wake windows for 20-month-olds on one nap• When to actually drop to one nap (spoiler: later than you think)Chapters:00:00 Intro and welcome back01:27 Q1: Sleep training a 3-year-old who needs parents to settle05:52 Extinction bursts in toddlers vs babies09:12 Q2: 10-month-old standing in cot and refusing nap 213:32 How to handle new skills (sitting, standing) at nap time14:13 Q3: 7-month-old waking at 5:30am every morning18:55 Treating early rising as overnight wakings19:22 Q4: When to seek medical investigations (iron, B12, etc.)24:26 What Sally and Bec look for in consultations28:42 Q5: 7-month-old on 2 naps but needs 4-hourly feeds33:04 Why this baby needs to go back to 3 naps35:15 Q6: Wake windows for 20-month-old39:56 Bedtime fading technique for older children41:02 Q7: When to drop to one nap (15-18 months)44:06 Wrap-up and outro🎙️ ABOUT NAP TRAPPEDJoin sleep experts Sally Woods and Bec Maher as they tackle real parent sleep struggles with warmth, science, and zero BS. Nap Trapped makes baby sleep less mysterious and way more manageable.Links📩 Get updates + exclusive tools: Subscribe www.naptrappedpodcast.com📸 Follow Sally & Bec on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
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Should You Cap the Morning Nap? Short/Long Naps Explained
Subscribers get a full breakdown of the schedules from this ep 👉 www.naptrappedpodcast.comWondering if you should cap that glorious morning nap? Sally and Bec break down the short/long nap schedule for 9-12 month olds, when to use it, when to skip it, and how to make it work without the chaos of overtiredness.In this episode, they explain why the OG schedule (two equal naps) is where they always start, but when your baby keeps throwing short second naps or early rising won't quit, it's time to strategically redistribute sleep pressure. You'll learn exactly how to cap the first nap to protect bedtime and overnight sleep.What You'll Learn:• Why Sally and Bec always start with the OG schedule (two equal 1.5-hour naps)• Signs your baby needs a short/long schedule instead of medium/medium• How capping the first nap redistributes sleep pressure to nap 2 and bedtime• Why a 45-60 minute first nap works better than 30 minutes for most babies• The scheduling formula: wake windows and nap lengths that actually work• How to handle daycare naps when control is out of your hands• Why that popular guide with the 30-minute morning nap creates problems• When short/long is a strategy vs when it's just what your baby needsChapters:00:00 Intro and code names for sleep consultants04:36 What is a short/long nap schedule?07:14 The OG schedule: starting with two equal naps08:36 When babies refuse the medium/medium routine11:03 Why the second nap must be equal or longer12:24 Example: 9.5-month-old on short/long to fix early rising16:50 Using short/long to stop reinforcing early wakes18:14 Real-life reasons families need short/long schedules19:22 Daycare naps and working with what you've got22:25 The 80/20 rule: prioritizing home days to balance childcare24:47 You still need sleep training, not just schedule changes27:31 How to structure a short/long schedule (the numbers)30:48 Why the 30-minute morning nap doesn't work for most babies35:44 The right age for ultra-short morning naps (hint: not 6 months)38:06 Next episode: whiteboard edition with all the schedules🎙️ ABOUT NAP TRAPPEDHosted by sleep consultants Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre), Nap Trapped helps tired parents solve baby sleep challenges with warmth, evidence, and no judgement. Every week we turn your questions into practical solutions.Links📩 Get updates + exclusive tools: Subscribe www.naptrappedpodcast.com📸 Follow Sally & Bec on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesleepconcierge/https://www.instagram.com/_thesleepcentre/🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Nap Trapped, hosted by expert sleep consultants Sally Woods (The Sleep Concierge) and Bec Maher (The Sleep Centre), transforms baby sleep challenges into practical solutions. Whether you're currently trapped under a napping baby or seeking better sleep, each episode combines evidence-based advice with real parenting experience. No judgment, just expert insights with a side of solidarity - because understanding the 'why' behind sleep behaviors is the key to confident parenting. We're here to help sleep make sense from nap transitions to early rising.
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