Baby Sleep Training Course

Lesson 1 • Infant Sleep Architecture Basics

Covers active vs. quiet sleep stages and cycle length by age. Provides the biological baseline needed for all subsequent sleep strategy decisions.

Lesson 2 • Sleep Pressure and Homeostasis

Introduces adenosine buildup and the homeostatic sleep drive. Explains how wake windows and overtiredness directly affect sleep quality.

Lesson 3 • Hunger, Growth, and Night Waking

Differentiates nutritional night waking from habitual waking. Connects feeding frequency, growth spurts, and caloric needs to realistic sleep expectations.

Lesson 4 • Developmental Sleep Norms by Age

Maps total sleep needs, nap counts, and night sleep duration from newborn to 24 months. Enables accurate expectation-setting with caregivers.

Lesson 1 • Safe Sleep Guidelines and Risk Reduction

Covers evidence-based safe sleep recommendations including surface, position, and bedding. Establishes non-negotiable safety baselines before any behavioural strategy is introduced.

Lesson 2 • Sleep Space Across Different Settings

Addresses sleep environment consistency at home, in childcare, and while travelling. Prepares caregivers to maintain safe conditions outside the primary sleep space.

Lesson 3 • Optimising the Sleep Space

Teaches use of darkness, white noise, and temperature to support sleep onset and maintenance. Connects environmental factors to the biological sleep drivers covered in Chapter 1.

Lesson 1 • Capping Naps and Bedtime Optimisation

Teaches strategic nap capping to build adequate sleep pressure for bedtime. Connects daytime sleep management to the goal of consolidated, restorative night sleep.

Lesson 2 • Nap Transition Signs and Timing

Identifies behavioural and schedule cues signalling readiness for nap transitions. Prevents premature or delayed transitions that cause overtiredness or bedtime resistance.

Lesson 3 • Age-Based Nap Schedules

Provides structured nap schedules from newborn through toddler stages with wake window guidance. Gives consultants a practical reference for building individualised plans.

Lesson 4 • Nap Science and Daytime Sleep Needs

Explains how daytime sleep quality and timing affect nighttime sleep architecture. Connects nap science to the homeostatic and circadian concepts from Chapter 1.

Lesson 1 • What Sleep Associations Are

Defines sleep associations as conditions present at sleep onset that the infant expects upon waking. Establishes the conceptual framework for all behavioural sleep interventions.

Lesson 2 • Common Parental Sleep Associations

Catalogues feeding, rocking, holding, and pacifier associations with their typical waking patterns. Helps consultants accurately diagnose the root cause of frequent night waking.

Lesson 3 • Assessing Association Strength and Impact

Provides tools to gauge how entrenched an association is and how much it disrupts sleep. Informs the intensity and approach of the intervention plan.

Lesson 1 • Building an Age-Appropriate Routine

Provides component-by-component guidance for constructing routines from newborn through toddler. Ensures routines are realistic, repeatable, and adapted to developmental stage.

Lesson 2 • The Science Behind Bedtime Routines

Explains how consistent pre-sleep sequences trigger conditioned relaxation and melatonin release. Grounds routine design in the circadian and association science from earlier chapters.

Lesson 3 • Drowsy but Awake Placement

Teaches the drowsy-but-awake placement technique as the foundation of independent sleep onset. Explains the spectrum from fully awake to asleep and how to find the right placement point.

Lesson 1 • Chair and Fading Methods

Explains parental presence fading and chair-based approaches for gradual withdrawal. Suited for families requiring more caregiver proximity during the transition.

Lesson 2 • Full Extinction and Appropriate Use

Presents the evidence and implementation of unmodified extinction for appropriate candidates. Addresses caregiver concerns and establishes clear contraindications.

Lesson 3 • Graduated Extinction Methods

Details check-in interval methods where caregivers offer timed comfort without picking up. Covers implementation steps, interval timing, and common pitfalls.

Lesson 4 • Overview of Sleep Training Philosophies

Maps the spectrum from no-cry to extinction approaches with their underlying assumptions. Provides a neutral framework for presenting options to caregivers without bias.

Lesson 1 • Assessing Readiness for Night Weaning

Establishes age, weight, and nutritional criteria for safe night feed reduction. Prevents premature weaning that risks inadequate caloric intake.

Lesson 2 • Coordinating Night Weaning with Sleep Training

Explains how to sequence or combine night weaning with behavioural sleep interventions. Prevents conflicting signals that undermine both processes simultaneously.

Lesson 3 • Cold Turkey Night Weaning Approach

Covers abrupt night feed cessation for developmentally ready infants with caregiver support. Outlines preparation steps and how to manage the first several nights.

Lesson 1 • Illness, Teething, and Travel Disruptions

Provides guidance on maintaining sleep habits during illness, teething, and travel disruptions. Teaches how to return to baseline quickly after temporary disruptions.

Lesson 2 • Understanding Sleep Regressions

Defines sleep regressions as developmentally driven disruptions distinct from new sleep problems. Covers the major regression windows and their neurological and motor drivers.

Lesson 3 • The Four-Month Sleep Regression

Addresses the permanent shift in sleep architecture at four months as the most impactful regression. Explains why it requires a different response than later, temporary regressions.

Lesson 4 • Early Rising and Split Nights

Diagnoses and resolves early morning waking and split-night waking patterns. Connects these issues to schedule, environment, and sleep pressure imbalances.