Baby Sleep Training Tips & Videos

We help thousands of Aussie parents with their children's sleep issues every year. With over a century of experience, we are the guiding light for countless families like yours. 

Our gentle sleep and settling methods are informed by expert knowledge and deep experience. We have developed these baby sleep videos to answer some common sleep and settling issues. Of course, if you want more guidance, please call our nurses on our free help line on 1300 272 736. 

My baby is not sleeping

There could be many reasons why your baby is finding it hard to settling to sleep straight away. It could be: 

• related to feeding
• their stage of sleep development
• the way your baby is being put to bed
• over-stimulation. 

Any of these issues could affect your baby’s ability to get to sleep. If you'd like to chat through what's going on with your baby, call the Tresillian Help line on 1300 272 736. 

What does ‘Comfort Settling’ mean?

Comfort Settling is what we recommend to help settle babies over 6 months. This Tresillian sleep training method can help them discover their own way of going to sleep. 

• First lay your baby in their cot on their back.
• Make gentle ‘shhh’ sounds, with rhythmic patting at until they're calm.
• If they're distressed, pick them up for cuddle and try again.
• Stay with your baby until they fall asleep. If they wake up, try again.

How do I read my baby’s ‘tired signs’?

At Tresillian, we call tired signs ‘non-verbal cues’. It’s your baby’s way of telling you how they’re feeling. So how do you know when your baby is tired?

Well, most babies will start to yawn, rub their eyes, pull at their ears, make fists, start kicking and fussing.

These are classic tired signs. Your baby is trying to tell you that they need a break or they’re wanting to go to sleep.

Respond to your baby sensitively before they become overtired.

Why is my baby waking every hour?

There may be some things you haven’t thought of that are impacting on your child’s sleep.

Start by taking a close look at their sleep environment. Is the temperature of their room comfortable for the time of year? Make sure there aren't too many lights. If your child does need a nightlight, go for red or yellow rather than a blue light.

Is their room in a noisy part of the house?

All these factors can impact on the quality of your child’s sleep.

What’s the best baby bedtime routine?

Your baby’s night-time routine can be as simple as three or four steps. 

For babies under 12 months, start with a relaxing, bath, then try a gentle massage but check they’re enjoying it (some babies don’t).

Change baby into pyjamas and using a soft, low voice, read a story or sing some rhymes. 

Finish with cuddles, and place your baby on her back, in her own bed.

Turn out the lights and leave the room.

What is the best baby sleeping position?

Tresillian follows the NSW Health Safe Sleep guidelines recommending parents put baby in a cot next to their bed for the first 6 to 12 months of life.

The safest way to put a baby to sleep is on their back with no cot bumper or soft furnishings. Co-sleeping or bed sharing with your baby is not recommended and can increase the risk of a fatal sleep accident.

Read more on our safe sleeping page. 

How to put a newborn to sleep in the first few weeks

When you first bring baby home, it can be stressful if they don’t settle on their own. At Tresillian we don’t use controlled crying or recommend it.

First, make sure baby has a dry nappy and has been fed. Then try holding your baby in your arms until she falls asleep or becomes drowsy.

Use gentle rhythmic patting, rocking and soft singing before putting baby into the cot. Read more about settling your newborn. 

Should I wrap my newborn baby?

There are a few reasons why wrapping is a good idea for babies in the first three to four months.

Babies are often very active in their sleep and startle easily. Wrapping can help contain the startle reflex that can wake a baby.

When you're wrapping your baby, make sure: 

• they're wrapped in light cotton
• their head and face are uncovered
• they can use their hands to suck on.

Wrapping can provide babies with a real sense of security.

How much sleep does my 3 month old baby need at night?

Many parents ask us how long should my baby sleep at night-time.

By 3 to 6 months of age, your baby’s night-time sleep has usually stretched to about 5 or 6 hours twice a night.

It’s perfectly normal for babies to wake briefly at least three times each night. The difference is whether your baby calls out to you or goes back to sleep on their own (which we call self-settling).

Tips on establishing your newborn baby’s sleep cycles in the first 3 months

In the early days, it’s important to establish a day/night rhythm which will help your baby establish a sleep routine.

Some tips include:

• Soaking up natural daylight by taking your baby for short walks and keeping the curtains open.
• Put in place a predictable and flexible bedtime routine each evening. For example a bath, feed, cuddle then bedtime.
• Try to rest when your baby rests. 

How can I help our 6 month old baby sleep through the night?

Some babies sleep development is more immature than others and they may need help to fall asleep.

At Tresillian, we recommend the Responsive Settling method.

• Put your baby on their back awake and watch for signs of drowsiness.
• Talk in a calm, soothing voice being reassuring.
• Quietly leave them to self-settle.
• If your baby can’t fall asleep, try gentle ‘shhh’ sounds, rhythmic patting, or rocking.
• If baby is still distressed you may need to repeat this several times.

What’s a typical baby’s sleep routine at 9 months?

The routine for most babies at 9 months is to have two daytime sleeps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. If your baby becomes tired late in the afternoon, you may need to add a third short sleep. 

Your baby may still be night waking or even start to wake at night. This can be due to separation anxiety which is quite normal for this age.

If this happens, reassure your child and try to resettle with minimal fuss.

My three year old is still not sleeping through the night

If you’ve tucked your child into bed but they continue to call for you or gets up to find you, try these strategies to settle them into bed.

1. Gently lead them back to bed and with a kiss and cuddle, tell them it’s time for sleep.
2. If they becomes distressed, stay with them until they falls asleep on their own.
3. You may need to repeat this several times until your child feels OK about bedtime.

How can I get my twin babies to have the same sleep cycle?

To help synchronise your twins’ routines, a good place to start is to make sure they both enjoy their day and night routines together and they are settled to sleep at the same time.

If one twin wakes between sleep cycles, try to re-settle them to keep both babies in the same routine. The same goes for feed times.

If there is some time with one baby awake, you can use the time to strengthen your bond with them.