Sleep and babies

Dr Liora Kempler talks about what to expect in the first year of a baby's sleep patterns, and how to set up a healthy sleep regime.

Topics

What does a baby's sleep look like in the first year?
At what age can a baby sleep through the night?
At what age should we be thinking about implementing a sleep/ wake pattern?
What can be done to set up a healthy sleep regime for a baby?
What is the science of a dream feed - do they actually work?
How to maximise sleep for a baby so the mother and family also maximise sleep

Take home messages

Sleep changes with age – respond to changes gradually
Babies are very adaptable
Parenting behaviour affects infant sleep
1/3 of infants will have sleep issues in the first year
It does get better - a sleep regime does help and work.

Resources

Presenter

Dr Liora Kempler

Sleep Psychologist

Dr Liora Kempler is a Psychologist for insomnia and sleep disorders. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of New South Wales followed by her PhD at the University of Sydney. She became a psychologist specialising in sleep through the supervision program at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.

As part of her PhD, Liora examined the efficacy of a sleep intervention in helping first-time mothers better manage the changes and challenges in their sleep, both during pregnancy and as new mothers, and now welcomes mothers with babies to the clinic as well. Liora's interests include the treatment of patients with insomnia and women having difficulties in their antenatal period.