Sleep Smart Blog

For health professionals and early years educators. Delivered by Australia's leading infant and toddler sleep consultants.

The importance of play in early childhood development

author
Sleep Smart Education
26 July, 2021
The importance of play in early childhood development Play in a child’s day is essential to their health and wellbeing. Far from being just time wasting, play, in all its forms, helps children grow and develop. Play also helps to support connections to form in a child’s brain which brings...

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The importance of supporting Early Sleep Development

author
Sleep Smart Education
21 April, 2021
The importance of supporting early sleep development is reflected in the National quality Standards for Early Childhood Education and Care. In 2017, requirements were introduced for ECEC settings to have policies and procedures in place for rest and sleep. In 2019 - 2020 Safe Sleep Space carried...

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Sleep disturbances and Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children

author
Cindy Davenport
04 November, 2020
Sleep disturbances and ASD in children We all need sleep. Children, in particular, need adequate amounts of sleep to grow, learn and to support their memory formation. According to researchers, toddlers aged between 12-18 months of age generally sleep for 13-15 hours in a 24 hour period,...

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Kids, Childhood & COVID-19

author
Cindy Davenport
28 September, 2020
The need for hugs, hugs and more hugs! Many of us are asking some very important questions about how children are being impacted by COVID-19. Our exposure to the pandemic is currently approaching nine months, with many countries now experiencing a second wave. It’s time we had some clarity...

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Amber Beads- why they're really not a good idea

author
Cindy Davenport
20 August, 2020
In recent years, there’s been a swell of interest in using amber bead jewellery for babies and young children. Parents, who use amber beads, believe that amber has therapeutic qualities when in contact with their child’s skin, particularly for alleviating teething symptoms. But what is the...

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Child Safety- What's safe and What's not

20 August, 2020
All of us want our children to be safe, but it’s not always easy. The combination of their body and brain immaturity places them in the age group with the highest risk of harm. It pays for all of us to be mindful of specific risks to every child’s safety, and to do what we can to minimise the...

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Hip Dysplasia

20 August, 2020
Many of us have heard of babies having hip dysplasia, congenital dislocation of the hips, or perhaps even “clicky hips”. But understanding what’s involved can be a little confusing. The correct name for hip dysplasia is Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH). This is because it can develop...

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But you can't be hungry again!

author
Cindy Davenport
17 August, 2020
Finding solutions when feeding isn’t the answer Often, the quickest way to stop a baby from crying is to feed them. But feeding isn’t always the answer, and in fact sometimes, can make an unhappy situation even worse. Overfeeding is a common problem for babies and can lead to a number of health...

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Babies and Tummy Time

author
Cindy Davenport
17 August, 2020
If there's a baby in your care who simply can’t bear tummy time, then read on. Although we all know it’s an important part of supporting development, the truth is that lots of babies just don’t want anything to do with being on their tummy. Why is tummy time such a big issue? We really don’t...

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Why do Babies Make Noise When they Sleep?

author
Cindy Davenport
29 July, 2020
It is often hard to believe how noisy tiny babies can be when they sleep. These little bodies are capable of big sounds, especially when contrasted to the still of the night. What then makes babies noisy when they sleep? Age, anatomy, illness and a range of factors contribute to the noises...

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ABOUT

The Sleep Smart online guide to safe sleeping and settling, has been developed for health professionals and early childhood educators working with families and young children.


At the foundation of our training is the most scientifically informed knowledge and best practice, and an understanding that infancy and early childhood is a critical time for the development of emotional and mental health.