Baby and Toddler Sleep and Settling

The biggest challenge facing new parents is coping with broken sleep, night after night. Difficulties with your baby’s sleep and settling are common. It is worth remembering that the sleepless nights don’t last. Around one third of babies experience a disrupted sleeping pattern, but it is only a problem if you feel that the family can’t cope with the disruption. The good news is, that help is available.

Fact Sheets

A suite of sleep and settling fact sheets have been developed to provide information and support to parents, caregivers and service providers. These will support consistent and evidence-informed approaches to sleep and settling information sessions. Sleep and Settling Simple English Fact Sheets and Community Languages Fact Sheets have also been developed below.

• Fact Sheet 1 – Newborns – 3 months (typical sleep behaviour)
• Fact Sheet 2 – Babies 3 – 6 months (typical sleep behaviour)
• Factsheet 3 – Babies 6-12 months (typical sleep behaviour )
• Fact Sheet 4 – Toddlers 1 – 2 years (typical sleep behaviour)
• Fact Sheet 5 – Toddlers 2-3 years (typical sleep behaviour)
• Fact Sheet 6 – Preschoolers 3 – 5 years (typical sleep behaviour
• Fact Sheet 7 – Babies 0 – 6 months (positive sleep patterns)
• Fact Sheet 8 – Babies 6 – 12 months (positive sleep patterns)
• Fact Sheet 9 – Toddlers 1 – 3 years (positive sleep patterns)
• Fact Sheet 10 – Preschoolers 3 – 5 years (positive sleep patterns)
• Fact Sheet 11 – Babies  6- 12 months (solutions to sleep concerns)
• Fact Sheet 12 – Toddlers 1-3 years (solutions to sleep concerns)
• Fact Sheet 13 – Preschoolers 3-5 years (solutions to sleep concerns
• Fact Sheet 14 – Support for parents and caregivers

The fact sheets can also be found on the Better Health Channel Sleep and Settling page. Click on Sleep and Settling resources.

Information included in the fact sheets is also available on the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) App.

Sleep and Settling (Community Languages)

Fourteen fact sheets have been developed on typical sleep behavior, preventing sleep concerns and providing solutions for families with children from birth to school age in the following community languages.

• Arabic (العَرَبِيَّة)
• Burmese (မြန်မာစာ)
• Dari (درى)
• Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ)
• Persian (فارسی)
• Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ)
• Simplified Chinese (简化字)
• Spanish (Español)
• Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)

Sleep and Settling Fact Sheets (Simple English)

• Fact Sheet 1 – Newborns – 3 months (typical sleep behaviour) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 2 – Babies 3 – 6 months (typical sleep behaviour) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 3 – Babies 6 – 12 months (typical sleep behaviour) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 4 – Toddlers 1 – 2 years (typical sleep behaviour) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 5 – Toddlers 2-3 years (typical sleep behaviour) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 6 – Preschoolers 3 – 5 years (typical sleep behaviour Simple English
• Fact Sheet 7 – Babies 0 – 6 months (positive sleep patterns) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 8 – Babies 6 – 12 months (positive sleep patterns) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 9 – Toddlers 1 – 3 years (positive sleep patterns) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 10 – Preschoolers 3 – 5 years (positive sleep patterns) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 11 – Babies  – 12 months (solutions to sleep concerns) Simple English
• Fact Sheet 12 – Toddlers 1-3 years (solutions to sleep concerns Simple English
• Fact Sheet 13 – Preschoolers 3-5 years (solutions to sleep concerns Simple English
• Fact Sheet 14 – Support for parents and caregivers Simple English

Maternal and Child Health Workforce Training Program

Tweddle Child and Family Health Service together with the Centre for Excellence Child and Family Welfare have developed an online training course in the Sleep and Settling Model of Care, supported by the Victorian Government. The training will build on the existing capability of the MCH workforce, further equipping the workforce with a range of evidence-informed strategies and approaches.

For more information about the online modules and face-to-face training visit the Sleep and Settling Training for the MCH Workforce page.

Tweddle acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.