Logo - The Possums baby and toddler sleep program.Logo - The Possums baby and toddler sleep program.
menu-icon-libraryfull programsmenu-icon-audioaudio program
what is the possums sleep program?building this program from the scienceresearch that shows it workstestimonials from parents
speak to dr pam
login-iconlogin

Welcome back!

Forgot password
sign up
search

Search programs

Deeper Dive icon

Deeper Dive


  • Sleep training often makes baby or toddler sleep worse
  • Why watching for tired signs can make sleep worse when you have a baby or toddler
  • Do babies become overtired and overstimulated?
  • Do toddlers become overtired and overstimulated?

Next article

Sign up now
  • Deeper Dive
  • S4: Sleep training + evolutionary mismatch
  • CH 2: Why might sleep training make sleep worse?

Sleep training often makes baby or toddler sleep worse

Dr Pamela Douglas11th of Nov 20233rd of Jul 2024

x

This article is part of a collection inside The Possums Sleep Program called Deeper Dive, which explores the more complex scientific, historical and social contexts in which families and their babies or toddlers live and sleep. You don't need to read Deeper Dive articles to be helped by The Possums Sleep Program.

How can sleep training make your family's sleep worse?

There are a number of ways in which sleep training can make your little one's sleep and your own sleep worse. Here are some examples.

Sleep training might result in

  • Your baby or toddler waking more often in the night after a few weeks, because advice to lengthen daytime naps gradually disrupts the body clock. You can find out about this for babies here, and toddlers here

  • You spending long periods of time trying to get your little one to go to sleep, when the sleep pressure isn’t really high enough yet - babies here, toddlers here

  • You spending much of the day inside the house (if you're the primary carer) trying to teach your little one better sleep routines, which causes babies (here) and toddlers (here) to dial up, and makes the days miserable

  • Your baby or toddler waking up and immediately crying or screaming in the night (often referred to by parents as "going from zero to 100" on waking), which I refer to as conditioned dialling up with night waking - babies here, toddlers here

  • Your baby or toddler crying whenever you approach the cot, which I refer to as conditioned dialling up with the cot. You can find out about this here

  • Your attention narrowing down more and more closely onto your little one's sleep, so that thinking about sleep quickly dominates the ways in which you live your life with your baby or toddler. You can find out about why this makes sleep worse here, and here.
  • High levels of family stress and distress about sleep. You can find out about preventing this here.

The Possums Sleep Program is an entirely different way of thinking about your little one's sleep, which aims to make your days and nights with your little one as easy as possible, and to help you grow joy and enjoyment in your life together.

Growing enjoyment and ease is best for the flourishing of your little one's developing brain! And it's very good for you and your emotional wellbeing, too.

Finished

share this article

Next up in Why might sleep training make sleep worse?

Why watching for tired signs can make sleep worse when you have a baby or toddler

x

Why The Possums Sleep Program doesn't give you lists of 'tired signs'

This article is part of a collection inside The Possums Sleep Program called Deeper Dive, which explores the more complex scientific, historical and social contexts in which families and their babies or toddlers live and sleep. You don't need to read Deeper Dive articles to be helped by The Possums Sleep Program.

Our little one's signs and behaviours are always contextual. By that, I mean we can only begin to make sense of what our little one might be communicating or needing when we take into account the context of what's happening around you, what's just happened, and lots of other pieces of…

logo-possums
decoration

About us

AboutCode of ethicsSpeak to Dr Pam

Programs

Browse sleep programsAudio programsGet advice

Help & Support

FAQsContact us

Legal

Privacy policyTerms & conditions

Get sleep tips and Possums updates straight to your inbox

Receive tips, updates, offers and more from Possums. We respect your privacy, and we'll never spam you. Unsubscribe anytime.

Dr Pam logo

© Dr Pamela Douglas 2025

Visit to learn more about the Possums project