83: Sleep Science Today with Andrew Colsky - Episode 83

83: Sleep Science Today with Andrew Colsky - Episode 83

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when they're also not sleeping because of a new baby? This conversation on *Sleep Science Today* with host Andrew Kolsky and guest Heather Boyd shows just how tightly infant sleep, parental wellbeing and mental health are woven together. Heather, an occupational therapist, infant and family sleep specialist, and mum of three, shares how her professional training was no match for the shock of a baby waking every 20–30 minutes.

She jokes about her son "not having read the book" on baby sleep and recalls scribbling wake-up times on scraps of paper in the dark, only to later learn undiagnosed reflux was a key culprit. A big theme here is swapping guilt for understanding. Heather explains that sleep is developmental, more like walking than handwriting. Parents aren't "teaching" sleep so much as providing conditions where it can grow. As she puts it, "You don't need to read the book either.

You need to read your baby." She breaks down why attachment and a calm nervous system matter more than any schedule, and why trying to rush independence with rigid sleep training can feel like forcing a square peg into a round hole—especially with highly sensitive or persistent babies. Sleep trackers and apps come under gentle scrutiny too; they can help a few families but often fuel anxiety instead of clarity.

For exhausted parents, Heather offers simple, practical ideas: do the thing that works as long as it's safe (yes, even if that's feeding or rocking), watch *your* baby's cues rather than generic charts, and use sensory comforts—movement, scent, touch—to help little ones feel secure enough to switch off.

If you're worn out, questioning your parenting, and trying to protect your own recovery or mental health, this honest chat might help you breathe out and ask: what if my baby isn't broken, and neither am I?