Secrets of Slumber

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Secrets of Slumber

I'm Lauren Dean a baby and infant sleep coach, for Newborns to 4 year olds I'm Lauren Dean, baby and infant sleep coach for newborns to 4 year olds.

I use an holistic and responsive approach to transform sleep for all the family. To find out more about how we can help you, we offer a free 15 minute introduction call, booked via our website.

24/03/2026

On Sunday the clocks spring forward by one hour ⏰🌷

Here are two options to manage the change:

1) Do nothing and let your little one adjust naturally
2) Make gradual changes over a few days to ease the transition for them - this is normally best for babies in a good routine and sleeping well, and you want to keep that momentum

Either way, a couple of tips:
☀️ Get plenty of morning light on Sunday and keep evenings calm to help reset their body clock
🌙 Keep their bedtime routine the same, even if timings shift slightly - helps signal that sleep is coming

Either way, your little one will get there and things usually settle in a few days.

And if you’re part of the 5am club, this one’s actually in your favour. As that 5am becomes 6am 🙌🏻

11/03/2026

Hello to my new followers 👋🏻

I thought I’d take you back and share my sleep journey with you - one that ultimately led me to become a sleep coach myself!

I get it. You’re running on empty. You’re exhausted. You feel broken - physically and mentally. I’ve so been there.

Maeve was 8 months when we invested in a sleep coach. It was life-changing for all of us. One of the best investments we’ve ever made! And one that continues to pay off.

She recently turned 4, and we still have a happy little one self-settling herself at bedtime and most nights she’ll sleep 7pm - 7am. And if she doesn’t? We know it’s usually because she’s unwell or something isn’t quite right.

The key for us? A plan we could stick to, confidence in the process and teaching her to self-settle.

Want to know exactly how to teach your little one to self-settle? In a way that feels right for you and your family. Start my booking a free intro call - link in my bio.

04/03/2026

Well, this is exciting… I’ve been featured in for their International Women’s Day feature!

I share my journey from TV production (yes there may be a little name dropping, sorry! 🫢), to HR, to running Secrets of Slumber and helping families sleep better.

I’m so grateful for every chapter in my career and how it’s led me here. Secrets of Slumber is more than a business to me - because I know how life-changing support and better sleep can be.

I’ve linked the full article in my bio in you fancy a little read

03/03/2026

I’m a sucker for old photos… so I couldn’t let this trend go by.

I didn’t become a sleep coach because I had perfect sleepers.

I became one because I remember the endless night wakes, the Googling, the second-guessing and the heated debates with my husband, wondering if we were doing it right.

I remember loving my baby more than anything… and still feeling completely exhausted.

Secrets of Slumber was born from that place - because tired parents don’t need judgment. They need support, guidance, and a little hope.

If you’re running on empty (cake and coffee, included) right now… you’re not failing. You’re exactly where you’re meant to be. And it can get better when you’re ready.

12/02/2026

When I work with a family to improve their little one’s sleep I look at these 4 key areas:
1. Daytime routine
2. Sleep environment
3. Self-settling
4. Comfort levels - this includes emotional comfort too.

When it comes to improving toddler sleep, it’s so often closely linked to separation anxiety and big feelings. So, reconnecting with your little one after a busy day at work can help top them up emotionally and make them feel seen before bedtime.

Here are my tips to fill up their ‘connection bucket’ as I like to call it:

✨10 minutes of one-to-one time after work. No TV or phone. Just the two of you doing something your little one enjoys - let them pick the activity. Lots of eye contact and cuddles.

✨Slow bedtime down where you can (I appreciate this isn’t always possible with work commitments). Starting a little earlier gives space for questions and extra time together.

✨Keep the bedtime routine consistent and stick to your boundaries. Toddlers feel safer when they know what to expect.

✨Read books to help manage separation anxiety or bedtime fears. The Invisible String - a great one for easing separation anxiety.

When children feel seen and connected before bedtime, they’re less likely to fight for attention, making bedtime and settling to sleep a bit easier.

If you do try some of these, l’d love to know how you get on.
Honestly, with these small changes, you’ll start to see some big changes.

06/02/2026

If this week felt heavy, you’re not alone.

It feels hard because it is hard. Sleep deprivation changes everything.

I hope the weekend gives you time to tag-team with your partner so you’re able to find a moment to recharge 🤍

29/01/2026

If you’re reading this on broken sleep, exhausted and questioning everything, I hope these messages give you some hope and reassurance that things can get better.

With some baby sleep coaching, this could be you sharing these updates with me in a few weeks time.

28/01/2026

Here’s one of my top tips for better toddler sleep 👇🏻

Before starting their bedtime routine, give your toddler 10 minutes of 121 time with a parent.

No phone.
No TV.
Just the two of you.

Let them choose what they would like to do. Sit with them, play, have a cuddle, lots of eye contact and touch. Let them feel seen before bedtime starts.

This time together helps top up their love and connection bucket after a busy day, and sometimes a day apart if they’re at childcare.

The connection releases oxytocin, which helps your little one feel safe, calm and more ready for sleep.

And I know this isn’t always easy. Some days you’re rushing back from nursery with little time. On those days, it’s okay to skip the bath and just spend that time together instead.

Connection during the day = easier bedtime and less waking in the night for a quick cuddle.

Give it ago and let me know how you get on.

27/01/2026

They are asleep, you finally sit down and bam, 40 minutes later they’re wide awake again.

That’s what’s called a ‘false start’.

3 of the most common reasons false starts happen:

1. Comfort
Your baby falls asleep but wind stops them from moving into deeper sleep, so they wake again.

Try moving their bedtime feed away from the moment they fall asleep by up to 30 minutes. So an earlier feed and more upright winding time, before laying them down.

2. Undertired
If your baby isn’t quite tired enough, they treat bedtime as a nap as they haven’t built up enough sleep pressure to stay asleep. Try gently lengthening their awake time before bed or could be time to trim that last nap.

3. Self-settling
If your baby falls asleep being rocked, fed, or cuddled, when they move into lighter sleep (around 40 minutes), they’ll look for that same comfort again to get them back to sleep again.

Learning to settle themselves at the start of the night is key to unlocking longer stretches.

If you’re ready to get your evenings back and you’d like support teaching your little one to self-settle, please get in touch.

It really is a game changer 🤍

22/01/2026

Had to share this lovely client review 🙌🏻✨

For most families, getting their evenings back is a big reason they want to improve sleep.

It was for us too when we invested in sleep coaching for Maeve.

Yes, lovely long stretches of sleep are the ultimate goal. But when bedtime becomes easier, the anxiety fades and you suddenly have a few hours that are actually yours, everything feels lighter.

Time to recharge. Time to reconnect with your partner. Or just time to sit and do nothing.

Those hours are golden 🧡 And I’m so pleased I was able to support this family to get there 🤍

21/01/2026

Sleep-deprived and heading back to work? It’s tougher than anyone warned you.

But it doesn’t need to be that way.

I’m so passionate about making sure parents with young children aren’t disadvantaged at work just because they’re sleep-deprived.

That’s why I work with companies to offer sleep support as part of their maternity packages - so parents feel supported, confident and valued when returning to work.

Everyone wins!

If you think your company might consider offering this support, DM me or email.

Address

Horsham

Website

http://www.secretsofslumber.co.uk/

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