The Gentle Sleep Nurse

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The Gentle Sleep Nurse 👶OCN Registered Infant Sleep Consultant🏥 NHS Paediatric Nurse ✨ Mummy to my own special gang ✨Supporting & Empowering families

Yes! A consistent morning wake time each day helps support sleep 🤍Your baby’s body runs on a circadian rhythm (their in...
28/01/2026

Yes! A consistent morning wake time each day helps support sleep 🤍

Your baby’s body runs on a circadian rhythm (their internal clock), and that clock is set primarily by light exposure and the morning wake-up time ☀️

When wake ups vary a lot from day to day, that clock can drift… which often shows up as short naps, early mornings, or bedtime battles.

✨ Anchoring the morning rise time (within ~30 minutes most days) helps:

• Regulate melatonin + cortisol release
• Improve nap predictability
• Support longer, more restorative nights
• Make bedtimes feel easier and more natural

This doesn’t mean forcing a baby awake at dawn or ignoring rough nights. It means choosing a realistic, consistent “start of day” and using light, feeding, and activity to cue the body clock, even if the night wasn’t perfect.

Consistency is key!

A steady morning sets the rhythm for the entire day (and night) 🌙

Save this for later + share with any friends who might need to read this

Follow along for more tips on all things baby sleep 💛

‘’If I could give you one million stars I would…’’ 🥰Sleep struggles can feel so heavy when you’re in them…If your readin...
27/01/2026

‘’If I could give you one million stars I would…’’ 🥰

Sleep struggles can feel so heavy when you’re in them…

If your reading this and feeling stuck, please know you’re not doing anything wrong ❤️

Support can make things feel lighter…change is possible ❤️

27/01/2026

"He was waking every 2 hours for feeds."

Baby O was 12 months old and waking every 2 hours, every single night.

Day naps were just 30 minutes.
Mornings started at 4:45am.

Mum was exhausted, beyond tired...just surviving.

She had completely resigned herself to the idea that this was just her life now.

Permanent sleep deprivation.
Pushing through work on empty.

Counting down the hours until bedtime, knowing the night would be brutal.

If you're reading this and nodding... you're not alone.

This was one of my lovely families before we worked together.

We decided to keep one night feed, no pressure, no forcing, just a clear and supportive plan.

By night 3...
Baby O dropped the feed himself and slept 7:30pm-6:30am

No more night feeds.
No more early wakes.
Solid food intake improved.

Longer, restorative day naps of 2 hours that he had to be woken up from.

And mum?

She could finally focus at work again.
Life felt lighter.

Everything felt better.

Her message to me said it all:
"Shanaz, you have changed my life!!"

And the truth is...this wasn't luck.
It wasn't a "magic" baby.

It wasn't because Baby O was somehow different.

This is what I see week after week and can happen when you have:
• a clear, age-appropriate plan
• consistency day to day
• confidence in what you're doing

No second guessing yourself at 3am.
No changing tactics every night.
No information overload from 20 different Instagram accounts.

Just a calm, supportive plan...followed consistently.

I love helping families make this change, because this is NOT something you just have to live with.
If night feeds are running your life and your baby is developmentally ready for things to change...

Comment NIGHT FEEDS below and I'll walk you through the exact steps to wean back feeds.

I thought l’d re-introduce myself as there have been quite a few new faces here recently.And moving into 2026 feels like...
24/01/2026

I thought l’d re-introduce myself as there have been quite a few new faces here recently.

And moving into 2026 feels like the right time.

Especially when corners of Instagram can feel so loud…full of opinions about motherhood, what’s right and what’s wrong, and what you should be doing.

Please don’t ever let anyone tell you that what you’re doing is wrong.

If your baby is safe, there is no right or wrong…only what works for you, and what doesn’t.

It’s okay to parent differently to the next mum.
It’s okay to want some routine in your life once baby is old enough for this.

You’ll never find me saying feeding to sleep is wrong.
Or co-sleeping is wrong.

As a mum who’s done it all - I support you when you want to make changes, not because someone else has told you that you should.

Sleep looks different for every baby.
It’s influenced by temperament, genetics, schedules and habits and none of these are bad.

There is a middle ground…
Between feeling like you’re hanging on by a thread and leaving your baby to cry it out.

There are responsive ways to support sleep without leaving your baby alone or worrying about connection.

Most of the parents I work with don’t even leave their baby’s cot side.

Welcome to The Gentle Sleep Nurse 🥰

Fill your baby’s cup before the bedtime routine 🤍Before sleep, babies and toddlers often need their emotional cup filled...
24/01/2026

Fill your baby’s cup before the bedtime routine 🤍

Before sleep, babies and toddlers often need their emotional cup filled just as much as their physical one.

Undivided attention
10–15 minutes of fully present time can make a huge difference. Eye contact, conversation and being truly with them helps their nervous system settle, let them lead the play.

Floor play or lap play
Gentle play, connection or sitting together on your lap offers closeness.

No phones or screens
Putting the phone away sends a powerful message: you have my full attention. Screens can also overstimulate little brains close to bedtime.

Extra cuddles and physical closeness
Touch is regulating. Cuddles, holding hands, rocking or gentle massage all help children feel safe and ready for rest.

Consistent cues and predictability
Repeating the same bedtime rhythm each night helps your child know what’s coming next. Predictability builds security.

Fresh air and physical play
A little outdoor time or gentle physical play earlier in the evening can help release energy and build healthy sleep pressure.

You’re helping your child feel safe enough to rest 🤍

I’m jumping on this trend ❤️January 2016...l was 5 months into being a new mum, on maternity leave from the hospital as ...
24/01/2026

I’m jumping on this trend ❤️

January 2016...l was 5 months into being a new mum, on maternity leave from the hospital as a paediatric nurse, we flew to Thailand with our 11-week-old baby.
We’d escaped a grey London winter to be close to family, and I was due to return to the ward a few months later.

Fast forward 10 years...

I’m living in Spain, raising my children in the sunshine, running The Gentle Sleep Nurse, supporting mums around the world, working remotely for a US sleep company, and teaching parents CPR locally.

What I didn’t know back then was how much motherhood would reshape my path...or that saying
“yes” to one brave decision would quietly lead to another.

Ten years of growth, learning, trusting my instincts, and building a career still supporting children and families... just not in a clinical environment but the rewards are still huge!

Helping Mums thrive in motherhood and not just survive 💪

Re writing the narrative that you should just put up with the ‘season’ of poor sleep....whether it lasts months or even years.

Remember you don’t have to ❤️

Follow along for all things baby sleep 💤

If you’re exhausted, you’re not failing…you’re mothering ❤️And you don’t have to keep doing it on empty.Follow for all ...
23/01/2026

If you’re exhausted, you’re not failing…you’re mothering ❤️

And you don’t have to keep doing it on empty.

Follow for all things baby sleep.

And the reviews keep coming 🥰Each and every family I help support and turn their sleep around, makes me love my job even...
21/01/2026

And the reviews keep coming 🥰

Each and every family I help support and turn their sleep around, makes me love my job even more!

Your are very welcome ❤️

Decisions, decisions 😂
15/01/2026

Decisions, decisions 😂

😂
06/01/2026

😂

Is your baby waking before 6am?Early rising is one of the most common struggles I see as a sleep consultant - but often ...
05/01/2026

Is your baby waking before 6am?

Early rising is one of the most common struggles I see as a sleep consultant - but often a few small changes can make a big difference.

I’ve put together a FREE Early Wakes Guide with the exact steps you can try to encourage longer mornings.

You can find it saved in my profile highlights.

All I ask in return is that if you’re not already following me, hit follow so you don’t miss more gentle sleep tips

Or,

if it’s easier, just comment “Guide” below and I’ll DM it straight to you!

Ever feel like you’re running on empty but still giving your all? ✨Motherhood is the ultimate balancing act, juggling sl...
03/01/2026

Ever feel like you’re running on empty but still giving your all? ✨

Motherhood is the ultimate balancing act, juggling sleep deprivation, endless to do lists, and all the little (and big) moments in between.

🤍 If this resonates with you, you don’t have to do it alone.

Book a free consultation today and let’s work together to help you and your family get the sleep you all need.

👇 Comment FREE below and I will be in touch to book your free call.

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