Welcome to the
Bedtime and Beyond
Blog
Because every tired parent deserves honest answers and a decent night's sleep
Whether you are in the thick of the newborn days, navigating a sleep regression, or just desperately trying to figure out why your baby will not stay asleep, you are in the right place.
I am Lottie, a Norland nanny with 10 years experience, OCN qualified sleep consultant and founder of Bedtime and Beyond, a baby and toddler sleep consultancy based in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Everything I write here comes from nearly two decades of working closely with babies, toddlers and their families not just from textbooks.
No judgement, no one size fits all advice and absolutely no making you feel like you are doing it wrong. Just honest, practical baby and toddler sleep support that actually works in real family life.
Grab a brew, have a read, and if anything resonates and you want some proper personalised support, you know where I am.
Lottie x
Baby Blues, Postnatal Depression or Just Really Bad Sleep? Here is How to Tell the Difference
When you are a few weeks postpartum and everything feels a bit wrong, it is really hard to know what is actually going on. Baby blues? Postnatal depression? Or just really bad sleep? Here is how to tell the difference in plain, honest language.
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Mental Health as a New Mum
There is a version of new motherhood that looks nothing like the one on Instagram. If you are sitting in the dark at 4am wondering why everything feels so grey and so heavy, here is what sleep deprivation is really doing to your mental health.
Working From Home With a Sleep Deprived Brain. How to Actually Get Things Done
Working from home was supposed to be the flexible manageable option. Here is why it is its own particular brand of difficult on a sleep deprived brain, and what actually helps you get things done.
What Sleep Deprivation Really Does to Your Relationship After a Baby. The Science Behind the Arguments
You are not arguing more because something is wrong with your relationship. You are arguing more because sleep deprivation has fundamentally altered the neurological function of both people in it. Here is the science behind what is really happening.
How to Survive Your First Week Back at Work After Maternity Leave on No Sleep
Going back to work after maternity leave is one of the biggest transitions of new motherhood. Doing it on broken sleep makes it one of the hardest things you will ever do. Here is how to actually survive the first week.
How to Eat Well When You Are Too Tired to Think Straight
It is 3pm and you have eaten half a cereal bar and three biscuits. Not because you do not know better. Because you are running on empty and your body is doing exactly what it is designed to do. Here is what actually helps.
Sleep deprivation and weight gain: is there a link?
You know you are tired. But sleep deprivation does so much more than make you feel exhausted. Here is the honest truth about what broken nights are really doing to your body, backed by research.
Why Tired Mums Worry More
It is 2am, your baby has just gone back to sleep and instead of resting you are lying in the dark catastrophising about everything. You are not going mad. You are sleep deprived. Here is what is really going on.
How to Support Your Partner When You Are Both Running on Empty
Nobody tells you that one of the hardest parts of having a baby is what it does to the two of you. If you are both running on empty and it is starting to show, here is what actually helps.
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Ability to Make Decisions at Work
You used to be the person people came to for answers. Now you are standing in the supermarket unable to decide between two types of bread. Here is what sleep deprivation is really doing to your decision making brain.
How to manage a demanding job and a baby who does not sleep
Nobody warned you it would feel like this. Holding down a demanding career while running on the kind of sleep deprivation that would be considered a human rights violation in any other context. Here is what actually helps.
The Hidden Cost of Sleep Deprivation. What Broken Nights Are Really Doing to Your Productivity
You made it back to work. But if you are honest with yourself, you know you are not really there. Here is what broken nights are really doing to your productivity and what you can do about it.
Safe Sleep in Hot Weather Everything You Need to Know
Summer brings so much joy. But if you are a parent of a young baby it also brings a particular kind of worry. How do I keep my baby safe at night when it is this hot? Here is your honest, clear answer.
What Temperature Should Your Baby's Room Be in Summer?
Room temperature is one of the most important factors in safe baby sleep and in summer it is also one of the hardest to control. Here is everything you need to know about getting it right.
How to Keep Your Baby Cool at Night in Hot Weather
Summer is glorious but if you have a baby who is struggling to sleep in the heat it can feel like a whole new challenge. Here is everything you need to know about keeping your baby cool and safe at night in hot weather.
What to Expect From a Baby Sleep Consultation by Zoom
You have decided you need help. That in itself took courage. Here is exactly what to expect from a baby sleep consultation by Zoom so you can go into it feeling calm, prepared and confident.
What is Gentle Sleep Training and Does it Actually Work?
If the phrase sleep training makes your heart sink, this one is for you. Here is what gentle sleep training actually involves and why it works just as well as more traditional approaches.
Why an Online Sleep Consultant Could Be the Best Decision You Make for Your Family
Getting expert help with your baby's sleep used to be complicated. Here is why working with an online sleep consultant could be the simplest and most effective decision you make for your family.
Baby Sleep Problems The Most Common Issues and How to Gently Solve Them
However you got here, you are here. And that is okay. Here are the most common baby sleep problems, what is actually causing them and what you can gently do about each one.
Why a Personalised Baby Sleep Plan Makes All the Difference
Generic sleep advice is written for a generic baby. And your baby is not generic. Here is why a fully personalised baby sleep plan makes all the difference and how to get one.