baby
What
TO DO...
... when it comes to your baby’ s sleep, according to a paediatric sleep consultant who’ s seen it all.
If you’ ve ever scrolled through Instagram at 3am while your baby is( definitely) not sleeping, you’ ll know that every other reel seems to feature a mum influencer telling you exactly how to fix it. Magic products! New routines! Sleep hacks you“ need to try!”
According to international paediatric sleep consultant Kelly Geoghegan, though, a fair amount of this advice falls firmly into the please-don’ t-do-this category.
And before you panic – no, it’ s not your fault. As Kelly puts it,“ Parents aren’ t trying to ruin sleep; they just don’ t always realise the effects.” So let’ s walk through the biggest sleep‘ dos’ doing the rounds online … and what you should actually be doing instead.
Don’ t: Use melatonin gummies because TikTok said so
Let’ s start with the wild one: melatonin for babies and toddlers.
Kelly is crystal clear:“ Definitely don’ t give things like melatonin to kids. That’ s a medically prescribed thing. Melatonin gummies? No! If those actually worked, I wouldn’ t have a job.”
She’ s seen parents give toddlers melatonin on flights – the 2026 equivalent of the old“ bit of brandy in the bottle”. But, as she warns:“ Are they FDA approved? Were they prescribed? You have to be so careful.”
Most of the time, a sleepless toddler is simply overtired – not melatonindeficient.
Don’ t: Fall for unsafe sleep devices
If you’ ve seen those adorable newborn hammocks all over your feed … deep breaths. Kelly doesn’ t mince her words:“ Stay away from dangerous sleep devices like those newborn hammocks.”
She’ s worked in ambulance services and maternity care and has seen“ some pretty horrific situations”.
What influencers show is the cute moment.“ I use little swinging seats,” she says,“ but I’ m right there with the baby. That’ s supervised sleep only.”
Don’ t: Compare your afternoon to someone else’ s Instagram
Sleep struggles feel harder when you’ re scrolling past mums with perfect blow-dries and babies who apparently sleep through thunderstorms and tax returns.
Kelly works with influencers and loves them, but she’ s seen behind the curtain.“ Even they only show the best bits of life,” she says.“ New, tired mums might not wash their hair for three days, so don’ t compare yourself to someone who has a nanny and is only showing the highlights.”
Basically, your dishevelled, milk-stained reality is … normal.
42 www. babysandbeyond. co. za