Overview of 2-5 Night Overnight Stay + 2 Weeks Support

Pre-start date online consultation + Welcome Pack preparation and Early Parenting Coaching materials

After I receive intake notes, I assess where we can begin implementing changes that will support and improve your baby’s sleep. It’ll be a plan I create for you after reviewing your notes and consulting with you. You’ll follow this plan, making small changes over the following weeks until I arrive.

You can get in touch with questions via email, and replies can be expected within 24–36 hours.

Night 1

Observation, assessment, and hands-on settling. Typical focus may include full or partial night weaning, dummy weaning, and cot acceptance.

The specific focus on Night 1 depends on your baby’s age, weight, sleep goals, and what is developmentally appropriate. I work with babies from around 10 weeks to 12 months, and in some cases—particularly for younger or lighter babies—maintaining one overnight feed may be recommended.

By the time Night 1 begins, I will already have reviewed your intake notes and discussed these considerations with you during your preliminary consultation. This overview is provided simply to give you a snapshot of how my overnight support typically works.

I arrive earlier in the afternoon (usually around 4) for some time with your child. This is for play time with your baby — getting to know them, and for them to get to know me a little. It also gives you, the baby’s caregiver, time to take in my presence with your baby before the night begins.

Once your bedtime rituals are complete, I take over settling. I stay with your baby until they relax and fall asleep in the cot, and learn what helps them relax enough to let sleep come.

There is often a lot of crying especially if we’re weaning from milk or dummies, and they’re never left alone until asleep. After your baby is asleep, I debrief with you (with a baby doll demo if helpful), then monitor overnight wakes and settle them the same way.

I don’t have a parent present with me in the room while I’m settling, as it’s too distracting and confusing for the baby. Babies relax much sooner if I’m left to do my thing and work out what support helps them best.

The goal we’re aiming for from Night 3 onwards is for either of you to put your baby down after the “sleepy time” routine, say goodnight, and have your baby self-settle to sleep within 10–30 minutes by Night 3 — then sleep through to 5:30–6am (and if we’re lucky, even a little later), with the first feed at 7am, and minimal interventions required overnight.

After the first week, we will have a better idea of your baby’s sleep needs. Not all babies sleep 12 hours overnight — in fact very few do — but most after working with me are typically able to get 8–11 hour stretches overnight with no or minimal intervention. Key factors that influence outcomes are weight and calories consumed during the day.

If your monitor gives a good view, you’ll be able to observe too. What I do on Night 1 isn’t permanent — it’s part of a gradual, low-stress transition toward self-settling. After we consult, you’ll go to bed for respite (typically 9pm–7am), and I’ll share notes the next day.

Temperament note: this overview is a guide to how the stay typically unfolds, not a guarantee that every situation will look the same. Some babies adapt quickly. Others have more layered sleep associations, heightened sensitivity, or simply need more time and repetition before changes fully integrate. Progress is information, not failure — and the plan is adjusted in real time based on what your baby shows.

The following day, you’ll handle naps. They can be pram, car, contact — but we’re not feeding to sleep or using dummies. Naps often come later; the focus stays on overnight sleep.

Night 2

Similar, but with less hands-on settling. Now that we’ve weaned the primary sleep associations, babies start to realise they went to sleep without them and are beginning to process that learning — learning to relax without needing to eat, or suck, or be held, bounced, rocked, walked, or rely on movement in general to fall asleep.

I consult with you after your baby’s bedtime again, then you go back to bed for respite.

Naps are still approached without any pressure to sleep more than 30–40 minutes at a time. Overnight sleep is the primary focus and stays the primary focus.

After Night 3, you’ll begin to do 1 practice nap a day where 30 minutes is a win, and the remaining naps are optional (pram, car, contact).

Naps fall into line once night sleep has been integrated and accepted. They may take a week, or they may take 3–4 weeks to become predictable. It depends largely on your baby’s temperament and where they are developmentally.

However, once your baby has fully adapted to the changes, the event of them needing to be resettled overnight is minimised substantially. We’re going for the 80/20 rule: 80% sleeping through, and 20% life happens.

Considering the length of your stay

At this stage, some parents are ready to begin taking the lead with settling, supported by real-time guidance with Raquel online. For many others, additional in-home nights can be helpful before making that transition.

How many nights are appropriate varies, and is influenced by your baby’s age, temperament, and how established their current sleep patterns and associations are. While two nights is can be sufficient for some families, you may wish to consider more than two nights if:

• Your baby is younger and needs more time and repetition to integrate change
• Your baby is older, highly attached to current settling methods, or strongly parent-dependent to fall asleep
• There are multiple sleep associations to work through (feeding, dummies, rocking, movement, contact, co-sleeping)
• You would like maximum overnight respite, with me doing as much of the hands-on settling work as possible
• You prefer changes to be fully embedded before you take over, rather than transitioning on Night 3

The average family working with Raquel on Overnight support book a minimum of 3 nights with the average being 4-5 to fully adjust their baby, and to allow for some respite from overnight settling. Most of the families choose additional nights to allow more space for consolidation, repetition, and rest, or to have changes more fully integrated before responsibility shifts back to parents.

For this reason, families are encouraged to consider their preferred length of stay at the time of booking, as extending once a stay has begun is usually not possible due to limited availability by the time the stay takes place.

Night 3

After two nights in the cot without night feeds or sucking to settle, many babies accept cot sleep and some have begun to understand that sleep can happen independently.

I’ll provide real-time support at bedtime via call or video. This is when I use some spaced settling extinction. Most babies settle within 30 minutes by this point, often sooner — but again, temperament matters.

During this session, it won’t be about a fixed number of minutes before checking in. I’ll help you understand and identify your baby’s crying so you know when they’re about to go to sleep and when they’ll require hands-on support. The previous nights will have shown what that support looks like for your baby.

Same room settling versus own room settling

I can’t always agree to work with all families who are room sharing. It primarily depends on factors I assess before I offer you a spot with me. If room sharing is an important part of your setup, please express this prior to requesting a booking.

If you wish to continue having your baby in your room, for me to work with you, you will need to move your baby away from close proximity and purchase a room divider.

If night weaning is part of your goals and you are breastfeeding, you should be aware it can be substantially more challenging to share the room while going through this transition.

These points are to make you aware, as many parents struggle with hearing crying; and creating boundaries around feeding overnight can mean a lot more crying initially — that’s how babies communicate what they need as well as what they want. And crying is normal. We can offer babies comfort in other ways, and some crying in loving arms may be required.

Another factor to consider is if your baby sleeps better with pink noise, as many babies do. Are you comfortable with hearing this noise all night long? Can you manage another noise like binaural beat? Do you need it to be silent, and how then will you navigate the natural noise of your baby? Babies can be extremely noisy sleepers. Giving them space to resettle overnight can be difficult for parents when room sharing. It can absolutely be done, but it’s important to be realistic with the potential challenges that can arise.

These are factors that need to be considered before I will agree to work with families who wish to continue to room share.

Sleeping arrangements during my stay

I’ll need a mattress made up in the lounge room, or I’ll stay in a guest room.

If the goal is same-room sleeping, I’ll usually recommend setting up a room divider. During my stay, you’ll also need to make alternative sleep arrangements, as I need to be positioned where your baby is sleeping in order to do the overnight work.

The process

• Choose a date.
• Confirm payment.
• I send the Welcome Pack (preparation materials).
• You return the intake notes and begin the preparation steps.
• I review your notes and schedule a preliminary video consultation.
• I send you a summary of the plan, and you start implementing the changes we discuss.
• Overnight support begins. I support your baby overnight in your home for two - five nights.
• The first night after I leave, you settle your baby with my real-time online support (we watch and listen to the monitor together via livestream).
• I continue to support you for 14 days via unlimited online or phone support between 7am and 9pm (fair use policy applies).

Optional: At the time of booking, you may upgrade to 3, 4, or 5 nights (additional $777 per extra night), subject to availability. Extending once a stay has begun is usually not possible due to limited availability by the time the stay takes place.

Support can be extended beyond two weeks if needed.

All clients are also entitled to book exclusive follow-up consultations. These are $222 for up to 60 minutes and can often be accommodated within 24–48 hours.

Terms

Confirmed bookings are non-refundable.

Date changes are not permitted unless due to illness (or waitlist clearance for an earlier date). In the case of illness, booking date changes inside 7 days of my arrival date are permitted.

If a date change occurs due to illness, a new date within 30 days must be booked at the time of the change.

If flights and/or accommodation have already been booked, the travel fee is forfeited and a new travel fee will apply for the rescheduled date.

I only work with families where all caregivers within the household are on board with hiring me. Outside visitors and non-immediate caregivers during my stay are not recommended.

Immunisations in the week leading up to the start date, as well as during the first four weeks of implementing sleep coaching, are not advised. I cannot work with families who are immunising during this important time as these procedures often produce sytoms similar to illness. Sleep coaching cannot be performed during illness. I cannot work with families if their baby or any member of the household is ill during the week leading up to and the first week of my stay.

FAQ

Isn’t 10 weeks too young to sleep train?

At around 10 weeks, I’m not “sleep training” in the way most people imagine. There is no expectation of self-settling, no rigid schedules, and no removal of feeds that are still developmentally needed.

My work with younger babies is focused on observation, nervous system regulation, and gently shaping the conditions that support longer stretches of overnight sleep. This includes supporting appropriate feeding rhythms, reducing overtiredness, improving settling environments, and helping babies transition away from habits that may become problematic later if left unchecked.

For some babies, this may include maintaining an overnight feed. For others, it may involve adjusting how sleep begins, how wakes are responded to, or how much stimulation and assistance is needed to settle.

The goal at this age is not complete independence but supporting the babies to relax enough to 'let sleep come'. I work in a way that is aligned with your baby’s developmental stage, and in doing so many families experience significant improvements in overnight sleep.

What we focus on is always guided by your baby’s age, weight, temperament, and individual sleep needs, and is discussed in detail during the preliminary consultation before any booking is confirmed.

Does your approach use cry it out? We prefer to comfort him when he is distressed. Are you able to let me know a bit more about how you help them settle during the first night of observation?

Nobody likes hearing a baby cry, but as I sense you realise, there’s quite a difference between “crying it out” alone for extended periods and crying with a caregiver present. My aim is to help your baby relax in their own way so sleep can come—often, that involves crying.

With vocal babies, I use these moments to show I’m listening—through words, touch, or eye contact. If they resist being held, I calmly help them settle in the cot, letting them know it’s safe to be there, safe to cry, and that I’m present. Crying is a valid expression; my role is to support, not silence it.

At bedtime, I stay until they’re asleep, helping them work through the frustration of falling asleep without feeding or sucking. My respectful parenting (RIE) background means we also address crying during the day, treating it with the same respect as laughter. You’ll receive resources on baby development and emotional regulation before I arrive.

By Night 3—if the first two nights go typically and longer stretches of sleep appear—we may allow some crying without a parent present. By now, your baby knows they can fall asleep without someone “doing something” to help, and we give them space to integrate that skill. We intervene only if they become overwhelmed, not simply vocal.

At this stage, we observe together via livestream. You’ll be more rested and confident, able to tell the difference between yelling and true distress. Sometimes we wait up to 10 minutes before they settle, but on average, most relax into sleep within 10–20 minutes by bedtime on Night 3.

Moving forward, I advise parents to wait a full ten minutes before going in to offer support. By Night 3, most babies have learned enough, that going in sooner often interrupts their process. Sometimes they’re just about to fall asleep, or even crying in their sleep—much like adults talking in theirs—and early intervention wakes them fully.

I won’t ask you to wait if your baby is truly distressed, but I will encourage you to pause unless that’s the case. If the idea of exploring waiting feels too uncomfortable, my approach may not be for you. Sleep is important, and babies don’t need rescuing from the normal struggle of learning to fall asleep. I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that this is parent present hands on sleep coaching. To help infants realise how capable they are, we need to give them the space to explore their capabilities.

Do you stay with them the whole time or just go into the room when they start crying? Or is it just watching the baby monitor and identifying the different types of crying that he has?

On the first night, I stay until your baby is asleep, then respond when they cry overnight—after checking the monitor to see if it’s sleep-crying or escalating. I wait 2–5 minutes, sometimes up to 10, before going in.

The goal isn’t self-settling yet, but showing your baby they can sleep without nursing or sucking, or being held to sleep. I use what worked at bedtime to resettle and leave only once they’re asleep again.

The next night, based on the previous night’s results, I may leave before sleep or take a hands-off but present approach. There’s no leaving a baby to cry while overtly dis-regulated; cuddling to calm the highly dis-regulated cry is an option.

Many of my families have sensitive, vocal children—often with newborn trauma—who signal loudly. And parents can feel very reactive to this because of their own trauma faced through these unfortunate experiences. I help parents see this as communication, not always distress, and respond in ways that build security.

Much of this learning happens through day time play—during nappy changes, feeding, and floor time—so babies learn their emotions are safe to express and navigate.

We’ve had other baby sleep assistance / sleep training / sleep coaching attempts. What happens if the sleep training is unsuccessful?

I’m a FIFO Mary Poppins for babies, blending practical support with insight from a multitude of families, as well as very wise mentors. As Woo Woo as it sounds, the babies I work with choose me, just like they chose you.

Many parents think their baby will be the one I can’t help—often because they feel they’ve tried everything. About half my clients come after other consultants or sleep schools didn’t work. Most of the time their babies are deeply communicative. They have a lot to express. They have strong points of view. And their parents have struggled with this for a myriad of reasons. This mixed in with sleep deprivation and information overload leads to feelings of destitute.

I consult AND then coach in person hands on in your home; guiding parents to understand why strategies work—not just what to do. Once families invest and commit to understanding my recommendations from the start, and learn more about their child’s unique communication, progress happens.

Infant sleep is more than bedtime routines. It’s shaped by your beliefs about sleep, your relationship with crying, feeding patterns, daylight exposure, and how awake hours unfold. Half the value on offer is the respite—having an experienced professional handle the hardest parts while allowing for you to rest, and integrate the coaching, and develop confidence in your approach. So after I leave, the ongoing guidance, and support makes more sense.

I don’t offer a single settling method like sleep schools, or just 1:1 method instructions like many consultants. I bring in-home, personalised, psychology-based coaching on infant communication and temperament. We explore how you handle crying—during sleep and play—staying curious in learning what your child has to say instead of rushing to stop it. Many babies cry to release tension, and that release in loving arms or presence of a caregiver can be deeply healing.

I help parents see how their own childhood shapes their responses, and many find the respectful parenting principles I draw on—such as listening to crying as much as listening to laughing—transform how they care for their child long after we finish working together.

I can’t promise you won’t be the one family my overnight support doesn’t work for, even after 20 years. But if what I’ve shared resonates and you feel a true sense of relief at finding me, there’s a strong chance you’ll be able to trust me—and once you trust a coach, you become coachable, which is the trajectory to success.