Have you created bad sleep habits… or is your baby simply responding to the support they need right now?

Have you created bad sleep habits… or is your baby simply responding to the support they need right now? If your baby only falls asleep feeding, being held, rocked, close to you, or needs help returning to sleep, it can be easy to worry that something has gone wrong. In this episode, I’m explaining what sleep associations really are, why they are so common in infancy, and how to think about them in a calmer, more helpful way. We talk about: • What sleep associations are • Why babies often need support to fall asleep • Feeding to sleep, rocking, holding, contact naps, and closeness • How sleep cues form through repetition • Internal vs external sleep cues • How to build calm, consistent sleep patterns • When to keep a pattern and when to gently evolve it • Why support is part of sleep development Very often, what parents call bad habits are simply ways a baby has learned to feel safe enough to sleep. FREE RESOURCES + SUPPORT Weekly Resources Pre-order my book: Baby Steps to Six Weeks – A Day-by-Day Guide for New Mothers If this episode helped you, please like,

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Have you created bad sleep habits… or is your baby simply responding to the support they need right now? is an episode from The Virtual Midwife by The Virtual Midwife.

This episode is 00:09:44 long.

This episode was published on May 18, 2026.

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