Laura is a paediatric behavioural sleep practitioner specialising in infant, child, and adolescent sleep (0–17 years). She supports families and young people experiencing a wide range of behavioural sleep difficulties. For infants and toddlers this includes settling difficulties, frequent night wakings, split nights and early morning rising. For children and adolescents this includes difficulties with falling asleep or staying asleep, needing parental support to sleep, circadian rhythm difficulties, and nightmares and sleep terrors. Laura provides evidence-based, developmentally informed behavioural sleep care that prioritises both sleep health and emotional wellbeing across all ages.
Background and Experience
Laura is a sleep practitioner, researcher, and co-director of Children’s Sleep Australia, Infant Sleep Australia, and the Sombelle Paediatric Sleep Clinic Programs. She holds honorary appointments with the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She co-hosts Brand New Little People, Australia’s leading paediatric sleep podcast.
Laura graduated from the University of Cardiff with a first-class honors degree in psychology, after which she enjoyed many years working with children and their families participating in research studies. Laura completed her PhD into early language and mental health development at the University of Melbourne. She completed several postdoctoral fellowships at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, including a Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation Life Course Fellowship. Her research examines risk and protective factors for cognitive and mental health development, including parenting and sleep health, and has been published in leading paediatric journals.
In addition to her research career, Laura has completed extensive certified postgraduate training in paediatric, adolescent, and adult behavioural sleep medicine. This includes CBT-I for school children, and bright light therapy for teen sleep problems under the leading Australian sleep scientist, Professor Michael Gradisar, as well as Sleeping Sound Autism professional training through Monash University.
Practice Philosophy
Laura is known for her thoughtful, compassionate, and research-led approach. She enjoys working collaboratively with families, children, and adolescents to develop realistic, evidence-based sleep strategies that are tailored to developmental stage, mental health, and family context. Laura believes that effective sleep interventions should support emotional security, autonomy, and long-term wellbeing, not just sleep in the short term. Her goal is to empower families and young people with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed for sustainable sleep health.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys spending time with her son and daughter who are growing up way too fast!
To make appointments or for further information about our services, please visit: Infant Sleep Australia for babies and toddlers, and Children’s Sleep Australia for 3-17 year olds.