They told you it was normal. We ask if it really is. If you've ever been awake at 3am wondering why your baby won't sleep or why everyone else seems to be coping better, you're in the right place. Hosted by infant sleep consultant Sophia Masur and mum of two Jess Zids, we share real stories and evidence-based conversations on baby sleep, sleep deprivation, postnatal depression, food intolerances and maternal mental health—so no mum feels alone.
36 | I Slept in the Spare Room While My Partner Did the Nights. Then I Took Over. | Brynn | Dad Sleep Training, How to Support Your Partner Postpartum, Baby Waking All Night, Sleep Deprivation
For six months, Brynn’s partner Sabrina was getting up to Ina 8 times a the night, while Brynn slept in the spare room and spent his days feeling useless. Naps only happened in the pram or the car, so one of them was always walking for two to three hours a day so she would sleep. Bedtime could take up to two hours, and Sabrina was up eight times some nights. He didn’t tell his mates, because what could he say? Nothing he tried made it better, and he didn’t believe there was a fix.
This is our very first dad on Awake at 3am, and he explains what sleep deprivation looks like from the other side of the bed: watching someone you love run on empty and not knowing where you fit.
In this episode we talk about:
What it’s really like to become a dad, and the surprise of how much your life changes before your baby even needs you
The 4 month sleep regression that “should have passed”, and the six months of survival mode that followed
Why dads often stay quiet about sleep deprivation, and why Brynn didn’t think there was anything to say
How Brynn took the lead on sleep training, including the nights Sabrina stayed next door
The first night, which took 21 minutes, and what happened by night three
Why a dad working from home sees everything, and what that did for their relationship
The bond that grew between Brynn and Ina once she could sleep
Brynn’s advice for any dad who thinks there’s no solution
“It’s actually so much easier to be on your laptop than being a parent.” This is a conversation every mum has been waiting for, and it’s one for every dad too. If you’ve ever wanted to say “please listen to this” to your partner, send them this episode.
Chapters
06:30 Becoming a dad
16:09 When sleep fell apart
18:16 Spare room, pram naps and driving in circles
26:56 Why dads don’t talk about it
37:25 Night one: Brynn takes the lead
49:30 Working from home and seeing it all
53:40 The bond with Ina
1:01:03 Advice for new dads
About Brynn
Brynn is the founder of By Storm Solutions, an operations partner business that helps small businesses grow and thrive. He is dad to Ina and lives with Sabrina and their dog Ernie.
Learn more about Brynn
Website: By Storm Solutions (https://www.bystormsolutions.com.au/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAcGRvZgJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaeQhtm_ZjpZZAt3tf-h2Jq2NQeE5x1y_AKgzZV51x-azhmLwkh4j8-IsdKaMQ_aem_vgEkWLms4J-BjGFcGn124g)
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bystorm.solutions (https://www.instagram.com/bystorm.solutions/)
Mentioned in this episode
Sabrina’s own story is in Ep 32, where she shares what this time looked like for her.
About Awake at 3am
Real stories of motherhood, sleep and survival, hosted by infant sleep consultant Sophia Masur (https://www.instagram.com/sophiassleepschool/) and mum Jess Zids. Follow us @awakeat3am.podcast (https://www.instagram.com/awakeat3am.podcast/).
20 Oct 2026
35 | I Paid $1,000 for Sleep Help. It Made Everything Worse.
Jessica had already spent more than a year surviving on broken sleep with her first baby, Noah. So when her second baby, Portia, started waking hourly too, she knew she'd eventually need help.
What she didn't expect was to spend $1,000 on a sleep consultant, follow the advice for weeks, and end up feeling more exhausted, more defeated, and more alone than when she'd started.
Jessica is a mum of two, and she'd spent months following a sleep consultant online before deciding to trust her with Portia's sleep. But what she thought would be personalised support became a generic sleep guide, hours spent patting her daughter in the cot, and a growing feeling that she was just another number.
In this episode, Jessica shares what happened when she finally confronted the consultant, why she kept questioning herself when the advice wasn't working, and how difficult it was to trust someone else after that experience. She also talks about the guilt of having a second baby, the loneliness of motherhood without family nearby, and what finally changed when she found an approach that worked for Portia.
This episode explores:
Sleep deprivation and the toll it takes on maternal mental health
Co-sleeping, breastfeeding and hourly night wakes
The pressure to accept exhaustion as part of motherhood
Having a second baby and the guilt that comes with it
Navigating motherhood without family support nearby
Choosing a sleep consultant and trusting professional advice
What happens when sleep support doesn't go to plan
The emotional and financial cost of seeking help
Gentle sleep training and finding an approach that works for your family
The importance of personalised support and sleep education
Rebuilding confidence in yourself after a difficult experience
If you've ever paid for help that left you feeling worse, questioned yourself when the advice wasn't working, or felt like you were failing at something everyone else seemed to manage, this conversation is for you.
13 Oct 2026
34 | I Had No Idea Stopping Breastfeeding Could Make Me Feel This Low | Sarah | Post-Weaning Depression, Two Under Two, Gentle Sleep Training & Toddler Bedtime
Sarah had no idea that stopping breastfeeding could leave her feeling so low, and nobody had warned her. She only found out when she Googled it.
Sarah is a mum of two under two, and for months bedtime with her toddler, Charlie, could take up to three hours, sometimes ending in screaming tantrums while she had a newborn in her arms. She’d tried two sleep consultants, car rides and the TV, and people kept telling her the gentle approach she wanted wasn’t possible.
In this episode, Sarah talks about the post-weaning low that hit when she stopped breastfeeding, which she compares to her postnatal depression, and why she thinks more mums should be told it can happen. She also shares how role-playing with toy trucks during the day helped prepare Charlie for his own room, how bedtime went from hours to around an hour and a half on the very first night with his dad in the room, and how it now ends with “Mummy working” and straight to sleep.
This episode explores:
Post-weaning depression and the hormone drop after stopping breastfeeding
Mood changes after weaning with a history of postnatal depression
Two under two: looking after a toddler and a newborn
Gentle sleep training for toddlers
Toddler bedtime battles and bedtimes that take hours
Using role play to prepare a toddler for sleep changes
Moving a toddler into their own room
Breastfeeding to sleep and parental preference at bedtime
Bed sharing and co-sleeping with a toddler and a newborn
Partner-led bedtime and settling
Mum guilt, and stepping away for five minutes when you’re overwhelmed
If you’ve ever been told the gentle way isn’t possible, or felt strangely low after stopping breastfeeding and had no idea why, this conversation is for you.
Follow at Awake at 3am (https://www.instagram.com/awakeat3am.podcast/) and Sophia’s Sleep School (https://www.instagram.com/sophiassleepschool/) for more real stories of motherhood, sleep and survival.
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