About Sensible Sleep

This Sensible Sleep Website was created to provide accurate and up-to-date information on sleep in children of all ages, their parents, caregivers teachers, schools and communities. The Sensible Sleep team is made up of a group of highly skilled psychologists with expertise in all aspects of sleep and development in young children, with over 25 years of experience in sleep and psychological health.

Our goal is to offer comprehensive and expert based information on sleep and related mental health issues freely available to you, the public.

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Meet The Sensible Sleep Team

Professor Sarah Blunden

PROFESSOR SARAH BLUDEN

Professor Sarah Blunden is a qualified Clinical Psychologist with qualifications in the following areas:

  • Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of South Australia (1996)
  • Master of Social Science (Counselling) from the University of South Australia (1998)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Psychology (Clinical) from the University of South Australia (2003)
  • Master of Clinical Psychology equivalence awarded from the University of South Australia (2008)
  • A registered Clinical Psychology Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia
  • Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Central Queensland University (CQU)
  • Adjunct Head of Paediatric Sleep Research at the Appleton Institute of Behavioural Science, CQU
  • Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Monash University

Sarah has been passionate about children’s sleep since she undertook her PhD in 2000. In 2004 she founded the Paediatric Sleep and Psychology Clinic to assist families with their children’s sleep concerns, and in 2006 founded the Australian Centre for Education in Sleep to educate communities about sleep problems. In 2017 Professor Blunden developed a Practice Certificate in her Gentle Methods of Self Settling (GeMSS) for health professionals. Sarah believes that all families and communities deserve to be better educated about sleep, as sleep is the foundation of all physical and mental health.

Her main areas of interest are infant sleep and sleep interventions that do not necessitate ignoring nor controlled crying, sleep education in schools and communities, and Indigenous Sleep Health.

She has presented over 100 presentations to health, education, medical professional and academics and has published over 120 academic papers in peer reviewed journals including the Sensible Sleep Solution and the Boss of My Sleep Book.

View our books and publications here

Mary King

MARY KING

Mary King is a qualified Clinical Psychologist with the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of South Australia (2005)
  • Master of Psychology (Clinical) from the University of South Australia (2009)
  • A registered clinical psychology Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia

Mary is passionate about improving the wellbeing of young children and families. She has worked for the last ten years supporting both adults and children to improve their mental health, relationships, and lifestyle factors that impact on wellbeing, including improving sleeping difficulties. Mary has worked across the private and public sector, including recently for the Child and Family Health Service (CAFHS).

Mary has a specific interest and expertise in working with babies, toddlers, and their parents. She understands the complexities and unique needs of very young children; the joys and challenges associated with parenting this age group; the needs of parents experiencing post-natal depression/anxiety; and the specific sleep requirements of children. Mary has been trained by and worked closely with Dr Sarah Blunden in her methods and techniques for improving children’s sleep.

Mary’s approach respects the needs of each family and she works to enable parents to support their children’s sleep in a gentle and loving manner. Mary has been trained in the responsive methods used at the Paediatric Sleep & Psychology Clinic. She is passionate about empowering families with the knowledge and confidence they need to make lasting changes to their children’s sleep.

Areas of Practice:

Paediatric sleep

  • Birth – 5 years of age
  • Typically and non-typically developing children

Parenting strategies 

  • Behaviour management
  • Parenting strategies

Child psychological therapy 

  • Sleep, anxiety, behaviour, tantrums, separation issues in children under 5 years of age
  • Parenting, attachment and behavioural strategies

MARY KING

Mary King is a qualified Clinical Psychologists with the following qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of South Australia (2005)
  • Master of Psychology (Clinical) from the University of South Australia (2009)
  • A registered clinical psychology Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia

Mary is passionate about improving the wellbeing of young children and families. She has worked for the last ten years supporting both adults and children to improve their mental health, relationships, and lifestyle factors that impact on wellbeing, including improving sleeping difficulties. Mary has worked across the private and public sector, including recently for the Child and Family Health Service (CAFHS).

Mary has a specific interest and expertise in working with babies, toddlers, and their parents. She understands the complexities and unique needs of very young children; the joys and challenges associated with parenting this age group; the needs of parents experiencing post-natal depression/anxiety; and the specific sleep requirements of children. Mary has been trained by and worked closely with Dr Sarah Blunden in her methods and techniques for improving children’s sleep.

Mary’s approach respects the needs of each family and she works to enable parents to support their children’s sleep in a gentle and loving manner and Mary has been trained in the responsive methods used at the Paediatric Sleep Clinic. She is passionate about empowering families with the knowledge and confidence they need to make lasting changes to their children’s sleep.

Areas of Practice:

Paediatric sleep

  • Birth – 7 years of age
  • Typically and non-typically developing children

Parenting strategies 

  • Behaviour management
  • Parenting strategies

Child psychological therapy 

  • Sleep, anxiety, behaviour, tantrums, separation issues in children under 7 years of age etc.
  • Parenting , attachment and behavioral strategies

Mary King

Books, Publications and Fact Sheets

All resources, books, publications and fact sheets presented on the Sensible Sleep website are based on the latest evidence from researchers in Australia and around the world. At Sensible Sleep, we aim to help you educate yourself, your families, your students and your children, about the importance of sleep and what happens when we don’t get enough.

Members of the Sensible Sleep team have delivered over 70 conference presentations and written more than 100 publications in academic journals, government reports and education publications.

Resources