Dr Laura Conway, PhD.

Dr Laura helps tired families find their way.

Dr Laura Conway

Dr Laura Conway

BA (Hons, Psychology), PhD (Child Development)
Honorary Fellow, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Honorary Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne


Meet Laura

A trusted infant and child Sleep Practitioner, and co-director of Infant Sleep Australia, Children’s Sleep Australia, and the Sombelle Paediatric Sleep Programs, Laura empowers exhausted parents by resolving sleep challenges—transforming bedtime battles into peaceful routines and restoring energy to drained households.

With a PhD in Child Development and over 20 years of research in children’s health, she bridges the science of sleep, language development, and mental health with the lived reality of parenting - having raised two children who struggled with sleep themselves. Laura isn’t a medical doctor; instead, her career has focused exclusively on understanding how sleep, play, and caregiver interactions shape children’s wellbeing.

How Laura can help (ages 0-3 years)

Laura supports families with:

  • Frequent night wakings

  • Bedtime resistance (stalling, protests)

  • Early morning rises

  • Settling difficulties

She offers compassionate, evidence-based strategies that strengthen parent-child relationships while improving sleep. She also sees children aged 4-17 years in our sister clinic, Children’s Sleep Australia.

 

World-Class Expertise

  • PhD in child development (University of Melbourne)

  • Honorary positions at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute & University of Melbourne

  • Collaborations with leading researchers (UK, Australia)

  • Co-creator of the Sombelle Paediatric Sleep Clinic Programs

  • Expert contributor to the Raising Children Network

  • Co-host of Brand New Little People, Australia’s #1 pediatric sleep podcast

Award-Winning Research & Media Presence

Published in Pediatrics, Journal of Child Language, Infancy, and more.

Recipient of:

  • Most Distinguished Paper Award (International Domestic Violence & Health Conference)

  • LifeCourse Postdoctoral Fellowship (Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation)

Featured in The Age, Herald Sun, Channel 9 News, ABC Radio, and global media (reach: 250M+). Her groundbreaking work on family violence and child development has influenced policy worldwide.

Member of:

  • International Pediatric Sleep Association

  • Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth

  • International Association for the Study of Child Language

Laura’s approach blends cutting-edge research with warmth and practicality—because every family deserves rest.



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