25 years experience
Paediatrician approved
Baby, toddler & child sleep expert
I've helped thousands of families, and I can help yours, too.
My name is Alison, but I’m known to many as the Magic Sleep Fairy. My hugely successful results come from almost 30 years of experience. Originally from a nursing and care background, I’ve been driven by my unwavering passion for helping babies with reflux, ‘colic’, and sleep issues – some think it must be magic!
Through my private practice I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Nutritional Therapists, Fertility Specialists, Tongue-tie Practitioners, Lactation Consultants and more. In fact, my book, The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan, is endorsed by one of the highest esteemed pediatric gastroentorologists in the UK.
Complete your booking form (only as best you can, it helps us both save time during the call), and I’ll aim to book you in within 1-3 working days*.
*This could be longer during busy periods, or if you have limited availability.

``Frankie's sleep has been beyond incredible since working with you! It's such a blessing to our family to have such a solid sleeper from so early on and we can't thank you enough for helping us get there``
Sophie
``Alison truly is magic! As soon as we had the call Alison quickly identified Estella as having silent reflux and put in place the steps to resolve the symptoms. After following her expert advice not only does she sleep 12 hours, she's super happy and more importantly, not in pain! We turn to Alison more than anyone else for support and don't know what we would have done without her!``
Rebecca
``I cannot believe the difference in Ava in just over a week! She's sleeping 11 hours at night, her naps are improving day by day, she's a lot happier during her awake periods - with even signs of a little giggle! The relief we feel as a family already is amazing!``
Hannah

*****
“This is amazing and saved me in the first few months of motherhood!”
*****
“Your book should be given to every expectant mum.”
*****
“Honest, realistic and personable using her grandson as a case study – so very real help”
*****
“For parents with babies who suffer from reflux, this book is invaluable”
Read my best-selling Sensational Sleep Plans.
The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan
Packed with tips, hints and reminders, case studies, at-a-glance charts and more. Includes realistic feeding plans, learning about reflux and symptoms checklist, and much more. I include a Reassurance Sleep Technique for babies 12 weeks plus, for those who haven’t followed the plan earlier.
The Sensational Toddler Sleep Plan
Next in the series, designed for 12 months and over. This follow-up guide helps parents to handle sleep issues in toddlers and children, with clear and realistic advice on how to establish healthy bedtime associations, manage changes such as cot-to-bed, and implement a routine through positive parenting.
Find out more
GOOD Based on 786 reviews A reader2013-01-22Verified Have read loads of baby books and for me this is the best I have quite a few baby books (Baby Whisperer, Gina Ford, Miriam Stoppard, Baby Week by Week, What to Expect, Dr Sears etc etc) and thought I had read it all. This was recommended by a friend when we were having our second child and I have actually found it the best of the lot for establishing a routine, feeding and letting your baby get good quality sleep for the first few months. Despite the name I found this book is about more than sleep, it is also the best book I have read on feeding and routines. Following the plan in the book sets them up well for sleeping and feeding well in the future. As a second time parent I have found that this book reflects many of the things that we learnt first time round, for example:- That routine is important for babies to feel content.- That if you dive in and pick them up every time they cry rather than observing them first then it does them more harm than good - they don't learn to go back to sleep when they wake up between sleep cycles and don't learn to self-soothe.- That life isn't perfect and sometimes the mother actually matters (I can say this as the husband) and needs rest rather than trying to be perfect in every way and having to completely submit to a parenting philosophy.- That attachment parenting and co-sleeping is a nightmare for you and the baby (no-one gets good quality sleep).I appreciated that it was a balanced book that did not blindly follow the status quo. I appreciated that it took a balanced view of breastfeeding for example. Most of the negative reviews for this book are from people who can't accept alternatives to breastfeeding even being discussed - this book says that 'breast is best' but goes on to accept that it is your choice and that breastfeeding doesn't work out for everyone. It then provides advice if you want to breastfeed, express or formula feed. I found the advice and routines in the the book incredibly useful and uncannily accurate for everything from sleeping to feeding and weaning. The routines are much simpler and more realistic than Gina Ford.Using this book our second child is a good feeder, good sleeper (7pm to 7am by 10 weeks) and very contented.For me, THE BEST book that is good for your baby and reflects real life rather than trying to tell you how everything 'should' be. For me, this and the Baby Whisperer (for reading your baby's cues) are all you need. 'Your Baby Week-by-Week' is also good for any concerns you might have on a week-by-week basis. Rosie D2012-08-27Verified A balanced and sensible book Since becoming a first time mum I have been quite shocked at how polarised and one sided most books, experts and advice on every aspect of taking care of a baby are. They all seem to say that if you don't do things in one particular way you are evil and the world will pretty much fall apart. I have found this book to be more balanced and pragmatic than most.Thankfully my sister recommended this book to me when my daughter was a week or two old and I had hit the point of 'oh my goodness I need my sleep'. I haven't looked back and my daughter has slept through from 7-7 (and even occasionally 8 giving us a lovely lie in) from 6 1/2 weeks old. She's now 7 months old and we're still getting the full 12 hrs pretty much every night. During this time we've had a handful of times when she's woken because she got stuck in a funny position and one night when she had a stomach bug and was sick. On each of those occasions we've been in, sorted out the problem, given her a cuddle and popped her back down to sleep, which she's happily gone back to in 5 mins or so.I found it slightly bizarre reading some of the reviews below that comment that the book is anti-breast feeding. I exclusively breastfed until my daughter was 5 months old, gradually introducing formula until we've now switched completely at 7 months. At no point did I feel pressurised by the book to stop doing this. If anything, I think that I actually kept breast feeding for longer than I would have done because of some of the helpful advice within the book about expressing, combined with being able to look ahead and see that I wouldn't be feeding so often forever. It did make me feel that if I didn't manage to keep breast feeding it wasn't a disaster and that also helped me to relax into it and probably strangely helped me to keep going because I wanted to, not because I felt I had to. My sister (who had also used the book) exclusively formula fed her daughter from day 1 and we both found that it worked equally well. One of the things that I really liked about the book was that it didn't treat formula feeding as second class and gave advice on how to do either (or both) depending on what you had chosen to go with.The biggest thing that this book did for me was to help me to get out of my own way. Both my sister and I get comments about how happy, smiley and calm our daughters are, which is certainly our experience and I'm sure that the advice in this book helped us to achieve this. I found the following aspects most useful:1) It gave a loose structure without being massively prescriptiveIt suggests times for feeding and sleeping while saying that an hour either way is fine. This means that there's only about 3 hrs in the whole day when it wouldn't be some kind of feeding time or other. And contrary to some of the comments below the book does say clearly that if it's not in the plan but your baby needs feeding then feed them. I feel that this gave me an illusion of control that made me feel better about life, while actually being more attentive and going with my baby's needs.2) The table showing the type of waking pattern you can expect stopped me from interfering with my daughter's developing sleep patternsI found that she largely followed the pattern of waking laid out in the tables when left to her own devices. Because I could see this laid out and that it only lasted for 8 weeks, I didn't start looking for other ways of trying to get more sleep that would ultimately have ended up in disrupting her sleep and making it less likely that she would sleep through the night.3) Getting into a good bedtime routine means she'll happily go to sleep anywhereWe started with a basic bedtime routine early and we've found this really helps her to feel secure in any new surroundings. We've put her to sleep in her pram and wheeled her down to dinner with us in a hotel, she's slept in travel cots and other cots in hotels and at grandparents and gone down quite happily. This was also a godsend when my partner had a back operation when our daughter was 3 months old meaning he couldn't do anything for a fortnight, so it was all over to me. It also meant that we were happy to leave her with grandparents so that we could go out in an evening safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't be missing us or giving our parents anything to worry about.4) Expressing early meant that my partner could give a bottle and I could have a breakWith all of the other things going on during the first few weeks I don't think I would have got into expressing so early. This meant that even in the early days I would only get up once in the night and my partner would do the other with a bottle. When we went down to once a night he would do bedtime instead of nightime with a bottle giving me some much needed down time. Initially she would go down to sleep much more easily with her Dad than with me. It also meant that she's always happily taken a bottle apart from for one week when she had a cold at about 3 months old. I have friends who breastfed without using a bottle for some months and all of them have then had problems getting the baby to take a bottle as they've wanted to move to formula, or have just wanted to express and go out somewhere. Often there have been tears and tantrums to get to the point where a bottle is accepted.5) I didn't panic about using a dummyWhile the book recommends not to, it also says don't worry if you need to use one. We used one during daytime naps for a couple of months and if she just wanted to suck/chew something and don't need it any more. I'm happy to feed her, but not really up for being a chew toy!5) I never felt bad if I didn't stick to the book religiouslyThough my daughter did lots of things in the way that the book predicted there were also things that she didn't or where we as a couple decided to do things differently. We focused initially on sleeping at night and aiming roughly at the feeding times. She didn't get into a daytime napping routine for a good 2-3 months and still does them at different times from in the book, but for a similar overall time, which is fine by us. We do use a mobile, as we'd bought one the week before we bought the book. She does tend to need music to go to sleep to, but doesn't really mind what, anything will do. We tried reading a book to her early on at bedtime, but she seemed to get cross about it so we stopped and have only got into it quite recently again, which she now loves. I'm sure there are others, but you get the idea.The overall feeling that I got from the book was that you know your own baby, follow your instincts and if you want some help, ideas, or just to see a plan of what tends to happen here you go.Just a note on the concerns about putting babies to sleep on their front mentioned by one of the reviewers below. I felt that this book gave one of the only informed debates that I have read on sleep positioning. She did not recommend putting babies to sleep on their front and gave the reasons for this. She did this while explaining that there is safety equipment that can be used if your baby point blank refuses to sleep on their back or is in severe pain in this position. This isn't something that we experienced, but I have friends who have done and have been unable to find information other than a straight 'don't do it'. This book at least gave advice on how to make it as safe as possible if you feel that you have no choice but to go down that route.
Consultations

Telephone Consultations
Speak one-to-one with Alison over the phone. The call can be held through mobiles, landlines or Audio on WhatsApp/FaceTime/Skype.

Video Consultations
Usually, Alison will send a link for you to join an online meeting room although the call can be held through any medium that has video calling option such as WhatsApp/ FaceTime or Skype.
Learn more

Hands-on Home Visits
Alison offers hands-on home visits at her discretion. This involves care and support through the night, ideal for establishing a routine and resolving sleep and reflux issues.
Testimonials
''Alison changed my nights for the better and for the good. She has an incredible understanding of what makes children tick.....and more importantly what makes them sleep!''
James McAvoy
``It is no exaggeration to say that The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan was an absolute game changer for me and for my daughter. It was a helping hand when we needed it most, a wise voice that rose above the noise, and a guide that offered me some semblance of control when everything felt overwhelming. It is no small thing to find yourself suddenly responsible for a lovely little human, and the challenges of those early months at times felt immense. I turned to Alison’s first book on a really bad day, and it gave me hope. I have since recommended it to many new parents, and they have come back to me in their droves to say thank you and that it was game changer for them too. If you’ve read it already, then you likely know what I’m talking about!``
Millie Mackintosh
``Anyone with a reflux baby who doesn't sleep knows that life can be a living nightmare and a far cry from the idyll of what we dream life will be like with our baby. It can be a terrifying time, especially if you're a first time parent. I don't know what I would have done without Alison. She's IS magic. I'm very protective, wanted to do it all my self but simply didn't know how to help my baby, but when Alison arrived I knew she was in the most loving caring hands. Within 3-4 night's I had a different baby. It was insane. Happy, pain free and she was able to get the sleep she so desperately needed. It was a miracle I didn't think possible after such troubles. Alison was our saviour! Her intuition and expertise are second to none. She's a wonderful human being and became a very special person to our family. I can't recommend her, her work and the book highly enough.``
Holly Valance
``I had no idea what to expect when Alison came to stay and didn’t have much faith that she could get Ruby sleeping - wow, how wrong was I? Within days our 10 month old was sleeping soundly through the night. Alison has since come back and helped with both the boys and they are all still fantastic sleepers.``
Joe Cole
``Alison is truly our ‘Sleep Fairy’. I was so nervous when she first came to stay but within minutes I felt at ease and knew my precious baby girl was in safe hands. Alison is amazing in what she does but also as a person and I’m so grateful to have her in my life and I still seek her advice to help with all the challenges we face with our ever developing little ones.``
Carly Cole
``Alison was a life saver for me. My son Shay wasn't feeding was so unhappy and I couldn't figure out why. Alison swept in and saved the day, after a week or two he was sleeping through the night and all smiles. I can't thank her enough she is exactly what she says she is the Magic Sleepy Fairy and just a gorgeous person to have met.``
Madeline Shaw
``Alison absolutely changed my life in just 1 night! I had been waking up with Wolfe every single hour for months and I was just exhausted. In one night, she came, got rid of dummy, gave me invaluable advice and within a few days Wolfe was sleeping 12 hours straight and he still is now! Thank you Alison, you are just such a kind and wonderful person and I am so happy to have met you! All my love, Roxie xx``
Roxie Nafousi
``I have known Alison for over 18 years both professionally & personally and in 2009 I was very happy to write the foreword for her brilliant book The Sensational Baby Sleep Plan. Not only does her book help parents resolve sleep issues with their babies but the last chapter gives detailed information on colic, reflux and dietary related intolerances. Alison has tremendous and rather valuable experience with babies who have feeding difficulties, reflux and sleep problems. Her practical and clinical skills are helpful to many families and her unrivalled knowledge, advice and guidance is continually sought by parents around the globe. She is 'The Reflux Expert' and her dedication to her work has proved to be productive and rewarding to families everywhere.``
Dr Eltumi Dr Muftah Eltumi Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist, MBBS, MSc, PhD, FRCP, FRCPCH.
``We were at our wits end when Alison arrived. Our little boy Kit, was so unhappy. He would sleep, he was being sick constantly and if we tried to travel in the car with him, he screamed out in agony. Alison was SO incredible at identifying he had reflux and a cows milk allergy. She immediately took it in hand and we now have a different baby. Smiley, happy and sleeps better than us! This woman is simply the best at what she does.``
Zoe Hardman
My baby never liked to sleep. By six months, she was still waking every 90 minutes, and I was beyond exhausted. As I tried to return to work as a Prima ballerina, I felt depleted, joyless, and desperate. Then we met Alison. She completely transformed our lives. With a calm, personalised approach, she gently helped our baby sleep—9 hours the first night, then 12! No harsh methods, just deep understanding and care. Our daughter adored her. Alison’s ability to read and resolve sleep issues is remarkable. She gave us back our sleep and joy. Every new parent should read her book. She is a true gift—caring, wise, and genuinely life-changing.
Nathalie Harrison - Prima Ballerina
When Alison arrived, we were a family in complete distress. Lexi was 6 weeks old, cried most of the day and night, and was a very unhappy baby who even frowned when she was sleeping. Everyone in the family was baffled as to why she wouldn't settle and was so restless. After reading Alison's book—most importantly the last chapter, where she lists the symptoms of silent reflux—I realised that was the problem. Alison's visit saved our family. She brought calm reassurance, knowledge, experience, and got Lexi on the right medication and formula. After a short period of time, Lexi began to settle, and we saw the happy little girl emerge. Alison came back a few weeks later to implement sleep training, and as a result, I have had a baby who slept through the night from 4 months old. She really is magic in every way, and we recommend her to everyone we meet.
Jonathon and Abi Trott
Alison Scott-Wright is an amazing specialist who works with babies, helping them with sleep, acid reflux, and other issues. Alison was a very important part of my life and had a way with children that I had never seen before and haven’t seen since. She’s just an amazing friend and has been such a help to me.
Anne-Marie Duff
I have known Alison professionally for many years, and I am not surprised that grateful clients view her as The Magic Sleep Fairy. Whenever I refer mothers to Alison, they sing her praises, and I have witnessed first-hand her ability to feed and settle a baby with complex issues such as gastro-oesophageal reflux. If you can't see Alison, buy her book.
Clare Byam-Cook SRN, SCM, author of What to Expect When You’re Breastfeeding... and What If You Can’t?
You are the best thing to ever happen to me! You took away all my reflux pain, understood that I couldn't tolerate cow's milk, taught me how to feed without it hurting, and how to sleep all night long. I'm so lucky to have met you, Alison. You have made my Mummy and Daddy—and me—so very happy. We all love you! xxx
Sophie Walklate