It is very common to hear these days that sleepless nights are a normal part of parenthood. While, yes- they are prevalent in the newborn stage, they certainly do not have to become your normal through the first 5 years of life!
Who are Sleep Consultants and What is Sleep Consulting?
Paediatric sleep consultants are professionals who have been certified and trained to support families through behavioural changes to improve sleep. They will assess your child’s sleep, identify problematic sleep patterns, review your family’s sleep goals, provide customized solutions and actionable steps to improve your child’s sleep and support you through the transition.
Sleep consultants can be a great tool and support for families looking to establish a healthy sleep foundation for their child and work towards a better quality of rest in their home.
When to Seek Help?
Many families will look for support when their current sleep situation is no longer working for them. This could include but not be limited to…
- Frequent middle of the night wakings
- Taking hours to settle baby to sleep with rocking, bouncing, feeding…etc.
- Short naps
- Early morning wakings
- Co-sleeping that is no longer working for the family
- Children (of any age) needing external support to fall asleep and resettle to sleep at night (think laying with your child, holding their hand…etc)
What Does Working With a Sleep Consultant Look Like?
Most sleep consultants will have an intake process which includes a detailed questionnaire. This allows us to get to know you and your family better as well as really understand your values and sleep goals as a family.
With this information, we can create a customized plan best suited to need the needs of your child and your family. It is so important that the plan and strategies created are in line with your parenting style and family values. IF you are comfortable with the plan, you will be way more likely to follow it and stay consistent! Babies and children thrive on routine and consistency as it makes it very easy for them to understand the expectations around sleep. Consistency is the key to success!
Main takeaway: Make sure the sleep consultant you work with is a good fit for you and your family on a personal level.
Once the plan is developed, I personally provide you with a loaded virtual educational session. The right education around your child’s sleep is a superpower for parents. With the education you receive, you will have all the information you need to navigate your child’s sleep.
Once you are ready to implement the plan, I get my families to join a sleep logging app so we can communicate daily and monitor any sleep patterns/trends. With this data, I can help you make adjustments to optimize your child’s sleep. Before you know it, you should start to see drastic improvements in your child’s length and quality of sleep as well as yours.
Will Sleep Consulting Help My Family?
There is no need to fix what isn’t broken but if your current sleep situation is no longer working for your family, then yes.
It is never too late to start building a healthy sleep foundation and healthy sleep habits. I work with children 0-8 years old and their families all over the world as they reclaim sleep in their home.
Sleep is health and I am a huge advocate of supporting families to ditch exhaustion. If you are ready to make sleep a priority and help your child build a healthy sleep foundation, book a free discovery call with me today!