What is sleep training?

Sleep training gets a bad rep for being coined as closing the door at night and not opening it until morning using CIO (cry-it-out). It’s so not that. Sleep training, to me, is looking at the entire 24 hour period, while understanding that we are changing our child’s current way of falling asleep. It’s combining optimal sleep hygiene (environment, timing, routines) with learning independent sleep. There are more involved ways than just CIO to teach independent sleep (see below).

Will my child cry?

This is such a popular question, which I understand. I’m a mom too and understand how hard it is for us to hear our children cry.

I won’t lie to you - Tears are typically part of the process when we are changing habits and patterns for your child. We are all creatures of habit, there is frustration when we make changes, and babies/young children express that frustration by crying. When we change the way your baby, toddler, or child is used to falling asleep or staying asleep, they are likely going to let you know it they aren’t happy about the changes by crying.

Does that mean your only choice is to let your child Cry-it-Out (CIO)? No! There are different approaches we can take towards teaching independent sleep, from the most direct to the more gradual. We also try to minimize tears by putting all the pieces of healthy sleep hygiene in place, such as a sleep-inducing environment, an age-appropriate schedule, and using consistent routines.

What ages do you work with?

I work with expectant parents/parents of newborns up to about age 6. From the newborn age (0-5 mo.), we work on establishing healthy habits and routines around sleep, but we do not implement any formal sleep training methods. After 5 months, we combine all the puzzle pieces (environment, timing, routines, independent sleep) to establish healthy sleep habits.

How does a sleep consultation work?

We start by having a short introductory phone call. You can contact me here to book one. During this 15-minute call, we’ll make sure we are a good fit for one another, I’ll answer any questions you have about working together, and we’ll decide which package is best for your family.

Once you’ve picked and purchased a package, I’ll send you a Sleep Intake Form and we’ll schedule a 75-minute virtual consultation. During the consultation, we’ll discuss your intake form, your sleep challenges, your family’s sleep goals, and together we will make a plan that you feel comfortable and confident in implementing.

After the consultation, I will write & send your customized sleep plan and support you while you work towards reaching the sleep goals you set for your family.

Aren’t there plenty of free resources out there? Why should I hire a sleep consultant?

Absolutely, there are! And that may be enough for you. If you are confident making changes on your own, more power to you!

That being said - Time & Support. Yes, there are a lot of free resources out there. Some information is straightforward and other information is straight-up confusing. It can take a lot of time to read all the books, blogs, scientific studies, even! Trust me, I did the deep dive into it all before formulating a plan with my first baby. But most importantly, when working with a sleep consultant you get expert knowledge and consistent support for the time that you are making these changes to your family’s routines, sleep environment, and schedule. Not quite sure when you should put baby down for the next nap? Reach out to your sleep consultant. Your four-year old really put you through the wringer the first night you started your sleep plan? Reach out to your sleep consultant. I’m here to help guide you through this journey to healthier sleep for the whole family.

What is your training?

I’ve completed 250+ hours of coursework and practical work in the field of infant & child sleep with the Family Sleep Institute’s Child Sleep Consulting program. I am committed to keeping up with the latest in child sleep research by completing continuing education courses. Also, I’m a mom - I’ve seen these approaches work with my own children and I know firsthand what it felt like to be sleep deprived and how life changing it was when we improved the sleep in our family.

I want to keep breastfeeding. Can I still sleep train? I don’t want to completely night wean.

YES! Heck yes! You can absolutely hang onto a night feeding (or more!) and still sleep train. There is a different between feeding at night when your baby is hungry and excessive night feedings due to habits. We will work together (along with approval from your pediatrician) to decide which feedings you want to drop and the ones, if any, you want to hold on to.

I don’t want to/am unable to stop room-sharing. Will we still be successful establishing healthy sleep habits?

Yes, of course. There are a few options we can discuss with regards to room-sharing but there’s no reason why you can’t be successful while in the same room as your baby/child. It sometimes takes longer to reach our sleep goals this way, but it can absolutely still be done.

What about bed-sharing?

Families choose to bed-share for many reasons. Some are perfectly happy in the family bed and others have ended up sleeping that way out of desperation. I am obligated to follow the AAP Guidelines for safe sleep. Due to safety reasons, the AAP does not promote co-sleeping, especially for babies under 12-months of age.

If your goal is to transition away from sharing a bed, I am happy to help your family reach that goal. If sleeping in the same bed as your child is something you want to continue doing, I am not the consultant for you.

Will this really work? What are the reasons it doesn’t?

This is such a common question. Many parents come to a sleep consultant feeling as if they have tried everything. Once we work together to put a sleep plan in place for your family, the only things that can cause us not to be successful is parental inconsistency, a busy schedule not preserving an appropriate nap/bedtime schedule, or an underlying medical condition (which we want to rule out first!).

This doesn’t fit into our budget, what are our options?

I never want money to be the reason you can’t get help from me. For that reason, I also offer sleep plan only options and support calls, both of which still allow you to get solutions for the sleep challenges you are facing. They both involve learning all the pieces of the sleep puzzle, but then you are in charge of implementing it for your family.

Hmm… I’m still not sure if this all is right for my family. What do I do?

Working with a sleep consultant and formal sleep training isn’t for everyone. That’s ok! It’s normal to feel unsure about making these changes. However, it’s important that you’re committed to the process before we work together. If you have any other questions or concerns about the process, contact me to schedule a complimentary introductory call.

Is your family ready to be rested and thriving? Check out my sleep plan packages here.