I have a passion for helping families find their confidence and feel better by getting more sleep. We all need sleep, it’s essential, but is not always easy to figure out with babies and children. I have experience ranging from helping newborns get longer stretches to teaching toddlers how to go back to their rooms and sleep at night.
WIth my Masters in Family and Human Development as well as many years working in different homes with families as a nanny and postpartum doula, I have learned the best approach is one that a family feels confident about and comfortable with. I have studied most all of the many different approaches to sleep training and am always learning new techniques. I always strive to stay up-to-date on the research and science of sleep so I can provide families with both the “why” and “how”. I’ve spent years doing overnights with newborns, so I have tried and applied the strategies with different babies with different needs.
I approach writing a sleep plan like completing a puzzle. I try to get as many puzzle pieces from the family before I begin including feeding, childcare situation, parenting style, child’s personality, siblings, any details about the day and night that may be affecting the baby’s sleep. I take into consideration approaches parents have tried as well as beliefs, worries and concerns, and cultural differences. I take all these pieces and create the plan. The plan is somewhat of a “first draft” from which we will implement and make changes along the way as needed. I am lucky to have support of a wonderful community of sleep consultants through the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management with whom I consult for especially challenging cases. During the two weeks of implementation I am a text away to answer questions and give real time feedback for nap timing, bed time routines, and any other changes.
