What is a pediatric sleep consultant?

A pediatric sleep consultant is a non-medical professional who is certified to help families improve their child’s sleep. A pediatric sleep consultant may also be referred to as a “pediatric sleep coach,” a “baby and toddler sleep consultant,” or a “baby and toddler sleep coach.” They help parents create healthy sleep foundations and implement evidence-based sleep training techniques to address their child’s sleep needs. They provide customized sleep support to ensure that the individual child’s needs are met and the family’s philosophy is integrated. They spend a great deal of time building trust and rapport while empowering parents with confidence and competence to implement sleep plans.

 

What is sleep training?

Sleep training is the process of helping a child learn how to fall asleep independently, stay asleep throughout the night, and self-settle during any wakings. While some children learn self-settling skills quickly, the majority need guidance from their caregivers. Sleep training looks different for every family as the sleep needs of the child vary. Sleep training helps to address the following needs: night wakings, early morning wakings, bedtime refusal, nap schedules, nap transitions, night weaning, healthy sleep foundations, cosleeping, room sharing, sleep regressions, nightmares, night terrors, routines, and much more. Sleep training is not always necessary as some little ones may learn to self-settle once healthy sleep foundations have been established.

 

What sleep training methods do you use?

Sleep training is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach as it looks different for every family depending on the child’s development and temperament as well as the parents’ overall goals and philosophy around crying. I use a variety of gentle and evidence-based sleep training methods. The methods I use offer different levels of parental involvement, all of which provide physical and/or verbal support to the child. You are provided two different sleep training methods to choose from giving you voice and choice about the process. While each approach will most likely involve some crying, I do not use the conventional “Cry-It-Out” method where the child is left alone in their room to cry all night. This method is rarely used by sleep consultants nowadays and if it is, it is used as a very last resort.

 

How long does sleep training take?

The majority of little ones are fully sleep trained in two weeks or less! The amount of time it takes is dependent upon how consistent you implement the plan. It will take two weeks or less if the plan is adhered to otherwise it may take a bit longer. Your child’s development and temperament may also impact the length of training. It is often easier to sleep train younger children, because they have fewer learned behaviors and are less aware of their surroundings. Sleep training preschoolers and school-aged children may take closer to three weeks as the first week is geared towards preparing them for upcoming changes, which is critical for success.

 

Will there be crying?

During the initial consultation, we will have a discussion about your philosophy of crying and your comfort level with it. This information is essential as it helps me determine which sleep training methods are appropriate for your child and family. I’ll base the sleep training methods off of your comfort level and your child’s age and temperament. 

 

When creating a sleep plan for your child, we’ll also ensure that all of their needs are met during the day. This helps to guarantee that they are not actually hungry or sick at night during the sleep training process. If your child has all of their nutritional needs met during the day, we can be assured that their crying at night is not out of hunger, but rather out of protest. 

 

There will most likely be some crying no matter what sleep training method is used as crying is a natural way for little ones to communicate. Before little ones have spoken language, they cry to communicate whether they are sad, mad, hungry, sick, etc. When they cry during the sleep training process, it is their way of communicating that they are upset about the changes taking place. They may cry to protest the changes to their sleep habits at the beginning of the process as it is new and different; however, crying typically subsides within a few days. 

 

We have tried sleep training before on our own. How will this be different?

As a sleep consultant, I am here to support you throughout the entire sleep training process. My role is to empower you to implement the necessary changes and hold boundaries all while instilling you with confidence. From start to finish, I will be there walking you through every step of the process, available to answer any questions, troubleshoot concerns, and cheer you on! We’ll have the opportunity to review the sleep plan together before it is implemented to make sure you feel comfortable and confident with it. You’ll receive a copy of the entire sleep plan to refer to anytime you need to ensure it is being implemented correctly and consistently. I’ll also be available via text, email, and phone to provide reassurance and celebrate those wins, whether big or small. Having my support as a sleep consultant throughout the training process provides a sense of accountability for you and can be a huge gamer-changer. 

 

My sleep training process is also different from the “one-size-fits-all” guides that you can find online. These guides are often generalized using one specific method and do not take into account the individual needs of your child or your philosophy of crying. While these guides may work for easy going babies who already have good sleep foundations in place, they may not work for strong-willed toddlers who need more of a gentle approach to sleep training. My sleep support uses a holistic approach that takes into consideration the unique needs of your child, your overall goals, your family dynamics, and the home environment. We work together to ensure that your sleep goals are met and that the time, money, and energy you invest is completely worth it. 

 

What kinds of sleep struggles can you help with?

I provide sleep support to families with newborns up to 7 years old and provide consultation for expecting parents. My services address a range of sleep challenges, including, but not limited to:

• Sleeping through the night

• Falling asleep independently

• Sleeping in a separate space

• Napping appropriate lengths and times

• Weaning off of night feedings

• Transitioning to crib or toddler bed

• Supporting nightmares and night terrors

• Handling sleep regressions

• Managing sickness, teething, and pacifiers

• Supporting separation anxiety

​

Is this a virtual or in-person process?

I offer virtual services and work with anyone anywhere in the world! All communication is done via phone, text, email, and video conferencing. This makes it incredibly easy for your busy family to access sleep support services from the comfort of your home and when the timing is right for you! 

 

I am based out of Tenants Harbor, Maine and am open to discussing in person support with families who live in Knox County. This could look like reviewing your child’s sleep plan or supporting the first evening of sleep training in person.

 

What are your qualifications?

I obtained my Baby and Toddler Sleep Consultant Certification through The Cradle Coach Academy. The course has over 200 hours of scientific, evidence-based content and mentorship. It also required 50 hours of volunteer hands-on experience supporting a minimum of 5 families with children of varying ages. It is one of the only programs that offers certification to support children up to the age of 7.

 

In addition to my sleep consultant certification, I have a Bachelors in Psychology and Elementary Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership. I also have my Elementary Education Teaching License in the state of Vermont and Maine. Additionally, I have over 10 years of experience working in education, special education, and the mental health field. In spite of my schooling and credentials, the majority of my knowledge and experience comes from being a mom to two little ones! I can relate first hand to the same sleep struggles you are dealing with and can assure you that being on the other side of it all is the absolute best!