“A sleep consultant? That’s the most millennial job I’ve ever heard of.”
What is a sleep consultant? That’s a great question. When I first told my sister I wanted to pursue my certification in pediatric sleep consulting, she scoffed and said, “That’s the most millennial job I’ve ever heard of.” Getting a stranger to help get your baby to sleep better? What? That’s a thing? Yes. That’s a thing. After my sister’s millennial comment she said, “You’d actually be perfect at that. You should do it.”
Have you ever been so tired you can’t think straight? I know I have. I’m here to tell you exactly what to do.
Sleep consultants work with tired parents to help them reach their sleep goals for their child. Sleep goals look different to every family but the majority of the families I work with want their child to independently put themselves to sleep. Other goals could include:
Weaning from night feed
Having a more predictable nighttime plan
Transitioning to a different number of naps
How to get on a nap schedule
Understanding wake windows
Getting my child to take longer naps
Getting my child to sleep longer stretches at night
Connecting sleep cycles
Weaning from melatonin
Eliminating the constant “needs” with toddlers at bedtime
Knowing your child’s daytime sleep needs
Having a solid naptime/bedtime routine
Sleeping through the night
Self soothing
Staying in their room at night
Transitioning to a toddler bed
Getting a toddler excited about bedtime
The process begins with a 15-minute consultation phone call where we discuss your child’s current sleep challenges and I run through the different options for packages. From there, you choose the package that is most desirable for your family’s situation. The difference in packages includes the amount of support you get from me and the amount of time you get the support. Some families want more support and some want less. Totally depends on your style. If you love to have a plan and are confident implementing the plan yourself, you will need less support. If you love to have a plan AND want someone checking in and helping you problem-solve daily and reminding you of the plan, you will want more support.
After you purchase a package, I send you a questionnaire where you answer allllll the questions about your child. Questions include your current bedtime routine, daily schedule, childcare throughout the week, your goals for your child, etc. There are a lot of questions because I need to know everything! Every family and baby is unique. The more information I collect, the better.
Then, you fill out a food/sleep log for 3 days so I can track patterns with your child’s eating and sleep behaviors. From there, I get to work and create a personalized sleep plan for your child (insert happy dance). I love creating plans. The plan is typically 15-20 pages and goes through goals, schedules, routines, two different training methods, nighttime options, regressions, future schedules, etc.
After the plan is created, we have a 60-minute training call where I teach you exactly what to do. I prefer having BOTH parents involved in the call so everyone hears the same information. In order for the plan to work, all caregivers must be on the same page (literally). I’ve even had babysitters/nannies on training calls! You pick the night you want to start, and we go from there!
Depending on the level of support, we connect and problem solve during the day. Some problem solving issues might include when to put your baby down for their next nap or pushing bedtime earlier or later depending on how much daytime sleep your baby got that day. Whatever problems arise, I got you. You’re too tired to figure all that out! We make tweaks and adjustments when necessary.
I’m your personal cheerleader and keep you accountable. I will be with you along the way to make sure your child reaches their sleep goals. One client put it best when she said, “I know what I need to do but I need someone to make sure I do it.” I’m that person. Let’s work together and get it done. Everyone functions better when they’re more rested.
