This article originally appeared on the Macaroni Kid website on April 25, 2012.
Like many first time parents, I did everything I could to get my son to sleep. We rocked, walked, nursed, and patted. We read books in a certain order, sang songs with calming, quiet tones and always knew we could resort to a car ride to put him over the unconscious edge. We practically stood on our heads to get him to sleep and celebrated any stretch of consistent slumber we achieved.
As our son got older, our tried-and-true methods didn’t work as well. I began bringing him into my bed every night just so the family could be rested enough to function the next day. When we welcomed a second child, our problems grew. Eventually I found myself left with two children well past infancy, who did not know how to put themselves to sleep or stay asleep. I needed help.
This began my journey into sleep education and sleep coaching. I was sleep deprived and knew my boys weren’t getting the quality sleep they needed to grow and develop. We needed someone to educate us, point out where we were going wrong and guide us back to the right track.
We hired a sleep coach based on a recommendation. Within two weeks of following the plan created for my family, my children were putting themselves to sleep and staying asleep all night long! I am proud to say that they are still sleeping great to this day. Working with a sleep coach saved my sanity and helped our whole family become well rested.
My family experienced such a wonderful sleep transformation, that I wanted to help other tired parents. I enrolled in a six-month Gentle Sleep Coach training. I received over 55 hours of training and supervision and now proudly offer sleep coaching services to exhausted families in the greater Sacramento region and beyond.
As a certified Gentle Sleep Coach, I help you create an individual sleep plan based on your family’s needs and goals, so your child doesn’t have to “cry it out”. I offer in-home, phone, or Skype consultations. During consultations you can expect a complete assessment of your child’s developmental history, as well as a screening for possible medical and behavioral causes of sleep disruption. I provide a customized step-by-step plan for solving nap and night sleep problems that respects your family’s needs and lifestyle. Plans are designed to minimize crying and maximize your ability to be consistent, which is the key to sleep coaching success.
So tonight, as you rock, walk, sing, or pat your child to sleep, think about what a difference a good night sleep would make in your life and your child’s. A well-rested family is a happy family.
Contact me for more information or to schedule a free 15-minute assessment to see if sleep coaching is right for your family.