What is Baby Sleep Coaching?

As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant whose #1 focus is on safe and healthy babies, here’s what you need to know about baby sleep training (or sleep coaching as I like to call it!):

1. Sleep training babies is NOT locking them in the nursery to cry all night.

Baby sleep training is safe and gentle under the guidance and support of a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant. We use a comprehensive, whole-child approach that looks at their entire situation - daytime naps and routine, sleeping environment, eating habits, unique personality - and arranges these factors in order to facilitate the ideal environment for healthy, age-appropriate sleeping patterns. Some babies may cry in frustration at being asked to learn new skills, but only for a brief period of time while safe and supervised.

2. Infant sleep training IS compatible with a healthy breastfeeding relationship, if that is the parent’s goal.

Sleep training and night weaning are not necessarily the same thing. We are teaching babies to develop the skill of independent sleep. Night weaning is only done with pediatrician approval for babies who are ready to drop those middle of the night feedings. A young baby who knows how to fall asleep independently will wake for a night feeding when needed and then go back to sleep until the next feeding.

3. Sleep training isn’t just for babies.

I actually love helping school-age children with sleep problems all the way up to 7. Bedtime battles, separation anxiety, tantrums, nighttime “visits” to your bed are very common sleep issues in toddlers and older children that I have successfully helped many parents solve.

4. Virtual sleep consulting is incredibly effective.

Having a baby and toddler sleep consultant come to your home and do the sleep training for you may seem like a great idea when you’re exhausted, but I believe that by teaching you to implement the skills and methods yourself, you will experience a greater level of confidence and empowerment as a parent. Additionally, with a toddler or older child, they need to learn those boundaries and rules from their parents, not a stranger. I’m tracking your progress and encouraging you every single day during the program to keep you on the right path. Plus, if your child goes through a sleep regression in the future, you will have those skills to fall back on without having to hire the sleep consultant again a subsequent time.

“Our Ernest has very slight sleep cues, and Sara taught us to understand them and get this baby the sleep he needs to continue being the happy and adorable little man that he is. Sara met with us several times over Zoom and was super quick to answer my frantic texts when I had time sensitive questions at bedtime. So, even if you live across the country and your child isn’t sleeping well, Sara is the one you need to talk to! So much better than any book I’ve ever read on baby/toddler sleep! If you have children who can’t seem to sleep through the night (or nap more than 30 min. at a time), you NEED to check Sara out!.”

— Cori Thonen, Ernest’s mom

I can help you as your pediatric sleep consultant if…