Why Should I Hire a Sleep Consultant?

Why Should I Hire a Sleep Consultant?

There are so many different resources out there when it comes to babies and sleep, but it’s not always something you prepare for ahead of time. Everyone wants to have a baby who is a great sleeper. But that’s not always the case, so solutions are often something we research after the baby arrives, and no one is sleeping.

As an expecting mom you prepare in every way you can for your new baby. You read books about pregnancy, breastfeeding and parenting. You may sign up for birthing classes or even hire a doula and write a birth plan. There’s a baby registry and a baby shower so you can get everything you need to prepare for baby’s arrival.

Mom and Dad get the nursery ready and pack a bag for the hospital. All of this is super important.  Then the baby comes and your whole life changes, it’s magical.

Those first few days are a blur; baby is super sleepy at the hospital and everything seems to fall into place. It may seem like this baby is an amazing sleeper.

Then you get home and things get real very fast. In all of the preparing you did, no one thought about sleep. Or maybe you did prepare by reading lots of sleep books, but you are still having trouble because you are balancing so many things.

As parents we are just expected to be okay with not sleeping for a few years. Or that we have to cosleep in order to get some sort of rest. That works for some families and if that works for you, that’s great. But what if you aren’t looking to bed share?

Does it make you a bad parent that you can’t get your child sleeping independently or don’t want to cosleep with your child?

You may ask yourself, “With all of the information that’s available in books, online, and from experienced family and friends, why would you hire a stranger to help you get your child sleeping through the night?”

Parents don’t say this to me, but I know it’s a concern that a lot of parents have when they’re thinking about getting some professional help with their little ones’ sleep habits. Especially because you don’t want to spend money if you don’t have to. I completely understand that.

And it’s a valid question! After all, your mother managed to get you to sleep at some point. Your friend might have four kids who are all champion sleepers, so she should have some answers for you, right?

Well, yes! At least they might. But then again, they might not.

If you have someone who can help you in this situation, I am all for that option. I am not the least bit offended if you want to ask them for help instead of calling a consultant.

In fact, there are plenty of times where I may be able to offer some tips and remedies for a parent and it’s enough that they can fix things on their own. I truly am here to help families get their children sleeping independently, even if you don’t hire me one on one.

Most of the time though, my clients are parents who have already tried that route and found it wasn’t successful, and there are dozens of reasons why that might happen.

The biggest reason why the solutions that work for one parent don’t work for another is simple. Every child is different.

Some babies are heavily reliant on sleep props. Others can’t sleep in a room that’s too warm. Some may not be getting enough daytime sleep, and others might be overtired. This baby might have developed an association between feeding and falling asleep, whereas that one might be ready to drop their second daytime nap.

And, of course, it could be any combination of all of the above, or the many other sleep challenges that babies might experience.

Adding to the situation is the fact that most solutions don’t work overnight. So parents might try a solution that could potentially help baby start sleeping through the night, but abandon it before it takes effect due to some heavy protesting on baby’s part.

Any time you are trying to change a behavior, it’s going to take at least a week of consistency to see some improvement. In short, sleep is a complicated issue and there’s very rarely one single thing that can remedy the situation overnight.

That’s where I can help!

A professional sleep consultant has the experience and training to recognize which problems result in specific symptoms and can work with you to develop a customized sleep plan for your child that addresses those individual issues. That’s just half of the solution.

A lot of parents not only need a plan, but they need support and encouragement to stick with it and see it through. Sleep training can be stressful when things don’t seem to be working. I am here to give you the reassurance you need to follow through on that plan until it starts to work and make changes if needed.

Consider the example of a personal trainer or a nutritionist. You could just get some dumbbells and watch some YouTube videos in order to get in shape along with changing your diet and eating healthier. So why pay someone to guide you along?

Well, because along with their advice based on education and experience, you may need the motivation to stay on track. How often do we start an exercise regimen or diet just to go back to our old ways a few weeks later? They also know how to respond to the problems that might arise when it comes to your specific situation.

So when it comes to your child’s sleep, I hope you find success on your own, and with as few challenges as possible. But if you run into any problems or you’re just not sure where to start, I am here to help you get your whole family sleeping again! Book a free 15 minute evaluation call with me today!