How Does This Work?
Once you’ve decided to start the journey toward helping your family to be well rested, drop me a note on the Contact page. I’ll send you an invoice and an intake form, to get to know you and your little one a bit better. We’ll schedule a time to chat for the consult, which typically lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. During that time we’ll discuss your child’s sleep and create a plan that you feel comfortable using to bring more rest to your home.
For newborn consults, I’ll provide you with a handout that will guide you through the tools you can use to establish healthy sleep habits, and keep you informed month-by-month of what to expect. You’ll also receive three days of email follow-up, that can be used at any time during the next three months after your consult. Expect 2-3 replies per email day.
For little ones 4 months and older, I’ll send you a written copy of your custom Once Upon a Bedtime sleep plan after our consult, so that you have a clear reference of what we’ve discussed. Custom sleep plans come with two weeks of follow-up contact with me, so that I can help you monitor your little one’s progress and respond to any questions or concerns you may have.
How Long Will It Take?
Once I’ve met with you, I can probably give you a sense of how long your process will take, based on your child’s age, temperament, and your comfort level with making changes to your child’s sleep. For some, change happens very quickly, within a matter of 2-3 days. For others with more complex situations or for those who prefer to move more gradually, the process might take 2-3 weeks.
What Ages Do You Work With?
I can provide you with tools for healthy sleep habits at any age, but primarily I work with little ones from birth to age 5. If you’re not sure if I can help with your situation, I offer a free 15-minute consult to help us get acquainted with each other and to see if we’re a good fit.
Will I Have To Let My Baby Cry?
Chances are that a friend, family member, book, or blog has already suggested to you that letting your baby cry it out is the answer to all your sleep problems. But why? Is that the only answer? Is there any other way to help your child sleep?
What we’ll do is look at YOUR situation and YOUR child. I’ll help you make sense of the science of how sleep works, plus the principles of behavioral psychology that tell us how to change a habit. From these tools, we’ll work together to create a plan that matches your parenting philosophy to help you all sleep better.
Will there be tears? Maybe. Crying is one way that little ones communicate. As a parent, we want to respectfully listen to what they’re telling us–and to teach our children that it’s okay to tell us how they’re feeling. That doesn’t mean our job is to take away that feeling. We support them through it. You can make changes to your child’s sleep habits in such a way that what you find in the end is that your child has learned an even greater trust in you.