Understanding what a Sleep Consultant can do for you that a book or website can't.

If you are like me, you google EVERYTHING. Most people do these days! And I have certainly been that sleep deprived mama googling "why won't my baby sleep?" at 2:00 a.m. (Raise your hand if that is you too - No judgement here!).
In my tired search, I found tons and TONS of methods and articles, etc. telling me how to solve my child's sleep troubles. I even laughed at a friend of mine who told me she hired a consultant! I had never heard of such things - after all, being sleep deprived is just part of the kid deal, right? Why would I want to spend the money and committing to a lengthy (2-3 week) plan to get my child sleeping through the night? WHY??
"It is time to break the association between what we consider a “good baby” or “good sleeper” with parenting styles/methods."
I've been there...
These were my thoughts, too, before V came around. I KNEW I could handle it on my own…(spoiler alert: I couldn’t). I remember feeling like a Rockstar mom with E, my first, because she was a good sleeper off the bat (at least the first 4 months). I thought for sure I was equipped to manage our second. And when she came and was a terrible sleeper I felt like such a failure.
Turns out, each baby is unique and it was nothing we did or didn’t do that influenced her sleeping habits, at least initially. You are still a good parent if your child isn’t sleeping well!! Let that sink in. YOU ARE STILL A GOOD PARENT IF YOUR CHILD ISN’T SLEEPING WELL.
Ok, but still. Knowing that doesn’t make for a sleeping baby.
You've Tried Everything Already
Most of the time, my clients are parents who have already tried everything from asking friends and family for advice to reading books or searching the internet. Often times, for various reasons, that route wasn’t successful.
The biggest reason why the solutions that work for one parent don’t work for another is simple. They’re not dealing with the same baby.
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 challenge 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.
In short, sleep is a complicated issue and there’s very rarely one single thing that can remedy the situation overnight.
"Consistency is THE KEY to sleep success. But that's hard to maintain when you don't see immediate results."
Yes, but why hire a consultant?
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 personalized plan for your child that addresses those individual issues. They can also provide some much needed support when things don’t seem to be working, and give you the encouragement you need to follow through on that plan until it starts to work.
Consider a sleep consultant like a personal trainer. You could just get some dumbbells and watch a few YouTube videos in order to get in shape (Guilty!!) so why pay someone to guide you along?
Well, your personal trainer will be able to give you solid advice based on education and experience, they can help to keep you motivated, and they know how to respond to the problems that might arise when it comes to your specific situation. They tailor your program to YOU.
This is exactly what a professional sleep consultant does. When it comes to baby’s sleep, I hope for everyone to find success on their own and with as few problems as possible. But if that doesn’t happen for you, a professional consultant has the answers and support you need.
Conclusion
The bottom line is, there is no shame in asking for help. Sleep is a biological NECESSITY. You need sleep, your partner needs sleep, and your baby needs sleep. Full Stop. Yes, you can totally go to the internet and find something that might help your baby and if it works for you, fantastic! But if you need that extra encouragement, someone to walk you through everything and guide you through the parts that are hard, then maybe you should try hiring a sleep consultant.
Sound like you?? Let’s set up a quick call TODAY to dig into what’s going on!
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