October 15, 2021
Hi, I’m Rebekah. I’m a certified infant and child sleep consultant**.
**A what?
I help families navigate their babies' sleep (usually a lack thereof). See, newborns cycle through sleep differently than adults or even older babies do. Babies are essentially designed to wake frequently overnight. Plus, we don’t have words to talk to a baby, so it can be quite a confusing — not to mention an exhausting — experience when our babies aren’t sleeping.
In fact, one in three families report struggling with their child’s sleep, and if baby ain’t sleeping, ain’t nobody sleeping. The average parent loses 44 days of sleep in the first year of their child’s life. FORTY. FOUR. DAYS. OF. SLEEP. LOST.
I definitely lost my 44 days. After 4 months, my family and I were desperate. My low point was when the sleep deprivation became so severe, I physically couldn’t stay awake while caring for my son alone during the day. I worried I was putting us in dangerous situations, and this caused my postpartum depression and anxiety to snowball out of control. I was in a really dark place, and frankly not enjoying motherhood. We’d tried everything: the blogs, the vlogs, and all the books. Our kiddo just wouldn’t sleep, and it seemed like nobody had any answers....
...until a Google search led to one small call.
An infant and child sleep consultant changed our world and gave us our dreams back. Through working with her I actually understood why my son wasn’t sleeping; and that knowledge was empowering. But beyond that, I also had a plan of action for how to go about making changes by shaping my son’s sleep and laying a strong foundation. After a few days of implementing gentle changes, we were all getting the necessary sleep we needed to be healthy and thrive. My mental health improved, my baby was happier and more settled during the day and night, and I was finally able to enjoy motherhood!
Working through my kiddo's sleep was such a transformative experience that I started to dream about giant sleeps for every kiddo, including yours.
So I took a leap, and became certified in science-based infant and child sleep consulting.
Above all else, I now know two things:
Sleep is largely neurological. Babies are designed to wake frequently, so what you’re going through is likely normal — but that doesn’t mean you can’t improve the situation to get some more sleep. I’ve studied the science of infant sleep, and use that to help families navigate their unique sleep situation based on what’s appropriate for your child’s age and stage of neurological development.
My approach is gentle, holistic and science-based. Sleep training is just the last piece of the puzzle — when all the other pieces are in place, it may not even be necessary. We'll look at diet, cognitive development, routines, and more. Then, we'll find recommendations that suit your parenting philosophy for small steps that fit your family — you don’t have to use a cry it out method if that doesn’t feel right for you. In fact, I truly believe that there are even smaller steps you can take every day that result in giant sleeps for everyone. I believe in this so much, I named my business Small Steps Giant Sleeps!
Sometimes implementing some small changes in environment or routine can bring about big changes on its own. But some kiddos simply need more than that. If you think you would benefit from having some one-on-one sleep support, tailored for you and your child, know you're not alone! Schedule a free intro call with me here. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sweet Dreams,
Rebekah
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