Sometimes I assume everyone knows and understands exactly what I do as a Baby & Toddler Sleep Coach..

But recently I have realised that sometimes it is not so clear how exactly I help families get more sleep. If you are reading this you have probably googled “When will my baby sleep through the night” or “How can I get my baby to sleep at night”. The results you get when searching for the answers to these questions are often confusing and don’t actually eave you with any more clarity or strategies to action.

I know this because I have been there. When Farley was 3 months old he started waking every single hour overnight and would only nap for 20-30 minutes at a time. After 2 weeks I just thought, no - this can’t be it - this can’t be parenthood? In my day to day life I find it hard to accept things the way they are if it doesn’t feel right, make sense or seem practical. Waking every hour in the night for the next however many years definitely fell into that category for me!

Luckily I stumbled across a sleep consultant’s podcast and listened to her talk about this exact topic. I then found her Instagram and website and within a few days I was starting to get excited at the prospect of being able to make changes and get more sleep!

The process I am talking about is widely known as Sleep Training, Sleep Coaching, Sleep Teaching or Sleep Shaping. After going through this process with Farley, I knew it was my calling to help other tired families do the same. That’s when I decided to become a Baby & Toddler Sleep Coach (or as it says on my certification - a Certified Paediatric Sleep Consultant).

But what is it that I actually coach you on?

Sleep Coaching is all about taking a holistic approach to your little one’s sleep in order to maximise the length, consistency and quality. I do this in a 3 step process:

Firstly we look at 5 things (also known as my 5 Halcyon Sleep Foundations) - Nutrition, Sleep Environment, Bedtime/Nap Routine, Morning Routine & Emotional Regulation. We make sure that all of things are addressed and aligned before we move forward.
Then we address the daily schedule and routine. This is largely based on your baby’s age and where they are at with their development. We look at ideal feeding times and naps times along with the bedtime and awake time that works best for your baby’s age. The impact that getting your little one onto the right schedule can have a HUGE impact and you may even see results straight away. We get started on this routine in the lead up to the next step which is Sleep Coaching.
This is the final piece of the puzzle - Sleep Coaching! What we are actually doing here is teaching your little one to initiate sleep completely independently with your support (listen here for even more info on this). It is widely accepted in the sleep science world that the initiation of sleep, will determine their sleeping pattern for the rest of the night. So when we talk about reducing night wakings, this is essentially what we are addressing.
This is a process. And the methods I have created for you are tried and tested and.. they work! We do this by first looking at what sleep associations your little one has - these are things that help your baby fall asleep. They may be: Feeding, rocking, dummy, cuddling, patting, bed-sharing, bouncing, driving or any other ‘ing’ that your little one can’t do without you. In order to help them fall asleep independently, we need to remove these associations so they feel confident and comfortable going down in their sleep space awake and sleeping through the night. We do this by following a step by step plan which involves supporting your little one in different ways based on their age, temperament and sleeping environment. There are lots of different methods and every sleep coach will put their own spin on it based off their experience. I use to two very supportive methods where you will respond to your little one’s needs based on what you are observing and tuning in to the process. My Continued Comfort© and Calming Checks© methods fit down the bottom end of the support scale below (alongside Sleep lady Shuffle and Gentle 3 min Drill).

What can you expect to see after Sleep Coaching?

This process usually takes between 5-10 days for a baby and 10-14 days with a toddler in a bed. What you can see after completing your sleep coaching course is:

A more consistent feeding & sleep schedule that works for your family
Confidence & empowerment when it comes to your child’s sleep
Minimise night wakings
Extend short naps
A child who falls asleep independently and who has healthy sleep habits now and in the future when sleep is so crucial for learning and development
Joy in bedtime & nap time (for you and your child)
Overcome the utter exhaustion of sleep deprivation, go on date nights and spend less time with bedtime battles and more time enjoying your little one

Once your little one has this skill of initiating sleep or if you’re helping set new boundaries with your toddler through sleep coaching, they will have this skill for life. Then it is all about helping them through all the little peaks and throughs of sleep that pop up such as illness, regressions, travel and moving house. You can learn all about managing sleep regressions here!

I work with families every week who are on the absolute brink of exhaustion and after going through this process, their lives are changed. I can tell you I feel the same with my own son! One thing that perhaps holds people back from seeking sleep support is a lack of understanding about what it actually is. I hope after reading this and listen to the Rest is Best podcast you have a bit more clarity on the process who how it could benefit your family.

You might also like this episode of the Rest is Best podcast where I explain in depth what teaching independent sleep actually is!

Learn more about sleep shaping and teaching independent sleep at Halcyon Sleep School!

If you would like to know more about routines or recommended daily schedules for your little one, you can also still enrol in my All About Naps course for FREE by signing up to my newsletter at the bottom of this page.

You might also like my post Introducing a comforter to your baby.