Why I hired - and then became - a sleep consultant
If you are familiar with our story, you know that our son joined our family through the beautiful and broken process of adoption. We traveled to his birth country just after his first birthday to meet him and bring him home. We had an amazing adventure soaking in the culture, spending time as a family, and sleeping well.
As soon as we returned home, our sleep troubles began. With a 12 hour time difference and a travel experience that lasted well over 24 hours, we didn’t even know where to start. Suddenly, it was taking hours to get him to fall asleep. Often, he would wake up again - sometimes within minutes. He was waking up multiple times a night, and napping for 30 minutes at a time. My husband and I were taking turns sleeping on the floor of his nursery. We were all exhausted.
When I say it was by chance that I was introduced to a sleep consultant, I truly mean it. I had no idea that consultants even existed until I had dinner with a friend who was in town from, literally, the other side of the world. She had hired a women to help with her own family and suggested I do that same. My initial reaction was: “that sounds ridiculous.” I could figure out how to get my kiddo to sleep, right?
Nope! This friend actually reached out to the consultant for me (which I am SO thankful for). Just a side note - the consultant that we hired was specifically trained to work with children who are adopted or in foster care. There is so much more involved when you are dealing with trauma, attachment, and connection. Also - it is SO IMPORTANT to know that sleep training does NOT mean that you put your child in their bed, close the door, and let them cry. While there may be some crying involved, there is SO MUCH more to it than that.
Anyway - we were able to share our concerns and troubles with the consultant and she created a plan that was custom designed for our family. My husband and I agreed going into the process that we would defer to what our consultant recommended. When you are sleep deprived, conflict tends to arise quickly. We made a decision to follow the plan and - guess what? It worked. While not typical - by the 4th night, our little guy was sleeping through the night. Seriously. We spent more time working on naps and eventually got there. It has been so good for all of us.
When March of 2020 rolled around, and the COVID-19 pandemic rocked our world, there was so much uncertainty. Do you know what helped our family? The certainty of sleep. While school was closed and we could not see grandparents… or go to the park… or have playdates - we had a predictable routine. We had a consistent nap time and bedtime. It was then that I realized that I could use my experience to help other tired moms and dads.
I officially started my training with The Cradle Coach Academy in September of 2020 completed my certification in December. Part of my training was to work with families with children ranging from 4 months to 4 years. And you know what? I quickly found that I get so much joy out of helping them. Everyone is getting better sleep.
Here is how the sleep consulting process works - after a quick 15 minute phone conversation to discuss your most pressing issues, I do a full sleep assessment. This includes having you answer questions about your child and your family as well as keeping a detailed activity log. I then create a custom sleep plan for your child and your family based on that information. We have a call to review the plan and answer any questions that you have. Based on your selected plan, I then provide ongoing support as you implement the plan. If needed, we can make adjustments as you implement the plan. I celebrate the victories with you and answer any questions that come up along the way. And when I say that I provide support, I mean it. Everyday, I check in with you. I review your tracking information. I provided suggestions. I cheer you on when you have success.
If any of this resonates with you, I would truly be honored to help your family. Feel free to shoot me an email at nikki@nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com with questions. You can also visit www.nikkinelsonsleepconsulting.com/pricing for package information and to schedule a free call.