Sleep Coaching: For when exhaustion steals the joy of being a mama

Hey there! I’m Susan Frazier, a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and owner of Dream Again Sleep Consulting.  I am a Wisconsin girl (GO PACKERS!) and a lover of all things sleep, DIY, and summer.  

I enjoyed my time as a Spanish teacher and School Counselor, but my most cherished calling has been being a wife and stay-at-home mama to my 3 kiddos ages 9, 7, and 5. 

It was during these early years with young kids so close together that I learned firsthand how detrimental sleep deprivation can be to the whole family.  I was a PROFESSIONAL at nursing my babies to sleep for every single nap and bedtime and that created some major sleep problems for us.  I remember waking up in the mornings wondering how in the world I was going to make it through the day on such little sleep, crying as one child fell asleep for a nap just as the other one awoke, and moving through the day in a never-ending, thick fog. My lack of sleep was stealing all the joy out of motherhood and something had to change.

I decided the habits we had formed were simply not sustainable anymore and sleep-trained my kiddos.  Not only were we all loving getting the rest our bodies needed (HALLELUJAH!), but I also realized how fascinated I was about the science of sleep and teaching other utterly exhausted parents how to get more of it. 

It is my JOY, HONOR, and PRIVILEGE to work with you and your child during this incredibly vulnerable and fragile season of life. I promise to walk with you every step of the way as you give your baby (no matter how old) the most treasured gift of all: sleep. 

What does a Sleep Coach actually DO?

1. LISTEN. Truly listen. I want to hear it all. I want to hear about you, your kiddo, all the things you’ve tried.  What works, doesn’t work.  What YOUR goals are and where you’d (ideally) like to see your child be in terms of sleep?  
2. Make a Plan. I make a personalized sleep plan for your family. This isn’t just a simple guide, but an extensive step-by-step plan for everything: feeds, timings, routines, bedtime, night-wakings, early mornings, naps, how to handle crying, etc.  We then go over the plan as many times as you need because lets be real, tired mamas have a hard time remembering things 🙂
3. Give you ALL THE SUPPORT. I don’t take ‘support’ lightly. This is what makes a sleep coach worth it. I am here for you (even if it’s just virtually).  We are in CONSTANT communication while working together; get ready to be sleep BFFs! Phone calls, text messages, emails…whatever you prefer.  That beautiful plan I gave you? Well, we will probably have to make plenty of small (or large) adjustments as we figure out how your kiddo responds to the process. As a mom you probably spend 99% of your days caring for those around you- now it’s my turn to care for you.
4. Celebrate success.  I love to celebrate with you!! A nap went 6 minutes longer than usual? YES!! An easier bedtime? HOORAY! The first time sleeping through the night? YEEHAW! No improvement is small- they are all big in my eyes and deserve all excitement and celebration.

Who typically hires a sleep coach?

ANYONE who is desiring better sleep habits for their family! However, there does tend to be certain reasons people reach out: 

1. You’ve tried it all.  Cry-it-out, Ferber, those ‘gentle’ techniques, etc. and nothing seems to be working. For some reason, something just isn’t clicking and you don’t know what to change.  This is where the eye of a seasoned sleep expert comes in. I’ll help you figure it out.
2. There’s a new baby on the way. Many parents are managing ‘as is’ with their baby/toddler.  You can handle the way things are…but what happens when there’s a new baby in the mix? Suddenly holding your bigger kid for every nap or laying with them all night isn’t going to work anymore.  You know you need to make some serious changes before another little one arrives.  
3. You’re back to work after maternity leave and it is NOT going well. Sleep deprivation hinders all aspects of life and can especially be obvious at work.  Lack of focus, forgetfulness, literally falling asleep at your desk, trouble hitting deadlines, etc.  You simply can’t be the employee you need to be on such little sleep.
4. You just want someone to clearly tell you how to fix things. This is huge! There is SO much sleep info out there…but sometimes it’s too much. Sometimes it’s just easier to have someone tell you exactly what to do and not have to figure it out on your own.

Good sleep IS possible!

The moral of the story is that good sleep IS possible.  Becoming a mother doesn’t need to mean that you will be exhausted for the rest of your life. You CAN get the rest you need.  Your child can get the rest they need to grow and develop. Sleep does not have to be a constant fight in your house. You CAN enjoy motherhood without that heavy weight of exhaustion holding you down.

I’d love to help. Will you let me? 

Please follow me on Instagram or  Facebook for lots of sleep tips or visit my website to learn more about what I offer and to receive my free guides (including a brand new Newborn Sleep Guide).