Why you need a sleep consultant on speed dial

Can we all just agree that more sleep is better for everyone?  When I had Ford, more than four years ago, almost everything that could go wrong did.  I will spare you the details here but you can get a glimpse over on Luke’s birth story post if you are curious.  When I had Luke I was quite honestly terrified that the entire experience would be a repeat.  For round two, I was very intentional to do things a bit different!

One of the things I did right away was enlist Katie Bartley sleep consultant.  I had started following her on social media and felt like the articles she was sharing aligned with my parenting philosophies.  When I realized she was in Austin I knew we had to connect – and boy am I glad we did!

Before I continue I just want to clear things up that I think sleep consultants can get a bad rap.  I talk to a lot of new moms that sit in my chair getting their hair done and I find that new moms are terrified of what a sleep consultant will “make” them do and they picture their precious angels crying at length all alone in their cribs.  Let me clear this up…this couldn’t be further from the truth!

REPEAT:  You do not have to do anything you don’t want.  You do not have to “abandon” your child to instill great sleep habits.  Hiring a sleep consultant isn’t all about “cry it out” or not and it’s not all about babies – toddler mamas I’m talking to you!

Today I’m sharing the 3 reasons you need a sleep consultant on speed dial no matter how old your littles are!

#1 – EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

I listed this one as #1 because it truly is the most important reason you should consider hiring a sleep consultant.  You can read blogs and books until you are blue in the face but there are no two babies alike and so you realistically will need some personalized support.  Well meaning family and friends will have unlimited (and often conflicting) advice so it’s nice to have an unbiased opinion from an expert that will help you carry out what works best for YOUR family!  It’s incredibly helpful in the early months to have someone to share exact feeding and sleep schedules so you can trouble shoot your little angel’s schedule.

#2 – SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT IS JUST THE BEGINNING

I swear the second you get a good nights sleep, your child will teethe and then have a nightmare and then get sick and then climb out of their bed and then need another sip of water and then…and then…and then.  This is exactly when you can reach out to your new best friend the sleep consultant and find out how to best handle whatever situation you have!  It was so nice being able to reach back out to Katie when we transitioned Ford into a big boy bed last Christmas.  We made a plan and it was flawless!

Side note:  If your kiddo won’t stay in bed, I highly recommend the “Okay to Wake” clock…major game changer thanks to Katie!  

#3 – IT’S MORE AFFORDABLE THAN YOU THINK

In my opinion, you can’t put a price on a good night’s sleep.  When I think back to the early days of Ford and add up all the hours of stress and worry and reading blogs and books, I would have paid anything for someone to just tell me what to do!  He was colicky and reflux-y and every single bedtime was a challenge.  It was exhausting.  I felt so guilty that I wasn’t “enjoying every moment” because “they grow so fast”…I just wanted a nap.  Fast forward to now, I realize that every stage is fleeting and that the hours are long but the years are short and I’d rather be spending time with my little boys having fun rather than fighting over bedtime and waking all hours of the night!  It’s definitely something I wish I would have invested in earlier and I actually think it’s an incredible value for the attention that you get.  There are several options based on your needs so check out Katie’s website for the scoop.

The time change is coming a week from Sunday on November 6th – that might be the perfect time to connect with Katie and make a plan for rest once and for all!  Also, there is good news for you non-Austinites, it turns out she can do ALL of her work via email and phone so you don’t even need to be located in Austin to start having more rest.