Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications do you have?

We hold a Level 6 qualification in Holistic Sleep Coaching through the Open College Network (OCN London), which is a national awarding body recognised by Ofqual. The Holistic Sleep Coaching course provides the most comprehensive and evidence-based learning nationally and is delivered by renowned experts across a range of infant care fields. We are educated in theory as well as real-life case studies and consultations, and we are committed to continuing professional development through the Holistic Sleep Coach forum.

What do you mean by holistic sleep coaching?

Holistic sleep coaching takes more than just sleep strategies into consideration. It is a multi-dimensional approach that takes every relevant area of family life into account rather than focussing on a quick fix. We consider your child's age and developmental stage, family context, siblings, home environment, parental health, community, anxiety, stress, nutrition, allergy, feeding problems, exercise, sleep hygiene and much more, to tailor a sustainable plan for the whole family. When contextual factors are explored sleep can be improved gently with longer lasting effect.

I have more than one child, will the sleep consultation cover both?

If you have children from the same multiple birth, then please allow an additional £50 on top of the package cost to account for this. Each child will need to have a separate sleep diary and questionnaire, but you will have one consultation session and you will receive one sleep plan addressing both children. If you have children of different ages and require help for each of them then you will need to purchase separate sleep packages. Children of different ages have distinct developmental stages and therefore unique strategies, and plans will be required for each.

Will my baby cry?

Taking steps to improve your child's sleep will undoubtedly mean that you are introducing new things or making changes that your child isn't used to. Therefore, it isn't unusual that you will experience some tears. This can be difficult to endure, but we always encourage you to be responsive to your child's needs in a way that feels natural to you and make them feel loved whilst also giving them the space to learn. Our strategies can be flexed so that you can be there to support your child if they are crying. We will never ask you to do something that you are not comfortable with.

What happens during and after the sleep consultation?

For each of the sleep packages, once initial contact has been made, we will email you a sleep diary and questionnaire, alongside our terms and conditions, client contract and payment request. Once these are complete, we will arrange a one-hour sleep consultation with you which will be via Zoom (or phone if preferred). We are also very happy to carry these out in person if you are based in Tooting, Streatham, Balham, Clapham or Wimbledon for an additional £15 charge. During the consultation we will discuss with you the responses to the questionnaire and sleep diary, and our recommended strategies for the sleep plan. In some cases, there will be options we will present to you so you can decide which strategy might work best for you and your parenting style. We will then send you your personalised sleep plan via email. Depending on the package you pick you can then choose to commence your WhatsApp support period on a date that is convenient for you (it might be that you need a few days to digest the sleep plan before you commence the support period - we are totally flexible). This support period can be utilised as much as you need but please refer to our terms and conditions for response times and support hours. We will also ask you in your consultation if you would prefer us to initiate contact and check-ins via WhatsApp, or if you would prefer to decide when you want to chat with us - we know how annoying it can be if someone is asking you every day how it is going! We can also discuss when you would like the phone call checks in to occur. Once the support period is complete, we will send you a follow up email giving you some future advice and tips. 

What happens if my child becomes ill?

If your baby is unwell or not feeling themselves (for example considerable teething, a high temperature or experiencing sickness or illness), we would recommend pausing any practices at self-settling and comforting your baby in their preferred way but trying to stick to regular naps and mealtimes as much as you can. We can pause the support period at your request until your little one is feeling well enough to continue the plan. If a consultation needs to be cancelled due to illness than there will be no cancellation fee as long as the same service is booked at a later date. 

How long will it take until everyone is sleeping better?

Every family is different and every child unique, so timescales will vary depending on how your child adapts to the change or how consistently the plans are implemented. Some strategies work faster than others and we will talk through these flexible timescales with you during your consultation. We do however hope that you will feel reassured and empowered straight away! And we will always give you some quick wins that can be implemented immediately that will get you on your way to better sleep.

Are there any guarantees it will work?

There are no guarantees that the plan will work, and there will be factors outside of our control that may impact implementation of, and response to any guidance given. We have little control over how closely our plans are followed, but we do recommend that you implement the sleep plans carefully and consistently for the best chance of success. We can promise however, that you will feel more empowered, you will be given a range of tools to implement, and we will support you through the process, but unfortunately as with lots of things in life, success is not guaranteed.

Does the plan contain strict times and restrictive schedules?

We are big advocates of routine, but our sleep plans do not have restrictive schedules for you to follow. We believe in tapping into your child's needs and being responsive and intuitive to their sleep requirements in a way that is structured but not strict.

Do I have to stop breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding should continue for as long as you want it to, and our sleep plans take into account your child's feeding needs. We would never suggest breastfeeding stops, but if you require help to reduce frequency of feeds during the night to improve sleep then we can support you through this.

Is there an ideal time to start the plan?

There is never an ideal time to start the plan, but we would suggest doing it when your daily life is at its most consistent and resembles your most 'normal'. We would suggest you avoid starting when you are on holiday, if your child is showing any signs of illness or if you have big plans which might disrupt implementation of routine. Although our sleep plans don't follow restrictive schedules, we recommend that whilst you are implementing the changes that you have minimal daytime plans to give your baby a chance to find their napping groove (if applicable). Finally, we suggest delaying implementation of the sleep plan if your child will be with a caregiver that they are not used to. If your child already has multiple caregivers, e.g., nursery, nanny, grandparents then this is totally fine, but you should ensure that everyone is onboard with the plan.

Can we do it while baby is sleeping in parents’ room?

Absolutely! Our plans deal with children of different ages, and we understand that many babies will still be sleeping in their parents’ bedroom. We will work with you to implement the plan no matter the sleep location.