Let me introduce myself.
I'm Stephanie, a mom of a happy, silly, little girl, who loves to sleep! I spend my days with my husband Nickeel, chasing our busy toddler, going for family walks with our dog Chester, and exploring nature here in Nova Scotia. Before I began this child sleep consulting journey I was an Elementary Teacher.
When I was expecting my daughter, many well-meaning relatives and friends warned me that sleep deprivation was just around the corner. I was told that I would never sleep again, that some babies just don’t sleep. In anticipation of her arrival, I read all of the baby sleep books and blogs and tried to make sense of the many different approaches to prevent sleepless nights. With strong determination, and a solid ‘plan’ we started off beautifully, and my daughter was a ‘good sleeper’ from very early on. Lucky, right?
Well, at roughly six months, sh#% hit the fan.
Enter the six-month sleep regression, an ill-timed nap transition, night-weaning and a cross-country move. Our once-perfect sleeper was up multiple times each night, waking early, and taking terribly short naps. She - and the rest of our family - was exhausted and frustrated.
Like many of you, I scoured Google into the wee hours of the morning trying to piece together a plan - that was not only developmentally appropriate but also aligned with my parenting values - to get us out of this rut. With a lot of trial and error, some luck, extensive research (and consistency!) we managed to find ourselves back on a sleepful path. We’ve happily remained ‘sleeping through the night’ since, minus just a few hiccups!
It wasn’t until months after our major sleep setbacks, while chatting with a tired parent-friend, that I learned that Sleep Consultants are a THING!
This discovery (although I wish it had come sooner) sparked my curiosity about this line of work. Child Sleep Consultants, I learned, are cheerleaders, coaches, educators and well-needed supports when it comes to childhood sleep. I am a teacher after all and have always been a big fan of sleep, so the thought of helping parents navigate what has been one of the toughest learning curves of my life seemed like a very natural transition in my teaching career.
So began, Sleepful.
I enrolled in the Child Sleep Consultant program at the Family Sleep Institute and spent many months learning from the best, most experienced professionals in the field. Now, with an extensive background in holistic sleep science, behavioural sleep education, sleep safety (and more!) I look forward to helping you discover healthier, happier sleep for your family.
We know there are many sleep companies out there, and you have lots of choices when it comes to sleep consultants to help your family. That’s why we are so thankful that you’re here. We are determined to work with you - the expert on your child - to come up with the best solution to your family’s unique sleep challenges.
Our programs are:
Child-Centered
All too often sleep programs and parenting books attempt to apply a one-size-fits-all approach to childhood sleep. We know from experience that real children need real solutions that meet them where they are.
By following our custom sleep plans designed specifically for the unique temperament, personality, development and life experiences of your little one, we feel beyond confident that you will be sleeping better soon!
Family Focused
We understand that every family is different, and recognize that the sleepfulness of one child has a huge impact on the entire family.
Sleepful solutions place emphasis on accommodating different parenting styles, lifestyles, and living situations. We are here to support your entire family with flexible, adaptive programs that are mindful of your unique family dynamic.
Chat with us for more information about our programs, our philosophy and how we make sleepful nights (& days!) possible for families.