Parents come to me when their kids won’t sleep. We work together to restore sanity in their household.
my approach
Like all sleep consultants, I solve the problem of getting your kids to sleep consistently.
But, we all have different approaches. Here’s mine:
I help you reclaim your right to rest. You are a human being. You deserve sleep, and your children deserve to have well-rested, patient, and engaged parents. I firmly believe that you cannot be the best version of yourself without sleep.
Boundaries are beautiful. Establishing them isn’t easy, nor is enforcing them, but children thrive with healthy boundaries, and with parents who know theirs.
I don’t rely on one sleep training method. Instead, I use the information you give me about your child’s sleep needs, temperament, your parenting philosophy, and lifestyle to create a customized plan.
I take the guesswork out of sleep training. I do the thinking, you do the doing. I help set your expectations, make adjustments when warranted, reassure you it’s working when you’re feeling anxious or defeated, and hold your hand throughout the process. I’ll hold you accountable, and I’ll be your biggest cheerleader.
When we are finished working together, my goal is for you to feel confident to navigate future sleep issues on your own, and that you are free of the guilt and shame that often coincides with saying “I can’t take this anymore. Something has to change.”
my experience
My fascination with baby sleep began with my daughter, Alice.
I blame give all the credit to my daughter, Alice, who went through several periods where her sleep was completely unpredictable.
During those periods, I found myself lost and alone, with no tools to navigate unexpected night wakings, early morning wakes, and skipped naps.
One of the most anxiety (and let’s get real, RAGE)-inducing things I remember doing when my daughter was a baby was crossing the threshold into her nursery in the middle of the night without a plan.
Would she settle with some shushing? Would I have to bounce her? Would I resort to nursing her for the 5th time, or end up bringing her into bed with me? Would it take 2 minutes or 2 hours?
When I tried all the things and nothing worked, I became frustrated and angry. I wasn’t the parent I wanted to be.
Then, I read a book about baby sleep. And then another. And another. I pored over every resource I could get my hands on.
Alice’s sleep, and my confidence to troubleshoot it, improved dramatically.
I knew I wanted to give other parents the same relief. So I trained to become a sleep consultant through the Family Sleep Institute (FSI), which helped me understand the intricacies of baby sleep. There was so much I didn’t know, and I reveled in the opportunity to take an even deeper dive into pediatric sleep than the books I so cherished could offer.
I’ve helped hundreds of families fill their own toolbox, which enabled them to cross the threshold into their own child’s nursery confidently, and with a plan. I’ve even been given credit for saving a few marriages.
Before this work, I spent my career in science education. I earned a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M University.
I do think about other things besides sleep. Sometimes.
In addition to being a certified pediatric sleep consultant, I’m a NICU mom to a 26-weeker, a mom through adoption, and a queer, single parent by choice. When I’m not nerding out about sleep and parenting, you can find me admiring or propagating my houseplants, tending to many densely planted fish tanks, snuggling my children and my pets, or in my garage, surrounded by tools, and probably also paint, working on a DIY project. Oh, and lest I forget, I’m obsessed with great food. Hit me with ALL of your San Diego restaurant recommendations!
