James and KelliMy wife and I have two boys aged 6 & 4. Our youngest hadn’t slept well since birth really, with lots of night wakings (between 1 – 4) and more recently being much more difficult to settle down at bedtime. This ultimately led to my wife selflessly sleeping on a mattress on his bedroom floor, so she could settle him and not wake myself and our oldest son. The result of this was my wife was constantly tired through prolonged sleep deprivation and our youngest son suffered through the associated poor sleep and was irritable and had questionable behaviour during … My wife and I have two boys aged 6 & 4. Our youngest hadn’t slept well since birth really, with lots of night wakings (between 1 – 4) and more recently being much more difficult to settle down at bedtime. This ultimately led to my wife selflessly sleeping on a mattress on his bedroom floor, so she could settle him and not wake myself and our oldest son. The result of this was my wife was constantly tired through prolonged sleep deprivation and our youngest son suffered through the associated poor sleep and was irritable and had questionable behaviour during the day as a result. The strain on our family was tangible and real – something had to change. We found Emma after being referred by a very impressed friend. After an initial telephone call and thereafter a FaceTime call we completed a questionnaire detailing the bedtime routine, nature of night wakings, household set-up etc. This enabled Emma to produce a bespoke Sleep Plan. Before commencing it, we had another telephone call and talked through the plan, we had lots of questions and lots of concerns. We were sceptical, mainly because of the time we’d been doing things – we thought it was probably too late to change things, to make any improvements. Thankfully, we were wrong. We both accepted things had to change in terms of bedtime and night waking routine. We followed the plan as closely as we could. It was very hard in the first few days. There were uncomfortable moments, tears and anger (from our son!). We relied on Emma to provide us with advice, knowledge and emotional support, all of which she did, brilliantly. Having follow-up telephone calls and emails reassured us we were doing the right things and little tips helped us to further improve. After a few nights, things slowly started to change. The bedtime routine became easier and there were no raised voices, no getting in and out of bed multiple times. Any night wakings were quickly dealt with and he was back to sleep very quickly. We were impressed at how quickly things changed for the better. After just 2 weeks, our 4 year old has slept through the night on 4 nights, with night wakings limited and quickly resolved. We’re not there completely and he does still wake at night. But with a consistent approach, things will continue to improve. He is a much happier, more engaging little boy. We’re delighted with the overall experience and can’t thank Emma enough. We know he will become a consistently good sleeper very soon. Our advice to other parents ‘suffering,’ would be if you’re going to do it – make sure you both jump in with both feet. Don’t apportion blame, stay calm, talk things through with your child and each other, be positive and take comfort from the fact that you can and will achieve a better family life if you do your very best to stick to the Sleep Plan. We’re so genuinely grateful Emma, thank you! NoraWe booked a meeting with Emma after 15 months of terrible sleep, and I just wish we had done it sooner – I cannot recommend her high enough! Our little boy woke multiple times a night and would only go back to sleep if I nursed him, but he didn’t drink much, it was only for comfort. He also had refused to go to sleep in his cot since birth, which meant that we have been reluctantly bed sharing for most part of the night as a result. I waited as long as I could but I was at the … We booked a meeting with Emma after 15 months of terrible sleep, and I just wish we had done it sooner – I cannot recommend her high enough! Our little boy woke multiple times a night and would only go back to sleep if I nursed him, but he didn’t drink much, it was only for comfort. He also had refused to go to sleep in his cot since birth, which meant that we have been reluctantly bed sharing for most part of the night as a result. I waited as long as I could but I was at the end of my patience, having gone back to work and waking every 2 hours every night was absolute torture, and I couldn’t see how to improve the situation. Emma listened carefully to what our problems were, made lots of great suggestions, never judged!, and worked with us to come up with a plan that is tailored to our circumstances. The key thing was to remain consistent, and Emma made sure we kept on track, by regular check-ins, during which we could also tweak the plan if needed, to make sure it is as gentle as possible. Our little boy took to the changes very well and even after a few days we have already seen a massive improvement. Now, he goes to sleep in his cot during naptime and bedtime without me in the room, and has started to sleep through the night! We could not believe it! On top of this, I now also have the confidence to keep things on track in case we hit some bumps in the road in the future. After many months of feeling lost and frustrated, now I have started to feel more like myself again! Have more energy to make the most of my day, be more present and productive. Our lives have literally changed! We are so grateful to Emma, and not just for her sleep plan but also for her daily involvement and level of care towards how we were getting on. Ross & GeorginaWe really didn’t think anything would work with our daughter’s sleep but after 2 and a half years of not getting a full night’s sleep, we were willing to try anything. After talking to Emma in the first consultation, we were still a bit reluctant to think this would work. After the first and second nights (night 2 being the worst), we decided, if anything, we had managed to get the dummy to the fairies (phew) but night 3 was the magic night. It just happened. A whole night under the covers of our own bed! We still heard her … We really didn’t think anything would work with our daughter’s sleep but after 2 and a half years of not getting a full night’s sleep, we were willing to try anything. After talking to Emma in the first consultation, we were still a bit reluctant to think this would work. After the first and second nights (night 2 being the worst), we decided, if anything, we had managed to get the dummy to the fairies (phew) but night 3 was the magic night. It just happened. A whole night under the covers of our own bed! We still heard her but didn’t have to get up to her. Wow! After that, it just got better and we actually felt we’d had too much sleep! Emma was so reassuring everytime we spoke to her and gave us great tips and advice. Never putting us down when we went slightly wrong but just a lot of praise which kept us going and helped us keep on track. It’s important in this to keep to plan and with Emma helping us, it was much easier than if we had been left to fend for ourselves. We know if we had not met Emma, we would still be sleeping on the bedroom floor for periods of time every night. Thank you so much. Sarah and DougAfter working with Emma for 2 weeks I can whole heartedly recommend her and the programme. She has transformed out toddlers (2.5 yr old) sleeping habits for the better. We now have a routine which he is happy with; he goes to sleep without a fuss, and at a reasonable hour which has meant we have our evenings back! I honestly can’t thank Emma enough for her help and support. RosannaMy 9 week old would only sleep in carrier, and I was often found pacing the kitchen at 3 am in the carrier having spent 5 hours in it for her naps that day. Emma was brilliant and really helped me understand how I could help Charlotte sleep consistently well in the cot. We focused on getting Charlotte to self settle and making sure she was awake for the right amount of time. After a couple of weeks Charlotte was settling for all her naps and bedtime. Her naps have got longer often 2-3 hours and she now sleeps for … My 9 week old would only sleep in carrier, and I was often found pacing the kitchen at 3 am in the carrier having spent 5 hours in it for her naps that day. Emma was brilliant and really helped me understand how I could help Charlotte sleep consistently well in the cot. We focused on getting Charlotte to self settle and making sure she was awake for the right amount of time. After a couple of weeks Charlotte was settling for all her naps and bedtime. Her naps have got longer often 2-3 hours and she now sleeps for long stretches at night (even sleeping through a few times). This has given me some much needed rest and time with my toddler. I felt really well supported throughout and Emma was always there to give me the strength to be consistent.
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