Seeking a Sleep Consultant

16 parent questions ▼
2 parent reviews ▼
Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

Select any title to view the full question and replies.

  • 5 year old's night terrors

    –
    Jan 6, 2023

    Our 5 year-old has never slept through the night and cannot (will not) spend a full night in her own bed. Our pediatrician says she has night terrors and not to try to wake her when she has these nightly screaming fits that sometimes last for hours. This has taken its toll and we’re ready to find some answers. Has anyone dealt with this or found someone who can help? 

    Jan 6, 2023

    Hi! Do you have Kaiser? I had a similar issue with my daughter when she was 4. I talked to her pediatrician who referred me to a pediatric sleep specialist through KP. He explained what seemed to be going on for my daughter (night terrors causes by lack of sleep) and helped us figure out how to get her to bed earlier so she could get more sleep since she never slept in. Anyway, just my 2 cents if you happen have KP they should be able to refer you, but you might have to ask. Good luck to you / I know night terror stuff is so hard for everyone. 

    Jan 11, 2023

  • Toddler Sleep Consultant Recommendations

    –
    Dec 21, 2022

    Hi friends - I'm looking for recommendations for a sleep consultant for our 19 month old. We're still (desperately) waiting for a solid night's sleep and thinking about getting some external support but would love to find someone that others have had a good experience with for toddlers. Most of the recommendations I have seen are for babies under 1 yo, so any suggestions would be helpful!

    Thanks in advance!

    Dec 21, 2022

    Sarah with Helping Babies Sleep works with children up to 3 years. We worked with her when our daughter was 8 months and had great results.

    Dec 28, 2022

    We used Adele Thompson to sleep train our 4 year old and 18 month old at the same time, and sharing one room. Her method is gentle and firm, age appropriate. My kids still share a room to this day and we fall back on her tips when we run into regressions.

    https://adelethompsonsleepconsulting.com/

    Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

    Pam

    Dec 28, 2022

    Hi, 

    We used https://www.sleepwellsleepspecialists.com/ and had a good experience. We had to retrain our 3 year old because once he out grew his crib and started sleeping in a toddler bed his sleep routine went out the window.  They are based in Idaho and we met remotely but Shannon was very thorough in first understanding out needs and then coming up with a plan. Highly recommend. If you decide to use them, throw in my name - Amrit Aneja. 

     

    Dec 28, 2022

    My partner and I worked with Paulina Temple (http://sleeptemple.net/) when our son was about 18 months and had a great experience with her. Though I know every kid is different, my kiddo now sleeps 11 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour nap! It's also been much easier to get back on track after illness, travel, etc. post-sleep training.

    Good luck!

    Dec 28, 2022

  • No Cry sleep consultants?

    –
    Oct 21, 2021

    Hi, I’m looking for recommendations for sleep consultants who are experienced in Elizabeth Pantley’s No Cry Sleep Solution methods. Particularly consultants who are not ideologically opposed to bed sharing as well. We are trying to sleep our 4 month old in an arms reach cosleeper but may also bring them into the bed occasionally. Would love for the option of in person consultation if possible  

     if you have any consultants to recommend who Can work with us, please share! Thanks so much,

     sleep deprived, 

    Oct 21, 2021

    Check out the Australian group LittleOnes

    they have a great online community with sleep consultants and their online program helped us a ton. 

    Oct 27, 2021

    We have a three month old, so your question sent me down a wonderfully rich rabbit hole on YouTube. I found several sleep training videos that have been very highly regarded by people who said that they transformed  their lives. I especially got a lot out of Natalie WILLES, who interviewed her sleep trainer and also did her own little primer.

    I especially got a lot out of Natalie WILLES, who interviewed her sleep trainer and also did her own little primer.

    I don’t know if you’ll end up finding somebody locally but this person works with people over zoom!
     

    Oct 28, 2021

    Heya. We followed the Sleep Lady (Kim West) shuffle method, this is also a gentle method and does not advocate for crying. Though I found that some degree of crying is inevitable… 

    They suggest starting at 6 months which is when the brain can take all this in. 
    here is their website and you can search for coaches by location. https://sleeplady.com

    Nov 3, 2021

  • Sleep Consultant for a 15-month old

    –
    Sep 28, 2021

    Hi,

    I'm looking for a sleep consultant who can offer advice and strategies for my 15-month old daughter who still wakes up several times during the night. We're not interested in cry it out or any "modified" CIO methods, so if you can recommend anyone who has a broader range of approaches, I'd appreciate it. Can you also give a sense of the cost, if you know it? Thanks in advance!

    Sep 28, 2021

    Hi -- we're in the midst of a great experience with Sleep Wise (https://www.sleepwiseconsulting.com/), specifically Darrah Torres. We noticed a difference in night wakings and improved napping in a couple days with our 4.5 mo.  Their basic package is $395, all remote. 

    They do include crying as part of the process. 

    If you'll forgive a little unsolicited pushback (with the strong caveat that every kid and every family is different) from a second-time mom, I've yet to meet any parent who has a successful sleeper capable of self-soothing who did not let their child cry before sleep at some point.  There are alternatives to an extinction approach that reduce the quantity and intensity of crying (although usually prolonging the number of nights with more than five minutes of it).  But in my experience the hardest hurdle to climb on the way to good sleep is giving your kid the space they need to teach themselves the skill of falling asleep and your kid will be *pissed* when you stop doing that soothing for them.  Any time I've given in to that demand to step in and do the work for my kids, I've paid in night wakings and delayed bedtimes and resentment on both sides.

    Sep 29, 2021

    Hi,

    My job covered this telehealth service for new families and I was really skeptical at first, but found their sleep consultants super helpful. I'm pretty sure you can sign up as an individual. You can browse different profiles and see which person's approach might be right for you.

    https://www.mavenclinic.com/for-individuals

    Good luck!

    K

    Sep 29, 2021

    moorea [at] savvyparentingsupport.com  
     

    moorea is amazing - total baby whisperer!

    Sep 30, 2021

    I was in a similar situation, and also wasn't willing to use CIO. At 14 months my son had worked his way up to 4 wakings per night. It's so hard! At that point I found the book The Happy Sleeper, and just putting some of its ideas into practice helped a lot. I think it's a great book for people who are drawn to attachment parenting but feel they need to do something to help their child sleep better (not just wait for sleep to improve on its own). I didn't implement their idea of the "sleep wave," which does involve crying (in 5 min increments), but I liked that even in that section they take seriously the goal of making sure your child always knows you are there for them and doesn't feel abandoned or afraid. Using some of their other ideas and perspectives, we pretty quickly got down to a bearable 1-2 wakings per night, and eventually we used the "reverse sleep wave" (without crying) to help our kiddo fall asleep alone in his room. He didn't sleep though the night until almost 2 years 3 months, but since then sleep has been pretty easy. Good luck!

    Oct 6, 2021

  • Sleep consultant?

    –
    Mar 28, 2021

    Hi all! We are the parents of a 5 month old who still only sleeps on people (we cosleep at night, and wear her in a sling during the day). None of us are sleeping well, but we're not sure what to do, given all of the conflicting advice on the internet. Has anyone had a positive experience with a sleep consultant? Would you recommend him/her? We are hoping to find someone with clear, consistent advice that can be tailored to the needs of our particular baby. Thank you!

    Mar 28, 2021

    We used Shannon from Sleep Well Specialist. We loved her so much that we used her again for our 2nd child. She works with you and your family's needs along with identifying sleep dependencies of your child in order to build a personalized sleep plan. Her and her team are great to work https://www.sleepwellsleepspecialists.com/

    Mar 31, 2021

    Heck yes! Had wonderful, wonderful experience working with Amanda Brewer from A to Z sleep solutions. They are based in Arizona where I am from but since the service we used was the phone/email/text support it can be done from anywhere and we were actually in MI at the time we hired her. CHANGED OUR LIVES! Teaching a baby to sleep on their own is 100% possible but as first time parents it seemed like the advice was all contradictory and everything we tried miserably failed until we hired Amanda and got professional, personalized, kind guidance teaching us how to teach her to relax for sleep. Within a week she was sleeping thru the night and within 2 weeks she was going down for naps and bedtime on her own in her crib. It was loving, gradual and effective and a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT in my parenting happiness. Gave me so much more confidence! And the price is was reasonable I thought though honestly having done it I would pay 3x more than what I did because it was so valuable!

    Mar 31, 2021

    We had a great experience with a sleep consultant, and it really saved our sanity. Our consultant is no longer in the business, so I can't recommend her. But you should be able to get a free initial consult/call, just so you can see if the consultant's approach is the right fit for you. Exhaustion doesn't help anyone. Good luck!

    Mar 31, 2021

    We had a great experience with Dr. Sarah Mitchell of Helping Babies Sleep. We paid about $600 for a 2 week personalized plan including a consult, written plan, phone check ins, and specific, individualized instructions throughout the day on a Google Sheet where we tracked all of his sleep. We were able to get our 13mo from cosleeping and night nursing like every hour all night to sleeping through the night in his own room with no feeds and go from 2 naps to 1 nap all in less than a week. She's flexible and listened to our preferences around the approach we took and was super responsive. It's some of the best money we have ever spent.

    Mar 31, 2021

    Hello 

    our daughter didn’t sleep by herself until  she was 9 month old

    we had lots of problems with her sleeping schedule . 
    We try sleep wise consulting 

    it work for us . our consultant is Darrah 

    go to sleepwuse site and talk to her 

    she is great 

    Apr 1, 2021

    Darrah Torres of SleepWise Consulting is the best! She helped us when our daughter was 12 weeks, and she’s been an incredible sleeper (and napper!) ever since (currently almost 2 y/o). Additionally, 5 of my friends have since hired Darrah with equally incredible results. Her custom service skills and personalized attention to your family are worth every penny! https://sleepwiseconsulting.com/consultants/darrah-torres/

    Apr 3, 2021

    We used Adele Thompson for sleep consulting when our kid stopped sleeping except on us at 6 or 7 months. We liked her style and felt like she did a good job coaching us. The techniques she taught us have gotten our family through time changes, living in a new house temporarily, and starting/stopping daycare several times. https://adelethompsonsleepconsulting.com/

    Apr 7, 2021

  • Are sleep consultants worth it?

    –
    Dec 10, 2020

    We're getting close to our wit's end with our 2-year-old and his sleep habits (or lack thereof). He's been fighting sleep since day one, seems to actively dislike it, and doesn't typically reach the minimum amount of the recommended range for his age (e.g., he should be getting 11-14 hours/day now but only gets 9-10).

    We do all the "best practices" that we've found from reputable sources, and have tried everything we can think of. We've asked the pediatrician and she doesn't seem alarmed, which is good, but a lack of advice from her doesn't help me and his mother become less zombie-esque. 

    Should we try a sleep consultant? Are they worth it? If so, do you have any recommendations?

    Dec 10, 2020

    My response to reading your post is YES!! It sounds like both your son and you and your partner are all three unhappy with the current situation, so consider this a quality of life improvement for the whole family. The amount of sleep he's getting aside, it's not good for anyone for sleep to be battle or an unpleasant part of the day. We used Maria at https://www.not-a-peep.com/ and she was wonderful and I would recommend her. Just having someone to answer your questions and give you a plan to follow for your specific situation is so helpful. Her plan for us was very detailed with all the "what if this happens" contingencies provided for, and she was easily available to answer questions and give us feedback as we followed it. It was worth every penny; my partner says it was one of our best decisions. 

    Dec 16, 2020

    Hi. We hired a sleep consultant for a similar situation (but for both our 2 AND 4 year old). They were historically decent sleepers but both had major regressions, took forever to fall asleep, needed us in the room, etc etc. We worked with https://ingridbabysleepwhisperer.com/ because she had the most reasonable rates and I think it was helpful. It was a lot of review of things we had already tried or knew we should try but she helped coach us through a very specific plan and held us accountable for being very very consistent. The biggest change she had us make was putting them to bed WAY earlier than before. I thought it would never work but it was the most helpful thing (6:30 bed time instead of 8:30-9). It took a full month of very regimented consistency (with improvement almost immediately) and has helped a ton months later now that we aren't quite as regimented. We looked into other sleep consultants with prices much much higher and we could not justify that cost. Good luck! 

    Dec 16, 2020

    as a parent to two, i want to encourage you to go for it! i'd suggest finding one that works with your philosophy and invest in your sanity and self-care. after my first, i regretted not doing it. i thought i could read through books and blogs to save the money. boy, did i regret that. all of those restful nights are priceless!

    i ended up not needing one of my second (kids are different!) but i gave myself the ok to do so should it be needed/desired. be kind to yourself ! :)

    Dec 16, 2020

    We also, in a desperate state, finally reached out to a sleep consultant and my only regret was not doing it earlier!

    A to Z sleep solutions was the company’s e worked with, Amanda Brewer was the consultant, and it CHANGED MY LIFE!! Teaching a child how to sleep was for us a challenging, emotional, demanding and dynamic thing, and getting a kind professional to guide us through how to do it successfully made the difference. Good luck and get help! It’s so worth it! :) 

    Dec 16, 2020

    Fwiw my son always slept less than recommended and still does at ten. He sleeps nine hours and so do I. Frustrating!! But he is healthy and well rested with good energy (way too much!)  If your kid seems ok, don’t worry about the ranges. Every kid is different. 

    Dec 16, 2020

    We waited until 3 1/2 to try a sleep consultant and when we finally did, I wished we done it sooner because it was enormously helpful. We were like you- followed best practices from reputable sources, our pediatrician was not worried/not helpful, but we were just SO tired. We used Eileen Henry from Compassionate Sleep Solutions based on a friend's enthusiastic recommendation. She consults remotely from Colorado and does a free consult so you can see if you think she is a good fit. I highly recommend her! Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions.

    Dec 16, 2020

    I've used babysleepscience.com. They have great info on their blogs and I've done personal phone consultations for each kid. I think the phone calls were around $150 per call but they also did follow up via email. It wasn't necessarily easy or quick to fix the problem but I felt like they gave me a game plan I was comfortable executing. Better sleep is totally worth it!

    Dec 16, 2020

    My kid is now almost 4 but even at 2 she did not sleep more than 9-10 hours. I noticed that if she skips the noon nap (usually 2 hours) then she would go to bed at 7 and can easily sleep until 8 or 9. It was not difficult to keep her awake. But if I saw her tired I normally hot her to bed for noon nap. You can try that. I was the same way when I was a kid. Sometimes it is what it is and n kik thing you can do about it.
    I know nothing about sleep therapist but there are books and websites you can read and educate yourself about sleep.

    Dec 16, 2020

    Hi there, 

    I highly recommended Sleep Wise Consulting. I worked with Darrah Torres and had great success with my 15 month old. 

    Dec 17, 2020

  • Sleep consultant for infant - video or phone consultation

    –
    Mar 31, 2020

    Hello,

    We have a 5-month-old baby who used to sleep through the night (6.5-7 hours) and suddenly can’t stay asleep longer than 2 hours (sometimes as few as 20 minutes) without being held. We don’t know if it’s the sudden change from being in daycare to being sheltered in place, or just a normal developmental thing, but as two working parents trying to figure out life in the corona virus-era, we’ve come to the place where we are looking for help. Thought I’d post here to see if any parents have recommendations for sleep consultants (or things to look for/avoid). 
     

    If you’ve worked with someone before and liked them, who did you work with and what did you like about them? How long did you have to work with them before seeing results? Also, guidance on the going rate for sleep consultants?

    Any help is appreciated. At this point, we’re looking for someone who will do video and/or phone consultations.
    Thanks!

    Mar 31, 2020

    Sounds to me like the 4-month sleep regression came slightly later. Keep with your good bedtime sleep routines, and if you’re open to sleep training (ask your peds first), you can start thinking about sleep training.  We chose not to sleep train (CIO) but rather stuck to our routines, putting down drowsy, and rode out the 3ish weeks (it was painful but for us worth it).  Usually with some gentle sleep coaching and good bedtime routines, this regression rides itself out. 

    Apr 1, 2020

    This sounds like a 4 month sleep regression. In theory, if they learn to fall asleep by themselves in the place where they will sleep for the whole night then they should improve at getting themselves back to sleep when they wake up. I have used the resources on www.babysleepscience.com and have called them for a consultation (on a different sleep issue). It's not cheap but it was virtual, efficient, helpful, and they also answered lots of follow up questions for no additional charge. See their blog on the 4 month sleep regression at: https://www.babysleepscience.com/single-post/2014/03/12/The-Four-Month-…

    Apr 1, 2020

    We were just finishing our sleep training with Anne Del Valle of weesleep and it's been great. She is in the bay area, but everything was done via video or phone.

    Apr 1, 2020

    We used Sleep Well Specialists (Shannon Glenn) for both of our kids. Their prices are reasonable but not sure how much they are for new clients as we were returning clients and so the price was reduced. We started at 4 months for both kids and our 1st it took much longer then our 2nd.... 1st took about 4 weeks for night time sleep and 6 for naps, and our 2nd it took much shorter time because we already knew what we were doing. It's all done through phone calls, logging information that you send them and daily feedback using an app. The results are really up to the parents and how how dedicated you are in following the guidelines and following through.  They also will tailor the training based on your preferences and situation (for example my son's nap time needed to start right when I had to drop off my daughter at school - so we made some adjustments to the nap schedule, learned some tricks, etc.) If interested, here is their site and they will set up a 15 min free consultation - https://www.sleepwellsleepspecialists.com

    Apr 1, 2020

    We hired a sleep consultant to help sleep train our daughter when she turned 3 months old, and our only regret is that we didn't get help from a professional sooner! We used Sleep Wise Consulting and worked with Darrah Torres. HIGHLY recommended. Worth every penny. Our daughter, now 8 months, has slept 12 hours a night (7pm-7am) with few problems since she was 3 months old thanks to them!  https://sleepwiseconsulting.com/

    Apr 1, 2020

    I know this is not exactly the question you asked, but I wanted to share that the Respectful Sleep Training Facebook Group is an incredibly helpful resource, both the people in the group and several of the files. My almost 6 month old went through something similar when he was 5 months. We had already sleep trained him at 12 weeks so it was a real shocker. After 4 nights of terrible sleep for all of us, we did 2 nights letting him CIO (one of which he cried for about an hour, and the other 30 minutes) and then he went back to his old ways and even better, is now going 12 hours at night without a feeding. Good luck to you!

    Apr 1, 2020

    Hmmm. Sounds to me like the whole CoVid crisis is being felt by baby. These are really crazy times! If it were me, I would just hold baby as much as you can so baby feels comfort. Sounds to me like that’s what baby needs. I co-slept so I could get more sleep myself. All other mammals co-sleep. 

    Apr 1, 2020

  • Are sleep doctors helpful if you don't have sleep apnea?

    –
    Oct 31, 2019

    I've had persistent poor sleep for years. Having kids has just made my sleep cycles much worse, and I'm really tired. I have tried natural remedies, but I find if I wake up, whether it's in the middle of the night or an hour before I need to get up for work, I have a very very hard time getting back to sleep. I fall asleep pretty easily (I'm exhausted, of course I do!). I have done some sleep tracking, even though I know that consumer trackers are limited, and basically I'm extremely restless and don't get a lot of REM or deep sleep. I do have Hashimoto's (no need to get the thyroid tested to include in the assessment), but I'd like to talk to a sleep doctor if it would be at all useful. Any recommendations? I know sleep science is limited. (I avoid screens get ready for bed half an hour before getting into bed, and dim lights, get relatively frequent and vigorous exercise, don't drink much.) Thanks!

    Oct 31, 2019

    I had terrible insomnia for a few years and CBT worked for me.  I saw Dr  Richard Barth in Oakland, I can't recommend him enough!  Good luck, not sleeping is so awful.

    Nov 6, 2019

    Could you have a mild form of apnea? I didn't think I had it either but did an in-home sleep study and found that I do. I'm in my early 40s, exercise regularly, don't drink, and am in relative good health so didn't think I was a typical sleep apnea case. Mine is mild enough that I don't need a c-pap machine, and can be helped with a dental device. It works like a mouth guard that corrects the airflow pathway, allowing more oxygen through. My sleep doctor is in SF, his name is Dr. Douglas Chenin https://sfdsm.com/

    He is very thorough and patient and will walk you through the steps to understand, diagnose, and treat this issue. Good luck. Sleep is so important.

    Nov 6, 2019

    I recommend to read “Sleep, Interrupted” by Steven Park MD. It’s available on audible too. I learned it’s not just sleep apnea but upper airway resistant syndrome etc can cause you difficult to sleep. If you’d think anything in the book sounds similar to you, I highly recommend to see sleep doctor. 

    Nov 6, 2019

    I wonder if you would have more success with an endocrinologist. I found that my sleep issues were all hormone related. I too have hashimotos and with kids and stress and lack of sleep things get out of whack and lead to insomnia causing a nasty cycle. Getting everything back in balance and reducing inflammation and stress is key to improving sleep. And it helps the hashimotos too but it is hard work and tricky to solve. That was my experience in any case. Sleep doctors and advice for sleep hygiene did nothing. 

    Nov 6, 2019

    Hello! I would strongly recommend you still consult with a sleep doctor and get a sleep study. I had a friend who suffered for years from insomnia that she also thought had stemmed from having small children and never being able to recover a normal sleep pattern. She did not have the typical symptoms of apnea, nor did her sleeping partner notice the typical signs. But, she had a sleep study and it turned out that not only did she have sleep apnea, she had a mild case of restless leg. I do not think it would be a waste of your time. I don't have recommendations as to provider. I just want to encourage you to go!

    Nov 6, 2019

    Yes! I do think sleep doctors are helpful and saw one myself about a year ago for some trouble I was having. They were able to systematically go through my sleep patterns and identify some problem areas. They can prescribe medication, but honestly, what I found most helpful was a referral for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Insomnia. This is done with a therapist who has specialized training in this area. This type of therapy is efficient and evidence-based. I found it hugely helpful for my sleep. There is a book called Say Good Night to Insomnia by Gregg Jacobs PhD which I also recommend.  

    Nov 6, 2019

    I'm sorry to hear about your sleep troubles. One of our kids has some sleep issues so I purchased a book on Amazon called "Sleep Interrupted" by Dr. Steven Park - have not read it yet, but the reviews are GLOWING and it may be of some help to you - good luck!

    Nov 6, 2019

    I can totally relate to your post. It is so hard and I'm exhausted. I recently added a weighted blanket and it does seem to helping some with extending the hours that I do sleep. Wishing you find what work and you are able to get more sleep soon :)

    Nov 7, 2019

    Totally empathize. I worked on my “sleep hygiene”, stopped rumination, and wear clear blue-light-blocking glasses in the evenings. 

    One thing that’s been incredibly helpful for me is sleeping in a sleeping bag! I think the different sensory experience involved eliminates the negative subconscious associations I had with my bed.

    Unusual but I take what works. I think I will discard my self-label of being a poor sleeper with time.

    This is brief aberration to your norm. You slept quite well for the majority of your life, and you will once again. I am rooting for you!

    Nov 12, 2019

  • Recommendations for sleep training for 3 yr old toddler?

    –
    Oct 21, 2019

    Help!  Can anyone recommend a sleep consultant they've worked with?

    I am looking for a sleep consultant or in-home sleep trainer for our 3 year old toddler.  She had been able to to sleep in her own room after a night time routine from me or my husband.  Then, a few months before her little brother was born, she began to sleep-regress and either begs to sleep in the master bedroom with me/husband/newborn brother or needs someone to sleep in her room with her.  

    Since having the 3-year old stay in our room is not sustainable, can anyone recommend a sleep trainer who can help get our daughter back to sleeping in her own room?  

    Can anyone recommend a sleep consultant they've worked with?  I also found this person Megan Shinkle with a Google search (https://www.meganshinkle.com) so if you've worked with her, would you be willing to chat with me about your experience? 

    -Carol in Oakland

    [Moderator note: View past suggestions here: https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org/advice/sleep/consultants ]

    Oct 21, 2019

    Hi Carol - we used Pam Wipf with our LO and have been very pleased https://www.weebeedreaming.com/

    Oct 23, 2019

    I highly recommend Sleep Wise Consulting - we are working with them now to sleep train our 3.5 month old, and they are exceptional, and it's working! Tons of support and expertise. We are working with Darrah, although I've heard great things about the other consultants, too. Good luck! And it's so worth the $! 

    https://sleepwiseconsulting.com/

    Oct 24, 2019

    Just a suggestion - try having a bit more light in your child's room. It seems that a lot of kids develop fear of the dark at this age. My daughter did, and since I put a little lamp with a 7 watt bulb in her room instead of just a night light, she hasn't been waking or crying for me unless she's sick.

    Nov 1, 2019

    We had great success using Eileen Henry from Compassionate Sleep Solutions to help us with our 4-year old who had developed some bad sleep habits since we moved in January almost identical to what you described with your child. Eileen was recommended by a friend who tried a lot of different local sleep consultants but ultimately found Eileen to be most helpful. She's based in Colorado and does phone appointments. You can get a free 20 minute consultation to see if you think she's a good fit. 

    Nov 6, 2019

  • Experience with sleep trainer

    –
    Jul 26, 2019

    Hello,

    We are thinking about sleep training for our son. I have checked a few sleep consultants in the Bay Area and I am wondering if anybody has experience that wants to share (positive or negative) with Adele Thompson, Sarah Healy or Angellique Millette. Thanks!

    Jul 26, 2019

    It's been a long time but I used Angellique and she was great. Very empathetic, gave us a good plan, available, nurturing.

    Jul 31, 2019

  • Seeking help in sleep training our 8 month old.

    –
    Apr 7, 2019

    We are looking for recommendation on sleep consultants to help with our 8 month old to stay sleeping through the night.  Please let us know who help you/ what your experience was and pricing if you are willing.  We are tired. 

    Apr 7, 2019

    Adele Thompson is a godsend... She worked magic for our son and my niece. She is kind, brilliant and makes herself readily available. I can't recommend her enough! https://adelethompsonsleepconsulting.com/

    Apr 10, 2019

    We used the Baby Sleep Whisperer (https://www.ingridbabysleepwhisperer.com/) 3 years ago, and it changed our lives. At that time we paid $800 for a 2 week program (for both night sleep as well as naps) - but would have paid much more given what it did for us. We didn't have anyone come to our house (those are much more expensive) - it was all done virtually. Sleep training isn't for everyone, but it saved us. Our then 9/10 month old was also much better rested afterward, and a whole new side of him came out (less cranky, much more engaged). Nap times became a breeze (and reliable), and he continued to nap until recently (almost 4). I don't think the pricing package that we got is available anymore (it looks like they've changed the site), but there are many good consultants out there. Good luck! 

    Apr 16, 2019

  • Sleep Consultant

    –
    Sep 12, 2018

    We really need advice from parents who seeked  professional help in helping infants to sleep.  Our 17 month infant has a hard time sleeping. We haven't had a decent night of sleep for almost a year.  Any guidance or advice will helpful. 

    Sep 12, 2018

    I'm so sorry to hear this. We used sleep consultant Eileen Henry. Her website is http://compassionatesleepsolutions.com/  

    Good luck and I hope you get some decent sleep soon!

    Sep 14, 2018

    I highly recommend Eileen Henry of Compassionate Sleep Solutions. We used her for my son starting at age 4 months; he would only sleep on my chest all night long or in a moving swing for naps. She helped us transition him to his own crib in his own room by helping us understand the crying cycle and recognize cycling cries versus distress cries. And of course, to put ourselves in a calm space during the crying. It was not a walk in the park for that 1-2 week transition, but it was so critical to our well-being. Our son transformed into a solid sleeper and remains so today, at age four.

    Google “Helping Babies Sleep (With Empathy And Compassion) Guest Post by Eileen Henry” on janetlansbury.com for her approach and website. 

    Sep 21, 2018

  • Looking for sleep consultant for 3 month old

    –
    Jan 28, 2018

    We have started sleep training our three month old. We tried Sleep Sense which helped us get nighttime sleeping working a little better but our daytime naps are a disaster and we need help! Does anyone have any great experiences with a sleep consultant who would work with us in Oakland? We are open to whatever method they think would work best for our baby. Thanks! 

    Jan 28, 2018

    Don't limit yourself geographically when looking for a sleep consultant. When my child was 6 months old, I hired a sleep consultant who was based in Connecticut. Everything is done via email, Google Docs and Skype. From what I know, most consultants don't actually come to your house (unless you're totally desperate and willing to shell out major cash). I used the "Baby Sleep Whisperer", and she changed my life, so I highly recommend them. But there are many options out there. Good luck! 

    Feb 3, 2018

  • Sleep consultant for 18 month old

    –
    Feb 3, 2017

    Hi there,

    I'm hoping someone might have a recommendation for a sleep specialist for an 18-month-old.  We saw Meg Zweiback and I'm hoping to find someone else.  He's fine at going down at night but wakes up frequently in the night and stays awake for hours.  Or he wakes up really early.  3:50 this morning!  I've read Weissbluth and am in the middle of Ferber, but I need a little personal guidance and my pediatrician didn't have any ideas.  

    Thanks so much! 

    Feb 3, 2017

    We got huge relief working with Eileen Henry, RIE Associate. www.CompassionateSleepSolutions.com. 303.953.0203

    She's based out of Boulder, CO but works over the phone just fine. (We recorded our baby's cries and she helped us understand them and monitored his progress that way.) Highly recommended, worth every penny, wish we had used her for our first kid!

    Feb 8, 2017

    Check out Dawn Fry. 

    We used her for our now 4yr old when she was 10mo. after 10 months of colic and sleep deprivation I was willing to hire a night nurse if necessary. Dawn was a better option. She saved my sanity, my marriage and gave me a life.  We still continue with her method. Our daughter is one of very few 4yr olds we know who still will nap for 2 hours in the afternoon. I swear it's becaus we figured out the right sleep fit. We also employed some of her environment techniques for ourselves and my husband and I sleep better then ever before. 

    We followed a modified process for our infant who has always napped and sleeps in her crib all night. Although she's a completely different little person and has been agreeable from day 1. 

    Having now had a sleepless colicy baby, and an easy mellow baby, I can attest to the struggle. It's not you...it's them.

    best of luck! 

    Feb 8, 2017

    She's not local but Brandi Jordan at the Cradle Company in Southern California will work with you via phone/Skype. She keeps it simple and keeps working with you via phone check ins and texts until you get where you want to be. We also saw Meg and didn't feel like she was a good fit for our family. Good luck mama!

    Feb 9, 2017

  • Need Sleep Consultant for 1 year old

    –
    Nov 29, 2016

    My one year old daughter is having difficulty sleeping through the night and I would like to engage a sleep consultant. Most of the posts I found are a few years old and a lot recommend Meg Zweiback. I checked Meg's website and she is not available at this time. Does anyone have any other recommendations? We live in Oakland and would like someone who works in the East Bay. Please help!

    Nov 29, 2016

    My oldest was a challenging sleeper, going to bed staying asleep.  I read all the books.  Finally, we went to Meg Zweilback and for me it wasn't a great match.  What I did find to be very helpful was an online program called the babysleepsite (Nicole Johnson)  There is a very detailed survey about your child, their routines, their personality.  They then come up with a sleep plan based on that information.  You have follow up e-mails.  It helped.  It didn't turn him into a magic sleeper (by the way at 5 he is a pretty great sleeper now, so there is hope) but it did help with the going to bed and some night wakings   I also felt like it was personalized and doable.

    Best of luck getting sleep

    Nov 30, 2016

    I am sorry you are struggling! We had a tough time with sleep too - after a particularly bad run of wake-ups every 45 minutes for several months, we called Marsha Podd, http://www.gotosleepbaby.com/ to help us. We lived in SF at the time, but she is based in Marin and is fine to travel. It cost a bundle to have her come to our house, but literally the night she came our 11 month old slept through the night for the first time in his life. He still had regressions of course, but after that the worst regressions were waking up once or twice, and he mostly slept through the night. Now at 4 we take his sleeping through the night for granted. Good luck!

    Nov 30, 2016

    We had great success with a long-distance sleep consultant named Eileen Henry based in Boulder, CO. Her website is www.compassionatesleepsolutions.com and phone is 303.953.0203. I highly recommend her. We had multiple phone consultations and completed ample questionnaires, including recording our baby's cries so she could help us identify the types of crying (distress vs self-soothing). We were reluctant to sleep train but also desperate since our second child would only sleep on my chest for naps and through the night. Needless to say, this became untenable quite quickly once he was beyond newborn size. We purchased a package and worked with Eileen over the better part of a year as our son reached various milestones that impacted his sleep patterns, and each time the shift back to a healthy sleeping pattern happened more quickly.

    Eileen's approach does involve some crying, but works within the parents' abilities to withstand it rather than enforcing rules about it--though following her advice of waiting 20 minutes (and training yourself to meditate and visualize during that agonizing time) does bring faster results. You are also able to pick up the child and touch them if you feel the need to, but she encourages experimenting with minimal touch like placing a hand on the chest. I liked her dual approach of bringing together brain science for the baby and focusing on the emotional wellness of the parents going through the process--for the benefit of all involved. She's practical and funny and true to her business name, compassionate, and also clear and responsive.

    The earlier the better for sleep training, so I'm not sure what it'd look like with a one year old. All I can say is that within a few days our son was sleeping through the night and continues to sleep a blessed 11 hours straight and goes down without a fuss 99% of the time, now at age 2. How I wish we had done this with our first-born, whom we rocked, bounced, massaged to sleep...and she still needs us to help her transition to sleep at age 5. Lesson learned!

    Worth every penny. If I could give a sleep consultation package to every expectant friend, I would!

    Dec 1, 2016

  • Need a sleep specialist

    –
    Oct 27, 2016

    My 6 year old daughter won't sleep in her bed. She's always been an awful sleeper which led us to [unwanted] co-sleeping. By the time she was 4 co-sleeping wasn't working for us anymore and our marriage needed serious work. Over the past two years we have been struggling to transition our daughter to sleeping in her room. She will make great progress and sleep relatively well for 2-3 weeks and then inevitably bounces back to her usual refusal to sleep on her own, in spite of all our efforts to reward her good nighttime behavior. She wakes up and starts demanding that my husband or I sleep with her, won't take no for an answer or agree to be taken back to her bed. She will scream for hours demanding that we do what she wants. No amount of begging/negotiating/firmness gets us anywhere.  We have contacted our pediatrician but didn't get any suggestions that weren't obvious and already in use (such as reward chart, etc). We are absolutely exhausted and miserable. I wonder if anyone has been through the same and had any luck using a sleep specialist like Meg Zweiback, or someone else? I've read reviews and they are all written by parents of much younger children, little babies and young toddlers. No reviews from parents of school aged kids. These specialists are very expensive and it would be great to hear from someone who's had success with an "older" child, like my daughter. 

    Oct 27, 2016

    Do you have a pet?  My daughter's sleep issues did not rise to this level, but she did wake us every night for years because she had nightmares and was afraid to be alone.  We got a dog.  As soon as the dog was house trained she slept with my daughter.  Daughter never woke us at night again.  She just needed some reassuring company.

    Nov 2, 2016

    I haven't used her for sleep, but I did use Meg Zweiback for the behavioral issues for my son and I think she's excellent! 

    Nov 2, 2016
RE:
22mo very clingy at bedtime and waking up at night (Apr 2, 2022)

I’ve recommended Eileen Henry of Compassionate Sleep Solutions before and I’ll give her another enthusiastic recommendation. She is a true sleep magician and we found her to be enormously helpful with our sons sleep struggles. We have multiple friends who’ve worked with her too with great success. She helps with babies, young toddlers, older toddlers and even early school age kids. Good luck!

Apr 6, 2022
RE:
22mo very clingy at bedtime and waking up at night (Apr 2, 2022)

I highly recommend our sleep consultant, Darrah Torres. She is extremely knowledgeable, has exceptional customer service, and has worked with families with kids of all ages. Our daughter sleeps 7pm-7am with a regular nap because of her! Additionally, she herself is a mom of 2 kids + she is a pediatric speech & language pathologist. My 9th friend just hired her :) Worth every penny! https://www.sleepwiseconsulting.com/consultants/darrah-torres/

Apr 6, 2022

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions Related Pages

One year old with early wake up and poor sleep

Nov 2007

I have a one year old with sleep issues. Does anyone know a good sleep consultant? Im trying to find someone in El Cerrito/Berkeley/Albany. I live in El Cerrito and dont want to drive all the way to Oakland. Would love to know! A-

I consulted with Noelle Cochran [noellecochran [at] mac.com], who does all her consulting via phone. She is warm, goes with what you are comfortable with, but let's you know what to expect given your child and their developmental station. You contact her via email to set an appointment. She is very busy but will get to you. Good luck! kim

Sleep consultant for infant

Oct 2007

i'd like recommendations for a sleep consultant. i am considering hiring a consultant for my 3 month old. i'd really like to get him sleeping before i have to go back to work. if you've done this, what are the pros & cons. also, so far, i've heard of vivien sonnenberg, meg zweibach & noelle cochran. any thoughts? thanks! sleepless mom

Are you asking for additional names or just people's thoughts on using a sleep consultant? We consulted Meg Zweiback to help us with sleep training, as well as for help with other issues as our daughter got older. Anyone who knows me knows that I think she's a genius. The only con is that her services are not free! They were, however, well worth every cent we spent. Especially the sleep training. Good luck! It's not easy, but it sure is nice to have some professional help. Meg Z. fan

I went to Meg Zweibach and she was very good. She is realistic, flexible, patient, and wise.

I am recommending a truly gifted child development specialist who provides consultations and coaching on everything with kids - sleep, behavior, weaning...

She helped me, over the phone while I lived in AZ and she in CA, to get my very sleep challenged/challenging daughter (now 20 months) on a great routine. We had to do cry it out eventually, but at the same time she was doing no-cry with my friend who referred me to her. Later when challenges resurfaced she helped me find a completely different solution fitting for my daughter's stage of development. She also helped me wean my daughter, who actually finally weaned herself from her final regular feeding!!! I never imagined THAT could ever happen.

She's extremely knowledgeable, patient, supportive, practical and kind. She pays attention to what YOUR particular family needs and can adapt her approach as is appropriate to your situation - no cookie cutters in her tool kit. When we finally met face to face my normally shy little girl sat in her lap and hugged her...I know someone else had the title of the Baby Whisperer, but the moniker fits this woman as well:

Angelique Millette , PhDc MFTt PD/CD(DONA) CMT Postpartum & Birth Doula (DONA certified) 415.785.4180

She's a gem! ariel

Sleep specialist for 22-month-old

Sept 2007

I am posting on behalf of a friend who lives in Pleasanton. Can anyone recommend a sleep specialist for a 22 month old who has had sleep issues off and on since 5 months of age. They have Kaiser but have not had much luck there and the recommendations on the archives at BPN are a little outdated. Thanks

I've had two recent and great experiences with Meg Zweiback . She understands children and parents and I felt like she gave us appropriate, sensitive and reasonable recs to help our toddler improve her sleep. It was well worth the money and I felt like I ended up learning about my toddler in the process because of the way Meg asks questions and explains her suggestions. It also helped me to know that she has been doing this for a long time. She was welcoming and calm and seems to really know her stuff. Couldn't recommend her more highly! Anon

Sleep consultant for 6-month-old

November 2006

Our six month old daughter gets up many times per night and struggles with going back to sleep. We've read many sleep books and tried many methods and nothing seems to work. We are now interested in sleep consultants in the bay area. Does anyone have any new recommendations? sleep deprived

We love Vivian Sonnenberg - she is responsible for many happy sleep filled nights in our home! She truly is the baby whisperer - Her number is 415-383-0560 Good luck!

Sleep deprived,
We waited until our baby was 9 months old, hoping he would sleep on his own, but no luck. We read many books (too) before we called a sleep consultant, Vivian Sonnenberg. She was recommended by a friend, and has been written up in the SF Chronicle. Although her service was a little pricey, she was worth every penny! We are so happy and now everyone in the house is well-rested. Her website is www.viviansonnenberg.com Good Luck! Loving our sleep

Sleep specialist for 15 month old

August 2005

We are looking for a sleep specialist or consultant to help us address our sleep issues with our 15 month old boy. Is there anyone who has used a sleep specialist recently who they would recommend? a very tired mama

Our son is a year old and was a terrible sleeper.

We went to see Meg Zweiback (836-1450) when he was maybe 8 months old because he had to be held for a large part of the night to sleep at all, would wake as often as 20 times, never slept longer than a couple hours at a stretch. We met with her twice (and had daily phone consults in between our meetings) and he got to be a much better sleeper.

Our schedule got really out of wack for 3 weeks and the baby regressed pretty seriously. When he was 11 months old we took him back to Meg and she gave us different advice that also worked. (Initially we tried doing the same thing we did the first time around but it wasn't working. When we went back, she told us he was at a different stage developmentally so we needed to do something different.) Now he is back on track and is sleeping even better than before. He usually wakes up once around 3 or 4 to eat and otherwise sleeps about 8-6:30.

It only took 2-3 nights the first time to get him sleeping well. The second time it took a little more than a week. The process was painful (lots of crying) but well worth it for all of us.

Good luck.

Sleep specialist for baby

March 2004

Hi -- I'm considering consulting with a specialist about my baby's sleep issues. He seems to be having more difficulty than is ordinary (he's certainly having more difficulty than my daughter did), and the situation is not good for him or for the rest of the family. Despite our efforts at sleep training and other methods, he is incapable of organizing his sleep. He has a great deal of trouble going to sleep and staying asleep, waking every ten minutes or so during naps and every hour or so at night. I know that Stanford has a sleep clinic that includes pediatrics. I'm wondering -- has anyone ever used the Stanford clinic? Or has anyone used a specialist closer to home and gotten good results? I'm not even sure what sort of specialist we need -- medical doctor, nurse practitioner, alternative medicine -- so any recommendations are welcome. Thanks so much. Sleep Deprived in Oakland

I have had similar sleep patterns with my 3month old dauther in the day time. Night time is getting better. We have been seeing an osteopath regularly since her birth and this is helped tremendously. The one I have been seeing is moving and I am looking for another currently. I can't say enough about the benefits of osteopathy, especially for newborns and children. It has done wonders for her digestive issues and sleep. Monica

Need help for son who can't sleep through the night

2001

We're looking for someone who can help us deal with our son's sleep issues. We've received conflicting advice from our pediatrician and other professionals, but it doesn't seem to matter anyway since he still has a tough time sleeping through the night, and he seems unable to put himself back to sleep by himself (and sometimes with our help). Does anyone have recommendations for anyone who specializes in sleep disorders? (And yes, we've read four books and tried everything from attachment style to Ferber and beyond - with no success.) Thanks in advance.

There is a sleep disorders clinic at Stanford you might contact. You could also talk to a developmental pediatrician if you haven't already. Good luck! Melissa

We engaged Meg Zweiback both when my son was a wakeful baby and for dealing with big boy bed freedom. She is great -- analyzes the issue and provides a prescription that worked well for us in both cases. I strongly recommend her. Her number is 836-1450. Kathleen

The sleep consultant we worked with is Rachel Biale. She works only by phone, which actually turned out to be preferable. She likes to work with both parents, and working by phone makes it much easier to coordinate. Her method of sleep training is similar to Ferber, except that you stay with the baby. It's helpful for those of us who just can't close the door and not go in, and the baby is not alone. But it is just heartbraking to stay with your baby while he screams, and NOT pick him up. Rachel individualizes her approach for each family, so I can only speak to what she had us do. We let Eli cry in his crib for 10 min without touching him, just talking to calm him. Then we tried patting and touching to soothe him, without picking him up, for another 10 min. If he was still crying (which he always was), then we picked him up and soothed him, and when he was calm, we put him down and started all over again. Also, my partner and I took turns. Even though this didn't ultimately work for us, we did find it helpful. Rachel worked with us within our limits, instead of saying that the method demands certain procedures, like most of the books out there do. In the end, we decided that we weren't making enough progress quickly enough to be able to continue. But this is a procedure that has worked well for many parents.

My daughter had bad sleeping problems, and in the end, I found I had to rely on my own maternal instinct. I talked to many professionals, I tried almost all suggestions and read every book I could get my hands on. My best contact was the UCSF Sleep Program. Unfortunately, no one can give you just the right answer and no particular method is guaranteed to work. After years of trying to follow other's ideas of dealing with short sleep cycles, movement and sound sensitivity I stopped listening and followed my own instincts. I have tried to make sleep/night a safe and secure place. A time of security and a positive experience. It is important to remember that the current ideas of what I child should sleep like is not only a generalization but is the in trend of thinking for our times. When you look back in history, or at other cultures, you can see that the ideas of how children should sleep and how the parents handle it vary greatly. It is also helpful to hear what other parents experience with their children. The longer I dealt with the problem the more commonly I heard about other's problem situations. You must also remember that every family has different limits on what they will handle. Some keep their children up late, others want the child asleep early. Some parents get up and sit with the child, others bring the child into their bed.Everyone sleeps differently. Some fall asleep quickly, others take time. Some people are 'light' sleepers, other's heavy. I suggest you look at your sleep style and see if it matches your child's in any way. My situation has still not completely resolved itself but it is much better. Ndevent

More reviews of sleep consultants

July 2002

RE: 8 month old standing in crib, exhausted
We worked with a very intuitive baby coach named Sarah Swales, 652-0774. If you want to get away from the one-size-fits-all formulas, I highly recommend inviting Sarah over to meet you and your child. She picked up on things about my son's sleep style that I wouldn't have noticed, and she offered me and my husband great support.

We had major sleep challenges (including standing in the crib), and we've worked through them all in gentle baby steps with Sarah's help. We met with her 3 times and spent a few hundred dollars in the process. Totally worth it.

Other people in my moms' group have consulted with Sarah, so I know for a fact that she is not giving us all the same solutions. EM