Sleep coaching
Sleeping is a learned skill. Everyone can sleep, but not every child learns this skill automatically. As a parent, you can teach your child the skill of sleeping, just like potty training or cycling. Many parents try all kinds of things to solve their child’s sleep issues, but not always with success. As with any skill, some children learn faster than others. Learning a new skill requires patience, dedication, and practice. And sometimes external help. Sleep coaching can be the solution for learning the skill of sleeping.
Gentle Sleep Coaching
When coaching your child with our help as Gentle Sleep Coaches®, we use methods that are gentle and loving. We will never ask you to let your child cry endlessly alone. If you, as a parent, have an emotional or physical resistance to the “cry-it-out” technique, we can help you with proven gentle methods. Where you can give both verbal and physical reassurance to your child while he learns to sleep.
Our method
The process starts with a free telephone call in which the sleep issues of your child(ren) are discussed. If you decide to start sleep coaching with us, we ask you to fill in our questionnaire.
We analyse the questionnaire prior to the first consultation to get an idea of your situation. The consultation will be online. But if you prefer, we can come to your place (if the distance isn’t too far). During the consultation, we will make a customised sleep plan together.
Your wishes as a family are the starting points of the sleep plan. We discuss your norms and values, because it’s important to us that these are taken into account. Wishes regarding sleep space (parent’s room/children’s room/cot/bed), use of pacifier, naps and reducing or maintaining (breast)feedings, are also included in the sleep plan.
After the consultation, you can carry out the sleep plan with our guidance. Together we decide when to start. During our coaching (of ± three weeks) we have regularly – and if necessary daily – contact, in which we give you our feedback and answer all of your questions. If necessary, the sleep plan can be adjusted.
Co-sleeping and Feeding
We respect the choices and philosophies of each family. If you want to sleep together with your child (co-sleeping or room-sharing), we’ll support you. The sleep plan is drawn up according to your wishes. If you breastfeed and wish to continue, that won’t be a problem. It’s a myth that stopping breastfeeding (i.e. switching to formula) naturally improves your child’s sleep. If you wish to feed (breast or bottle) at night, we’ll make that a part of the sleep plan.
This is how sleep coaching succeeds!
Since every child and family is different, we always make a customised sleep plan, precisely tailored to your child’s needs. For the progress of the sleep coaching, we mainly depend on the sleep log, completed by you as parents. This requires attention. In addition, consistency during sleep coaching is the key to success. If the child is healthy, the sleep log is complete and the parents are consistent, then there is a 95% success rate.
