For all humans, one of our primary activities, or occupations, is sleep. Good sleep hygiene, or sleep habits/practices, is so necessary to function in our daily lives - at work, raising kids with a sane mind, having energy, you name it. Feeling rested is essential to not only efficiently participating in life, but having good QUALITY of life.
Same goes for our children. Babies and toddlers grow SO FAST - and sleep is restorative and absolutely critical for their development. As parents, we teach our children so many skills - how to wave “hi”, how to share toys, how to use the toilet...the list goes on. Falling and staying asleep independently is no different - all of these skills take practice. If we don’t give our children opportunities to *try*, we will never know what they’re capable of.
With that said, every family has to do what works for them to help their babies sleep. If what you’re doing now is working for you, that’s great. But…I’m guessing if you’ve landed on this page you’re looking for extra support. If what you’re doing right now isn’t quite working for you, change and growth is possible. I use a variety of approaches to meet families where they’re at. I firmly believe there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to sleep. Each baby, each family, and each home is so unique. What IS uniform across the work I do is that I will ALWAYS be 100% committed to your growth. I will support you to meet your goals and see progress, so that you can all get better rest.
As an occupational therapist, I am trained and educated on the human body and physiology, child development, and evidence-based practice to promote healthy participation in daily life. My background and experience has given me the tools to see the whole person and evaluate sleep through a holistic lens.
So, for both YOU and your little ones, I want to help you get some sleep. Bedtime does not need to feel stressful. As the American Occupational Therapy Association states in their document on OT and sleep, “restful and adequate sleep provides the foundation for optimal occupational performance, participation, and engagement in daily life.” We all need sleep, and let’s be honest, life is just so much more enjoyable with good quality rest. Let’s do this!