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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a child sleep consultant help with?
I support families with a wide range of sleep difficulties, including frequent night waking, early rising, bedtime battles, short naps, difficulty falling asleep, needing a parent present to settle, nap transitions and bedtime anxiety. I work with children from 4 months to 10 years old and take an individual approach based on your child’s age, sleep needs, temperament, routine and what is currently happening around sleep.
Do you offer sleep training?
Yes, sleep training simply means helping a child develop a different way of falling asleep or returning to sleep. There are many ways to do this and it does not have to mean leaving a child to cry it out. I use a range of responsive approaches and will recommend a method based on your child, your parenting preferences and the sleep difficulty we are trying to improve.
Can you help with frequent night waking?
Yes. Frequent night waking is one of the most common reasons families come to me. Rather than simply trying to stop the waking, I look at what may be contributing to it. This can include sleep timing, daytime sleep, sleep pressure, the way your child falls asleep, feeding, developmental changes, anxiety, sensory needs or their individual sleep requirement. Once we understand what is driving the waking, we can create a plan that is realistic for your family.
Can you help if my child needs me there to fall asleep?
Yes, it is very common for babies and children to become used to falling asleep with a parent beside them, being rocked, fed, held or having a particular type of support. If this is working for your family, there is no reason you have to change it. But if it is becoming exhausting or contributing to repeated waking, we can gradually work towards your child needing less support while still responding to them throughout the process.
Can you help with early rising?
Yes. Early rising can have several different causes, which is why simply putting a child to bed earlier does not always solve it. I look at bedtime, wake time, daytime sleep, total sleep need, light exposure, body-clock timing and what happens when your child wakes in the early hours. The aim is to understand why the early waking is happening rather than relying on a generic schedule.
Can you help with bedtime battles and children that take a long time to fall asleep?
Yes, Long bedtimes can sometimes happen because a child is being asked to sleep before they are biologically ready, while for other children the difficulty may be linked to boundaries, anxiety, separation, sensory needs or the way bedtime has developed over time. I look at the whole bedtime picture and may use strategies such as bedtime fading, changes to sleep timing, predictable routines, connection time and gradual changes to parental support.
Can you help autistic or neurodivergent children with sleep?
Yes. I offer specialist sleep support for autistic and neurodivergent children, including children with ADHD, anxiety, sensory differences and PDA profiles. Neurodivergent sleep difficulties often need a more individual approach. Rather than expecting a child to fit into a standard sleep-training method, I consider sensory needs, anxiety, communication, demand avoidance, regulation, routine and the child’s individual sleep pattern.
Do you work with children with bedtime anxiety?
Yes, bedtime anxiety can show up as repeated questions, needing a parent close by, refusing to go upstairs, difficulty separating, fears at night or becoming very distressed around bedtime. In these situations, the focus is not simply on behaviour. We look at what is driving the anxiety and build a plan that supports both emotional regulation and sleep.
Do You Support A "Cry-It-Out" Method?
No. I do not use a cry it out approach. My work is responsive and individualised. Depending on your child’s age and needs, we may use gradual changes, parental presence, timed reassurance, bedtime fading, sleep-pressure adjustments or other evidence-based strategies. There may still be frustration or protest when something familiar changes, but the aim is not to leave your child unsupported for long periods.
What age children do you work with?
I work with babies and children from 4 months to 10 years old. For babies under 4 months, I do not offer formal 1:1 sleep training because sleep is still developing significantly at this stage. I do, however, provide newborn sleep information and resources to help parents understand what is developmentally normal and how they can support healthy sleep foundations.
Do you work with families online?
Yes. All of my sleep support is delivered online, which means I can work with families throughout the UK and internationally. Depending on the package you choose, support may include a detailed assessment, sleep diary analysis, personalised sleep plan and ongoing email or WhatsApp support.
Will you give my child a strict sleep schedule?
Not necessarily. I do not believe every child should sleep from 7pm to 7am or follow the same wake windows simply because they are the same age. I look at your child’s actual sleep need, their natural rhythm, current routine and how their sleep is distributed across 24 hours. Sometimes adjusting timings is an important part of the plan, but the aim is to create a schedule that suits your individual child.
How quickly will my child's sleep improve?
Every child is different, so I do not guarantee that sleep will be completely resolved within a set number of days. Some families notice changes quickly, while others need more time, particularly where sleep difficulties have been present for a long time or where anxiety, neurodivergence, illness, developmental changes or significant sleep associations are involved. My aim is to give you a clear plan, help you understand what is happening and support you through the changes rather than promise an unrealistic overnight fix.
What if I am not sure which sleep package I need?
You can book a free discovery call before choosing a package. We can briefly discuss what is happening with your child’s sleep, what kind of support you are looking for and which option would be the best fit for your family.
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