Recognized as a top sleep consultant in the U.S. You’re not sure where to start when it comes to getting your child to sleep through the night. You’ve read plenty of books, searched the internet in the middle of the night for ideas and tried every piece of advice from well-meaning friends, family and social media groups can offer. Every night is a mix of frustration and exhaustion. Staying awake during the day is tough. You wonder if it’s always going to be like this...always tired and never knowing how the baby will sleep tonight.
I know what it feels like to be sleep deprived mom... I’ve been there My daughter was like most babies. She slept most of the day and I thought maternity leave would be a great time to catch up on hobbies and experience being a stay-at-home mom for a few months before I went back to work. I knew babies slept, so why wouldn’t they just sleep when they wanted to? I had friends with babies and they all raved about how well they slept at night. Months went by and every night I wondered why my baby wasn’t sleeping like the others. Everyone, including friends, family and even a woman at the park, gave me advice about how to get her sleeping longer. Some ideas I tried, others I didn’t feel comfortable trying and some made me cringe.
Picture me a few months later... It’s 2:00am and my cute little 6-month old daughter is screaming at the top of her lungs for what seems like forever. I have changed her, fed her, rocked her, walked back and forth across our house at least 10 times, and she still won’t go back to sleep. She’d only been asleep an hour and a half and I’d barely had enough time to take care of house chores and crawl into bed myself. I knew I had an early meeting at work that I wouldn’t be ready for if I didn’t get at least a few hours of sleep that night. Usually, I got between 3-4 hours of sleep each night. Tonight was no different. After finally getting her back to sleep, I slowly transferred her to her crib and slowly creeped back from her crib, hoping she won’t wake up for a few hours.
This had been the way things were for months and I was at my wits end. I was terrified to be this tired. I knew something had to change, because I couldn’t continue to function in my sleep deprived state. I sat on the couch, with tears streaming down my face, and googled “why won’t my baby sleep” and I got 5 million results. I felt defeated and knew I couldn't keep up with barely making it through the day. I was already drinking way too much coffee. I wasn’t going to the gym, something I’d always enjoyed, because I didn’t have the energy. I knew being a parent was tiring, but not like this. I simply didn’t know what to do next.
The next day, after a meeting at work, I called a friend with a daughter the same age as mine. I spilled everything. I told him that I was worried I was going to get fired because I was so tired. I was terrified that I would screw something up or worse, I’d get a bad performance report and hurt my chances for a promotion. He said that his daughter hadn’t always been a great sleeper, but that he knew someone who could help me; someone who would work with me to determine the right schedule for naps and bedtime, who would teach me the skills I needed to teach my daughter how to fall asleep independently. I couldn’t wait to learn how to help my baby sleep.
I would have stood on my head if it would have helped my daughter sleep all night With a step-by-step plan in my hands that followed my parenting style, my whole family was able to get the sleep we all desperately needed and I didn't have to resort to crying it out. By the 3rd night, that baby slept 10 straight hours! For the first time since becoming a mom, I felt like my old self again, full of energy. I had the answers I needed to help my baby sleep through the night and get on a good nap schedule. I was finally be able to lay her down in her crib at bedtime and listen to her sweet coos before she drifted off to sleep. I was so happy that my baby had learned to fall asleep in such a loving and supportive way.
Get eight hours of uninterrupted hours of sleep at night and you wake up in the morning feeling like a new person. Nothing was sweeter than hearing my daughter happily playing in her crib when I came to get her up for the day. I'd learned how to recognize when she was tired and how to make bedtime easy. I felt empowered to have found a solution that fit my family and my way of parenting.
How a Full Night of Sleep Changed My Life As the weeks of great sleep continued, I started to realize how unhappy I was in my corporate job. Not for the job itself, but that I was spending so little time with my sweet baby after picking her up from daycare before it was bedtime. It was the main reason that I decided to leave my 60 hour per week job behind and embark on a journey that would change lives and families. I'd learned that I didn’t have to be a sleep deprived parent and wanted to shout it from the rooftops.
I wanted to tell everyone I knew how great it felt to sleep all night! And best of all I was proud to say that my daughter was a great sleeper! I would have moms stop me at the coffee shop and ask how ‘good of a sleeper’ she was and I’d happily reply “she sleeps all night!” Sleep became my passion and now I get to share the benefits of a full night of sleep, for both parents and their children. Just because you’re a parent, doesn’t mean that you have to walk around like a zombie during the day. There’s a way to get the sleep you need using methods you’re comfortable with. I’m proud at what I do, helping families be happier and well rested.
Today, I get to work with wonderful families who value the importance of sleep, both for themselves and their children, and want the personalized assistance to show them exactly what to do. I love my work as a sleep consultant and I’m able to experience the same joy my clients feel when they tell me “the baby slept through the night.” It’s magical and so fulfilling that I get to help make happy families and change their world for the better.
Sarah Hoyt Sleep Consultant & Postpartum Doula
I'm a proud wife and recovering sleep-deprived mom of two. Like many, I describe becoming a mom as the greatest and most rewarding experience of my life, but, let’s be honest, it’s also the most exhausting, anxiety-inducing, doubt-ridden experience you’ll ever have. Postpartum recovery is hard enough without the added pressure of project deadlines, endless conference calls, pumping schedules, meal planning…etc. By the end of the day, I was exhausted! But bedtime didn’t mean sleep was coming, it meant my night shift was about to begin.
During the day, my daughter was thriving! She was bright, bubbly, and vivacious. She ate well, walked early, potty trained quickly…all while never sleeping more than three to four hours at a time. I couldn’t figure it out. How was I able to help my infant excel in all these other areas but couldn’t get her to sleep through the night? I felt pressure and, honestly, a little embarrassed that I couldn’t crack the code. I’d read book after book, blog after blog, and received more pieces of advice on “how to get my daughter to sleep” than any other form of parental wisdom and nothing was working.
Then, one night, after finding out we were expecting again, I found myself sitting in my 12-month-old daughter's darkened nursery at 2 AM googling “solutions”. I wanted and needed more than a book to help me. I wanted to work with someone who would take the time to learn about my daughter and our family and build a plan based on us. That’s when I found Sleep Solutions by Christine. One quick click and a short message later, I knew I was finally on my way to the restful nights my daughter and I deserved. The tools and education she provided were transformational. The sleep, indescribable! For the first time in over a year I felt rested, I felt empowered, and I felt rooted in a strong foundation of wellness. It wasn’t long after working with Christine that I knew I wanted to help moms and families just like mine. I wanted to be the one working moms could turn to for help. I became a Certified Sleep Consultant and Postpartum Doula, supported every mom I knew in learning the mechanics for successful breastfeeding, and developed easy to make meal ideas for infants and toddler the whole family could enjoy. Now, I look forward to meeting you and helping your family!
We would love to hear from you! To learn more about how we can help you get the sleep you need and follow your parenting style, check out our Sleep Services or Connect with us.
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