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Hello – I’m Charlotte and I’m a Certified Infant Sleep Consultant living in Essex with my husband Lee and my two children, Jessica and Joshua.
I became a first time mum during the pandemic in 2020 and it was honestly one of the most challenging times I’ve ever experienced. Like so many other mums, I didn’t have the opportunity to seek support from family, friends, groups or health professionals. They say it takes a village, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to find mine.
I did all the things people tell you, you ‘shouldn’t do’. I fed, walked, bounced, rocked Jess to sleep, you name it – I did it. I would have stood on my head every night if it meant she would sleep. I was desperate and exhausted.
I remember vividly being told when I was pregnant that when I become a mum, I’d better get ‘used to being tired’. I tried to accept this new way of life, but deep down I was really struggling.
As time went on, I was severely sleep deprived, anxious and withdrawn. I was having trouble recalling things and the lack of sleep was having an impact on my mental health. I just felt like a failure as a mother. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t improve Jess’s sleep.
After an ongoing internal battle with myself, I took the biggest and (now looking back), bravest step and admitted I needed help. This transformed my life in SO many ways, but more importantly it transformed Jess..
Once I started sleeping better and feeling like ‘myself’ again, I knew in my heart that I wanted to help other families. I lived through the transformation myself and I just knew I wanted to be on the other end of the phone. It felt like my ‘calling’.
So, I got my head down in books and began studying sleep science. Assignments, books and case studies later, I was thrilled when I became a certified Sleep Consultant with Sleepy Lambs, franchising with them covering all of Essex.
Then in 2022 I founded The Gift of Sleep.
My vision is to help support as many families as possible to make safe positive changes with their little ones sleep. Whether that be through my free Sleepy Mummas Support Group, with the MIND charity on their ‘Mums Matter’ programme, supporting my Local Health Visiting Team or via my 1-2-1 support services. I want to help support you to know that you can make loving changes to your little ones sleep. So often sleep challenges are the symptom of something else going on, not the cause. So, let me help you get started today!
As an active member of both the International Paediatric Sleep Association International Pediatric Sleep Association – Home (pedsleep.org) and the International Association of Child Sleep Consultants International Association of Child Sleep Consultants (iacsc.com), my approach is ALL about taking a holistic and comprehensive look at your little one’s sleep.
Together, we’ll look at all the potential causes of the sleep challenges and then look at the positive ways to move forward. There are no rights or wrongs, as long as you and your baby are safe.
Safer sleep is my number 1 priority and I hold a certification in SIDS and Safer Sleep for babies from the UK’s Lullaby Trust foundation. I also ensure I follow the guidelines set out from the NHS Start4Life.
There are SO many enormous benefits of great healthy sleep for you and your little one(s). It’s a hugely beneficial skill they will carry with them into Toddlerhood and beyond!
I don’t use the cry-it-out method, I ensure I am giving you safe, age-appropriate suggestions, to enable you to make informed decisions moving forward. However, as with most changes with baby’s and toddlers, there can typically be tears. That’s why I ensure you are fully briefed and informed all about crying during our time together.