Tailored Plans, Great Results
About Edel – Baby Sleep Consultant
Edel Gargan is the mother of two girls Anna and Laragh, and son James. Edel has worked as a professional in the childcare industry since 1999 and became a Qualified Baby Sleep Consultant in 2010. She has attained numerous accreditation’s and certificates in areas such as Baby & Toddler Nutrition, Behavioral Management, Child Protection and Paediatric First Aid. Like many mothers Edel had to cope with the challenges of sleep deprivation caused by her children not sleeping.
While originally from a farming background in Co. Roscommon Edel now lives in Sandyford, Dublin 18. While not working inside or outside her home, Edel enjoy’s keeping fit, family days out and socialising with friends. After having her third (and last!) child in 2013, Edel completed the Dublin City Marathon in 2017 having taken up running to lose ‘baby weight’!
Professional Baby Sleep Consultant
Having solved her own children’s baby sleep problems, Edel was asked for advice by family and friends to help them teach their children to sleep through the night. After a number of successes Edel decided to train as a Professional Baby Sleep Consultant and has gained a National Accreditation in Sleep Consultancy awarded by the NNSC in the UK.
Since attaining her Baby Sleep Consultant qualification Edel has worked with hundreds of families across Ireland, UK, UAE, US, Australia and Canada, each with their own unique challanges requiring their own tailored baby sleep solution.
Crèche & Montessori School in Dublin
As well as being a wife and mother of three, Edel ran her own crèche and Montessori school in Dublin, for over 15 years and is a qualified Montessori teacher. Edel’s experience of providing childcare to 100’s of families have provided her with an extremely broad insight to the challenges facing modern parents and children alike. This depth and wealth of experience differentiates her as a baby sleep consultant.
The Gentle Approach Baby Sleep
First things first, as a pediatric sleep consultant I believe all baby’s cries need to be responded to. Although your baby may need to learn to settle to sleep they should never feel afraid or abandoned. I believe the roll of a parent is to comfort a child through the sleep training process rather that using harsh controlled crying techniques to get your child to sleep through the night. The Baby Sleep Academy philosophy is based on creating positive sleep associations for your child. This involves sleep preparation routines, a well-balanced healthy diet and development of positive sleep habits. The use of controlled crying is not part of my philosophy. However, when you have a wilful child who has developed a negative sleep habit they will generally cry when you try to change it. I believe that you should not leave your child to cry for prolonged periods on their own as you need to be there to comfort and encourage them into their new sleep routine.
Identifying negative sleep habits
The Baby Sleep Academy process starts by first identifying what negative sleep habits your child has developed. I provide parents with a Sleep Diary which they must complete for a period of seven days. This includes keeping a diary of not just sleep times but also the food your child has consumed and when, as part of their daily routine. Nutrition, while important for your child’s growth and development is also an important factor in developing a healthy sleep pattern.
Every Parent is Different Too!
While every child is different, I also find that every parent is different too! My philosophy is to tailor the sleep program into a solution you can work with and are comfortable to introduce which culminates in your baby sleeping through the night. In saying this, your commitment to the introduction of a new sleep routine is absolutely the most vital element in achieving success.
Baby Sleep Diary
Once I have received your baby sleep diary I will follow up with a phone call with questions about the diary. The next step is to analyse your sleep diary and identify where improvements in your child’s sleep routine can be made. I will provide you with a tailored easy-to-follow, step-by-step sleep program for your child. In my experience parents often have many questions about the sleep plan and anxieties about its implementation which we will talk through and resolve.
Your First Night
On the first night you should not expect your baby or toddler to sleep for a straight 12 hours, this very very rarely happens. In most cases the first few nights are the most challenging and improvements can be seen within the first week. To measure success I will ask you to continue to keep the sleep diary throughout the process. The Baby Sleep Academy is here to provide you with help and support until you and your child are sleeping through the night.
Common Reasons for Baby Not Sleeping:
Baby is dependent on a soother which falls out
Baby wakes frequently during the night
Baby is dependent on being held or rubbed to get to sleep
Baby/child will not go to bed
Baby is dependent on having a bottle to get to sleep
You must be present for baby to fall asleep
Baby wakes and can’t get back to sleep by themselves
Child wants to come into your bed
If you are experiencing any of these baby sleep problems, I can help you progress your child to develop positive sleep habits so that you’ll both get a good nights’ sleep. Contact info@babysleepacademy.com.
